Hello Sunshine | CSI Case File No. 388

I made this layout last month for CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration, featuring a picture of my friend's daughter. 

Here are the Case File and Clues that inspired this layout:

The beautiful Scene was found on Pinterest.

I was inspired by all the florals and greenery in The Scene, as well as the wreath. In addition to using the colors, I used the following Evidence clues: stripes, flowers, greenery, layers, wood, paint, jars (in the photo), hearts, wreath, circles, lemons, cursive, flair.

Here are some details. I started with a free cut file from Paper Issues called Bud Wreath. I love white on white, but the cut file was getting lost on the background, so I added some yellow ink with a blending brush and some paint splatters, and it still wasn't standing out enough, so I cut it a second time in green and mounted the white on top of that, and that did the trick. 

I looked through my stash for yellow floral paper but couldn't find any, so I decided to use some Vicki Boutin flower stamps to add to my wreath. I used alcohol markers to color them in. The title is from a Simple Stories foam sticker pack. I always add a heart (or more) to the layouts I give to my friends, and I found a perfect flair badge to add, which met the heart and circle clue. And I found a paper in my stash with lemons for the lemon clue and fussy cut those to add to my floral clusters. In retrospect, I wish I had flipped the design because it looks a little top heavy, but I don't always see these things until they're on the computer screen and it's too late.

Once I had all the flowers arranged, I added some more details, like the branches made with a die from Simply Graphic, some phrase stickers, and some rub-on phrases. I tried to add dimension to the stamped flowers and leaves by adding some folds in them. I stitched the white page onto a green background--that paper is really old, by K&Co. Some wooden hearts and enamel dots finished off my page.

Even though this challenge is over tomorrow, we've got new challenges every month at CSI, so I hope you'll come play with us!

Tick All That Apply | Bramble Fox DT Work

It was my turn to share on Bramble Fox's Instagram, and here's what I created (another page for one of my students):

Here are some details. Isn't this Perspextive, from the April Fox Box, fabulous?

I always put a heart on all of the pages I give people, and this black Bramble Fox heart was perfect. How fun are those hipster animals? When my husband went to visit his brother in Paris last year, I had him get me some scrapbook products that are made in France. These stamps and the papers are by Les Ateliers de Karine, from the Correspondances collection.

The taxi was cut out of one of the Papers from that collection. I also used a black Bramble Fox arrow.

I highly recommend the Fox Box subscription. It gives you a nice assortment of pieces to work with, as well as an exclusive design only available in the Fox Box. Plus you get a discount on everything in the shop. Here's a look at this April Fox Box:

And a look at the upcoming May Fox Box, available to order now:

Yum! {CSI Case File No. 288 + Paper Issues Free File Free-for-All Challenge}

Note: There seems to be a bug with Blogger. My text is not showing up in places, but if you want to read what I wrote, you can highlight the spaces between the pictures, and the text will show up. So weird!

We've got a new challenge live at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration! And I'm super-excited because Paper Issues is sponsoring CSI this month, so I made sure to pick a Paper Issues challenge to combine with it, and they had the perfect cut file for this challenge, so I played with the Free File Free-for-All challenge, which is always one of my favorites!

Here are the Case File and clues for the CSI challenge:

Image Credit: Louise Lockhart

Here are the clues I used: The Scheme: All the colors; Evidence: Patterned paper with wonky dots, stripes, ice-cream themed elements, transportation, circular elements, stars, triangles, labels, animals, sprinkle something, bow, date.

Here's the awesome FREE cut file I used, called Sweet Summer Treats, which has pretty much any kind of ice cream you can think of, soft serve, scoops, ice cream bars, popsicles. Seriously, Paper Issues is so generous in giving away literally hundreds of free cut files! 

And some details. Check out that fabulous cut file! So fun! I found some wonky dot pink paper, by Simple Stories, to act as sprinkles for my ice cream. One of the clues was circular elements, so I immediately thought of flair. These are from A Flair for Buttons. And then I'd add some buttons too, as circles. I have so dang many buttons, so it was a perfect excuse to use them. The striped paper in the back is from Photoplay's Like a Girl collection. It has all the colors except for the orange. How perfect! The teal behind my photo is also from that collection. The orange circle paper is by Chatterbox. I love combining older stash with newer.

That little ice cream truck in The Scene was just too adorable, so I printed it out and stuck it on my page. I was planning to have the "We All Scream for Ice Cream" as my title, but I didn't think I'd be able to make it fit, so I used up some old thickers with a shorter title.

I've been on a kick lately to use some of my stamps. I have literally hundreds of them. I used the Kaisercraft triangle background stamp, as triangles were one of my clues. The tiny stars is a Heidi Swapp stamp. The larger stars are by Denim Tampons. I stamped them and cut them out. The "Get in my belly!" stamp is one of my favorites, and it's by Citrus Twist, as is the "Delicious," from the same stamp set. The "Awesome" stamp is by Crate Paper Good Vibes.

I sprinkled some Heidi Swapp Mist as another clue. I originally used the photo corner for my triangle clue. How about that sweet tiny cat! The stamp is just his upper body, so I tucked him behind another Flair badge from A Flair for Buttons. It's a Studio Calico stamp. The "Yes!" stamp is from the same set.

I hope you'll come play along with CSI this month! Besides all of our other sponsors, Paper Issues is donating a $20 gift card to their shop! Use my code, Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll get 20% off your entire purchase!

And here are all of the sponsors donating prizes this month:

Let Me In! {CSI Case File No. 261}

Our mid-month challenge at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration is live! Here's what I made:

And here is the Case File for this challenge that inspired my layout:

I have countless photos of this furry little mischief maker, and this photo was calling to me. These doors go to the library, where I keep not only my books but the cage holding my bearded dragon. Miss Minnie Cupcake wants to get in there so bad. I had locked the door from the inside when I went in to feed the lizard, and when I turned around, she had climbed halfway up the French door and was staring at me. I was so lucky I had my camera to catch that funny shot! I used many of the traditional clues, including the color scheme, a floral print (which I fussy cut), stripes, dots, animals, flowers, hearts, triangles, buttons, a bow, and brads, as well as the topic Testimony.

Here are some details. That fuchsia paper with the wonky dots is really old, by Ki Memories. I think they were ahead of their time. It's funny--I used that We R Memory Keepers paper with the doors on my other September CSI page. I thought it was perfect here (and for the other page too). The flowers were fussy cut from an Amy Tangerine paper, and the "hello" speech bubble was cut from a My Mind's Eye paper. My flair badges are from A Flair for Buttons. I love it when I can find the perfect word stickers, and I found the "world domination strategies" on an old 7Gypsies sticker sheet. It made me laugh with this picture.

I found a little lizard in a Shimelle puffy sticker pack. You gotta love BasicGrey for letter stickers. I have every single pack they ever made, so I can always find the perfect color in my stash. The green letters are old Sassafras Lass stickers.

I couldn't not use this "adorakable" flair badge, also by A Flair for Buttons. That "laugh" sticker is ANCIENT--by Ki memories, and I found a little bow-shaped enamel dot in just the right color to match that clue.

I hope you'll come play with us. We've got a dozen sponsors donating prizes this month--everything from prize packs to kits to gift certificates: