anna will be running a new cooking-themed scrapbooking competition, Masterchook, 2010, beginning this Friday, 12 March.  It will be points based, with no eliminations – not only that, but you can join in at any time! The 12 challenges which will be posted fortnightly so head over to the forum to sign up.

Lorraine has recently put this gorgeous range into the shop. I am particularly excited that, finally, there is a range that matches my children’s school uniforms. Perfect for landscapes and with the ability to take either a masculine or feminine page this range of greens and yellows is truly versatile. Here are a couple of LO’s I did at the retreat:

Oops, it’s been awhile since we updated this! For now I will add the layouts that were finished last year for this.

Kaye had to use a black and white photo, chipboard flourish, mixed alpha title and inking.

Wendy was asked to us Distressing, Inking, Scalloping and Bling.

Rachel had to use 1 photo, pink, kindyglitz and lace.

Sue-Maree was challenged to use staples, white space, small title & bling.

Kim’s challenge was to use rubons, journaling block, shaped paper and/or card and 1 piece of pp.

To use Glimmermist,  Buttons, Pearls and Ribbon/fabric was Shara’s challenge.

Lorraine’s challenge was to use  a decorative border, no patterned paper, metal embellishment and leaves.

Bernadette was the next one to take up the challenge to use a doiley,  doodling, bling, flow

Kathy needed to use white cardstock, hidden journaling, decorative rubon and lace ribbon on her layout.

Sue-Maree took some inspiration from the recent Winter Olympics for this month’s non-sketch challenges.
Challenge One: Using rubons
I don’t know about you but I am using these less these days than I was several months ago. I want you to dig through your stash and get some of these old time favourites onto a LO… They don’t need to be the feature but they need to be obvious.

Challenge Two: 5.4.3.2.1 GO
I want you to use chipboard, brads, flowers, ribbons and photos in a 5.4.3.2.1 challenge. I don’t mind how you split it up but you need to use 5 of one of the above, 4 of another, 3 of one, 2 of one and 1 of one. So, for example you might use 5 photos, 4 flowers, 3 ribbons, 2 pieces of chipboard and one brad or you might use 5 ribbons, 4 pieces of chipboard, 3 flowers..etc…

Challenge Three: Colour challenge – Aqua and pink
I have seen this combo about lately and it is so soft and pretty… You can use the colours in any amount and can use other colours as well.

Challenge Four: Go for gold
In honour of the winter olympics I want you to use white background (for the snow) as well as at least one medal colour (gold, silver or bronze). How you do that is up to you… you may use a metal embellishment, some gold glimmermist, silver kindyglitz, a yellow colour that could be interpreted as gold, or whatever you can think up.

Challenge Five: Use the word “Story” as your inspiration
There seem to be so many inspirational stories that always emerge from the gamis. I want you to use this concept as your inspiration. Create a LO with a photo that tells a thousand words or, alternatively, use journaling to really convey an important story that needs to be told or, as another slant, do a LO about your favourite book. The word “story” doesn’t have to be on your LO though.

Challenge 6: Use the word “Triumph” as your inspiration.

Sketch Challenge 1

Sketch Challenge 2

Card Challenges set by anna

1. surprise! it’s a sketch!

2. i’d like to see a card for a child with an animal/insect/creature fo some kind. i’m looking for ideas for imogen’s birthday card…

3. create your own patterned paper with stamping for your card – i’d also like to see you use string or twine. (oh, hey – my sketch sample nearly fits this challenge, too! )

4. make an unusually shaped card – this might be a circle, or loooong and skinny, or square, or hexagonal… use a die-cut, too!

Remember you have until the end of the month to upload them to the gallery.

Enjoy!!

What a busy but great weekend!! Those of us at the retreat had a great time with lots of laughs as well as good food, uninterrupted scrapping time and of course, shopping!

While we were away a mini cybercrop was run in the forum to allow those unable to attend to be involved some of the challenges, too. The deadline for entries to be uploaded has been extended to midnight on Wed 3rd of March so there is still time to get creative!

Challenge 1
Create a layout that -
*has a feminine feel,
*uses white plus one other colour of your choice and
*1 photo no bigger than 6X4.

Challenge 2
Create a layout using -
* pins (for Little Miss Neat whose house is always as neat as two pins),
a bow (for the box Little Miss Wise accepted when she decided to start being a little less wise) and
*polka dots (for when Little Miss Helpful tried to help one of the Mr Men who had measles).

Challenge 3
Make a card that has paper folding as a feature on it.

Annie hasn’t been doing as much scrapping this last year and so instead of a LO with her and her hubby I am using a photo taken at their daughter’s recent wedding 2 days after Valentines Day so very fitting.

The photo on this LO reminds me of an old photo of me about the same age!!

How cute are those Mickey Mouse ears?!?!

We hope the year ahead holds more joy and exciting times!

Mitch’s entry for Sketch 1 obviously captured the judges’ eyes!

Sue’s take on Sketch 2 was very popular judging by the comments she received in the gallery.

Kim (Jodanuraken) won the card sketch challenge with this lovely specimen.

Emma (Bookaruth) won the draw from the non-sketch challenges.

Congratulations, ladies.  Well done.

I will be running a free class tomorrow at 4pm WA time. It is a variation on serendipity squares that were popular when I first started scrapping. The requirements and pre-class chat are up in the forum.

Here are a couple of sneak peaks -

I hope to see you at the class tomorrow.

The challenges are now up with the theme of Through the Looking Glass.

Challenge 1
Create a layout using
- One or more hearts for the Queen of Hearts
-The word smile or smiling for the Cheshire Cat
- A white background and/or a clock for the white rabbit
- Two of something for Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Challenge 2

we would like you to create a page inspired by the picture you can see here.

Challenge 3 – Sketch

Challenge 4 Card
we would like to see a card with a monogram,
something shiny (bling, kindyglitz, glimmermist, etc), and a scalloped edge.

Photographic challenge
This month our photographic challenge is to post a close-up photo that you have taken. It can be a close-up of anything you like.

You have until midnight (WA time) on Monday 15th February to upload them to the Chookscraps Gallery.

We’ve had 3 birthdays so far this month and I managed to find a layout that includes a photo of each of them with their hubby which is quite appropriate for February.

First was Emma and I love the colours she used on the LOs of her boys.

Cute Boys

We're Fanatics

Our Family

Second was anna from our Design Team.

This is one of her favourites.

Fairies in my garden

A Night Out

I may be biased but she has such a talent of putting so much on a single or double page without overwhelming it and still have heaps of ‘white’ space!

Imogen is one

Kay has come a long way in the 3 years since this birthday LO.

Hope

Memories

Kay’s favourite colour is orange and she uses it so well.

Clivea

We hope you all had a wonderful day and best wishes for a great year ahead.