cutting paper

I know it sounds really simple and straight forward and as a store owner i should be promoting buy embellishments but cutting paper is really my all time favorite embellishment.  I worked on these two projects this week and i am totally in love with them, they are boyish which is my strength, colorful and bright.  They look complicated but most of it is just cut paper then arranged to make fun patterns.

This one has an arrgyl pattern on the right using 1" squares, i did ink the sides with walnut distress ink that part is very time consuming but relaxing.  Glued in place then sewed at an angle from both sides finally added brads in the centers where stitching overlaps.  The key to just cutting paper is to always take it one step futher.  There are two other panels underneath again ink for interest and the blue pattern one is fussy cut to the paper- more interesting.  Finished with chipboard (every page NEEDS chipboard) and button.  The title is old letters that i painted- use up that old product.

This one i actually had to pull out my cricket, no mater how hard you try it is impossible to cut perfect circles!!  So again cut paper, layered and inked used circle and rectangles for texture and movement.  Layered the circle on top of brown cardstock to make the colors pop and stand out, if the cardstock wasn't there all the colors would be muddled together.  I love the clutter of rectangles as the background super interesting background and totally adds texture, the only real pain in the butt here is these are 6"x0.25" rectangles then i inked all the edges- yes i was black when done.  Again chipboard, brads, and sewing.  The title and bracket are both raw chipboard then i can do what every i want to it and it becomes an accessory to any page no matter the paper color or page theme.  BUY BUY raw chipboard letters, shapes you will get way more mileage out of it!!!! or if you have old colored chipboard don't be afraid to paint, ink, or cover in paper.