Contributor Center Stage - Paige Evans

Tell us a little about yourself! I'm mom to Fox (4) & Jane (2.5) and wife of almost 8 years to Chris. We live on a US Army base in Bavaria Germany and LOVE to travel near and far. Scrapbooking is my passion and I try to create something new every day! We love life and can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

How long have you been scrapbooking? I’ve been scrapbooking since 2001, so 14 years. It’s a fun story that I like to tell! When I was 16 years old my parents decided I needed to get a job so we went downtown to a little strip mall where there was a scrapbooking store. I’ll be honest, I thought scrapbooking was SO corny when I was a teenager! But we went into the store anyway and they didn’t even have an application, they just wrote down my name and phone number. A few weeks later, I got the job! The first time I put a photo on paper and played with all of the cute embellishments, I was hooked. It’s crazy how that one day has completely changed the course of my life. Nearly every job I’ve had since then and all of my free time is devoted to this wonderful hobby! What if I hadn’t gotten that job? Where would I be now? What would I be doing? I’m so thankful for scrapbooking and the memories I get to preserve and the friends I get to meet through it.

It seems that your go-to technique is using layers, paper scraps, and die-cutting to make detailed layouts. Would you mind sharing some photos of how one such project came together and describing the stages? One layout that comes to mind as a good example is called "I LOVE THIS GIRL." To make this layout, and basically any of my layouts, I start with an idea or source of inspiration. The idea for this layout came from one of the stitching templates in the Stitched collection by Amy Tangerine – specifically the heart cross stitch, only instead of using thread I used pieces of paper! I trimmed 1-centimeter strips from all of the patterned papers in the Cirque main Scrapbooking kit, even the tearaway strips. Then I trimmed the strips into 1.5” pieces. Starting at the bottom of a light blue cardstock base, I found the center at 6” and placed two paper strips in an “x”. The next row had 3 “x”s, then 5, then 7, then two rows of 9, then two sets of 4, and two sets of 2 – I simply followed the heart stitching template. Next I used my sewing machine and stitched vertically and horizontally down and across each row. A couple of photos layered with embellishments from the Cirque main Scrapbooking kit, a bit of journaling, and the date stamped (I organize my layouts chronologically so I always like to stamp the date somewhere) and this layout is complete!


How do you stay organized? I store everything in boxes in one big IKEA expedit unit. I keep collections in big ziplock bags and once they’re a year or two old I purge and make room for new collections. I also have a box of punches, a box of painting/stamping, a box of Thickers and letter stickers, a box of embellishments, and then smaller boxes with photos and adhesive. I store wood veneer, buttons, and smaller embellishments in plastic containers. I have no room to grow haha! Hopefully some day I’ll have an entire scrap room :)

What is the crafting tool you can’t live without? There are two tools that I can’t live without – my sewing machine and my Silhouette Cameo! Sewing is such a great alternative to adhesive and I love the “homespun” look and added texture it gives. And my Cameo is an infinite source of inspiration – the shapes and possibilities are endless!

Where do you go to get ideas? Pinterest, the #scrapbooking hashtag collection on Instagram, Scrapbook & Cards Today and JOT magazines, and the Studio Calico Member and Design Team galleries of course!

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14 comments

  1. maggie_massey says…
    02/06/2015

    um. wow. Paige. you blow me away. I LOVE your page collage...both the photo above and the one on your wall!!! so so beautiful. I just want to live in one of your pages...so beautiful...

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  2. EyoungLee says…
    02/06/2015

    WOW.every page inspire me!!! They are so lovely!! :)

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  3. Square says…
    02/06/2015

    This is great, Paige!

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  4. toribissell says…
    02/06/2015

    I love Paige! She is such an inspiration to me. She inspires me to be me and be colourful and creative and mix patterns. I love being super colourful with my layouts and in a very white space centric Scrapbooking world I am completely inspired by her layouts. Seriously every layout she makes I go "this is the best layout she's ever made" but then she goes and makes another amazing layout! Thank you so much for featuring this amazing artist today. It was a pleasure to learn more about her.

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  5. picki56 says…
    02/06/2015

    Do you just have your layouts up on the wall or are they framed? I love the idea of displaying work like that!

    2 Reply 0 Replies
  6. Joelaw says…
    02/06/2015

    Where can I find the storage cases you use for wood veneer and sequins!

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  7. christinebk says…
    02/06/2015

    Each layout is a work of art- amazing! :)

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  8. Bellaa75 says…
    02/06/2015

    Thank you for this, was great to read more about Paige. Love the story about how you got started.

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  9. SuzMannecke says…
    02/06/2015

    Great post Paige!! Love your creative space and home away from the States home! :)

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  10. PaigeEvans says…
    02/07/2015

    @picki56 they're just taped up on the wall :)

    0 Reply 0 Replies
  11. PaigeEvans says…
    02/07/2015

    @Joelaw I found the storage boxes on amazon and JoAnn :)

    0 Reply 0 Replies
  12. mtercha says…
    02/07/2015

    You are seriously the most talented artist/scrapbooker I've ever seen. Every layout is a work of art. Thanks for sharing.

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  13. donnalee says…
    02/13/2015

    Love your pages !!! Can you please tell us where you got the albums in the first picture ? Those colors are amazing !!!

    1 Reply 0 Replies
  14. PaigeEvans says…
    02/15/2015

    @donnalee they're American Crafts albums!

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