Sunday Layout Challenge

Hi Everyone - welcome to another Sunday challenge at The Studio Challenges! This week's challenge is to make a page that incorporates a list of some kind. As usual, the design team did a super job and I loved seeing all their interpretations. I'm sure you will agree there is lots of inspiration here...

Amanda

I made a layout documenting 3 things I wish for my son's future :)

Anna

I created a list of my nephew's favourite things on his 3rd Birthday.

Julie

I love making lists...so this challenge was so much fun! In case my handwriting is too small (or unreadable!) 3. take a picture 4. eat some bacon 5. read a book 6. go out for dinner 9. love a cat 10.. just be you.

I could have kept going and going...make a list, go shopping, drink iced tea, go to Starbucks, sleep in, watch an NCIS marathon... :)

Jules

When I first saw this week's challenge, I thought about creating a layout based on a list of my favourite things, but then I decided it would be more fun to create a list based on my dog's favourite things. Turns out those are (in no particular order) morning cuddles, food, walks, swimming, bones, posing for photos and evening cuddles :D

Tessa

I decided to document what a typical day in my life looks like right now. List journaling was the perfect way to get the words onto the page.

Valerie

List format journaling is definitely my favorite kind of journaling! Sometimes I just number photos and let them be the list, avoiding writing altogether, but for this page I listed my kids favorite rides at a local amusement park.This page came together super fast with the help of a sketch and a club kit.

Now it's your turn. Make your list based project and link it up to this post. You could be the lucky winner of this month's prize: a $20 gift certificate to Ella Publishing Co., publisher of inspiring eBooks for scrapbookers. 

Can't wait to see what you make!

Sunday Layout Challenge

Can you believe it's already September? That means a fresh month of challenges here at The Studio Challenges. It also means 'back to school' time in many places. For me, September always brings to mind the smell of new books and shiny new school clothes - what does 'back to school' mean to you? This week we challenge you to make a school-related page - maybe about your favorite classes, teachers, etc....your kids experience...anything school-related.
Here's a little design team inspiration to get you started....and check out our the great prize that is up for grabs this month....

Anna

Here's my take on the challenge, this is old Primary School, it's changed quite a lot since I went there but I do go and help out there with art and craft now!

Jules

I was lucky enough to spend 7 years of my school life, from 11-18, in this gorgeous old building. I don't have a photo of it, (shockingly for a scrapbooker!) so I used a postcard of a painting of the building as it was in the 19th Century - it doesn't look that much different today.

Julie

When I think of school (or back to school)...right after school supplies comes first day of school pictures. This year I had these cute little signs for the kids to hold (even my high school senior cooperated!) When I sat down to edit the pictures 80% of them had disappeared. Gone. Poof. Not in the file...nowhere. I was frustrated. I was mad. I thought bad words.

And then I made the kids hold the signs again the next morning and have a second-first day of school so I could take more pictures.

And when I went to edit THOSE pictures, 40 out of 50 had disappeared. AGAIN. So now I knew something rotten was going on. Long story short, (too late, right?) the files were just hidden...not deleted. yay! So now I have them all back, and my kids are happy not to have to pretend for a third day in a row that it's the first day of school. :)

Tessa

Valerie

The first day of school is always bittersweet for me. Last year especially, since it marked the end of the pre-school days for our family. The journaling about this day is in the little pocket of my layout. 

We hope you will play along with us. Just link your projects in the comment section of this post. Up for grabs this month is a great prize: a $20 gift certificate to Ella Publishing.

You can use this gift certificate to download some of the great eBooks available by Ella. While you are there, check out the lineup for Boot Camp, a special series of  18 inspiring videos by 4 expert instructors starting on September 19.
Can't wait to see what you make!

August 21st challenge

Hi folks! We're back with another fun challenge this week and the design team have done a fabulous job with their layouts! Your challenge this week is to create a layout about something you're looking forward to.

And here is a little inspiration from the design team :)

Amanda

Although the area I live in at the moment is quite rural, we're moving somewhere even more remote in a couple of weeks. One thing I'm looking forward to is being surrounded by all the luscious greenery every day! The picture on my page is of one of the little lanes I have to drive down on my new route home :)

Anna

I'm looking forward to my sister and brother-in-law moving to Bristol so they will be closer to home. They have wanted to move for years but it's now finally happening, exciting!

Jules

This was a really tough challenge! I've gone for something that I'm looking forward to hopefully happening one day. I have relatives in Vancouver, and I think I'm the only member of my immediate family who hasn't been out to visit them! This postcard was sent to me by my parents when they went over last - I didn't want to adhere it to the layout as I didn't want to lose what my Mum has written on the back, so it's held on with the mini pegs and tucked into the embellishments at the bottom.

Julie


This was a fun one. I cannot wait for this November, when my friend are I are going on a cruise. I've never cruised before and am so excited! :)

Tessa

We've had a pretty mild summer where I live, but I just can't help but look forward to crisp, colorful fall. One of my favorite things about autumn is the change of wardrobe. I'm already prepping my closet for cardigans and shopping for new scarves.

Val

Right around this time of year it kicks in - my absolute love for all things Halloween. I've always loved it and by the time September rolls around, I'm counting down the days before I can break out the decorations.

So to join in this month you need to link up your project in the comments section of the relevant post. You have until the 31st August to enter for any of the August challenges including last week's mini scraplift challenge, and you could win a gift voucher for Scrap Rat! We can't wait to see your creations!

August 7th Challenge

Hi everyone! It's time for our first August challenge.

Your challenge is to gain you inspiration from books, whether that is a book cover, a title, story or something else...

I can't wait to show you the lyouts from the Design Team, they really rocked it!

This month the sponsor is Scrap Rat Kits. There is already a £10 voucher up for grabs for the scraplift challenge (redeemable against anything in the store) and I'm giving away a £15 voucher for the main August challenges! As always, we welcome international participants!
So on to your inspiration for the book challenge...

Amanda

I wanted to create a layout to inspire me to start reading some of the many non-fiction books I've amassed over the years. I took a snapshot of a small section of my bookshelf and focused on the fact that I have all these books I want to read, but never make the time. I find that, for me, just making myself aware of things that have fallen by the wayside inspires me to pick them up again. Here's hoping!

Anna

When I was looking around at books to inspire I was immediately drawn to this book cover, I love the images around the outside of the book.

 Here is the layout that I created from it!

I couldn't quite stretch to photos of a beach cafe so I did it about the beach instead! I had great fun stenciling and hand painting all the images around the edge! Love this effect! I enjoy reading so maybe now I should actually read this book to see what its like!

Julie

The 'Old' side is based on my love for old dictionaries (I collect them)...and if you flip it, the 'New' side is about my Nook...which I love as well, but lately it gets used mostly when my kids take it to play Angry Birds. :)
The book picture is what I based my layout on. I collect the Companion Library series (old Children's Classics)...if you read them one way, it's one story...if you flip it over, it's another.

Jules

I absolutely love books! I've always been an avid reader, and it's not unusual to see me like this, hidden behind a novel. If I'm not crafting then chances are I'll be reading :D

Tessa

I found my inspiration for this challenge in an actual, vintage book cover. I love the distressing on the left edge caused by being pulled away from the spine, and I love the well-worn edges and imperfections. The book cover in turn inspired my title and journaling. I want my children to remember the precious, random moments from their childhood, and that's why I scrapbook - to tell their story.

Val

I made a page about my favorite books when I was a kid: the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They became a popular TV show here in the U.S. in the early 70s - when I found the series of books in my school library, I was hooked. I still watch the re-runs of the show and recently found a whole set of the books at a yard sale - the same early 70's editions I used to read. They are featured in the photo on my layout:

So to join in this month you need to link up your project in the comments section of the relevant post. You have until the 31st August to enter for any of the August challenges including last week's mini scraplift challenge!

The time has come...

Well, the time has come to wave goodbye to our DT and welcome the new team! We will be going back to our old format of fortnightly challenges, with a monthly sponsor. Challenges will be posted on the first and third Sundays of each month :)

So in addition to myself, I would like you to welcome back four members of the DT:

Anna White-Sharman
Jules Dix
Tessa Buys
Valerie Mangan

And please give a warm welcome to our new DT member, Julie Jacobs!!

As we are not posting a 'proper' challenge this week, I will share a layout from each member of the team. But, I will make it a little fun... scrap lift one of these layouts for the chance to win a £10 gift voucher from Scrap Rat! Post your entries in the comments section of this post.

***Edited to add, the deadline is 31st Augst for this challenge and all entries for August challenges.***

Amanda

Anna

Jules

Julie

Tessa

Valerie

We can't wait to see your scrap lifts! Have fun :)

24th July - Layout Challenge

Ready for another layout challenge? Hope so! Sadly this is the last challenge with our current design team, next month it will be changing again.
This week Amanda designed a sketch for us to play with!

Here's what the design team came up with.

Anna

I had great fun using this sketch, I love the butterflies so I had to make a feature of those, I used a mask and painted over the edges of it so the outline was left.

Heather

Lisa

I loved this sketch.
I've used mostly Studio Calico supplies on this LO.

This week Jules from the Project team has joined in with her take

I thought I'd join in with the layout challenge this week, as the sketch was perfect for these photos of Mojo that I've had for some time, just waiting for the right project!

We would love to see what you came up with so please link your layouts up!

Wednesday Extra: Altered Chair by Julie

Hi everyone! Julie Tucker-Wolek with you here today and I want to share a chair that belonged to my Father when he was about 3 or 4 years old! :)

I am going to give a spoiler here and show you WHAT I did with his chair! AKA ... the final result first! :)

I just love how this turned out! Now let me show you what I started out with and how I turned this....

Into my "new" chair I have shared above :)

 My Dad's chair started off yellow, and along the way someone tried to paint it blue, but never finished it :)

Now let's see what I did with the chair....

 First, I started by spray painting the chair green :)

Then I got a Prima Mask that I used with white spray paint to create my flowers on the chair :)

Yep! That is me getting down and dirty with the spray paint! :)

Now let's see who it turned out with the"masked" flowers on it :)

I used all Prima goodies on my "new" chair (oh, and some Tattered Angels mists and Tim Holtz distressing ink!)

Prima papers to make my paper flowers-

Then I misted them...

Now, its time to decorate! :)

Prima trim around the edges...

Distress ink around the edges of my Prima paper to make my "bouquet" holder!

Making the paper wrap for my "bouquet"

Some Prima buttons to cover the spot that I stapled the paper together!

Now, to put my bouquet together! I put tissue paper in the base of my Prima paper wrap to fill in some of the gaps and have a place to glue my Prima paper flowers too! 

Some Prima journal cards to help my title stand out... 

These Prima mistable titles are amazing! I love them!

Some of the flowers I made with an added Prima flower!

Almost done! :)

Here she is! :)  My final project! :)

A beautiful Prima butterfly!

A fun Prima birdcage! 

I truly enjoyed sharing this with you! I hope you enjoyed it also! Thanks so much for stopping by! 

~~Julie~~