Sunday, December 30, 2007

Challenge 9 - Bling in the New Year!

December 31st, New Year's Eve. It's the night everyone dresses up & goes out on the town for an all-night celebration. Well, not me anymore because really, who can find a sitter? So, I figure if I can't wear something all sparkly and fancy for New Years, my layout can. My challenge is for you to add some bling. Something sparkly. Something glitzy. Something you'd like to take out on the town. A little or a lot - it's all up to you.

Just post your finished projects to this thread by Sunday, January 13, 2008. And I've got a RAK for the bling lover! Bazzill Bling, Doodlebug Sugarcoated paper, Hambly, Stickles, Prima paintable cardstock, some Making Memories Noteworthy things and more.

Here's what we've come up with for the challenge:


Deborah: I decided to use several different types of bling on my layout. I used Stickles to accent my patterned paper and diecut, crystals, a glitterly felt snowflake, and velvet Thickers. In addition, one of my patterned papers had glittered circles.


Becky used crystals in different colors and sizes to create frames around her layout, accent the flower, and for her title. She stamped the word "adore" on the background with white Staz-on ink.

Alicia added some bling in a swirl shape, which really matches her girly dress-up subject.


Jen did a mini-book for the challenge. The cover has a jeweled word from MAMBI. She also used crystals and glitter throughout the book. You can see the complete pages of the book below:

So let's see what you've got!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Some Holiday Eye Candy

We are so blessed to be involved with many talented people, and thanks to all of you who share your time to play with us! A couple of our friends from the HM group participated with us in this challenge to provide a little extra holiday inspiration for all of you!

Michelle Engel made this layout for the challenge. She stamped on a sheet of chipboard using versamark and then embossed the image white. She then hand cut the stamped image and popped one up for added dimension. Stamping on chipboard sheets and handcutting is super easy because the chippie is slightly thinner than that of purchased die cut images.
A very inspiring way to take a different twist on the challenge!

Amanda Johnston made this one, she painted her Christmas tree green and then stamped the circles with the Stazon. Then decorated it with the glitter glue. Great texture and so fun!
We love the work that everyone has shared with us, and hope that you will continue to play with us through the next week! And the coming New Year as well!
Wishing all of you around the world the Happiest of Holidays!!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Challenge 7 MASK Winners!

Tis the season... I could not just pick one winner, so I decided to award 2 Honorable Mentions as well on this one. :) Check out the slide show to see the 3 chosen layouts (all at the beginning).

Tania - I just loved the whole look of your page and how you incorporated the mask.
Scrapperlicious - Loved all the detail you put into yours. Lovely
Didi575 - I like that you have your own clear style (and that you shared 2 with us!).

Please send us an email and I will get a RAK out to you ladies. Congrats!

Check out my Slide Show!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Challenge #8 with Layle!

Layle from Scenic Route is our Guest host for this challenge!

The technique is to stamp raw chipboard to create a custom pattern.
I have a ton of raw chipboard and I've found that I rarely use it because it requires getting the paint out, letting it dry, cleaning brushes, etc. Using stamps is an easy way to spice up chipboard in about half the time that painting takes. I used Scenic Route Berkely chipboard letters and our Raw Star Shapes and Rhonna's Swirls Acrylic Stamps by Autumn Leaves. I like to use Stayz On Black Ink when I stamp on chipboard because it coats evenly while still maintaing a nice crisp look to the stamped image.
Since I used a piece of paper from our Loveland collection, for the RAK I'll do one of our Loveland Product Kits and some raw chipboard.
Layle
Alicia used a foil pen to color her stars and then stamped clear swirls to give them a little extra kick.
Deb painted, and then stamped hers, and also used some embossing powder to give texture


Jen painted and stamped as well, simple and beautiful.


Becky stamped on the raw chipboard.



We know that you are crazy busy with the holidays, but with this terrific time saving techinique, you will be saving memories and sanity!
Thanks for playing!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Another Guest Host coming!!!!

We have a guest host next week that you will not want to miss!
Trust us when we say that you will "Loveland" her!
Also, you have until Midnight on Sunday to post your projects from the mask challenge, so there is still plenty of time to play!
Please post your links, we want to see EVERYONE sharing their work!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Winner from the Teresa Collins challenge...

Is Anilu! Buttons on the glittered tree, wonderful pictures and a clever color scheme!
Thanks for playing and sharing your work with so many, such an inspiration!
Please e-mail us!
A box of goodies from Teresa is yours!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Challenge 6 Slideshow!

We received some fabulous entries for this challenge by our guest host, Teresa Collins. I'm grateful that it's not my job to choose the winner this week! Here's the layouts ...


Need a little inspiration?


Here's another way to use a mask - Tim Holtz style. Check out this tag and Tim's blog here.Tim used a mask, mixing his own spray solution for his tag from Distress Ink, Perfect Pearls and water. Tim's doing a "12 Tags of Christmas" focusing on a different technique for each (and, honestly, you can pick up multiple techniques from each tag). Some really good stuff - he's the master!

Check back later today for our slideshow from Challenge 6!

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Challenge 7 - Use a Mask

Ok, everyone, I know that Halloween is done and the candy is (probably) gone, but I'm giving you one more chance to use those masks.... scrap masks, that is.

Masks are very versatile. Many of you probably own them (like the ones Heidi Swapp makes), but if you do not have your own stash, fear not! They are super easy to make also. Some ideas:

* Lightly stick some stickers (letters or shapes) on a page and then ink over them. Remove the stickers and voila, you have used a mask
* Print or draw a shape unto cardstock or a transparency and cut around it. Put non-permanent sticky stuff on the back of the shape (like a photo corner) and then place it on the layout. Ink and then remove the shape. Easy as pie.
* Use a punch to make a shape and then use that shape as suggested above. (That is what I did on the upper right of my layout)

Remember that all kinds of mediums work with masks... Stamp ink, paint, chalk, crayons... sky is the limit.

As always, show us what you've got. You have 2 weeks (until Sunday, December 16th) to post your creation. It can be a layout, a card, a project... whatever. Have fun! Link here or at the posts at http://www.scrapbook.com/ (in the challenge section) or at http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/ (in the pub) to be considered for a RAK.


We are also very pleased to bring you our first FEATURED ARTIST for this challenge. Please welcome Sherry Steveson to Method Playground. Sherry is a fellow HMer and is author of two books: "When Life Gifes You Lemons; turning sour photos into sweet layouts" (coming out in the Summer of '08) and "The Scrapbooker's Embellishment Handbook" (coming out in the Spring of 2009). Check out her blog at: http://sherrysteveson.typepad.com/my_weblog/. We are thrilled to have her play with us!

For Sherry's layout, she used Heidi Swapp mask letters and a flower. Using black paint, she covered the masks so that the black highlighted the letters and flower. She then used white stazon ink and covered the entired title to 'soften' the look. She rounded out this page with multiple photos of her son Fletcher in classic moments and tore Heidi Swapp tape to embellish.



For my (Jen's) layout, I used two different mask techniques. For the flowers, I used a Heidi Swapp mask and painted around the flowers with pink acrylic paint. I also made a homemade mask in the upper right by punching out circles of scrap paper and temporarily adhering them in an arc with photo corners. I then painted over them with acrylic paint before removing them.

Alicia went a whole different way with her project. She used a Heidi Swapp Mask and drew lines with a thin black marker to make the outline appear in her mask. Her “layout” is actually on an XL Heidi Swapp playing card.

Becky's Layout: Becky masked the title with Heidi Swapp mask alphas, and painted over in silver, the red paper is also masked in photoshop with snowflake brushes and then printed out onto extreme boy patterned paper.

Deb's Layout: Deb also used a Heidi Swapp mask (of holly berries) on the piece of red American Crafts paper. She covered the whole piece with versamark, lifted the mask, and then embossed with clear embossing powder.