Our launch!!!!

Yay!!! Finally - the launch of our new challenge blog.  We hope you'll play along with us and post the links to your layouts below in the comments section of this post. You have until the 14th of August at 10 pm to post your comments - and on the 15th of the month we'll post our first sketch challenge.  Any entry for the 30th of July or the 15th of August challenge qualifies for our draw for the month of August.  We'll tell you more about that prize in a little while!!

The challenge is to make a layout that tells us about your dream! In your layout incorporate any two of:

• cloud
• rainbow
• kite, or 
• symbols of your dream – you can use a photo or drawing that is representative of your dream. 

Journal about your dream and share it with us if you wish to in the narrative on your blog. 

Please also include a link to a scrapbooking technique or tool video in your blog posting for this challenge.This video does not have to be made by you - unless you want to make one.  We are asking only that you share a link to a cool video that you have appreciated on someone's blog, on YouTube or wherever you find inspiration so that we can appreciate it too!!

If you enter this challenge, and the sketch challenge that we post on the 15th of August - you will have a chance to win this awesome prize pack donated by me!! (looking for some awesome sponsors who want to be showcased for a month on this blog - hint, hint). It's the Cosmo Cricket Salt Air Crafting Kit collection pack!!!

We have an awesome guest DT for this challenge.  Actually, we have an international guest design team - designers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the Phillipines - one member is originally from Brazil!!!! Let's see what then team did with our first challenge:

Daniela (Dani) Donner

I am a Brazilian girl living in Canada with my beloved husband and two very busy boys. Working as a project manager, I try to squeeze some scrapbooking time in my tight schedule as much as I can. I have discovered the world of Scrapbooking about 4 years ago, but only had the time to really get involved by the end of 2008. I was part of the Scraptivity Design Team, and will have one layout published on Scrapbook Trends Magazine in October and another one on Creating Keepsakes magazine in January 2012.

Donna O'Leary

Hello My name is Donna O'leary, I live in Dunedin, New Zealand. I have 6 wonderful children + 1, and an awesome partner who puts up with my crazy addition of all things scrappy. I work and teach at our local scrapbooking shop (Scrapbook Paradise) and yes it is my paradise. I would call my style Eclectic, depending on what the product depends what I will do. But I do love all things messy, love to ink and distress. My favourites would have to be Graphic 45, 7 gypsies and of course Tim Holtz.

and

Karen Wray

My name is Karen and I live in Canberra Australia, a place I love completely. I have a husband who tolerates my hobbies and doesn't look at the credit card too closely... I have 3 kids Matt (18), Meaghan (14), and Henry (8). I have been scrapping for a few years now, and have been both guest designer and permanant team members for a few challenge sites. Each challenge site seems to bring a different mix of people and I am very much looking forward to meeting new scrappers on another freaking scrap challenge (and how cool is that name?!!).

Lee Schertzing

I am mom to three handsome young men and a beautiful daughter in law; as well as being Nana to an adorable three year and a half year old. I believe life is all about living, loving and laughing... my passion is for scrapbooking and that seems to bring it all together.

Mia Montalvan-Castrillo

Hi! I'm Mia Castrillo from the Philippines. I'm a part time free-lance writer and full time Domestic Engineer to my husband of 11 years and my four girls, ages 9 to 10 months. In between cooking, writing, tutoring, taking my girls to school and generally taking care of our household, I scrap. I scrapbook because I am a storyteller and I love telling the stories of my children. :-)

 

Mieke Nagtegaal

I'm Mieke Nagtegaal from the Netherlands. Hooked on scrapbooking in all forms and shapes for over 8 years. Love to try new techniques like I've done on my layout for this stunning challenge. I've used the Copic Airbrush System to make my clouds. I hope to have given you some inspiration and see you again here and on my blog.

Sarah Groen

Hi there, I live in Auckland NZ with my hubby of 20 years (Mark) and my 6 gorgeous kids who range in age from 2 to 20. I am a stay at home mum and since I discovered scrapbooking 5 years ago I have been a hopeless addict. I am currently on the design team for two NZ scrapbook stores Scrapbook NZ, and Scottie Crafts and also for the Australian based company ‘Rasberry’ and the sketch challenge blog "Little Shop of Sketches'. I am a regular contributor to several scrapbooking magazines and love to participate in challenge blogs whenever I have time. I am very excited to be guesting for 'Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge'!

and well, there's me:

Anne Pennington

I'm a mother of 5, a publisher, a canoeist, and I love a lot that life has to offer.   I especially LOVE scrapbooking and the friends I have made since I discovered this art form.  So many colours, textures and treasures to use on a page - I don't think I'll ever tire of it!!

Don't forget to provide a link back to our blog from your blog posting with your layout and link to a cool video!!!! We want to share the fun with everyone!!!!


Link up your posting with Mr. Linky below and leave a comment to this posting as well!!!


You have until the 14th of August at 10pm to link up and comment!!!


We are looking for a design team - we will be posting on this soon!!!

Slideshow of entries for this challenge:
(I've been told this doesn't show the photos in Internet Explorer - does in Mozilla browser - will see what I can do to fix this problem ...)

fave fridays 29 July 2011

Woohoo - TGIF!!! ... and ... we are launching our first challenge tomorrow!!!!!

It's time to post links to any cool scrappy stuff you saw this week!!

absolutely gorgeous ...

... is how I'd describe the layouts that are coming in for the launch of this challenge blog from our guest DT ... just wait until you see them ...

Bursting out your story - Technique Twenty-Seconds - first in a series of monthly technique and/or tutorial sharing

Here is the first of a monthly feature at another freaking scrappy challenge ... technique twenty-seconds!!!  If you would like to share a tutorial let me know!!  You do need to provide your own technique, or unique variation on one (and please credit the original), and send it to me at anne.wride.pennington@gmail.com.  If we will be featuring it, we'll let you know as soon as is possible!!! Today's tutorial is my own - I would love to share with you my passion for using sunburst patterned papers!!!

Most of us know that well placed lines can draw the eye to the focal point of our design. I have a favourite type of paper is a natural to apply this design principle to – sunburst pattern papers!!! This style of paper design completely energizes me creatively .  Sunbursts  are ideal to showcase a story, a photo, or an idea.   The extending rays of the paper design are a natural focal point. They lead the eye outward or inward  to your main subject! A number of examples follow that will illustrate just exactly what I want to share with you about this amazing paper design.

In this layout there are two focal points – one at the bottom of the sun rays, and one in the centre. The eye is drawn into the centre, but is naturally lead out by the lines to the story that spills out at the bottom of my page.

I flipped the same paper to tell my story from another angle.  This time I had a single focal point, but added a pearl for interest in the centre of the sun’s rays.  I also made use of the natural lines of the design to draw the viewer to the titling in the corner of my layout:

With this layout I used both the rays of the paper and the lines of the angel’s arm extension to draw viewers' eyes to the story I wanted to tell them. I love this paper -  it is almost as though with a wave of the angel's arm that my story appears in this layout:

Next,  I began my story at the centre of the sunrays, but thought it would be pure fun to spill some of my design around the bottom of the layout to give movement and energy to my layout:

I love whimsical layouts and used the sunrays to spread some whimsy across the paper in this example.  The elements placed across the rays of sunburst give the layout some movement and interest:

Here is another burst of whimsy.  I cut into the rays of this paper’s design so that I could layer them over my photos – again using the lines of the sunburst to draw the viewers' eyes to my focal point.  By placing my photos a little off-kilter I also added energy and fun to my layout :

Sunbursts are not the only paper that you can use to draw the eye into your story, but for me, they are the most freaking fun!!! The next time you pick up a piece of scrapbooking paper, or an embellishment – look at the lines of the design, and work with them!!!

all layouts and article by Anne Pennington

 

fave fridays 22 July 2011

Post links of scrappy stuff you saw this week that is share-worthy!!!

Fave fridays 15 July 2011

I knew there was something I was forgetting Friday ... post any link that has inspired your scrapbooking this week.

Technique Twenty-Seconds

Announcing - Technique Twenty-Second!!!

 Great news!!! We will feature a technique or tutorial on the twenty-second of every month.  If you are interested, and have a great technique that you wish to present to every one, please send it to me for consideration. We will feature those chosen on the twenty-second of every month.

For a tutorial you will need to send clear instructions, photos, diagrams, patterns or a video.  All of these photos, diagrams, patterns or videos need to be originated by YOU. ie. you cannot use anyone else's work,  Also, please do not take a technique from another, we wish to honour and preserve other's intellectual property.  However, if you base your technique on someone else's idea but you have added to it or given it a unique spin - give them credit and link back to them, but tell us what is really unique about how you do it.

Please send to:  anne.pennington@xplornet.com - please put in the subject line Technique Twenty-second!!!

Guest DTs

I have sent a note to all the guest DT, giving them their challenge for the launch - keep tuned so that you can see all their creations on the 30th of the month - the launch date for another freaking scrappy challenge ...

Thank you so very much for the lovely applications from everyone who was interested - so very many talented people out there!!! They were ALL truly appreciated. It was very  hard to choose!!

If you are interested, please watch for the DT call after the launch - we will be looking for a more permanent design team.  Don't forget also that we will have a guest DT monthly, chosen from those who enter our challenges!!!!!

Getting excited ...

fave fridays 8 july 2011

Yikes - forgot to post yesterday. This is the area where you can let us know about anything interesting you saw this week that would interest we scrapbookers.  It can be a techique, a challenge webste, a product, an artist etc..  Please provide us a link!

guest designer call for the launch

i'm looking for a few guest designers for the launch of this challenge ... if you are interested comment on this post with a link to your blog by the 13th of the month (and send me your e-mail address too at anne.wride.pennington@gmail.com so I can contact you) ... i'll be contacting you on the 14th if you'll be guesting ...  once you agree to guest here, you'll have your challenge e-mailed to you right away so that I can have a photo of your layout by the 28th to be unveiled here on the 30th ...

warning - it won't be a traditional challenge for the launch ... :)

i don't care if you design elsewhere (although i am nosy and like to find some new fun places to visit) - but i do care that you want to have fun, share and visit all our participants' blogs and leave some encouragement - it's all about fun and friendship ... 

after the first round is posted, i'll be looking for a design team ... getting excited now ... :| the bus is leaving the station ...

fave fridays ...

Julie Jeavons suggested a Fave Fridays - and I think it would be great if we all shared on Fridays some of our favourite scrappy things we saw through the week with each other.  It can be a link to a video, a technique, a blog or layout you loved, whatever you think will interest your friends here.  While you are at it, why don't you click on Julie's name above and visit her blog????

Just add a comment to this post to share this week's treasures!!

Another freaking Facebook group ...

We've started one on Facebook - why don't you come join us?????

You can find us at:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/198129780235147