Congratulations to our September Spotlight Scrapbook Place Member of the Month Holley Barnhart!

MEET OUR SEPTEMBER BLOG MEMBER OF THE MONTH !!!

Congratulations to Holley Barnhart  Our September Scrapbook Place Spotlight Blog Member of the Month !!! Many of you may know her but how much do you really know about her???? Holley  joined Scrapbook Place on Jan 10, 2008.   She resides in Austin TX , with her wonderful and loving husband John.  Holley and her husband have been married since 1997.  John and she  had their wedding in Las Vegas, just Holley, John and Elvis. Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go. You have made my life complete, and I love you so...
Holley has a wondrous story to share with everyone about her brain surgery, She is now 4 and a half years seizure free.  Her story about that is at the link below it is just an incredible journey:
http://holleybarnhartsblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/holleys-story.html
Holley grew up in San Antonio, Texas.  She went to college at Texas Tech and got her degree in Electrical Engineering. She took art classes in college, which all of her professors hated.  They would often tell her no and refuse to sign her class registration.  It required, that she go to another adviser, in a different college (than the college of engineering) to get approval to take the class. It is hard to imagine but even her own college adviser,  just didn't like her.  How funny is it that in her last semester she ended up doing such a profound senior project that she got nominated to the National Science Foundation and was then offered a Scholarship, by her own university,  for graduate school!!!   She said, I am sure that my professor could have fallen out of his chair when he found out who he had to come "chat with and be nice to" yessiree Ms Holley Barnhart!!! 
I bet you did not know that Holley is a huge Basketball fan, she has gone to NBA All Star weekend in San Antonio, Cleveland, New York City, Golden State, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Atlanta. 
Holley was even once Featured as a Super Collector in a Basketball Magazine "Beckett Basketball Monthly"  for having one of the best basketball collections, in the world. (They pick 10 sports card collectors a year). This is so amazing Holley!
Holley started crafting (well always as a kid crafter she says), but she seriously started card making when she stumbled into a scrapbooking store one day called, Picture It, in 1999, she purchased a paper set, with a small brass stencil bear,  holding a heart shaped balloon. She says her heart  fell in love with embossing, embossing of all kinds....she was totally hooked.
Holley had her first publication in Vamp Stamp, using CDs  in 2000;
The same time as her publication, She got a job to go work at NASA for the International Space Station.  She immediately packed up her life in Austin, TX and off she went to Huntsville, Alabama.  Holley says her dear hubby (at the time boyfriend of three years) John quit his job (his brand new very well paying job) and went with her! She worked on a huge test system for Boeing, for the Cargo bay, of the Shuttle. Shuttle missions at that time were happening almost monthly.
 Boeing did a 25% layoff and Holley volunteered to leave, as living in Alabama was not her cup of tea, called home.  She was never going to permanently relocate there and for all of her co-workers, that was their home.  John and Holley came promptly back to Austin and her husband started working at Tokyo Electron.  At the time the engineering market was so harsh.  Holley spent much time teaching stamping classes of different types, polymer clay, wire working, jewelry making...you name it. She also had gone back to engineering and was contracting at several companies.
One day Holley finally sat down and started her wonderful daily blog showing the world all of her awesome talent and if that were not enough she began with her first design team within her first month of opening the blog, many of you know her blog well it is called Holley's Blog http://holleybarnhartsblog.blogspot.com    If you don't know about it or have never heard of it you are missing out on many, many great things there.  Please check it out and invite your friends and family to take a peek, you will soon be hooked!  Holley's first Design team was Sweet Pea Stamps. After several months with that company, She was approached by another Design team , and she started working with them, I Brake For Stamps.  Holley spent a year with them.  She was then asked to join Paper Temptress and just a short month after stopping at, I Brake for Stamps, she was asked to join Squigglefly.  After that she would just try out for those Design teams that she really wanted.
Some of Holley's special interests are      Rubber Stamping, Cardmaking, and Scrapbooking
One More Special Note about Holley, Every FEBRUARY she has a huge celebration on her blog, giving away wonderful prizes everyday due to her successful brain surgeries. Most especially she does it to alert people about Epilepsy she also does it as a HUGE thank you to all the crafters out there, both old and new who were so supportive and sent her hundreds of emails, cards, prayers and such while she went through such a tough time.  Holley shares that there are all sorts of wonderful companies giving away goodies and she wants to share them with everyone she possibly can, so please join in as she want everyone to get some great items.
Below is a picture of Holley and John in Istanbul about a year after her surgery. Oh did I forget to mention she likes to travel especially if it is scrapbook related.Thank you Holley for sharing your interesting life with us.

Back to Basics Challenge

Back To Basics - There will be no layering, no matting, no embellishments, no heat embossing or dry embossing allowed on this card. You will create a Card only using White Card Front Base, Ink Pads and Rubber Stamps or digital stamps. It's a Basic Card. In Any Theme you would like to do. Please be creative.  

Before I reveal the wonderful cards the DT made, I want to tell you what our sponsor Creative Bug Designs is offering as a prize that some lucky person will win in our random drawing of all those that enter our challenge.

Creative Bug Designs is offering five digital images to our winner. Now, a  little info on Naomi:

I am a proud mom of 2 amazing boys. I am in love with motherhood and love life to the fullest (although you know we all have our days, wink wink) I started out as an avid scrapper (not the fightin’ kind) which led to making cards, then I found my true passion “Creating Digital Images”. I have been sketching people throughout my life yet could never draw an animal; for example, a bear would end up looking like a mouse.  In 2009 I took a Graphic/Web Development course that enabled me to hone in on my creativity so today a bear looks somewhat like a bear, lol. I enjoy making websites with Dreamweaver CS4 and learning more each day about HTML and CSS. We all have our favorites to work with when we get the “Creative Bug”, mine is without a doubt working with stamps. My favorite tool would have to be the scoreboard which I use to make envelopes, boxes and creative designs on the edges of my cards. I am a working mom, a social butterfly (I am told) and love to sing, play guitar and compose music but most of all I am a loyal friend, a little eccentric at times, sincere, honest and love love love to have fun!! There is always laughter in my home, I believe life is what you make it for it is in the way we perceive every little thing.


Here is what our DTs came up with using some darling digis from Creative Bug.

Virginia 

Virginia used colored pencils to build up and blend the colors..  Also used sponging with ink pads and left a white area for the fence.  Then finished up with accents using a black ink pen.  The stamped saying is by "Judith, E24", a stamp I've had for a long time.  Name of image used from Creative Bug Designs is called "Pumpkin Kins."

Pat

Kathy used CBD's Quirky Christmas Tree

Linda used CBD's Hallie Hippo

Joyce used Ginarth

 I also want to let you know that Creative Bug Digital currently has their own challenge going on right now.  The theme is Child's Play meaning a card meant for a child 0-18.  You can find out all the details you need for it here:  http://scrapbookingforbeginners-naomi.blogspot.ca/2014/09/challenge-5-childs-play.html

 Rules for entering into the YSBP random drawing.

We have two challenges a month; the 1^st and 15th of each month.

You must follow the current theme of the challenge you are entering.

You are welcome to combine your entry with other challenges.

New projects/cards only - no back linking.

Please link your project post to the challenge blog, not your entire blog link. If your project only is not linked, it will not be counted in the random drawing

Please include a link back to this blog in your entry post. If it is not linked back, it will not be counted in the drawing.

The challenge ends at 9pm PST on the 15th and the 30/31^st of each month.

You may submit up to three (3) entries. Each entry must be in its own post. If you submit more than three, the additional entries will not be counted in our random drawing and may be deleted.

Now its time to make your own Back to Basics card. Be sure to enter it using Mister Linky below

 

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.

IT'S A COLOR CHALLENGE WITH A THEME WINNER

The sponsor for this challenge was The Stamping Boutique which offered three digital images.

Thank you Stamping Boutique

The lucky winner of these three digis is Virginia. Congratulations Virginia!

She entered twice and here are her entries. 

 SUs Farm Fever

This second entry is a digital image from Stamping Boutique.

  Get well Beary Soon by TSB

Technique Tuesday - Homemade Shimmer Misting Sprays

I love using alcohol inks in all forms -ink pads, sprays- and for all types of media -cards, altered art, mixed media canvas, using masks.  So imagine my delight when I discovered that markers,especially sharpies and such, are made with alcohol!!
So, I went to work cleaning out all the "dried-up" markers that are used at the school I work at. Can we say TONS of markers that I got to take home and re-purpose? After my granddaughter Bella sorted them into color families, the fun began. First, I poured some alcohol into glass jars.

Then we took off the markers' caps and I pulled the nibs off, placing them in the glass jars by color family. Within five minutes the jars were sporting nice colors. To really get the most out of those "dried-up" markers, I cut them open and pulled out the cores and added them to the jars.

After about an hour (we were very impatient), I was ready to play. Then I remembered that I have had some Pearl-X powder for the last ten years that I hadn't used but of course couldn't bear to get rid of (thank goodness).

So I added roughly a 1/4 tsp of powder to my bottles of alcohol inks and made some homemade "glimmer mist."

Can I get an "ooh, shiny" from you?  The next step was to make sure I had all my inks in spray bottles with the Pearl-X added. Now I have a nice supply ready for me, and all it cost was the price of a bottle of alcohol from WalMart (98 cents).

Bella was disappointed that I didn't have enough spray bottles/misters to make her some purple shimmer spray! I do have another bottle, red, that is still "cooking" and I promised her that I will have purple ready for her on her next visit.
One last Note, that I guess I should have put at the very top:
Wear gloves and do all this in the sink. I lost half my blue and 45 minutes of stressed out time frantically cleaning up a major spill on my kitchen counter top (and dishwasher, new shoes and tile floor) when a stubborn nib wouldn't come loose without the jerk that sent  most of the ink spewing all over. I wept while I cleaned. Don't tell hubby but there is a slight tint, almost not noticeable, on that kitchen counter--you know, the one I've wanted replaced with pretty marble ever since I moved into our house 19 years ago.

And here's a pretty card I made using my new shimmer mists on both cardstock for a background and the paper doily. The image is from Squigglefly by artist James Horvath, and the sentiment is from a rubber set from SU.
If you like those glimmer mists but don't want to pay the fiddler, try this method. I am VERY happy with what I got, and there are loads of "dried out" markers left to make more!!

TAG Challenge Midway

Have you created a tag or created with a tag yet? I have been playing with PhotoShop, trying to get a feel for this digital editing. As I wrote before, I had been having problems and anxiety attacks over my PhotoShop purchase and my lack of understanding the software. So I created this tag using Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Tag Grab Bag 1 Cotton Candy Collection by Lisa. DDD is the guest sponsor for the current challenge, and she's offered an awesome package of prizes to our winners.
My tag today uses the following elements from Lisa's Tag Grab Bag 1 Cotton Candy Collection:
Solids Tag #1; With Love Word Art; Flower #6 floral accessories; Button #2 general accessories.
I used a Squigglefly digi image called Round Flower by artist Angela Charles; To my sisters sentiment from Microsoft Word Brush Script font. It's not perfect--I see I lost some black lines and the girls' hair merged with the flower's background, but no creation is a masterpiece, and I wanted you to see my progress with digital scrapbooking and crafting. Next time I'll pay attention to the details sooner rather than later.
Now onto some more inspiration from the DT:

Here's another tag from Virginia, using

Whether you create digitally or the good old-fashioned way; create a tag or create with a tag; make a card, layout or canvas; or alter something using a tag, this challenge is for you. It's an Anything Goes with a TAG challenge, and we'd love to see your projects. Please read the challenge rules and link up with us today!!

TAG - You're It!! Challenge

Hello, lovely crafters!  It's time again to post a new challenge here at SBP Challenge blog. The theme is TAGS and the sky's the limit. You can create a tag, or create with tags! You can ink them, paint them, fold them, create a tag-shaped card, alter a tag, use tags on layouts, altered art, mixed media canvas...well, you get the picture!
Our guest sponsor this month is Lisa from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, and with her help and the help of my daughter-in-law, I have been brought into the 21st century with digital crafting! I'll tell you about it later but for now, a little info on Lisa and Decosse's Dynamite Doodles:

Are you interested in digital sentiments, papers and other embellishments?  How about a badge made especially for your blog?  If these are items you are interested in, you are going to want to check out Décosse's Dynamite Doodles.  My name is Lisa and with over 100 + posts of  freebies to choose from, and new ones added often, I just might have what you are looking for.  Along with the freebies I offer, I also create blog badges and am in the process of putting some kits together.  Additionally, I'm so excited to now be sponsoring giveaways and challenges at other blogs.  It is an absolute honour to be sponsoring the current Your Scrapbook Place challenge. 
So, if you have the time, come and take a look.  There is always inspiration to be found among my many different features.   I'd love for you to pop by and visit me.  I hope you have a blast!

Lisa has generously offered some fabulous digital prizes from her Grab Bag 1 Cotton Candy Collection:

• A random participant will receive the full mini kit.
• A random participant who becomes or is a Follower of SBP blog will receive all three sets of tags sets (patterned, textured and numbered).
• A random person who uses the FREE DIGI that Lisa has offered will receive both accessories sections (floral accessories and general accessories).
• A random person who leaves a comment on this post will receive the word art set.

BONUS!!! Lisa is offering a freebie for you to use on your project. You can snag it here: DDD FREE DIGI 

So, I had not yet jumped onto the digital bandwagon. First, I had to purchase Photoshop, which I finally did last Christmas by using a couple amazon gift cards. But every stinking time I tried to do anything in it, I was left with disappointment, frustration and anger. I knew nothing about layers, and couldn't figure out how to get them, how to have fun with them, and how to put everything together. There were no you tube videos out there on my Elements 12. Finally, I had my daughter-ion-law over and we were able to mix it up and save things. I am still a newbie, and I need to practice and experiment every day, but I am finally having fun. And to prove it, here's my very first ALL DIGITAL layout, using elements from Lisa's fabulous Cotton Candy Collection. I used Flower 6 from the Floral Accessories, Button 2 from General Accessories, "With Love" from Sentiments, and of course Tag 11 from Patterned Tags to make a continuous border. Once I got the arrangement finished, I popped in a photo and added text.

Okay, while I am over the top with my layout, I know that it is very basic and could use some tweaking, but the last time I created with Lisa's digis, I printed them up and fussy cut out everything on my project. And you can still do that!! That's what's great with digis--you can create with them no matter your tech level!!

So let's see what the DT has offered us for inspiration:

Virginia has crafted a gorgeous birthday tag using Tag 11 from the patterned tags pack, as well as the Happy Birthday sentiment. 

LINDA W. has created a gorgeous card using the very popular Tag 11, Ribbon Bow, the sentiment "For You" and those small flowers.

 Kathy Barley

"Here's my project, using two tags.  All the components except the Theatre in the Park and The Pajama Game labels are from Lisa.  I also got her permission to use her Oh Canada paper in a reduced saturation so it would blend with the pastels.  I wanted the frame to resemble pajama material" 

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.