Guest Designer | Andrea Lake

Hi everyone, my name is Andrea Lake and I am excited to be Paige’s January Guest Designer! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. This being the start of a new year, my thoughts turn not only to memories and moments of the past year but of our goals for 2020. Using Paige’s cut files and her collections with Pink Paislee, I created projects that celebrate the past year and look ahead to the year to come. I hope you enjoy!

My first project is a layout of my “2019 in Review”. Looking back month-by-month at snapshot highlights of 2019 made me feel so grateful for the year we had and it helped shape my plans and goals for 2020. I used the 2019 cut file for the title and Mini Envelope to hold each month's memories. The Truly Grateful collection was my go-to for all the envelopes and embellishments. For the background, I used yellow patterned paper from the Pick-Me-Up collection.

My 2020 Vision Board inspires me to achieve my goals – seeing them everyday connects me to my dreams in a way the written word cannot. Organized in four key areas – Family, Career, Crafting, and Travel - I created three 8x8" layouts and an 8 ½" diameter embroidery hoop.

For my Family board, I used the Family cut file for the title and added eight 2x2" embellished squares to complete this simple layout. The family photos remind me how much we love each other and ways I’d like to spend time with them this year.

I’ve learned through hosting crafting workshops that teaching makes me feel alive! Sharing your knowledge and passion can definitely change people's lives. My Career board surrounds my goal of adding training and development to my career in hotel sales. I used the Floral Banner cut file as the main focus of this layout. I used papers and flowers from Truly Grateful, Horizon, and Whimsical collections to put it all together.

The Must Make Stuff cut file was perfect for my Crafting layout! 2019 was a year to remember. I attended workshops, met new creative friends, and have decided in 2020 to take this hobby to the next level. The Truly Grateful and Whimsical papers were used for the background, embellishments, and to back the cut files.

I’ve traveled a lot in life and seeing the world with my family is always a priority. I chose the Wanderlust cut file for my Travel layout and used snippets of travel photos and vellum paper to back the cut file. My favorite paper from the Horizon collection (Paper 03) is the background and I handstitched the edges of each section with embroidery floss and machine stitched the page border.

Finally, I’m using the Suitcase Mini Album cut file to inspire my family to come visit us again this year! All the pink and purple patterned papers I could find in Paige's collections went into four different cut file pockets to add pictures and journaling, plus the decorated flap. I backed and embellished the three chosen shapes. I also added a mini-waterfall system to show some extra photos with the family, and machine-stitched almost every piece of paper to add more dimension. The outside of the suitcase has a pink tassel and pink charm from the Horizon collection, and a pink butterfly charm hanging from the handle.

I hope these inspire you to create beautiful projects and plan your year in a creative way! Thanks for stopping by!