Tag: challenge

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#scrap20 Week 5 Check in: And Still More Thailand Pages

UPDATE: Auto post failed on Friday, so I’m a couple days late. Just a couple days left to report your August pages to be entered to win a new product bundle!

It’s time for the week 5 of the  #scrap20 Page Challenge check in. Through this challenge you can get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE!

This week I finished 5 more pages from our trip to Thailand in January with Close To My Heart. These pages show some of the wandering we did while we were in Bangkok. I took these pictures before I finished some of the journaling, but I’m happy to report they are DONE!

The first couple pictures in this layout are from a shopping trip we took with my dear friend Jillene and her husband. We bravely took the ferry then skytrain to the MBK Center which is an 8 story mall with over 2000 stores! I tried to keep up with Jillene — wow, that girl can shop!

The day before Eric and I had gone to the Dusit Thani Hotel, which is where we stayed in 2005. On that trip, Eric worked a few blocks away while Emily (only 6 at the time) got very familiar with the hotel and the surrounding area. It was a walk down memory lane and I have several flip flaps loaded with additional pictures of the places including this lovely alcove which brought back memories struggling to focus on completing 1st grade school work.

During our prior stay, one of our favorite activities was exploring Lumpini Park which was just a pedestrian bridge  away. On the way, we loved to stop to watch the busy traffic from this “bird’s eye” view. Once in the park, we loved spotting the huge monitor lizards (many 6+ feet long) that lived there.

On this return trip, we revisited the beautiful park and saw many of the sites we remembered from the previous trip. In green haven right in the center of busy Bangkok we saw lots of activity: bikers and walkers on  the extensive walking paths, exercisers outdoor equipment, people paddling the swan boats in the lake and classes doing tai chi. We were hoping the monitor lizards were still thriving in the park and were not disappointed. We watched one fighting a flock of crows over a turtle for at least 10 minutes.

We love Bangkok and are so grateful to Close To My Heart for taking us back to this exciting city. 

Tally: My goal for August is to complete 20 pages. With the 5 I finished this week, my total is 21 for the month — yay, I did it! 

I know I did more than I would have if I didn’t do the challenge. My personal projects are usually packed up in my closet and when they are out of sight, they are out of mind. And they sit just waiting. 


So how did you do?


How many pages have you done? Comment your count below this weekend and you’ll be entered to win a new product bundle from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book! I’ll do the drawing on Tuesday, 9/4 at the Crafty Girls BINGO night. In the mean time, share your completed pages on social media using the hashtag #scrap20!

Can’t wait to see what you make!

Rebecca

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#scrap20 Week 4 Check in: More Thailand Pages

It’s time for the week 4 of the  #scrap20 Page Challenge check in. Through this challenge you can get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE!

This week I finished two more pages from our trip to Thailand in January with Close To My Heart. The pictures on these pages are from the night we arrived in Bangkok. We landed around 10 pm and were checked into our room a little after midnight. You would think that  after traveling about 24 hours we would be exhausted and collapse into the bed, right? Well kinda…our bodies may have been tired, but our brains said it was about noon because of the 12 hour time difference from home. 

So instead of going to bed, we left our room and explored the beautiful Anantara resort. We checked out the pool, located the spa and breakfast area and wandered over to the dock overlooking the Chao Phraya River. This river is a major transportation alley through the city of Bangkok so during the day, it is busy with river taxi and other boats. But at night, it was tranquil and somewhat magical with the lights from the bridge and the market reflecting on the water.

Both of these pages have stamping using the exclusive Thailand stamp set we were given with the album kits, the Splash of Color stamps (love the splashes!) and the Pen Pal alphabetstamp set.

The title “LIGHTS” on the second page was cut from Canary cardstock using the Block Alphabet Thin Cuts. These die cuts are the perfect size for scrapbooking titles and you’ll see letters cut with them throughout this album. I popped them up with 3D Foam tape to add a little more dimension.

This week I nearly finished several more Thailand pages, but the deal with this challenge was that they only count if they are completely done. So that’s all I have for this week.


Tally: My goal for August is to complete 20 pages. I finished 2 this week which brings my total up to 16 pages and I have 4 to go! 



How many pages have you done? Comment your count below before next Friday and you’ll be entered to win a new product bundle from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book! We’ll have one final check-in next Friday (8/31) so be sure to check back in. I’ll do the drawing on Tuesday, 9/4 at theCrafty Girls BINGO night. In the mean time, share your completed pages on social media using the hashtag #scrap20!

Can’t wait to see what you make!

Rebecca

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#scrap20 Week 3 Check In: Thailand Page 1

Week 3 of the  #scrap20 Page Challenge is in the books — scrapbooks that is! Through this challenge you can get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE!

This was one of those weeks that it was hard to find time to scrapbook. In fact 24 hours ago, I had not made time to work on any of my personal projects. The semester starts next Monday and I’ve been busy planning for my classes. Other than that, I’ve also been busy getting ready to roll out all our new Holiday products in September (can’t wait to show you!!!)  

But because of this challenge, I had to get something done this week, so I sit down and finished the first page of my Thailand scrapbook.  One page is better than nothing, right?

This page was designed by the Close To My Heart artists and provided as a kit as part of the incentive trip I went on earlier this year. This will give you an idea of how beautiful the pages in this album will be and it uses some techniques that I never take the time to do unless following a guide.

You’ll notice that there is lots of gold accents which really reminds a lot of the sites in Thailand. This page has gold in the Glitter Paper, Glitter Gems and Black Shimmer Ribbon.

This map of Thailand was one of the images on the exclusive stamp set provided in the kit. It was stamped on a piece of patterned paper and fussy cut out — something I never take the time to do, but I love how it turned out. It really pops because of the Saffron splatter behind it. The “splatter” actually an image on the stamp set Splash of Color (D1733). This fun stamp set is used through out the album to add extra layers of color. By the way, it retires at the end of August, so there are just a few more days you can get it.

This temple is another image on the exclusive Thailand stamp set. It is stamped with Momento ink and colored with watercolor pencils. You may know that these pencils went out of stock a couple months ago and I’m excited to tell you that we are getting them back in September. I love using them with our small waterbrush to make the colors blend to get that fun watercolor look.


Tally: My goal for August is to complete 20 pages. I only finished 1 this week which brings my total up to 14 pages and I have 6 to go!



How many pages have you done? Comment your count below before next Friday and you’ll be entered to win a new product bundle from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book! Then be sure to check back each Friday in August to update your count to get another ticket in the drawing. In the mean time, share your completed pages on social media using the hashtag #scrap20!

Can’t wait to see what you make!

Rebecca

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#scrap20 Week 1 Check Point

Last week, I announced the August #scrap20 Page Challenge. Through this challenge you can get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE!

To participate, simply return to this website each Friday in August to report your progress toward completing 20 scrapbook pages. You’ll be entered in the drawing to win a prize bundle from the yet-to-be-released Holiday Expressions Idea Book!

What did Rebecca finish this week?

This week, I completed two 2-page layouts (4 pages total). Both layouts featured my daughter’s Senior pictures taken by the fabulous Ashleigh Murphy of Anew Market Creations.

Layout 1 – Beautiful Senior

These photos were taken on a beautifully overcast (perfect for taking pictures) day in downtown Kirkwood, MO. We had so much fun wandering taking pictures on the sidewalks as well as the library, greenhouse, train station and candy store.  Don’t you agree that Ashleigh did an amazing job capturing Emily’s personality with creative perspectives?

The rich colors of the Documented (August Collection of the Month) papers and embellishments are perfect for these Black & White shots.

The words from the zip strip were perfect descriptions for this girl and I was able to match them up with pictures and fun pieces from the Complements pack. Love how well it all came together.

Layout 2 –  More Senior Pictures

The second layout I finished this week showcases a few more of the Senior Pictures Ashleigh took.  However, this layout is made with new products from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book that will not go live until September. So at this time I’m only going to give you a SNEAK PEEK.

Don’t you love that chipped painted wood paper? So much fun!! You’ll love the other papers as well.  I promise to show you this complete layout in early September.

Check in to win!

My tally: 4 pages down, 16 to go.

How many pages have you done? Comment your count below before next Friday and you’ll be entered to win a new product bundle from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book! Then be sure to check back next week to update your count to get another ticket in the drawing. In the mean time, share your completed pages on social media using the hashtag #scrap20!

Can’t wait to see what you make!

Rebecca

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Join the #scrap20 Page Challenge (August 2018)

Ready to get your scrap on? I’m excited to invite you to join me in August for the #scrap20 Challenge. Through this challenge you’ll get some pages done, share artwork and earn a chance to win a PRIZE! Read on to learn why I created this challenge and how you can participate. 

This fall, there are going to be a lot of changes around our house. My one and only daughter is headed off to college. Her presence here will truly be missed, but I have to admit that I am looking forward to a little more time (in theory?) to work on my projects. I’m looking forward to doing more of what I love: Scrapbooking!

Background

The primary reason I joined Close To My Heart in 2010 was to get a discount on beautiful scrapbooking supplies. However over the years, I’ve gradually filled more and more of my creative time with working on projects for my business, leaving less time to work on my personal scrapbooks. Although “catching up” is certainly a motivator, the primary reason I created this challenge is to get back to a hobby that I love!


Thus, I now declare to you “starting in August I’m committed to finding more time to work on my memory albums”. Now, I’ve been around long enough to know that making a general statement like that is not enough to get it done. To succeed, I need to set a specific target and that my odds of success improve greatly if I share my goal with someone else.

Setting a Target

As with any task, the best way for me to make progress in my scrapbooks is to break down what I need to do into manageable steps and set a numerical goal. Based on my other commitments, I figured most weeks, I should be able to find time to do 2 or 3 layouts. That averages out to around 20 pages per month. I’m targeting 20 completed pages in August.

A key word in my target is “completed”. I’d be embarrassed to count the number of incomplete pages I have — in fact many are 90% done (many just missing journaling). To be clear, I’m making a rule to only going to count COMPLETED pages. That means that the pictures are attached, journaling is done and the pages are in the appropriate album on the shelf. 

However, I will allow myself to count previously incomplete pages that I put the finishing touches on. Hopefully, this will motivate me to do that last 10% left to be done and drive up my complete pages count up.

Sharing my Goal (#scrap20 Challenge)

Life is always more fun with friends! So I’d like to invite you to join me in the #scrap20 Challenge if you are like me and needing some motivation to make time for scrapbooking. For me, it’s so easy to let work, Facebook, cooking, cleaning, Facebook, shopping, church, reading, Facebook, talking on the phone and Facebook fill up all the extra time in my life. So, let’s put down our smart phones and pick up a paper trimmer and get some pages done in August! 

Are you in? 

Need another incentive? How about BRAND STINKIN’ NEW SCRAPBOOKING PRODUCTS? One lucky participant in the challenge will receive a prize bundle from the yet-to-be-released Holiday Expressions Idea Book!!! This beautiful catalog has five beautiful new paper collections, tons of embellishments, new tools and so much more. You will love it! 

To participate in this challenge, simply click on the link below to register. 

Join the challenge!

To be eligible for the drawing, comment about your progress on the weekly Challenge Update Post that will go live each Friday afternoon. In these weekly posts, I’ll update my counts and show you some of the pages I’ve completed. You may want to bookmark this page so it’s easy to come back. Or join my mailing list and you’ll get a blog post summary in your inbox each Friday evening. You can earn one drawing entry EACH week and you have until the following Thursday at midnight to post your progress.

Important note: Regardless of how many pages you create during August, you are eligible to win the prize bundle if you participate and post update(s). The important thing is that you set a goal, create some pages and log your progress! 


If you are a Close To My Heart consultant, you are welcome to play along, but you will not be eligible for prizes. 

More Fun

Let’s motivate each other by sharing pictures of our completed pages! There are two ways you can share:

1) Add a link to your pictures in the blog comments when you post your progress.

2) Use the hashtag #scrap20 when you post pictures of your pages on Social Media.

Summary of Steps:

1) Register for the challenge

2) Create 20 (or more or less) scrapbook pages in August

3) Post pictures of your layouts using #scrap20 hashtag

4) Log your progress each week at showmescrapping.com

I’m excited about this challenge and hope you will join me! Now let’s go knock out some pages!

Rebecca

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I Love You Foxy Card

I am continuing to use my leftover Ivy Lane papers. This card was inspired by another Split Coast Stampers Sketch (see it HERE). I am finding sketches a great way to stretch myself and get out of my ruts so that my projects don’t all look the same. It is also a lot of fun to see what others come up with based on the same drawing but with their own materials and ideas.

The papers for this sketch are from the Ivy Lane paper pack and the sequins and gold shimmer trim are left over from the Ivy Lane card-making workshop on the go. I stamped with Saddle and Hollyhock ink. I sponged the edges of the paper with Saddle ink.

All of the stamping including the adorable little fox is from the February stamp of the month, Wild about Love. This set is only available in February and you can add it to your qualifying order of $50 or more at the discounted price of just $5.

Have you ever used a sketch to design a card? Give it a try — I know you will love the results. 

Rebecca

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Wild Thing Layout with Ivy Lane

Last week, I created the new Ivy Lane scrapbooking workshop on the go layouts and was looking for something to do with the leftovers. I also wanted to use the February stamp of the month, Wild about Love.

Here’s what I came up with.

My inspiration for this layout was a sketch on the Split Coast Stampers scrapbooking challenge (see it here). This was a great layout for using leftovers since I just needed 1/2″ strips of paper. You may notice that I used a mix of zipstrips and the actual paper.

Most of the embellishments were from the Ivy Lane Accessories Pack. The Gold Shimmer Trim was left over from making the Ivy Lane Card-making workshop on the go.

If you like the stamping on this layout, you need to check out this month’s Stamp of the Month, Wild about Love. When you place an order of $50 or more, you can get it for just $5. Order now, so you will have it in time to make some Wild Valentine’s Day cards.

Have a Wild Day,

Rebecca