September Challenge Examples

Hello, all! Another month has flown by. The school year has started and my littlest one is off in Pre-K. Many of you might now that I host two separate challenges over at scrapbook.com. The new month means new challenges and that means I create example layouts for them. The first layout is my example for the Darker Side Challenge, in which the topic is Hitting the Books. This includes using anything from your favorite book, including titles, stories, and characters (But of course, the layout has to be dark in nature. I predict a lot of Twilight entries, lol). The second layout is my example for the Steampunk Challenge. The topic for that one is Back to School and that includes any school, even graduate school. I hope you enjoy these and in case you didn't know I host a challenge at Scraps of Darkness as well. So look for that one on the 15th! Enjoy!

HP? layout. This is my son dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween last year. He really looks the part, doesn't he? HeeHee.

Back To School layout. This is a steampunk layout I created of a photo of my youngest daughter on her first day of school this year. I used masks from Tim Holtz and Tattered Angels to create the background and Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap, Brushed Corduroy, and Vintage Photo. I also used metallic markers for outlining and lots of school-related images. The rub on letters falling out of the flying book are from Ruby Rock-It and the glitter alphas are from Thickers.

Wedded Bliss

Hello, all. I've been working on two separate wedding albums. One for my eldest daughter and another for a cousin. The whole wedding theme is nice to work on since I didn't have much of a wedding of my own. I was married by Justice of the Peace and the only witnesses were fishing buddies of the judge! lol. So now I am having a little fun with the wedding layouts I'm creating for these two albums. The first layout is "Down the Aisle," a layout I created with a photo of my hubby walking my daughter down the aisle. I used my Scraps of Darkness kit for this. That kit had proven so versatile; I love it! The second layout is "Brotherly Love" made using a photo of my cousin with her three brothers at her wedding. Thanks for taking a look!

Down The Aisle layout. Using my Scraps of Darkness kit, I created a layout of blacks and whites to bring focus to the photo. I water distressed the script background paper and inked the edges of all the pieces with Black Soot Distress Ink. I used my Cricut and the Home Decor Cartridge to cut out the flourishes. I add some Prima flowers and a flower I made out of a feather piece that came in my SOD kit.

Brotherly Love layout. I used a sketch that I got from the (Paper) Trail Maker's Challenge Blog, lace, and some Christmas papers I had in my stash. I didn't want to make this to be a frilly layout so I tried to keep it simple.

Compendium of Curiosities - Week #11

Hello, all! Another week, another compendium challenge! This week's challenge was to use the Blended Batik technique. This is a rather interesting technique and since I like darker colors, I used a darker background that was it shown in the book. The background heart paper is the result. The layout I created for this challenge is called I Love A Man in Uniform. That is my husband trying on his dress blue uniform after it had alterations done to it. I am also entering it the Monochromatic Challenge - Week 3 - Navy with the twist of it being a masculine layout, and the Military Challenge - Monochromatic, over at scrapbook.com.

This is how Linda at Studio L3 puts this week's challenge:

Please open your Compendium of Curiosities to page 36, where you'll find Tim's Blended Batik technique!

This is another of Tim's projects that's super easy, but the result can be very sophisticated. Plus, it's one of those techniques where you get to say "Ta DA!" as the look transforms before your very eyes. You'll see what I mean.... it's really cool!

I Love A Man in Uniform layout. This is my hubby trying on his dress blue uniform. I used the Blended Batik technique for the heart background, my Cricut Expression to cut out the frame, and Stickles in Dark Blue around the photo, background, and in the dog tag. The title is a mix of stickers and Thickers. Sorry the photo of the layout is not clearer but it's very cloudy today where I live.

Another layout I'd like to share is for the Monochromatic Challenge - Week 4 - School Bus Yellow with the twist of using glitter. This layout is of my 3 year old son visiting his very first classroom on Meet the Teacher Night at his school. He'll be starting Pre-K tomorrow and we are all excited!

First Class layout. This is my son in his new classroom, exploring all the different areas. I framed the photos in black, glued them to yellow cardstock then glued that onto the black cardstock background.  I used my Cricut and the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge to cut out the buses and Plantin School Book cartridge for the title letter. I covered the title letter with Yellow Stickles and the tires of the buses with Black Diamond Stickles.

Preggerz and Lovely Baby

Hello, all! I hope everyone's having a great weekend! Right now I am on a break from school and have been trying to cram as much scrapping time as possible before I start another class. So I've been working on some of the challenges I signed up for this month. Here are two layouts that I created to combine some of these challenges. Preggerz is a layout of my best friend when she was pregnant. This layout is for the Magistical Memories August Sketch challenge and the From Screen to Scrap Challenge - Juno poster. I used my Scraps of Darkness kit for this one. The second layout, Lovely Baby, is a layout of my newest niece, Norah. The challenges this layout is going to be entered in are: The Monochromatic Challenge - Week 2 - Pink with the twist of handmade flowers, the Scraplifting 101 Challenge - scraplifting Lovely by Fryne, the Compendium of Curiosities #10 Challenge - Distress Stickles, and the DIY Challenge - using the Elegant Ruffled Paper Flower tutorial by SIMPLYPAPER and the Wax Paper Flowers tutorial by Byondbzr. Hope you enjoy them!

Preggerz layout. This is my beautiful friend, Eva, while she was pregnant with her third child. I used the Magistical Memories August Sketch and my Scraps of Darkness kit. I cut the papers into strips, distressed the edges, and inked them with Fired Brick and Black Soot Distress Inks. The zipper flower is a RAK I won from MelissaW. Isn't it cool! I added black tulle underneath it. The chipboard letters started off aqua but I painted them black then added Black Diamond Stickles over them.

Close-up of the zipper flower by MelissaW.

Lovely Baby layout. This is Norah, my newest niece! Isn't she adorable? I scraplifted Lovely by Fryne for this one. I inked over a swirl mask with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, added striped and polka dot papers, used border punches, and added polka dot ribbon. I made most of the flowers out of ribbon, a couple out of paper and one out of wax paper. I then added flourishes of Distress Stickles in Worn Lipstick and covered the butterfly with them as well.

Evil? Who me?

Hello, all! Just playing with my Scraps of Darkness kit again and have created a layout based on the Scraps of Darkness sketch for this month. I just turned the sketch on its side. I love the black and white papers in the August kit, which I love to pair with the color red (My favorite!). So I decided to create another layout for a Book of Me I've been working on. And layouts for that are usually few and far between but lately, with all these darker papers, I've been on a roll. So here is another layout of me. The journaling says "Funny, I was called evil once based on my appearance. If they knew me they'd have KNOWN it! LOL." I wanted to make fun off the perceptions people had off me when I was younger and dressed Goth and Punky. I always got stared at and I even had a little old lady call me evil. But they didn't know me. If they had known me and not judged me by my clothing, they would have seen a kind and caring girl. Because of my experiences with this, I have always taught my kids not to judge people by what they wear; it could just be a preference or a style they are following and it doesn't make a person bad. Actions are what make a person evil, not their clothing. So I hope you enjoy this one! I know I enjoyed creating it. I also entered this layout in The (Paper) Trail Makers Challenge - Birds, Bees, and Butterflies!

Evil? layout. I used all the polka dot papers and added a red glimmer distressed background (used Glimmer Mist in Candy Apple Red). I distressed and inked the edges of all the pieces. I add red cattails, Prima red and black bling, and red flowers that I misted with Glimmer Mist in Candy Apple Red. I used some Thickers glitter alphas that were originally gold and covered them in Black Diamond Stickles. Then I used my Dymo to create the journaling blocks.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

That is the topic of the new challenge I'm hosting at Scraps of Darkness. Hello, all! I have recently become a subscriber to Scraps of Darkness Kit Club and I decided to start the Darkest Side Challenge there to mirror the Darker Side Challenge I host on scrapbook.com. The kit I received this month is gorgeous and quite versatile. I hope you'll have a look. This kit's name is Midnight Garden and with a little help from my eldest daughter we can up with A Midsummer Night's Dream as the theme. I can't wait to see what the other participants will come up with.

A Midsummer Night's Eva layout. A little play on words for the title. This is my best friend, Eva. Isn't she beautiful? The challenge has a condition of it having to include at least 50% Scraps of Darkness products. The background paper with the owl, blue flowers, grey and black flowers, silver metal embellishments, gems and feathers on the mask, the water gems, and the rub-on letters of the title are all from my SOD kit. I inked the owl paper with three different colors of Distress Ink; Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans, and Black Soot. I sprayed it with Granite Glimmer Mist and "water" distressed it then rubbed it with Black Soot as an accent on the wrinkles. I also tore pieces out and stitched them together. The flourishes were cut with my Cricut expression using the Home Decor cartridge and covered with Doodlebug Designs Sugar Coating Glitter. The mask is an earring I bought at a flea market which I added feathers and gems from the kit. The owl is stuck on with mounting tape.

Here is a close-up of one of the corners of the layout. Wish you could really see all the glitz and glitter that is on here!

Tick Tock

Hello, all! I got to say that I love garage sales, thrift stores, curb crawling, and the like! Like the saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Last weekend I stopped by a few garage sales in my neighborhood. Didn't find too much but I bought quite a few books for my son and a couple of generic plastic clocks. Now, I love clocks and I knew that these would be perfect for altering. I just finished one of them and since the clocks will be hung in my scraproom, of course, I had to keep to the Alice in Wonderland theme. I'm planning to fill at least one wall of my scraproom with clocks! my husband asks how will I be able to concentrate with all that ticking but I find the sound very relaxing and a bit hypnotic. Hopefully the noise won't bother my daughter, whose room is on the same side of the house. lol. Here are the before and after photos! TFL! Enjoy!

Clock Before. I'm sure you've all seen these types of clocks everywhere! They're relatively cheap but it's so much better when you can get them at garage sale prices!

Off With Her Head! clock. I had a blast creating this clock. I replaced the inner circle with diamond patterned paper and stamped gold flourishes on it. I then replaced the plastic cover and added a stamped image of the Queen of Hearts I colored and cut out. I then made some ribbon roses and added them with some leaves and premade mini roses. The letters are Thickers and I painted them over in gold. I also added lock and key jewelry charms.

Scraps of Darkness Release Day!

Hello, all! I am so excited! I recently became a subscriber to Scraps of Darkness Kit Club and am set to receive my August kit soon (Release days are on the 15th of each month). This month's kit is called Midnight Garden. I strongly suggest you take a look at this! Remember that Scraps of Darkness is a kit club for those of us who are "alternative" scrappers; the ones that like the dark colors, distress, steampunk, and Halloween! Love the papers in this new kit and I am squirming at my desk in anticipation of the kit arriving!

If you'd like to take a look at the kit or view some of the layouts created by the Scraps of Darkness DT, here is the website:

http://www.scrapsofdarkness.com/

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #9

Hello, all! I hope everybody finds themselves well! I am here once again to share a creation for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge for week #9! This weeks challenge was to use Distress Crackle! Love this stuff! Not only does it come in every amazing Tim Holtz Distress Ink color but it also comes in a clear mixture called Rock Candy! That's what I used for the technique in this week's challenge, along with various colors of Distress Inks. I created a layout for this challenge and to enter in a few others; the Scrapliftng 101 challenge - scraplifted Roller Hockey by Marilou64 ; the Colour Challenge - use green, yellow, orange, and aqua on a white background; and the Scrap Your Pet Challenge - I scrapped photos of my doggie, Attila the Pom.

Here is how Linda from Studio L3 puts challenge #9:

As each week of this series comes to a close, I think I've seen the most wonderful, Tim-inspired art possible, and that it couldn't possibly get any better. And then, it does! I hope you guys are having as much fun creating as I am admiring what you create!


So, let's do it again! Please open your Compendium of Curiosities to page 42, for the Distress Crackle Technique!

You'll note that Tim used both a tinted crackle paint and the clear Rock Candy Crackle in his tutorial, and I've used both in my example above. It's not required that you do this in order to be eligible to win this week's prize, however. As long as you use at least one jar of Distress Crackle Paint, you're good to go!
 

That Face layout. I created this layout for a few challenges, as listed above. These are photos of Attila the Pom, my fur baby. When he looks at me like that I can't say no to him! lol.

Close-up of the grungeboard arrows that I used the Distress Crackle technique on.

Maria Manuela layout. Here's a bonus layout. This is my mother as a bridesmaid at a wedding. I made this layout for the Scraplifting 101 Challenge - scraplifted Lucky Number Seven by Suzanne S; the Leftover Layouts Challenge - use only scraps even in your background paper; and the Heritage Challenge - use buttons. 

To Have and To Hold

Hello, all. I hope all of you are having a wonderful day. Recently, while I was visiting family, I was asked by my cousin, Alice, to make a scrapbook of some of her wedding and family photos. I just started with her wedding photos and this layout is what came about. The colors for her wedding were white, burgundy, and gold, so I went with a lot of burgundy in this one. I also created this layout to enter it in various challenges; Scraplifting 101 - scraplifted Life Lessons by Robinzberdz, DIY challenge - used the No Sewing Fabric Bloom tutorial by WendyG, Distress challenge - use a new technique,which for me was water distressing (all at scrapbook.com), and the What Shape are You challenge at the (Paper) Trail Maker's Blog - Circles. TFL!

To Have and To Hold layout. This layout is of a photo of my cousin Alice at her wedding. The pink background paper's edges are inked with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink. I used a water distressing technique on the burgundy polka dot paper. I cut out strips of paper in different sizes and border punched the pink one. The circles in the center and the flourishes on the side are die cut with my Cricut Expression and the edged inked with Aged Mahogany as well. I used a layer of heart doilies under the photo and added a No Sew Fabric Bloom with a Prima rose center and added other Prima flowers as well. The title is from a vellum quotes pad and I added pearls in a circle around the center.

Close-up of the No Sew Fabric Bloom and the inking of the separate pieces.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink...

Hello, all. I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend full of fun and scrapping! I wanted to stop by and share a layout with you all that I completed for The (paper) Trail Makers challenge - recipe 1. The challenge is to use a "recipe" for a layout that includes items that start with each letter in the word Trail Makers.

Here is the description of the challenge from the The (paper) Trail Makers Blog itself:

To kick this all off, I thought it would be fun to do a recipe challenge using the word TRAILMAKERS!!! Each letter of the word will signify one item for you to use on your layouts! For those of you not familiar with a recipe challenge - I will give you a list of things to choose from to use on your layout (you are not limited to ONLY these items- they are in addition to your own creativity!).



For this week's challenge you will pick at least 3 of the following items and use those on your layouts. If you use ALL 11 items, make sure you leave a comment and point them out to us and you will be entered into a prize drawing at the end of the week for a $10 Gift Certificate to my store The Paper Trail.


You have until 5:00 pm (EST) on Saturday, Aug 7th to use the Mr. Linky at the bottom to link your project to this week's challenge. Because this is a prize week, I will have the DT girls help me pick a winner and that person will be announced on Monday 9 August.


Thanks for joining us and Good Luck!!


~Karen

RECIPE:


Tag

Ribbon

Alphabet

Ink

Lace

Markers (for coloring, journaling, etc.)

Acrylic accents

Kraft cardstock

Eyelets

Rubons

Stitching (machine, hand, or faux!)


Here is my entry:

So lovely layout. This is a senior photo of my eldest daughter. Ii completed the recipe for the challenge as follows:

T - Tag - Plaid tag cut with my Cricut

R - Ribbon - Strip and bow of brown velvet ribbon

A - Alphabet - American Crafts Thickers Dear Lizzy Bliss Alphas

I - Ink - Distress Ink around edges of layout and used in stamping flower pattern

L - Lace - Strip of lace under the ribbon

M - Markers - Used brown marker for the faux stitching

A - Acrylic Accents - Acrylic flower shapes colored with alcohol inks

K - Kraft Cardstock - First time using this, stamped with a flower design

E - Eyelets - Three eyelets on top left of page, three at bottom right

R - Rub ons - Verticle pink flower strip to the side of the photo matting

S - Stitching - Faux stitching around tag and paper matting of photo

This was a lot of fun to create. I like the whole recipe thing; it's like having a sketch in a way because it gives you a push into creativity!

Close-up of some of the goodies I used for this layout!

Compendium of Curiosities Week #8

Hello, all. I finally got one of the Compendium Challenges done before the deadline! Yipee! This week's challenge is to use the Inking Grunge technique from Tim's book. Love this technique because Distress Inks come in such great colors and I love the effect you get when you use them in combination with Grungeboard or Grungepaper. This layout is also for the Monochromatic Challenge Week 1 - Purple with the twist of using three ribbons or fibers; for the Lyric Challenge - Where you could use a song of your own choosing and I chose Broken by Seether; and for the Scrap Your Faves Challenge - I scraplifted Is There Anybody Out There" by Mija. TFL!

Here is how Linda at Studio L3 states week #8's challenge:

Happy Monday, dear friends! I wish I could send each of you an award for the magnificent art you shared last week! Your Tinted Vision Fragments were wonderful— every single submission was truly special. You guys are amazing!


Ready to rock it again?


Please open your Compendium of Curiosities to page 39, where you'll find Tim's tutorial for Inked Grunge! We're going back to the basics this week, with a technique that is the foundation of so much of Tim's fabulous art. You may use either Grungeboard or Grungepaper for this challenge, but please don't substitute chipboard or any other paper product. Grunge is truly unique in the way it takes ink, as well as its malleability and strength. You can do all kinds of amazing things with this stuff!

Broken layout. I created this layout for a few challenges; the CCC #8, Scrap Your Faves, Monochromatic, and Lyric challenges. I chose to use Broken by Seether as my title for personal reasons and I think it fits very well with the mosaic picture.

Broken close-up. This is a close-up of the mosaic photo, the flowers, and the stick pin in the layout.

Close-up of one of the grungeboard skulls I inked for the CCC #8 challenge.

Compendium of Curiosities Week # 7

Hello, all! Here I am again, contributing at the last minute to the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge over at Studio L3 at the last minute! I really do have to start getting started on this challenge early in the week! But better late than never, I suppose. This week's challenge was to use the Tinted Vision Fragments technique from Tim Holtz's book. Below is a layout I created using this technique. This layout was also created as an example for my Darker Side Challenge over at scrapbook.com; the challenge for August being the "Darker Side of You." I am also including the example I created for my Steampunk Challenge over at sb.com. The topic for that challenge in August is the Ocean. TFL!

Despicable Me layout. No, I'm not really despicable, lol! I just liked the title from the movie! I used the Tinted Fragments technique here over me photo and over the "me" of the title! I love this technique because if you don't like the results you can just erase the alcohol inks off the fragments with Alcohol Blending Solution and start over! So easy! I cut the thorn vines by hand, added little roses in coordinating colors, and added punched some red cardstock with a MS border punch. The background paper is from the Breathless collection from Creative Imaginations, one of my all time favorite collections!

Close-up of the Tinted Vision Fragment technique. I used Watermelon, Red Pepper, and Black Alcohol Inks for this.

Island Dreams layout. This is my steampunk layout for my challenge over at scrapbook.com. The lighthouse is from a photo I took of the lighthouse in my home town. The photo in the center is one I took of the bridge from my home town to South Padre Island at sunset. The mermaid is an image from the movie Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. The waves are from clipart I got off the internet, repeated a few times.

Close-up of the moon with some Tim Holtz products and a watch I broke apart for the pieces. The stars are painted with Pearl Paint Dabbers.

Close-up of the steampunk air ship. I drew and colored in the balloon part of the ship and used some clip art for the ship. I glued thread to the balloon to give it a three dimensional look.