December Anything Goes Challenge by Elizabeth

Guest Team Member Elizabath submitted this project for the December Anything Goes challenge.  She said:

I’m really enjoying this challenge because it leaves me so free to choose whatever I want to make. This time I’ve chosen to make an 8”x8” birthday card with matching bookmark for my brother, Dougie, but I've treated it as I would a scrapbook page, cutting out and piecing together the papers to create a background.
The design paper, chosen for its vintage country-style in earthy tones, is taken from a Simple Stories 6x6 paper pad, Generations. I’ve highlighted the number seven, Dougie’s birthday.
The background of the stamped topper was created using a brayer ... the stamps used are from Clarity Stamps, stag & fir trees and Tim Holtz, birds in flight ... and matted on to gold pearlescent card ... the same card used to make the bookmark.
The design for the pocket is the result of a suggestion from my husband ... a man of many talents. You can see from this shot that there is a little pleat on the side giving plenty of room to neatly hold the bookmark. Dougie loves our beautiful Scottish countryside, having been a farmer for much of his adult life, hence the topper. Unfortunately, due to ill health, he's now retired and so doesn't get out into the hills as much as he would like. I'm hoping he will enjoy this little reminder as much as I enjoyed making it for him. And, just in case he hasn't got the message to 'live, laugh and love' it's repeated front, inside and back - some things are worth repeating.


Thanks for looking,
Elizabeth
http://silverscrappers.blogspot.com/

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge.  Just complete a project and email a picture of your project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com 

All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.

Pagerize This challenge # 17

Each month on the 15th we post a new layout for you to "pagerize" (plagerize, copy, lift, steal) whatever term you want to use. The idea will be - to use the posted layout as your inspiration to create your own layout. You can "pagerize" as much or as little of the original layout as you choose. You may want to make a layout just like the one posted - or you may just want to use something about the layout as your inspiration.


Here is reader Amanda's layout for the Pagerize This Challenge # 17. She said:

I’ve attached a layout I made about the Flåm railway in Norway. It will be interesting to see what other people do with all my circles, and how many embellishments they add to my quite simple layout.
Once you've completed your layout - email a picture and brief description to scrappinpsycho@live.com  All entries will be posted here at Scrap Our Stash. This challenge runs through midnight central time on January 12th. The "Pagerizer" (in this case Amanda), will then choose a winner from all the entries. The winner will be announced on January14th. Then the winner will be asked to submit a layout for us to "Pagerize" starting on the 15th of January.

Pagerize This Challenge # 16 Winner

Pagerizer # 16 La Vikinga selected Amanda's layout as the winner. She said:


I chose Amanda's layout - She has got inspired by the use of bubble plastic and acrylic paint and made a very colourful layout that makes me happy to look at!!


Amanda will submit a layout for the Pagerize This Challenge # 17.  Be sure to check back and take the Challenge.  You could become our next Pagerizer.

Congratulations Amanda.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Allana

Design Team Member Allana submitted these cards for the December Anything Goes challenge. She said:

I decided to take advantage of the "free choice" challenge this month and make some Christmas cards using a less traditional range in pinks and light greens. It's so gorgeous! I've recently acquired a bow easy tool so there are quite a few bows featured on these cards!! I can't tie bows free hand to save my life!! And of course.... a Christmas card isn't Christmasy without some bling! Have fun with this month's challenge... looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with :)


Thanks,
Alanna

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge. The challenge is to do just that - Anything! To participate in the challenge just complete a project and email a picture of your project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com



All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Sarah

Every year I make *something* to decorate around the house...
Figure with 4 kids leaving home at some point (no rush... yet!) they will be taking some of it with them.
For now, the more the Merrier!
This year it's this 'Santa's Little List Helper' Sign.
It's been a HUGE hit so far.

We had to make 1 rule though:
You can flip anyone else from Nice/Naughty or back,
BUT not yourself.

It started off as this $2 sign from Dollar-Rama:

I peeled the 'Family' Letters off, easily done with an exacto knife. They're just so pretty, so I'm saving them for another project.
Waste not, Want not!
The sign was then spray painted in a glossy white, 3 coats to get over the pink flowers that kept popping through.
The 'frame' was made using Making Memories Masking Tape laid over the edges of the cut pattern paper I added with a glue stick.

The Dangling Flippers are 2 1/2" disks punched out of heavy cardstock. Ran the black ribbon down in between and then stapled and glue gunned them to the back of the sign. I know they're going to get flipped a *lot* in this house so I wanted to make durn' tootin' sure they wouldn't come off the back.
Printed the Nice and Naught out on the printer using perty fonts and punched them out with fancy frame punch.
Inked the edges with Stampin' Up! Stampin' Spots.

The Title was done mostly with a Sticker Set I've been hoarding for a few years. The 'List' is Thickers the rest was that set by Recollections.

Our names were also done on the printer then cut out free-hand and matted, again free hand.

So that's my Project for Christmas 2011!
~Sarah~

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge. The challenge is to do just that - Anything! To participate in the challenge just complete a project and email a picture of your project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com

All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.

Pagerize La Vikinga by Christy

Design Team Member Christy submitted this layout for the Pagerize This Challenge # 16.  She said:

I've been eyeing border punched backgrounds for awhile. Tone on Tone punched backgrounds always seem to make quite a statement. So when I saw the current pagerize this challenge at Scrap Our Stash, I felt the punched background would be a nice substitute for the stamped and painted background of La Vikinga's page.
Since this was a page for my wedding album, I chose to use some of Bazzil's pearlized cardstock. I only own three border punches and only one seemed to be appropriate for my wedding theme. This meant that  I had to get a little creative. I hand cut scallop borders from one inch strips. I then layered the leftovers from the punched edges and the hand cut borders in alternating patterns. Doing this made it seem as though I had more border patterns then I really did.


Pagerize this challenge#16-Scrap our Stash
Bazzill Cardstock
Apron Lace border punch- Martha Stewart
Bazzill paper flowers-white
other flowers-Prima
K and Co. brad
Webster's pages trims and lace
Little Yellow Bicycle hat pins with glass beads
Pink Paislee rhinestone button
Webster's pages sparkler's buttons

   I added an additional photo to the design and substituted flowers and embellishments for the title. I did not feel the page needed a title since it will be in the middle of my wedding album. I am happy to say that the lace I used was a scrap piece. There was just enough to make a second page with the same design.

I managed to use up the last of my Webster's pages sparkler buttons and several packages of flowers. I can say that I am happy to have used so much of my stash and I now have two more pages complete in my wedding album.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Karen L.

Reader Karen L. submitted this project for the December Anything Goes challenge. She said:


Hi!

I found your challenge by way of Debbie today. I am submitting these little paper mache houses I made. The roof comes off so that you can put cookies or a small gift inside. I decorated them with vintage sheet music, some Christmas patterned papers, hand-made scrunched seam binding, a Melissa Frances resin keyhole, Making Memories holly, buttons, and a few other little embellishments. They turned out super cute. Thanks for allowing me to enter your fun challenge. I hope that you can eventually do a link-up for challenges, but for now - I am honored to play along.


My blessings to you,


Karen
karen-mycuprunnethover.blogspot.com

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Challenge.   Just email a picture of your  ANYTHING project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com 

  All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.

Pagerize LaVikinga by Amanda

Reader Amanda submitted this layout for the Pagerize This Challenge # 16. She said:


Hi,


I am new to your blog and was inspired to try the ‘pagerize this’ challenge following the purple layout from La Vikinga.


I took my inspiration from the bubble wrap stamped background and also used a single portrait photo with flowers, ribbon and black letters, but changed the rest of the colour scheme, and came up with this version.

Now it's your turn to take the Pagerize This Challenge # 16 - see all the details HERE!  The challenge ends at midnight on December 12th.  La Vikinga will choose a winner, who will then become our Pagerizer for the Pagerize This Challenge # 17.  

December Anything Goes Challenge by Stacy

Hello everyone!! It is Stacy here today to share with you a Christmas Tree home decor project I made.

I am an admitted Scrap Magazine addict. I should probably be in a 12 step program for it but I'm not. lol The other day I was in my local book store and picked up Paper Creations Magazine. Right on the cover was a gorgeous paper crafted Christmas Tree. It was just so gorgeous that I immediately went to my scrap desk and started cutting out strips of paper! (I am totally not exaggerating!! LOL)

I cut the paper strips 1/2 inch by 4 inches out of MME Signature Christmas paper. I cut WAY TO MANY strips because I had decided to make 3 trees in graduating sizes to sit on my fireplace mantel. I think a good number of strips would be about 140. I used 5 different papers of coordinating paper. (Unfortunately, you can't really tell how different the papers are in the photo.)


Next I got out a Styrofoam cone. After gently folding the paper strip in half without pinching the folded end, I started attaching them to the bottom of the cone with pins. I continued doing this all the way up the tree until I got almost to the top of the cone. Once I finished attaching the paper strips, I got out some ribbon and wound it around the top covering the last row of pins in the paper. Finally, the last step is to top off the tree with buttons. I actually pinned down the bottom button and then glued the others to that button. If you have long pearl pins you could just pin the stack of buttons to the top of the tree.


I already have them sitting on my mantel and LOVE them!! This was such a simple project. It took a bit of time to cut out the paper strips because as I mentioned I cut way too many of them but after that it just went together quickly. So that is my project for December.

Now it is time to see what you can come up with for your December SOS project!! Until next time.....happy scrapping

To participate in the challenge - just send a picture of your project to Scrappinpsycho@live.com along with a brief description.

December Anything Goes challenge by Joan

Design Team Member Joan submitted this cute project for the December Anything Goes Challenge.  She said:

Hi, Kathy,

Congratulations on the 2nd birthday of Scrap Our Stash!!!  My December piece is a birthday layout to celebrate your wonderful blog!  I used paper, stickers and Thickers from my stash.
Joan - DT member

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge.  Anything goes!  To participate in the Challenge - just complete a project and email a picture of your project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com  All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.

Frugal Friday tip by Christy

Design Team Member Christy submitted this Frugal Friday Tip:

We are all attracted to it in some way or another. Sometimes, it's part of what inspires us to make the purchase. Companies pay top dollar to design it. What am I talking about? Packaging, of course! Sometimes, I am loathe to throw it out. There has to be some way to use it. Today, I am going to invite you to get out some of your punches the next time you open a new scrappy supply.

Recently, I acquired a Martha Stewart embossing button punch. I have been searching high and low for things to punch (other than patterned papers) to make buttons with. I also happen to have a very messy drawer full of recycled items I hope to use in the near future. The problem with the messy drawer is that I hate to open it and look at the mess. Thus, I rarely use anything out of it. I merely pop it open as fast as I can to shove something else in. So I resolved to actually use some of that mess. I figured that if the item became an embellishment (as I had intended it too) than I might be more apt to reach for it the next time I was scrapping. Armed with my button punch, I opened the drawer and pulled out some package bits.

In November, I had acquired the Melody Ross chip art tool. I set aside the clear packaging portion to make ghost letters and homemade acrylic style shapes. The backing is a nice thick piece of chipboard. From it, I cut the bracket shapes outlined in yellow. These will be filed into my journal spots box. I can use them as is with the quotes intact or I can paint or cover the quotes to adapt them to some future page.

Now to punch some buttons from what's left. Parts of the packaging had lovely wooden patterns on it. That's where the buttons on the left came from. Other parts had flowers, birds and butterflies. Those would make some lovely buttons! However, the chipboard is too thick for my punch. So, I decided to peel away the chipboard layers. To loosen the layers, I took my paper piercer to a corner and separated the edges.

Once the corner is started, you can carefully peel away the layers. I did my best to peel it in half. This made thinner chipboard which my punch could handle and also allowed me to punch images from the front and back of the package.

Try to plan out where you want to punch. I cut away the unwanted parts of the back which had words and the sku number. This made it easier to punch the parts of the image I wanted.

As you can see, these made some nice embellishments. If you don't have a button punch, try using one of your own favourite punches.

Now it's your turn to go use that packaging - send an picture along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com and we will post it here.

Do you have a frugal idea to share? Send your tip along with a picture to Scrappinpsycho@live.com . You could be featured as a future Frugal Friday Tip.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Wendy K.

Design Team Member Wendy submitted this layout for the December Anything Goes Challenge.  She said:

So when I found out that the December Challenge was to do anything I had all these ideas come to mind, projects that I have wanted to do and haven't gotten around to, all these plans...  Then reality set in and I realized that an anything goes challenge was perfect for this time of year because it is a time when we should just be happy that we get anything done! :-)

So for this month, I completed this layout, one more down!

I just love these pictures of my youngest sucking her thumb.  She was the only one and was even doing it at the ultrasound so she was a pro.

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge.  The challenge is just that ANYTHING.  Email your a picture of your project with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com .  All submissions are posted on the Scrap Our Stash blog.  The Challenge ends at midnight on December 31st.  A winner will be chosen and offered a spot on the Guest Design Team for the month of February.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Sindi

Design Team Member Sindi submitted this layout for the December Anything Goes Challenge.  She said:

Here's my layout for December. These cute little photos of my son have been laying around forever waiting to be scrapped. Thanks for the motivation! 

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge. The challenge is to do just that - Anything!  To participate in the challenge just complete a project and email a picture of your project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com

All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Tamara

Design Team Member Tamara submitted this project for the December Anything Goes Challenge.  She said:

Here is my December challenge. I had to get it done early since we are going out of town the last week of November. I was very excited when you said that we could choose our own project for December. I made two of these, one for my DIL and one for her mother. I got the Painters tray and the easle from Archivers. They are made by 7 gypsies. This is my grandson that was born on July 29, 2011. The date is on the square with his name (that I took directly from the birth announcement) but is is very light and hard to see. I used coordinating patter papers from Teresa Collins and many different embellishments that were in my stash. Prima flowers, SU jewels and anything baby blue I could find. I am really thrilled with the way it turned out and so glad I have them done. I don't know if I can wait till Christmas to give them away. This was a very fun project to do!I hope all your Christmas projects bring you joy and happiness!

Tamara
http://scrappinsmiles-myblog.blogspot.com/

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge. The challenge is to do Anything you want to share.  To participate in the Challenge - just email a picture of your project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com  

All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.

December Challenge by Sue

Here is my challenge for December. I chose to share a Christmas card and some of the supplies I used to create it.

Basic Grey's Nordic Holiday 6x6 paper pad. You can't make a bad card with this one. Classic Basic Grey, in my opinion.

Sizzix Birds and Reindeer Embossing Folders. I used the evergreen tree background.

My card. Couldn't be easier, especially with the Basic Grey pre-made embellishment. Here's a little close-up shot so you can see the embossing. This was my first time using a Sizzix product in my Cuttlebug, and I thought the results were fantastic.

Now it's your turn! All the details can be found here. Your project will be posted on the Scrap Our Stash blog and on December 31st a winner will be chosen. That winner will be offered a spot on the Guest Design Team for the month of February. Why not give it a try?

Welcome new Design Team Members

La Vikinga & Debbie P have both been asked to stay on as full time Design Team Members.  Watch for their upcoming posts.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Christy

Design Team Member Christy submitted this project for the December Anything Goes Challenge.  She said:

 Every once in a while, it's good to follow the step by step instructions in the making of a layout. Why? It introduces you to a new technique without the stress and guesswork of what to do with the rest of the page. During November, I took a free class at Miss Arts Paper Crafting School. The class led me through a series of steps to add texture and dimension to my page. It was an enjoyable experience and led to the creation of a page that, while not my usual style, is truly wonderful.

I did not have all of the materials suggested to complete the Layered Layouts class. Rather than purchase the supplies, I made a kit, attempting to match the supply list as much as I could from my stash. By doing so, the page became unique to me, despite the fact that I was following a series of step by step instructions.

Gesso
Pink Paislee glitter alphas
Glimmer mist in frost
Basic Grey paper clip
Tim Holtz metal tags
I-rock jewels
Basic Grey Wisteria paper
Making Memories shimmer flourishes-blue
My Mind's eye papers
Maya Road lace trim
Carboard
gauze from my first aide kit
Jenni Bowlin stick pins
Webster's Pages button sparkler
Maya Mist in Latte Metallic

Though I may not use everything I learned in the making of this page, I will take parts of the process to incorporate into future pages.

  By completing the step by step instructions, I was able to learn the how and the why behind the page's design.I also learned that I love altering pre-made embellishments to meet my needs. I have always loved metal embellishments, for example, but never really liked the way they looked on many of my pages.They seemed to dominate aspects of the page. By altering them, I was able to give them a one-of-a-kind look and better able to blend them into my page's overall design.

The metal tags  have so much more character. I even think it's easier to read them now.

This page will become the title page of my wedding album. Though it might not be my usual style, it's very special to me, both because of the amount of work I put into it and because of the end result.


Now it's your turn! Scrap Our Stash is celebrating it's birthday! Share a page or project you've made to help celebrate two wonderful years of using your stash in new ways!

Pagerize La Vikinga by Joni

I was inspired by all the circles, the color purple (a color I don't use very often AT ALL) and also by the cluster of flowers. I took this opportunity to do a girly page...(something else I don't get to do very often) and did this layout of a friend's daughter.

Now it's your turn to take the Pagerize This challenge # 16. You could become our next pagerizer. See all the details here.

December Anything Goes Challenge by Karen

Design Team Member Karen submitted this layout for the December Anything Goes Challenge. She said:


Here is my submission for the December challenge
I decided to use up some photos that I took months ago before we left the Netherlands and I hadn't found a way to use them.

One day on a trip to Amsterdam I decided to take close up photos of various walls, graffiti, posters, street signs and floors. I wanted a record of the tiny details of Amsterdam but its taken me since May to find a way to scrap them.

I chose to print off 16 at the smallest size from Picassa and made a montage of them in the centre of my page- that didn't give me much space to embellish so I stuck a strip of washi tape across the middle and combined title and embellishment by making a small banner with the title on it.

Now it's your turn to take the December Anything Goes Challenge. To participate in the December Anything Goes Challenge - just  email a picture of your project along with a description to Scrappinpsycho@live.com 

 All submissions will be posted to The Scrap Our Stash blog and on December  31st a winner will be chosen, and given the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for the month of February. This challenge ends at midnight central time on December 31st.