#Besties.

An idea that I've recently thought of doing- inspired by others who are using up their stash was to make my own kits out of what's left in my stash. So this is a little kit that I put together with stash of both papers as well as embellishments. This isn't all that I put together at the beginning but just like getting a normal kit- you use what you feel fits and save the rest for another page. Or in my case, throw it back in the respective stash piles and re-make new kits. 

I thought with the pink, flowers, and love that I'd use this picture of me and my bestie from my birthday. I wanted a cluster at the upper corner and the lower corner doing a diagonal with the design. Both have a base of using a journaling card- than layer bits and pieces of embellishments and paper. To me, kind of reminds me of a messy desk- but the important things are on top. Anyways, I found a sticker that said "besties" - thought it would be perfect for this page as well as the gold accents I have. Added little glasses to the bunny piece because we both have glasses on and so - she should also. Assuming bunny is a girl.

I thought this page came together pretty well considering not many of the pieces were actually together in a collection. In the past- I wouldn't have thought to do that but since using my stash up- I found most of my pages now have stuff that isn't relevant to each other at all except for some common idea I sprung in my head. I hope you enjoyed this page and challenge yourself to make your own kit out of what you have left lying around! Never know what kind of pages you can magically create. 

xo. Renee

Paper Issues: Imperfectly Perfect.

A few weekends ago my favorite Facebook Group/Scrapbook store, Paper Issues, had a online crop with tons of challenges and games! If you've followed me, or Paper Issues- you know they do this about twice a year and it's literally one of my favorite weekends of the year. I try to take off work and follow along bundled up in my room; which I still need to clean from the crop- I literally slept on the couch for a few days. Lord help me. This year though, I couldn't get out of it- working was a must. So I didn't get as much accomplished as I had wanted but it still provides me with inspiration for a while!

For this challenge the ladies at Paper Issues asked us to make a project that didn't use any paper trimmers. So it could only be with scissors, die cuts, or silhouette. I- of course- I know you're shocked- had a few more photos from the Luke Bryan concert left that I wanted to scrap. So I thought with the ideas I came up with would be perfect for this! 

As I was strolling through my stash, I saw an old paper of Iowa that I had hoarded - basically because lets be honest, I didn't know how I was going to use it. Trying to be all Iowa proud and... failed. Anyways, I finally thought- lets give this a go. I fussy cut the state out of the paper and placed it upon this other paper that I thought matched my photos so well! I used what was left of my Simple Stories' Cabin Fever cut aparts as layering bits behind the photo. Being they were already cut out, ripped apart- I didn't need to use a paper trimmer for them.  As usual, I just threw embellishments around the page- included some of the flowers I cut out from the cut aparts in the title as well as by the photos.  The title, I used tiny washi underneath to make it pop from the page a bit. 

The lyric I used for the title - pretty much sums the concert up. We turned a cornfield in the middle of Iowa in to a Luke Bryan concert and it was so much fun!! I absolutely love how this page turned out- I know- I say it everytime but this is a new favorite!!  Even though the crop is over, take a look on the Facebook group at the submissions others have put in and try your hand at the challenges! Its a great way to use up all your stash, which I'm trying so hard to do!!!  Hope you enjoyed this page, come back to check out more!! 

xo. Renee

Paper Issues: Sketch

A few weekends ago my favorite Facebook Group/Scrapbook store, Paper Issues, had a online crop with tons of challenges and games! If you've followed me, or Paper Issues- you know they do this about twice a year and it's literally one of my favorite weekends of the year. I try to take off work and follow along bundled up in my room; which I still need to clean from the crop- I literally slept on the couch for a few days. Lord help me. This year though, I couldn't get out of it- working was a must. So I didn't get as much accomplished as I had wanted but it still provides me with inspiration for a while!

This is one of my favorite pages I was able to get done for the crop. I followed along with the Sketch challenge to create this masterpiece.  Also, you thought I was done with pages about my friend mister Luke Bryan- you are surely mistaken. Muahaha. 

The sketch called for 3 pictures, well- I have a plenty from the Luke Bryan concert I attended back in September. Yes, I've told you 500 times because I can't stop making pages about the concert! Arrrg. It's an addiction- and I'm warning you- they're not over. There's a more a comin'. Anyways- back to this page.  Oh wait, I'm also not done using my Simple Stories scraps from their collection - Cabin Fever.  Doesn't it just scream country concert? Maybe it's just me. 

Anyways, so I layered a big piece along with a layer of a slightly smaller piece on to the background. Calling for a cluster in the upper right corner and one at the bottom left- there was to be a title at the bottom with a small cluster. I thought of the clever idea of cutting out the mountains out of the cut apart papers- there were two different ones so I layered them between the layers for the base. I thought for the bottom cluster- I'd include a small piece for some journaling and build around that. Simple title with some little details. Of course, I added some layering behind all the photos because- well I'm Renee and I'm a layer addict. That was really a ramble of what I put together but I do love how it turned out!! It's so fun - I think - but again, I'm bias. 

Even though the crop is over, take a look on the Facebook group at the submissions others have put in and try your hand at the challenges! Its a great way to use up all your stash, which I'm trying so hard to do!!!  Hope you enjoyed this page, come back to check out more!! 

xo. Renee

Paper Issues Fall Crop: One Side

A few weekends ago my favorite Facebook Group/Scrapbook store, Paper Issues, had a online crop with tons of challenges and games! If you've followed me, or Paper Issues- you know they do this about twice a year and it's literally one of my favorite weekends of the year. I try to take off work and follow along bundled up in my room; which I still need to clean from the crop- I literally slept on the couch for a few days. Lord help me. This year though, I couldn't get out of it- working was a must. So I didn't get as much accomplished as I had wanted but it still provides me with inspiration for a while!

I tackled the challenge they called Fall in Line. Where you had to make a page with your focus on a line concept. So I wanted to take it all to one side of my page; forming the line with my paper layers. 

I just loved this picture my sister sent me of Halloween. I thought that this would be a perfect way to use my Doodlebugs Birthday Girl line with all the unicorns! I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to use the leftovers quite yet, but this help make a nice dent in it!! I used a paper from Pink Paislees' Summer Lights line. The colors worked so well with the girlie colors from the embellishments. The layers behind were built by scraps I had that I felt followed the color scheme. My concept is pretty simple with every page, I love layers and forming clusters with my embellishments which is what I did here as well! 

The colors just make me so happy, the page works so well!!  Even though the crop is over, take a look on the Facebook group at the submissions others have put in and try your hand at the challenges! Its a great way to use up all your scraps!!  

xo. Renee

Paper Issues : Listopia

A few weekends ago my favorite Facebook Group/Scrapbook store, Paper Issues, had a online crop with tons of challenges and games! If you've followed me, or Paper Issues- you know they do this about twice a year and it's literally one of my favorite weekends of the year. I try to take off work and follow along bundled up in my room; which I still need to clean from the crop- I literally slept on the couch for a few days. Lord help me. This year though, I couldn't get out of it- working was a must. So I didn't get as much accomplished as I had wanted but it still provides me with inspiration for a while!

One of the challenges I completed was the Listopia challenge which you had to include a list in your journaling in some form. So I decided to use more of my fall photos, because I literally take photos all the time with all the beautiful scenery around! Oh, and selfies of me, always.

I liked the 4 square set up; I layered each segment with papers from Simple Stories' Hello Fall line that I had hoarded.  I put the title on the side, I cut out the LOVE out of one of the cut apart sheets and used the Fall chipboard. I clustered embellishments on each of the 4 squares in some form as well as used some of the hexagons from the paper in various spots on the page.  Both of the spots with journal cards consist of my list of Fall Favorites (banner which I cut from one of the papers ).  

My fall favorites are endless so this is just a compact list of them all. I just think this page screams fall. It turned out perfect!! Also as always lately, I used up a bunch of my stash. Even though I've been been busting through it fairly well, it seems that it's endless. I had a goal to make it until the New Years but I think it's going to be by next summer when I get it all used up! I think it's multiplying when I'm not looking.  Let me know if I need to install a security camera over my scrap stuff. 

Even though the crop is over, take a look on the Facebook group at the submissions others have put in and try your hand at the challenges! I know I have a few I still want to tackle!! 

xo. Renee

Paper Issues Fall Crop: Cut the Craft.

A few weekends ago my favorite Facebook Group/Scrapbook store, Paper Issues, had a online crop with tons of challenges and games! If you've followed me, or Paper Issues- you know they do this about twice a year and it's literally one of my favorite weekends of the year. I try to take off work and follow along bundled up in my room; which I still need to clean from the crop- I literally slept on the couch for a few days. Lord help me. This year though, I couldn't get out of it- working was a must. So I didn't get as much accomplished as I had wanted but it still provides me with inspiration for a while!

I listed the challenges in my notebook and got to work every night when I was off. One of the pages I started with was Cut the Craft. The challenge was to use one of Paper Issues'  FREE cut files to create a page. Well- you don't have to ask me twice. Stacie always creates the best cut files and I usually grab them all up when I have the chance. For this page, I chosed her Boo Pumpkin file. The pumpkins are gorgeous!! I took it and made them two different sizes. 

I usually always cut my files out of white cardstock. I'm not sure what it is but I love the clean look they give. I backed the pumpkins with fall colored papers from my stash. (Again, using up the stash as much as I can! The crop works perfect for this!! ) I had some embellishments that were in shape of leaves but the colors were not ones I thought would go well with this page so I traced them on to brown paper. Leaves I had hoarded from Amy Tangerine's first line- yes, that old. Other embellishments were from Simple Stories fall lines that I've boughten. I -as always- layered my picture. Using the same papers I used to back the pumpkin.

I absolutely am in love with fall. Give me all the pumpkin things. Show me all the warm colors. Its my spirit weather. I am usually rather specific about what pumpkins I want , so I took myself to a pumpkin patch. I usually don't mind exploring all the things but I knew I didn't have a whole lot of time and it wasn't too busy so it was kind of boring. But I asked if I could just walk in to pick out some pumpkins without having to pay to do the extra things. The lady was accommodating and let me wander around for the perfect pumpkin. Of course, I couldn't just pick one- I need a million in all sorts of colors and sizes. To the point that I had to use a wheel barrow. The scrapbooker in me, I needed to ask for photos. Who takes a trip to a pumpkin patch without pictures? 

I hope you enjoyed this page, I loved how it turned out!! Even though the crop is over, take a look on the Facebook group at the submissions others have put in and try your hand at the challenges! Its a great way to use up all your scraps!! 

xo. Renee