Read | A Cherry on Top Guest Designer

I was lucky enough to be asked to be the July guest designer at A Cherry on Top.

As a part of guesting, they gave me $50 to spend in the shop and asked that I create three layouts and blog posts. Here is my third blog post, which will be published on the ACOT blog soon:


Read | Playing with Patterned Paper
by Debbi Tehrani

I love patterned paper! There are so many things you can do with just this one scrapbook supply! I’ll share a few of my favorite things to do with patterned paper on this layout I created using Photoplay’s delightful new We Can Just Stay Home collection. Note that I scrap 8 x 8, so the designs will look larger on my pages than on a 12 x 12 layout.

I always look for patterned papers that have designs I can fussy cut and use as embellishments, which is what I did with the B side of the Family Fun Paper. Don’t you love all those playful rainbows? I cut a bunch of them out and lined them up, overlapping, to make a fun, colorful border. And how adorable are the sloths in this collection? I always add hearts to the pages I give away, and this sweet little sloth hugging a heart was the perfect way to do this, though you’ll spot a few more hearts on my layout.

Something else I love to do with patterned papers is to back cut files. I created my title using a Paper Issues alphabet cut file and backed each letter with a different pattern—Don’t Hurry Paper, Read a Book Paper, and two other sheets from the Collection Pack. Once the glue dried, I outlined the inside of the cut file with a Pigma Micron pen, which I think adds extra dimension without adding any bulk.

If you read my other blog post, “Something Old, Something New,” you know I like to add some of my older stash along with newer supplies, and I have a TON of buttons from back in the day when they were trendy as scrapbook supplies, so I added some to my title, along with some twine. I also added some of my older word and phrase stickers alongside one from this Photoplay collection.

You can see I fussy-cut some stacks of books from the Read a Book Paper, adding one to the title and one to the left of the rainbows. Enamel dots are one of my go-to supplies when I’m feeling like my page needs a little something-something.

I often use a white background, especially with busy patterns, but sometimes there’s just too much white, so I like to create borders, either on all four sides or just two, and patterned papers are perfect for this. I used the striped paper to create borders on the top and bottom, and punched the teal grid pattern to add interest to the top border, layering it with a border punched from red cardstock.

And of course I used pattern papers to add some layers under my photo. Outlining them with a fine Pigma Micron pen is something I like to do to add definition to each layer.

Patterned paper is such a versatile and economical scrapbook supply. I created this layout with a few small pieces cut out of 4 sheets of patterned paper, a few stickers, a handful of enamel dots, and a few older items from my stash. And I still have most of each sheet leftover for more layouts!

Making Butter | Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches - Day 14

Well, I'm almost halfway through my mission of completing all 30 Days of Sketches at Paper Issues. Here's my layout for sketch 14:

Here's the sketch. I flipped it because of the orientation of the photos.

Here are some details. I was looking through my stash and came across Photoplay's Stuck on You collection, and there were jars on the sticker sheet, which I decided would be perfect for a butter-making layout. I think the fabric covered brads are by BasicGrey. I was also happy to use some buttons from my gazillion-button supply.

That cream label came from a very old sheet of October Afternoon diecuts. Score for using old stash again!

I added some stamped phrases to the pictures. The "get in my belly" is one of my favorite stamps!

Speaking of old stash, I used some Heidi Swapp chipboard letters. Embarrassing how many packs of those I still have! But they still look awesome, even if I did put them on a little crooked.

I hope you'll come play with us. Sketches are so much fun and a great way to get pages done quickly or give you a kick-start when your mojo's gone missing.

Please use my code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, every single day!

Seas the Day | Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches - Day 12

I'm here with another layout I created for Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches. Here's Day 12:

Here's the sketch:

And some details.  I used Photoplay's Monterey Bay collection for my layout. The little beach houses were cut out of a patterned paper. The red paper behind the photos is some textured paper that I had in my red paper scraps drawer. I made the waves with an old border punch and two different paper scraps I had in my blue scraps drawer--they're Chatterbox papers. Who remembers those? I always add a heart to all my pages I give away and I found a teeny-tiny one to put on one of the houses. The metal seashell is a brad, also an oldie from my stash. I love combining old and new.

I cut the lighthouse out of a cut-apart sheet. I lifted all the elements with foam adhesive.

If you read an earlier post of mine, you'll know that I came upon these sheets of ginormous raw chipboard letters, and I'm trying to use them up because I don't have a good place to store them. I just added gesso to them to give them a white-washed look. How fun is that little seagull sticker?

The Monterey Bay sticker sheet had some banners, which went perfectly with the sketch. I used a FREE cut file from Paper Issues called Sunburst Background. I erased half of it because I knew the bottom would be covered up.

I hope you'll come join our challenge. If you like the Monterey Bay collection, there several elements still in the Paper Issues store. Please use my code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, every single day!

Seaside Gold Beach | Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches - Day 3

Hey, listen to this: Paper Issues is trying to keep up our spirits during this COVID-19 shut-in by giving us 30 sketches for 30 days. I'm going to try to do all of them! Here's my layout for Day 3:

Here's the sketch. I used the same basic design but switched it up a little.

Here are some details. I started out by making a giant circular stencil with my Silhouette Cameo. I then laid the Bubbles stencil over top of the circle in the left hand corner of my page and used two colors of blue stamp ink. Then I poked holes and hand-stitched the circle.

I used Photo Play's Monterey Bay collection on my page. The lighthouse is from the sticker sheet, and the rest of the elements were fussy cut from some of the patterned papers.

 The white beach houses are from a metal die I got on ebay.

The banner was made with nautical flags cut out of a paper from a Fancy Pants Nautical 6 x 6 pad, and then I just glued the twine on top.

I hope you'll come join our challenge. If you like the Monterey Bay collection, there are several pieces the Paper Issues store. Please use my code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, every single day!

Happy Springtime | Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches - Day 1

Hey, everyone! I hope you're keeping up your spirits during our COVID-19 quarantine. Thankfully, we all have a hobby that brings us joy. And at Paper Issues, we're bringing you a special fun challenge in addition to all our regular challenges--30 Days of 30 Sketches, aka #staysketchy. I'm on a mission to do them all. Not sure I'll be able to do them all in time, but I did 3 this past weekend. Here's the one I did for Day 1:

Here's the sketch:

And some details. I sure wish I knew how to do mixed media well. Once I got it on the page, I decided I didn't like it. I decided to partially cover it with some mesh cut from a metal die. I used the adorable Tulla and Norbert collection, which is even cuter in person. I think the sun was too bright when Iphotographed my layout. I added some Nuvo Drops in matching colors and a couple of old clips that I found in my stash.

I adhered these gnomes crooked and couldn't make them straight because I had used glue dots. I hate when that happens! I found a chipboard heart that perfectly matched the flowerpot the gnome is holding.

I hope you'll come join our challenge. If you like the Tulla and Norbert collection, there are still some pieces in the Paper Issues store. Please use my code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, every single day!

You Rock | Paper Issues Keep It Sketchy

I made another page for one of my students, this time for Paper Issues Keep It Sketchy challenge:

Here's the awesome sketch. When I first saw it, I wanted to use washi tape because I have so much and never remember to use it. And then I forgot to use it!

Here are some details. I had this sticker sheet from Photoplay's Boy's Rule collection, and I wanted to use it because I thought the colors looked nice with this kid's green shirt. Only problem was, I didn't have the papers from that collection. Not sure why I only bought the sticker sheet. I really love the color combination. So I dug through my patterned paper scraps to find some papers that would match the colors, and I did a pretty good job, I think. I just love that airplane sticker. 

I started by adding watercolor in orange and yellow with some green splatters. I then added texture paste through a starry stencil. Once it dried, I outlined some of the stars. The You Rock title and the puffy stars came from this pack of phrase Thickers from Shimelle's Field  Trip collection. 

I mounted all the Photoplay stickers and my pictures on pop dots for added dimension.

This sketch was so fun to play with. I may just make another layout with it--this time using the washi tape I had planned to use!

You should stop by the Paper Issues shop, check out all the new goodies, and please use my code, Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll get 20% off your entire order!

You Shine | Paper Issues Scraplift Sunday Challenge

I did a third page for Scraplift Sunday challenge at Paper Issues.

Here's the beautiful layout by Amanda that we got to scraplift:

I used PhotoPlay's Mad for Plaid collection from last year. I loved the paper with all those little trees, and when I saw this picture of our grand-niece in the sweet plaid dress, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to fussy cut the trees from that paper.

Here are some details. Once I lined up all the trees, I felt like something more was needed, so I rifled through my Christmas embellishments and found the little poinsettia buttons with the gold pots. And then I found the sparkly green trees by Making Memories, which are really old. I thought they added some interest and dimension.

The glittery elements made me think of looking for a gold glittery title, and I found the word "shine," so that became my title. I always put a heart on the pages I make for the kids, so I added one of the center of the O in the word "you," which is an old BasicGrey alphabet.

I wanted a little cluster at the top too, and I had an extra poinsettia and pot.

I hope you'll come play in this or one of the many other challenges at Paper Issues. You could win a gift certificate! And if you shop at the store, please use my code, Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll get 20% off your entire purchase!