Start to Finish Challenge #1 ~ Favourites and winner!

A few weeks ago I set the first "Start to Finish" Challenge, where I showed you the very early stages of a layout with just a few pieces of paper layered up and challenged you to copy the "Start" but to add further papers, photos and embellishments in whichever way you chose to. 

Here's my Start and the Finish Layout ...

Lots of you found it a great way to jumpstart your layout and it was lovely to see how all the layouts finished up so differently!

I loved all your layouts and it was so difficult to pick out just a few favourites but here they are ...

Top left: "Aren't you lovely" By Laura

Top right: "Look at you" By Annie

Bottom left: "Soakin' up the rays" By Jackie

Bottom right: "Lovely" By Sharon

The winner picked at random using "Random.org" is No 5 which is:

Petrina!!

Congratulations Petrina - please drop me an e mail to sarah_sjr at hotmail (dot) com with your address so I can get a little prize off to you!!

Look out for another "Start to Finish" Challenge coming soon!!

Our Sweet Girl Layout

Hello and Happy (if a little too rainy!) Bank Holiday Monday to you! 

I recently got my hands on some of the lovely Highline collection by Basic Grey, the colours and embellishments are just perfect for scrapping photos of my daughter!

Sometimes I find it tricky to find collections suitable for older children (past the cute/princess/disney stage but not yet a teenager!) but the bright, funky pinks and oranges mixed with the black were spot on!

I used a Heidi Swapp stencil and mist to create the "Love This" in the right hand corner.

A few Heidi Swapp Puffy stickers, Basic Grey Highline chipboard pieces and black gems were all I needed to embellish my page. 

The chevrons are made with the Stampin Up Chevron punch.

A few ink droplets to finish off!

The finished layout!

 Thanks so much for popping in today!! 

Which collections do you use for scrapping photos of older children?!!

August Challenge - A theme and Stash Challenge!

Hello!!

Where did July go? I can't believe it's August already!!

So, time for a new Monthly Challenge!

Thank you to everyone who played along with July's challenge. There were some lovely entries and I'll be back soon with some of my favourites and also a few favourites from June's challenge too (as I've realised I've not done those yet!) and of course the winners of the prizes (chosen at random) for both challenges.

The August Challenge is a "Theme and Supplies Challenge"

I would like to see projects on the theme: HOLIDAYS AND/OR TRAVEL AND USE "SOMETHING OLD & SOMETHING NEW" on your project.

So, break open that brand new pack of embellishments that's been on your craft desk for a while or get that new stamp that's not yet been inked up and use it ..... and have a good rummage through your crafty stash for something old - something you've had for ages. Have you been saving something for just the right layout? Well, go get it and use it!!

As usual, there's some samples from the Design Team

Sarah (Me)

Another page from our Ibiza holiday from a few years ago using some new papers and stickers from the Simple Stories "Good Day Sunshine" collection. My older stash includes the washi tape that I've had for a while, the red thickers and some very old Prima e. pearls.

Louise

I made some pockets pages from our Florida Holiday. I mixed up some new and old stickers. I'd been hoarding some of these stickers for a very long time and my something new is the simple stories label stickers, to journal on. 

Jenny 

My daughter's friend is leaving the UK to go back to live in Korea so I have made her a card.

My something old is my Fiskars border punch. I think this was one of the first punches I bought and my something new is my Digital stamp which I bought to make this card.

Annie 

I've used papers from the Crate Paper "Boys Rule" collection which came in a recent SJ Crafts monthly kit, and created an embellishment for my page with some snippets from the Echo Park "Brothers" collection which I've been hoarding for at least a year. I've also dug out some half-used packs of alphas which were lurking in the very bottom of a drawer and mixed them up to create my title. My new stash includes some brand new MME Necessities wooden arrows, a Studio Calico wood veneer camera and the cute cloud washi tape.

Lisa-Jane

I wanted to make something special for my son's teacher as her end of year gift.  She's getting married soon so I have made her an album for her to keep her honeymoon photos and travel memorabilia in. I've used a complete mixture of papers, some very old and some quite new.  Scattered through the album are some Project Life cards that I purchased just a few weeks ago. These are just a few of the pages. 

Jemma 

I've used some new stash, bought in the recent SJ Crafts sale and mixed it up with much older supplies to make up my latest Counterfeit Kit.

The MME Cut & Paste Charm papers were the right colours & designs for a story about the Duelling Dragons roller-coasters, yet the Basic Grey Marrakech alpha stickers also matched the scales and arrows perfectly.  In fact there's also some very new stash on there ... faux dots made especially for the page from ThermoMorph plastic pellets ... you can't get newer than that!

So are you ready to take up the challenge this month? 

Add your entry to the linky tool below if you want to play along. A link back to this post is much appreciated.

This challenge will close on 6th september at 11.59pm

I look forward to seeing your Holiday or Travel projects using your old and new stash!!

Have fun!

.... To Finish!

Hi and welcome back to the "Start To Finish Challenge", a new challenge series hosted here on S J Papercrafts.

A few days ago, I showed you the very start of a layout. A few sheets of patterned paper layered to make the "bare bones" of a layout and explained that the idea behind this new challenge series is to help overcome that "scrappers block" that so many scrappers tell me they get when they sit down to create.  If you missed that post you can catch up on it here!

Why not play along with this challenge and instead of pushing papers around for 20 minutes or so .... Cut into them and stick them down in the same position as the "start" layout. Simply copy it .... and then add your own photos and embellishments to finish off your layout in any way you choose.

And here's my finished layout:

With my papers already layered I had a nice base for adding my photos. I trimmed 2 journal cards down and tucked the "these boots are made for walking" card underneath the smaller photo and placed the other card (pink with the # phrases on it) above the larger photo to balance it out. Some washi tape, tiny hearts (punched from the rest of the pink journal card), chipboard hearts, enamel dots, a few stickers and a title and I was almost done. I added some journalling to tell the story of a very muddy walk in the forest. To finish off my layout I flicked on a few drops of Heidi Swapp Pink Colour Shine.

If you want to play along, start off your layout by copying the "start"of this layout by positioning your papers in the same, or a similar placement (if your papers work better slightly higher/lower/further over to one side then go ahead and change it up slightly )  and then you are free to carry on to finish your layout in anyway you choose.

Use the linky tool that can be found on the first "Start" post to link us up so we can come and see. Remember to take a photo of your start layout before you add your photos and embellishments as well as a photo of your finished page.

Have fun!