Challenge Gallery and New Challenge!

I hope that you all had a fantastic week filled with lots of sunshine and scrapping! The challenge this week was the make mini cards no larger than 3″. I received almost 100 submissions – wow guys, that’s awesome, thanks for playing along! Here are 36 (plus a few more cuz some pictures have more than one card!) amazing mini cards to inspire you:

After taking a couple weeks off I was so happy to participate in this week’s challenge! – Hi by Paige Evans

Baby Boy and Girl by Irit Shalom

Birthday Wishes by Vicky Sheridan

Blossom by Kelly Marie Alvarez

Chicks by Jenyfur Pohl

Damask by Linda Beeson

Easter Bunny by Sandee Allen

Enjoy the Little Things by Jane Millard

Enjoy Today by Nora Griffin

For You by Sheila Veitch

Friends to the End by Krista Thumma

Friendship by Lenet Mos

Happy Easter by Shemaine Smith

Hello and XOXO by Jane Beljo

Hello Friend by Anita Recksiedler

Hi by Donelda Wygiera

Hug by Tenia Nelson

Just For You Cards by Renee Van Stralen

Love by Trinh Arrieta

Lunchbox Love Notes by Lynn Reaney

Mini Sentiment Cards by Alice Wertz

Mini Cards by Becky Garrison

Praying For You During Your Illness by Karen Baker

Sentiment Cards by Tanis Giesbrecht

Sew Cute by Valerie Mangan

Smiles by Valerie Mangan

Smile by Dawn Woleslagle

Thank You by Karolyn Loncon

Thinking of You by Karolyn Loncon

Thank You by Sally Sherfield

Thank You Cards by Deanna Woodland

Thank You So Much Cards by Lindsay Amrhein

Thanks a Bunch by Stephanie Muzzulin

Thanks a Latte Cards by Piali Biswas

Thanks by Savannah O’Gwynn

Thanks So Much by Ivy Wong

Great selection of cards everyone! I’m super lucky to be able to see all of your submissions and get so many great ideas!

For this week’s challenge: cards with birds on them. And I’m going to add a restriction: no owls :) So cards with any kind of birds on them except owls cuz that could make up a whole new challenge in and of itself. This one should be fun, there are so many bird products out there right now: stamps, stickers, papers, felt, etc. Please email your card images and a link to your blog to paiget@scrapbooktrendsmag.com by next Friday morning March 19th and I’ll have a new challenge gallery and challenge later that day. Have a great weekend!

-Paige

Paige Evans

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most?
All I have to do is look on J.Crew and their hip and trendy clothing colors inspire me the most.

What is the last book you read?
I just finished reading the entire Harry Potter series. Soooo good.

You are suddenly transported into a different period in history.  Where would you choose to go?
15th century Florence because that was the height of the Renaissance - think Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, etc.

Do you have a blog?
Of course! It's chrisandpaige.blogspot.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Easter Bunny

Hi friends!

I just wanted to share a quick Easter card from our amazing March 2009 issue. I don’t know what it is about an adorable little bunny on a card, but it makes my heart melt each time. Check out this cute card by Alicia Thelin – too cute! And simple to recreate with a punch or a die cut that helps you cut many at a time – making this card easy to recreate in bulk.

Card is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2″
How to: Emboss polka dots on the top two-thirds of a blue card base then round the top corners of the card. Heat emboss “happy” on a blue cardstock strip, punch a pink cardstock piece using a border punch, and attach the punched strip to the bottom edge of the embossed cardstock. Punch two rabbits from white cardstock, then place them on the top of a kraft cardstock block facing each other. Set a brad between the rabbits and round the top corners of the kraft cardstock block. Attach the sentiment strip to the center of the kraft cardstock block, knot ribbon below the rabbits, and adhere the entire kraft cardstock piece to the card base using foam adhesive.

Easter is only a few weeks away, so you’ve got plenty of time to work on those beautiful cards for your family and friends!

And don’t forget to stop by our sister blog Scrapbook Trends! Right now they are doing sneak peeks with FREE downloads, product lists, and instructions for a new amazing idea book: For The Home. If you haven’t seen anything for it yet, run, don’t walk, over!

Alisha Gordon

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most? It used to be teal, pink and grey but lately I am really loving the mulberry, yellow, and teal - as you can see it changes often :)

If I looked into your craft closet, what would I see? A total mess, normally I am the biggest clean and organization freak (which I'm ok with) but this is one area that I can't clean and organize enough so I pretty much gave up. As long as I know where everything is then I'm good.

You are invited to a fancy dinner and only have a knee-length green sweater to wear.  What jewelry would be your perfect accessory? My grandma's long strand of pearls that she handed down to me a few years back, they go great with anything!

Challenge Gallery and New Challenge!

Welcome to another challenge gallery and the issue of a new challenge! I hope everyone had a fabulous week and that great things are in store for the weekend! The challenge this week was to dig out those embellishments known as eyelets and see if you could incorporate them into a card. I LOVE what you submitted! Here they are in all their glory:

All My Thanks To You! by Michelle Jackson

April Showers Bring May Flowers by Regan D’Agostino

Fall by Irit Shalom

Happy Birthday by Anthonette Chavez

Happy Easter by Sandee Allen

Happy Spring! by Agata Pfister

Have a Great Day by Vicky Sheridan

Hello You! by Bree Tetz

Hope You’re Feeling Better by Beverley Parish

Let’s Party! by Lorena Cantó

Live Laugh Love by Brenda Rose

Love by Shemaine Smith

Miss You by Paloma Gomez Reyes

Rainbow by Kelley Eubanks

Spread Your Wings and Fly by Lindsay Amrhein

Sweet Baby by Trinh Arrieta

Sweet by Laurel Seabrook

Thank You Dad for Being You by Savannah O’Gwynn

Thanks a Bunch! by Trinh Arrieta

Thinking of You by Shelly Smith

Thinking of You by Trinh Arrieta

With Heartfelt Sympathy by Karin Martin

Such fun and innovative ways to use up those old school eyelets! Maybe they’ll make a come back because of your awesome cards :)

For this week’s challenge: how ’bout mini cards? I want to see cards that are no bigger than 3″. These little cards will make perfect tags, perfect cards for little tykes, perfect for special occasions. Please email me images of your mini cards and a link to your blog to paiget@scrapbooktrendsmag.com by next Friday morning March 12th and I’ll be back then to post a gallery and a new challenge! Have a great weekend!

-Paige

Paige Evans

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most?
All I have to do is look on J.Crew and their hip and trendy clothing colors inspire me the most.

What is the last book you read?
I just finished reading the entire Harry Potter series. Soooo good.

You are suddenly transported into a different period in history.  Where would you choose to go?
15th century Florence because that was the height of the Renaissance - think Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, etc.

Do you have a blog?
Of course! It's chrisandpaige.blogspot.com. Thanks for stopping by!

St. Patty’s Day!

Holiday themed cards are some of my favorite cards to create, and this month I have St. Patrick’s Day to get my fix.

I have an darling card to share with you from our March 2010 issue’s St. Patrick’s Day section. It was created by Ashely C. Newell. Check it out:

Supplies: Cardstock: Papertrey Ink; Jewels: Kaisercraft; Sentiment sticker: me & my BIG ideas; Background stamp: Cornish Heritage Farms; Ink: VersaMark; Embossing powder: American Crafts

How to: Heat emboss a flourish background on a white card base. Add a green cardstock strip to the middle of the card, then adhere five jewels on the right edge of the cardstock strip. Adhere a large sentiment sticker to the card using foam adhesive. Embellish the sticker with jewels.

Finished size: 5 ½” square

Isn’t it adorable? I can’t wait to create my own version. I hope you are all having a great March so far. Keep your eyes peeled; we have lots more inspiration to share with you this month!

Alisha Gordon

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most? It used to be teal, pink and grey but lately I am really loving the mulberry, yellow, and teal - as you can see it changes often :)

If I looked into your craft closet, what would I see? A total mess, normally I am the biggest clean and organization freak (which I'm ok with) but this is one area that I can't clean and organize enough so I pretty much gave up. As long as I know where everything is then I'm good.

You are invited to a fancy dinner and only have a knee-length green sweater to wear.  What jewelry would be your perfect accessory? My grandma's long strand of pearls that she handed down to me a few years back, they go great with anything!

Challenge Gallery and New Challenge!

These weekly blog posts sure make it seem like my week has flown by! I can’t believe it’s Friday already – but who’s complaining? Not me – I love Fridays! I received some incredibly unique and fun cards for the challenge this week which was to create a card thinking outside the box – or the square, if you will. Basically I wanted to see cards that are shaped anything besides a square or rectangle. Here are my favorites. (Make sure to check out everyone’s fabulous blogs where more often than not they’ve showcased their fabulous card and have supplies and instructions and tips and more!)

Baby Shower by Paloma Gomez

Born To Shop… by Laurel Seabrook

Celebrate by Kathy Wade

Birthday Wishes by Michelle Woerner

Deepest Sympathy by Savannah O’Gwynn

Get Well Soon by Mariana Buces

Spring Has Sprung by Amy Heller

Grattis by Therése Broman

Happy Happy by Piali Biswas

Happy Birthday by Jane Beljo

Hello by Bree Tetz

It’s the Little Things by Nora Griffin

Sweet Birthday Wishes by Trinh Arrieta

Just Thinking of You by Virginia Lu

Let’s Chat by Nancy Krueger

Many Thanks by Lisa Forsythe

Welcome Spring by Amy Tsuruta

Perfect Pear by Deanna Woodland

Sending Happy Thoughts by Agata Pfister

Spring Has Sprung by Karolyn Loncon

You’re Invited by Michelle Jacksonli

You’re A Tweet-heart by Ivy Wong

Thinking of You by Samantha VanArnhem

Thank You by Kelley Eubanks

Thinking of You by Trinh Arrieta

Spring has Sprung by Sandee Allen

Super Star by Donelda Wygiera

Thinking of You by Katherine Dizon

Such fun inspiration! I can’t wait to scraplift a few of these :)

Moving on to this week’s challenge: We’ve all got hoards of them, but they’re covered in dust. I’m talking about those super fun embellishment: EYELETS! Please email images (not blog links) of your cards featuring eyelets to paiget@scrapbooktrendsmag.com by next Friday morning March (how is it almost March already?!?) 5th and I’ll be back then with another challenge gallery and challenge!

Paige Evans

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most?
All I have to do is look on J.Crew and their hip and trendy clothing colors inspire me the most.

What is the last book you read?
I just finished reading the entire Harry Potter series. Soooo good.

You are suddenly transported into a different period in history.  Where would you choose to go?
15th century Florence because that was the height of the Renaissance - think Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, etc.

Do you have a blog?
Of course! It's chrisandpaige.blogspot.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Challenge Gallery and New Challenge!

Woo hoo it’s Friday! Let the weekend festivities begin! Before you head out the door to enjoy your evening/weekend, take a gander at the following totally amazing and inspirational cards featuring transparencies! This was a tough challenge, but I’m so thrilled with the results.

I had so much fun making this one, I love all the patterned transparencies Hambly Studios has to offer! Thank You So Very Much by Paige Evans

Celebrate Today by Erin Kellogg

Happily Ever After by Regan D’Agostino

Happy Bird-Day! by Karolyn Loncon

A Father’s Love is Patient by Rachel Bogner

Happy Mother’s Day! by Jaydee Dunstan

Hello by Alyssa Hunter

Happy Birthday by Clare Prezzia

Hello by Mariana Grigsby

Happy Birthday by Valerie Durham

Happy Birthday! by Agata Pfister

Hey Girlfriend! by Brenda Weaver

Hi by Alicia Thelin

Home by Valerie Mangan

Hi by Jessy Christopher

Just Keep Swimming by Eva Dobilas

Hi by Sandee Allen

Love by Sally Sherfield

Hi There! by Virginia Lu

Nothing is Worth More Than This Day. by Kelly VanDerMolen

Sparkle by Jenna Millsap

Take Time to Smell the Flowers by Carolyn Wolff

Thank You Very Much by Suzanne Schmidt

Treasure by Savannah O’Gwynn

We Fit by Jan Tatomir

You Make Me Smile! by Amy Heller

You by Piradee Talvanna

You Warm My Heart by Carla Grace

Lovely lovely cards one and all. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, thanks SO much for playing along! For this week’s challenge: Make a card with a base that’s any other shape besides square or rectangle. So you can make circle cards, bracket shaped cards, star or heart shaped cards, etc. Any theme, any colors, as long as it’s not square or rectangle! I can’t wait to see what you come up with – I’m loving all of the organically shaped cards these days. Please email your submissions to me (I prefer pictures over blog links please) at paiget@scrapbooktrendsmag.com by next Friday February 26th and I’ll post another challenge gallery and new challenge in the afternoon. Until then, take care and have a great week!

-Paige

Paige Evans

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most?
All I have to do is look on J.Crew and their hip and trendy clothing colors inspire me the most.

What is the last book you read?
I just finished reading the entire Harry Potter series. Soooo good.

You are suddenly transported into a different period in history.  Where would you choose to go?
15th century Florence because that was the height of the Renaissance - think Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, etc.

Do you have a blog?
Of course! It's chrisandpaige.blogspot.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Exclusive Mini Album

You all know our CARDS creative editor, Alisha Gordon, for her fun posts and beautiful creations. Today I want to take a minute and let you know about something she has created for Scrapbook Trends. Lush is a gorgeous new line of papers and embellishments by My Mind’s Eye, and Alisha has used it to create a drop-dead-darling mini album that I have fallen in love with. This mini album (and bonus card) is currently being offered as a kit, exclusively through Northridge Publishing and only available until this Sunday, February 21st. I think it makes the most perfect gift and can be adapted to several occasions. I’ve already ordered some for myself to give as baby shower gifts. (Pretty sure I’m going to be the favorite guest!)

Visit the Scrapbook Trends blog for more details, or order the kit here.

Pam Baird

Itty-Bitty Folded Roses

I’m all about roses these days. I realize they are the most cliché of flower, but I can’t resist them.  I love them with all their colors and varieties. (And the smell! Oh the smell; I adore it!) I hope you all received a dozen or two for Valentine’s Day.

But lets talk paper, shall we? I adore perusing crafting blogs for inspiration. Paper crafts are my absolute favorite, so imagine my excitement when I came across a Folded Rose Tutorial on All Things Paper! Even though they look complex, they are quite easy with her directions. (I made some. They are very doable.) Try it yourself! You’ll love it.

If any of you use this flower-folding technique on a card, please let me know! I’d love to see what you amazing crafters come up with. (Email me: hannahc (at) northridgemedia (dot) net)

Hannah Craner

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most?
My favorite color is brown. My second favorite color is yellow. Together, they make me oh-so-happy! They instantly turn any crafting project vintage and warm. Pull a little gray into the mix, and I am in color-scheme heaven.

What is the last book you read?
I am a sucker for books. (Especially books with pretty covers, but that is the graphic designer in me talking...) My latest read was "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. It is a fabulously hilarious book. It is inspiring and helpful to anyone who wants to learn to write.

If you were a mad scientist, what would you invent?
A spider forcefield around my house. I hate those creepy insects.

Challenge Gallery and New Challenge!

Happy Valentine’s Day weekend! Do you have any special plans? I think hubs and I are going to celebrate on Saturday with dinner and a movie – simple and fun, just the way we like it. The challenge this past week was involved around this lovely holiday – create a Valentine’s Day card using fabric. I can’t wait to share what you guys have made, these are some of the best creations I’ve seen yet!

Here’s my card: Love by Paige Evans. It’s just so fun to participate in these challenges, thanks for indulging me in this awesome hobby!

And I Love You More Today Than Yesterday by Maria Gurnsey

Happy Valentine’s Day by Renee Van Stralen

4 Hearts by Katherine Wong

Heart Balloons by Jennifer Rzasa

Heart by Lisa Arana

I Heart U by Katherine Dizon

I Just Love You by Kathy Holden

I Love You by Amy Heller

I Love You by Laurel Seabrook

Congratulations by Brenda Weaver

I Love You by Regan D’Agostino

I Love You So Much by Avril Tanner

I Love You So Much by Tenia Nelson

I Love You! by Martha Pineda

I’m Yours by Laura Davis

Kiss Me by Lynn Miller

Love & Laughter by Amy Duff

Love by Alicia Thelin

Love by Courtney Baker

Love by Deanna Woodland

Love by Kelly Marie Alvarez

Love by Yvonne Yam

Love Grows by Savannah O’Gwynn

Love You Much by Daphne Wünn-Rihm

Loving Life by Colista Zhang

Some Birdy Loves You by Carla Grace

True Love by Stephanie Severin

We Do Not Remember Days; We Remember Moments by Jessy Christopher

Wild at Heart by Jan Tatomir

XOXO by Kristen Swain

Great batch of cards right!?! This has by far been one of my favorite challenges, so thank you so much for all of your submissions, interpretations of the challenge, and inspiration!

For this week’s challenge: I want to see cards with transparencies. Whether you create a window from a transparency, die cut a transparency into shapes, use plain or patterned transparencies, stamp on a transparency, so on and so forth, the possibilities are endless. I want to see how you can create cards with transparencies! They’re such a fun and funky trend right now, I’m excited to see what you come up with. Please email me your submissions (I prefer pictures to blog links please) to paiget@scrapbooktrendsmag.com by next Friday February 19th and I’ll be back then to post the next challenge gallery and new challenge!

Happy Valentine’s Day, have a great weekend!

Paige Evans

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most?
All I have to do is look on J.Crew and their hip and trendy clothing colors inspire me the most.

What is the last book you read?
I just finished reading the entire Harry Potter series. Soooo good.

You are suddenly transported into a different period in history.  Where would you choose to go?
15th century Florence because that was the height of the Renaissance - think Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, etc.

Do you have a blog?
Of course! It's chrisandpaige.blogspot.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Winner Winner!

Wow, I loved all of your comments! There is definitely a love for chocolate this time of year and it’s safe to say ALL year round :) A big thank you for all your comments.

Now it’s time to announce the randomly chosen winner:

Congrats Ashley!

Please email me your mailing address at alishag@northridgemedia.net and we will get your prize right out to you!

Happy Wednesday everyone!!!

Alisha Gordon

What color scheme is your favorite or inspires you most? It used to be teal, pink and grey but lately I am really loving the mulberry, yellow, and teal - as you can see it changes often :)

If I looked into your craft closet, what would I see? A total mess, normally I am the biggest clean and organization freak (which I'm ok with) but this is one area that I can't clean and organize enough so I pretty much gave up. As long as I know where everything is then I'm good.

You are invited to a fancy dinner and only have a knee-length green sweater to wear.  What jewelry would be your perfect accessory? My grandma's long strand of pearls that she handed down to me a few years back, they go great with anything!