Monthly Challenge 3 (March/April)

Wow, 82 entries last month!! So many wonderful projects! Thank you to everyone who entered! The prize winner and Top 3 will be announced shortly!

So, onto our new challenge for March/April:

Please remember to check out the monthly challenge rules on the tab at the top of this blog, before entering. We have tried to keep our rules fairly straightforward and fair to all who join in.

A quick reminder:

Your entry may be a card, scrapbook layout or any other papercraft project.
You may combine your entry with other challenge(s)

No more than 3 entries per person please.

Please link directly to your post & not a general link to your blog.

You must include a link back to the challenge in your entry post.

No back linking please - new work only.

Please ensure your work is your own and not copied.

One random entry will win a prize which will be announced on this blog. The winner must contact me by e mail to receive their prize. A few of our favourites will also be selected to be featured on this blog!

The final (& most important rule) is to have fun!!

Challenge # 3 

Our theme this month is: 1, 2, 3

Added Extra : Include 3 of something!

Just a few ideas to get you started ... use 1,2,3 as your layout title, scrap a 1st, 2nd or 3rd birthday, a child's "First steps" or "First holiday" or "Our First Anniversary" or any other "First" you wish to scrap. How about "My 3 favourite places" or some other kind of list of 3 or you could use one or all of the numbers in your title!

For card makers : a 1st, 2nd or 3rd birthday card is one idea that springs to mind or a card suitable for a First Anniversary or you could use 1 image, 2 flowers, 3 patterned papers (or some other supplies!) on your card!

The added extra is to include 3 of something  .... maybe 3 photos, 3 buttons, 3 patterned papers, 3 rubber stamps

Closing date for entries is: 18th April at 1pm.

This month our prize is chipboard accents from Echo Park's This and That Collection. The winner will be able to choose either the "Charming" or "Graceful" set (both sets shown below!)

    




 



As usual we have samples from our fabulous Design Team.

If you want to see more of their work, just click on their name to visit their blog.

Jenny

A cute Babies mini book made from toilet roll tubes!! With 3 babies this challenge was just right for Jenny!

You can see more of the mini book pages over on Jenny's blog 

Supplies: MME Miss Caroline Howdy Dowdy 6x6 pad and kraft cardstock

 

Jennifer

Supplies: MME Miss Caroline papers and MME Dolled Up brads, Glitz teeny alphas, Cosmo Cricket tiny type letters, American Crafts Thickers and Prima pearls and crystals 

Jennifer made her fab '123' title by making a template & cutting around it !

"I wanted to try and emulate the cool titles people cut with their electronic die cutting machines! I have saved the template as a word document for you to download and print if you'd like to use it for your challenge project, or anything else! Just click here to download."

Jennifer also used 3 strips of paper for her journaling, 3 glazed brads, and 3 adhesive pearls.

Lisa-Jane 



A lovely layout from Lisa-Jane to record her daughter's first picnic.

Lots of threes .... 3 photos, 3 patterned papers, 3 tags!!

Supplies: MME Quite Contrary papers, edges inked with vintage photo distress ink pad.

Louise 

Louise's wonderful layout is based on the counting  rhyme:  1...2...3...4...5, Once I caught a fish alive! Her added extra is the three photos.

Supplies: Crate Paper Random Vintage paper, MME Miss Caroline clear stamps, and Glitz rose teeny alphas

The DT will be uploading more photos (close ups) of their projects on their own blogs so do go and visit them if you can.

 Are you ready to take up this month's challenge?

Then, 1 ... 2 ... 3 .... GO !!!

Please remember to link directly to your project and not just your blog and to include a link back to the challenge.

If you do not have a blog, please e mail your entry to me at sarah@sjpapercrafts.co.uk and I'll upload it for you.

Miss Caroline Trinket Box

It's Mothers Day soon, so today we would like to show you an idea for a very special hand made gift!

DT member, Jennifer has made this fabulous Trinket box!

Jennifer explains how ....

I love the Miss Caroline 'Day Worn' paper with the woodgrain and doilies effect, and wanted to use it to make something special

I began by painting the inside rims of the box, as I knew I wouldn't want to cover these with paper. Once that was dry, I measured the box lid and sides, cut the 'Day Worn' paper to match (also cutting notches into the back pieces for the hinges), and adhering them on with matt Mod-Podge. I put a layer of Mod-Podge onto both the box and the back of the paper, so that there was a nice layer to make sure the glue went into any cracks on the box surface. You can use watered down PVA glue instead of Mod-Podge, but be aware that PVA may yellow over time.

Once this first layer was dry, I then painted another coat of Mod-Podge over the whole box - working it into any joins to make sure they were sealed, and to give protection to the paper. I repeated this process to line the box with the 'Day Butterflies' paper, it's a nice suprise when you open the box!

To decorate the lid, I used Mod-Podge again to attach some lace, and then stamped the line of flowers from the Miss Caorline stamps, using Staz-On ink. The Glitz Alphas were used on a MME label sticker to spell the word 'trinkets', and this is adhered to the box using foam tape. I cut a flower from a scrap of 'living blooms' paper and placed a brad in the centre, then glued this on with a hot glue gun. I also used wire cutters to cut the backs off a couple more brads from the set, and adhered these with hot glue too. Finally I used thick foam dots to attach the butterfly which comes with the Miss Caroline brads, and also stuck on a couple of yellow prima pearls.

Now the box is all ready to store some lovely items!

Supplies:

Dolled Up 'Day Worn' and 'Day Butterflies' paper, 'Cute' brads, Favourite sticker accessories, Favourite clear stamps, scrap of living blooms paper for flower - All from MME Miss Caroline collection

Glitz teeny alpha stickers, Black Staz on Ink Pad, mod podge, Prima e. pearls and crystals , white acrylic paint, lace (similar to this) and mounting foam tape.

FREE P & P ALL WEEKEND!!!!!

It's a FREE Postage and Packing weekend!!!

To receive FREE P & P on your order this weekend simply enter "FREEDELIVERY" in the coupon code box & select UK delivery.

Minimum order is just £5!!

UK delivery only!

Offer valid until 11pm Sunday 11th March!

Click here to shop now! 

Enjoy!!!

Jenni Bowlin Butterflies

Who loves butterflies?!

I don't think I've ever met a scrapbooker or card maker who doesn't love them!

 

Butterflies are one of those timeless embellishments that just seem to always work on a project. Punched butterflies, stamped butterflies or embellished butterflies - so many options!!

 

I sent DT member, Lisa-jane a couple of packs of Jenni Bowlin butterflies!

 

Want to see what she did with them?

 

50th Birthday card - By Lisa-Jane

 A beautiful card for a special birthday!

The JB Butterflies have vellum wings and come decorated with pearls.

Layering them up on punched circles as Lisa-jane has done here is so effective.

 

"WOYWW" Layout - By Lisa-Jane

 

Lisa-jane made a great layout about the fun of joining in with WOYWW, probably the biggest weekly blog hop ever!!

 

 
Using scalloped circle punches and the JB Butterflies, she made a gorgeous banner across the top of the page!



"Let Him Fly" Layout - By Lisa-Jane

Next, Lisa-Jane made a stunning layout about her young son who is growing up so fast. The single photo and three small clusters of embellishments leave plenty of space for the journaling.
The layout background has been misted with tattered angels Glimmer Mist and paint applied with bubble wrap.



Close up of the Jenni Bowlin Blue Butterfly!

Jenni Bowlin Butterflies are available to purchase here!

To see more of Lisa-Jane's work, hop over to her blog.



We will be back soon to show you what Jennifer did with this box!

Have a fabulous day!!



 

Playing with Paint!!

For the second post in our "How to .... " series, DT member Jo has been having fun with paint and come up with some fab ideas for using paint dabbers! 

If you missed the first "How to....." post which was all about border punches, it's here!

Over to Jo.....

I have always loved playing with paint .... long before I found scrapping I was playing with paint!! I was delighted when Sarah asked me to come up with some ideas for using the Jenni Bowlin Paint Dabbers. I love the these paint dabbers because they never seem to clog or dry up so they're always ready to use. All my projects in this post use the "cough syrup" dabber.

First of all I created this layout:

I used the dabber over a mask to create the circles on the cardstock.

I used the dabber to colour some patterned paper shapes. I think most of us have some pattern paper that has writing or newsprint on it, well the shade I had didn't fit with my page so I changed it. The paints aren't thick enough to totally hide the print which is perfect.

For my "Lillies" layout, I really went to town with the paint, emphasising the beautiful colour of the flowers in my photo.

I used the dabber to ink the edges of the pattern paper and cardstock and coloured the chipboard flowers and Thickers letters for the title. 

I applied the paint, direct from the dabber, to get this lovely finish on the plain butterflies.

You can also use dabbers to create little paint splatters by unscrewing the lid and use a paintbrush to pick up a little paint which you can then gently "flick" onto your page. Using the non brush end of the paintbrush you can "dot" the paint on your cardstock. Paint dabbers are also great for stamping because they add a tiny bit of texture, you just apply them in the same way you would ink as I have done with this woodgrain stamp!

If you have some embossing folders then you can create this great effect simply by using the paint on one side of the folder prior to adding the paper and embossing through your die cutting machine. be sure to thoroughly clean the folder afterwards though!

If you're on a budget and trying to do some stash busting then these dabbers really are a great investment. How many of us have blooms and ribbons lying around, unused and maybe not even in the colours we want? You can easily customise them with paint dabbers.

I've just used the dabber on just half so that you can see the great coverage they give.

I hope this has given you a few ideas for using the Jenni Bowlin Paint Dabbers which are available in the S J Crafts shop ... here!!