Features Friday "Finding Inspiration from Candy"

Friday is a good day to feature all the lovely crafts from Your Scrapbook Place Yahoo group. The first part of the month brought us a challenge inspired by CANDY. After all, Halloween is the number one top-selling candy holiday of the year, so why not?
Here are a few projects that Virginia came up with:

Mmm, chocolate. Nothing beats a good piece of chocolate to soothe the nerves and chase away the blues.

Here's my take on the candy challenge--a bag-topper using a Bugaboo digi image called Skelekins - Sitter and patterned paper:



And a new Halloween Mussie Tussie I made as a candy favor:

 

Features Friday - Show Me the Money

Another Friday post to inspire you to create, showing projects from our Yahoo group members at Your Scrapbook Place. If you are interested in joining this crafting, PIF'g, RAK'g, and challenges group, please see the sidebar or leave a request when you leave a little love.
Meanwhile, we have two members whose works are fiscally sound and monetarily creative.
First up we have Virginia, who has created a pocket card in which to slip a few notes for the birthday boy or girl.

Paula altered a photo frame and is popping a photo of her house into it. She called it her "Money Pit" frame. I can relate with her on that attitude-this week it's the water heater that needs replacing. We just got finished paying off the new fridge!

That's all for this week. Wherever you find inspiration, let your imagination take over and craft your hearts out!!

Spooky Challenge Winner Announcement

Halloween Challenge Winner has been generated from Random.org:
True Random Number Generator
Min:  1   Max:     7
  Result: 1
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

That would be Shell Becker!! Congrats Shell! Here's her entry:

Shell, Please send me your email address so Ike can send you your choice of images.
Don't forget our current challenge runs until October 31. It's a BLACK & WHITE + ONE (extra color) challenge. Upload your link on the original challenge post. You can get to it on the sidebar to your right!!
As always, happy crafting!!

Black and White plus one challenge

Before we get to our current challenge, I want to announce the winner of five digital images from Creative Bug Designs, in the Sept 15 Challenge Back to Basics. The Random No. Generator picked Pam Kent. I am unable to post her card titled "Sticky Buns" but you can see it here. Oh, I forgot to mention that Lisa from CBD, our sponsor entered and requested she not be in the drawing. Thank you Ladies for your project entries.

NOW our current challenge which runs from today, through  October 31.

 BLACK, WHITE AND YOUR FAVORITE COLOR

 Any Theme - You can use any HUE of these Colors: Black, White & YOUR 1 Favorite Color on your project.

I like challenges. For our challenges here at YSBP, I usually pick a challenge that is a challenge for me. Last month's challenge was difficult for some as they like to use lots of embellishments. As for me, while I prefer CAS, it was difficult not to use a mat, or a little bit of sparkley and the image I used just cried out for some sparkle. My problem this time will be my favorite color, you see, I have three.

For this month's challenge, you can use all the embellishments you want but you can only use three colors, BLACE, WHITE and your ONE favorite color. 

Our sponsor, Squigglefly, is offering three digital images for a prize to a lucky winner of our random drawing of challenge entries. 


Now its time to see what our wonderful design team has come up with.

Pat M using Squigglefly's Oh Snap! (comes with sentiment). Her +1 color? On those fingernails!!

and here she uses Vanity Thy Name is Woman by artist Lynne Stansbery.

   

Linda W. - Devotion 1 (Image Artist = Lynne Stansbery)

Linda W. - Devotion 2 (Image Artist Lynne Stansbery)

Kathy Barley - Allergies (Lynne Stansbery)

Inside of Card

 Virginia is using "Vintage Car" by Carmen Gamble.

Also from Virginia

Joyce used Shy Bear Show your Support by Lynn Stansbery

Our DT have done a great job giving you some wonderful inspiration.

Just a few rules for you to follow if entering our challenge for the 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.

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.

Tag You're It Challenge Winner

Well, I may be late, but here are the results of the random generated winner of the Tag You're It Challenge:
Virginia Montagna
Virginia wins the prize package offered by Decosse's Dynamite Doodles:
The full mini set of papers, floral embellishments, accessories and sentiments from the Cotton Candy Collection
Joyce Guthridge is our lucky random person who left some love on the challenge posts. She wins the Cotton Candy Word Art set.
Congratulations to both our winners. The more participants we get in our challenges, the more prizes we give out, so check out our newest challenge tomorrow!!

Technique Tuesday- Thin/Intricate Die-cutting Tips from Virginia

Have you found that after purchasing some of these thin, intricate, dies or thinlets dies that you were not happy with the way they cut? 

Above are some cutting dies that I purchased last week.  Pippi Butterfly and Tender Leaves are from Memory Box and Small Fremont Pine Outline is from Poppystamps, Inc.  These dies come in small envelopes for storage.  I like the Pine and the Butterfly the most as they cut out an intricate shape.  The Tender Leaves just embossed only.  These craft dies are 100% Steel.

Die-cutting is all in the way you make your sandwich of cardboard, cardstock, etc. over your top cutting plate and how many times you run them thru your machine.  It is also about trial and error, too.  Here are a few helpful hints:

You will need a pick to remove all the cut out pieces. 
You may need to tape your die in place before cutting as they tend to slip & slide, then you get an Oops.   
You may need to add more layers of thickness. I used 3 pieces of medium weight cardboard and an extra layer of paper.  It depends on the machine you use and the thickness of the cardstock.  If you still need an extra layer (not more cardboard), take a piece of paper and fold it in half and add that to your sandwich.  I had to run these dies at least 3 times thru my Big Shots.  Once you get the sandwich layer that works for you, be sure and save it to use again.
Here's a card I created with my dies:

Intricate die-cutting is not impossible-it just takes extra care. Don't get discouraged--try, try again. They do work!!
Good luck and happy crafting from Virginia!!

 

  

 

Technique Tuesday with a Halloween Theme

If you're like me, you have massive amounts of Halloween-themed images and stamps (and embellishments and papers), but sometimes I like to use every day images and turn them to the dark side (Luke, I am your father...).

I wanted to show you a cool technique I used in making my card for our new Halloween challenge. I love Edgar Allan Poe and his writing, so here's a card I made using a digi image of which I have no idea who the designer is!!  If you recognize this image, PLEASE let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

I decided to use Edgar's deliciously twisted poem, The Raven, as my starting point. Using Microsoft Word, I printed out lines from it for the background. Then I highlighted some words and phrases to spotlight the mood of my card.

Then, to show off that background, I fussy-cut my raven image so that all you get is his outline, and you can see the poetry through his body (yes, i know I could have printed him onto the words, but I didn't think of doing that until both were already printed out and I'm not one to waste paper and printer ink).  I filled in the white around the image edges with Spectrum Noir marker in grey.

For that dark feeling (as if the poetry isn't spooky enough) I used a black felt flourish border and a black flower. I distressed my card by tearing my paper and inking edges, even the edges of my author's name.  As a last nudge into the deep end, I "attached" a jeweled heart to a hook and stuck it in my raven's mouth.

So, not your average color-in-the-lines-of-a-digi-image card, but I like the look of it, and I hope you do too! Now it's your turn to try something out of your ordinary by joining us in our Halloween challenge. We're being sponsored by the fabulous Ike's Art, who's offered five digis of choice for one lucky winner (see her links below)!! 
Below are some inspiration cards made with images from Ike's Art:

Holley B and Pat M used Vaguely Goth, Holley in beautiful Fall colors and Pat in punky pink & black

 

Pat M used Witch 2 and a modern twist to name-calling

 

 

IkesArt found at www.ikesart.com

My Blog is Ikes Blog is at http://suzy-ikesworld.blogspot.com
Ike's Challenge Blog is http://ikesworldchallengeblog.blogspot.com
Ike is an Exclusive designer for Smeared Ink  www.smearedink.com 

MEET OUR OCTOBER BLOG MEMBER OF THE MONTH SHELL BECKER

Hello There ....Shell here, from the great state of Alaska, USA.  

I’ve been crafting most of my life thanks to my wonderful Mom (we’d always be going to some sort of craft classes) it’s in my blood to be creative!

I started paper crafting seriously back in 2004 when I took over for a SU demonstrator ….she was quitting, little did I know that it really was addicting.  I’m currently designing for Come And Get It Challenges and Southern Girls Challenges as well as Image Coordinator for Southern Girls.   Loved working with some of the Rubber Stamp companies and I was actually published in a now retired Rubber Stamp Magazine.

I do enjoy most crafts and have dabbled in several different mediums over the years.  With knitting as my other passion when time permits…LOL

I did a career change recently from 14 years as a CDL Driver to working full-time for the Kenaitze Indian Tribe as the Operations Assistant for the Elders Center which has a restaurant with 5 meals served weekly, basically I help things run as smoothly as possible.

Been married 35 years to a great man, we have 2 grown sons that we are extremely proud of and we’ve been living in Alaska for 20 plus years

Our only kids at home are the furry ones 2 purebred Australian Shepherds (which I use to breed) and a Tabby Cat that rules the house.

You can visit my blog at 

Creative Crafting by Shell

Below are a few of the things I have created.

 

Spooky Fun Challenge Starts Today

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, at least when it comes to crafting. That's why I've chosen the theme of Halloween for our new challenge!! Papers, images, embellishments--give your project a Halloween theme and come play with us for your chance to win five free digis from our guest sponsor, Ike's Art.
"Hi there – I am Ike, a nickname that I got hooked with many years ago due to my surname, and in my profession at that time . They just loved  to give nicknames. I live in Greece and have a passion for kitties. I am a complete nutter or should I say I have a very strange/sick sense of humour and I must admit I spend a lot of time talking to myself. !!  Well, I get more sense out of me!  I reckon in a few years I shall be known as the “crazy cat lady.” 

I am an artist and have a strange mind when it comes to creating my art. I either go completely true to life… right down to the last hair… or I go totally surreal. I have a passion for all things horror/Gothic, etc. I’ve always loved horror films and books and I guess that’s why it creeps into my stuff/. I started my Blog a couple of years ago and although I love crafting, my real passion is drawing, and now I just love making digital images.

My SHOP is IkesArt found at www.ikesart.com
My Blog is Ikes World and is at http://suzy-ikesworld.blogspot.com
My new Challenge Blog is http://ikesworldchallengeblog.blogspot.com
Exclusive designer for Smeared Ink  www.smearedink.com"

Thank you, Ike! Now, in order to have a crack at winning her fabulous prize package, you'll need to put your spooky on and show us what you got by linking your card, tag, layout, altered art, décor, party handmades, even canvas!!
Here to inspire you is our design team using images from Ike's Art!  Don't forget, it does not have to be a card -- your choice in art work!

VIRGINIA M.  Virginia used digi image "Witch 2" and framed it by ripping a "hole" in her patterned paper for the image to peek out at you!

HOLLEY B. used Genie with some cute little skellies

JOYCE G. using Witchy on a black and white background with a swinging style to her.

PAT M. used Genie with a funny sentiment inside:

LINDA W. using
IKE'S ART VAGUELY GOTH with spooky colors

 LINDA W. also used
IKE'S ART WITCH 2 on fun Halloween papers

Here VIRGINIA M. also used digi image Witchy and crinkled her background paper for an aged look.

Now it's your turn to scare us with your projects!!! Mwahaha!!

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.