February 2011 Monthly challenge

[Lesley (hungryheffy)]

Gosh, can you believe it's February already!? I don't know about you but it seems like 2011 is already flying by quickly. But no matter how fast life can get, its important to spend some time doing the things we love, and if you are checking out this challenge topic, hopefully that means you are ready to find some inspiration and enter this months Paperclipping challenge! Having reviewed the Paperclipping posts, videos and podcasts over the course of January, we have lots of challenge topics that will hopefully spark a few ideas and will get you in a crafty mood.

So lets get started... remember your layout / project only needs to fall into one of these categories (but can of course fall into multiple if you wish), and it is best if you talk us through some of your creative choices. This way we get to see how you have used your design skills to create your own personal masterpiece. This helps all our other members learn from your expertise, and will also help you understand more about the way you scrapbook - which of course helps with your future projects. 

Challenge Topic number 1

In the Paperclipping Roundtable episode 54, At peace with Buckling, the gang speak about a number of their favourite go-to techniques or supplies, and one common favourite project was the wonderful, neutral tones of kraft cardstock. For this challenge, make a layout using some kraft cardstock as part of your design. 

Challenge Topic number 2 

Whether you are a seasoned card maker or a craft scrapper, its hard to deny that a little bit of heat embossing gives any project a touch of elegance and a whole lot of dimension. And the panelists on this episode of Paperclipping Roundtable certainly agree. Lets break out those heat guns and make a layout with heat embossing on there somewhere, just like 

Challenge Topic number 3

Noell made this fabulous mini book about a recent family vacation, and I just love its quirky style and classy structure. Noell's process makes mini books super easy and quick to make, so for this challenge, make a mini book that focuses on a holiday to remember. 

Challenge Topic number 4

in this post, Noell tells us her fashion predictions for this year, in both the fashion and the crafting world. I am excited to see if she is going to be right! For this topic, we want to see projects that focus on fashion - perhaps your predictions, your fashion confessions, or maybe even you'll be brave enough to scrapbook about a fashion faux-pas?

Challenge Topic number 5

Noell's photos of the cacti in the Sonoran desert really made my jaw drop! This post made me stop and think about the places near us that we don't always reflect upon as much as we could. For this challenge, we want you to make a layout about somewhere close to you that has meaning - and don't forget to maybe add some journaling about why that place holds meaning for you. 

Challenge Topic number 6

Repetition really makes a strong statement in design, and we can see this in a number of Noell's projects such as repetition of layout and embellishments in this mini book, or the repetition of circles and letters on this Kindergarten layout For this challenge, we want to see how you can use repetition as a design element in a project: you can use repeated punched shapes, stamped images, shapes, colour, ...anything!

...So, my crafty friends, go forth and get scrap-happy! ♥

Post your creations here (by replying to this discussion) before midnight (pacific time) February 28th. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun and don't forget that you can enter up to three projects into the challenge!

Post your layouts to this thread using the photo attachment at the top instead of the attach file buttons below your comment box.  It makes it easier for everyone to see your work without clicking on links

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Join us for Paperclipping's monthly scrapbook challenge. Check it out at http://bit.ly/e6j1vH

If you have any questions, Suz, Kristyn and myself would love to hear from you, (You will have to add us as a friend to chat with us in this forum) and if you are new there is a rules thread you can look here

To get you started, check out these examples that will hopefully get your creative juices flowing!

 

Example Topic 1: using kraft cardstock

Example Challenge Topic 6 - repetition {repeating a shape -rounded rectangle}

[Tambur]

The heart was stamped using VersaMark and embossed with black ink. I added a little Rock Candy Stickles for some extra gloss. Then mounted the heart on some black yardstick to give it some added sturdiness.

[noellhyman]

Wow, you look gorgeous! I love your heart! It looks like the photo file is too large and we can't see the whole thing. Can you try again?

 

Does someone know how to help her fix this?

 

If you can't figure it out, maybe you can link to it so we can see this large version and then hop over to where we can see the whole thing.  :)  It looks so pretty and I would love to see it all!

[Suz Gray (craftsuz)]

So elegant & filled with texture - love the layering of ribbons

[j.leija]

Hello! :) Quiet challenge this month. Here's one for the Heat Embossing Challenge!

My design thoughts:

• I wanted to create something green and lush, much like my Grandpa's garden. I used a Tim Holtz stamp and 4 different green/gold/teal embossing powders to achieve the background effect.
• Then, seeing that the stamped images were a bit disjointed, I hit it with 2 shades of green Maya Mist, to create a more cohesive background.
• It's a busier background that what I traditionally use but I think that's ok. I really think it makes my Grandpa, in his blue shirt, and my nephew Urijah pop off the page.
• I went for a very linear, very simple photo arrangement because there was already a lot going on. 
• In adding journaling, I wanted it to not carry as much visual weight and wanted it to blend into the background a bit more. So I printed it out on a transparency.
• Embellishing was the hardest part! I didn't want to add too much, but also knew it needed something more. The orange "tag" pieces are what I came up with. I stamped and hand wrote a few sentiments on orange cardstock, and using pinking shears, added a decorative border to the top. The bottom piece really conveyed "garden" to me, since I used Tim Holtz's metal memo pins like a plant identifier (can't think of what they're called!!)
• The final touches were Martha Stewart's adhesive backed ribbon along the bottom edge and against the side of the focal photo.

[Tambur]

Love your background.  Well done. 

 

 

[noellhyman]

Cool texturing with all the embossing. I love that you solved the disjointed problem by bringing all together with one green mist. Excellent fix.

 

I love the photo stream and the Grow tag at the top!

[Suz Gray (craftsuz)]

What a great design for using a lot of photos on one page.  Your embellishments are perfectly placed & those memo pins really do remind of those plant identifying signs (I'm embarrassed that I'm a gardener and can't remember the name of those things either lol)

[noellhyman]

Love your examples, Lesley! You always inspire me!

[LeAnne Spetch]

 

This falls under Kraft and Repetition. It's definitely not my best work but it came together quickly with what I had on hand. I wanted to bring out the theme of the pictures so die cutted the hats from scraps. The blue paper was also a scrap piece. I ended up repeating them both in a visual triangle around the layout. I used a Kraft background because it went better with my theme...makes me think of dirt.:)

[noellhyman]

You have an Aiden, too!

 

I like how the hats break out of the lines of your foundation -- especially the one on top of Aiden's head! And that little blue rectangle on the top right is nice balance for the blue on the other page!

 

Great job getting all those photos on there!

[Lesley (hungryheffy)]

i love that you have used pieces of real life on your page. Its amazing how a few photos can look so good together. well done.

x

[Suz Gray (craftsuz)]

Great job capturing the memory of that day.  I love the way you used the take home papers from the event as your journaling.  Kraft really is the perfect background for the theme and for making the blues in the photos come out.