Sunday, September 5, 2010

A Great Weekend For Stamping and Scrapping!

The weather has finally given us a break from the heat here in the North East US.  I, for one, am really enjoying the cooler temperatures.  It was cloudy yesterday, and today, but much cooler and breezy.  It rained a little yesterday, so I took advantage of the weekend day and did some "homey" things.  Chopped and froze some peppers, squash, onions, and tomatoes we bought at the farmers market, then I headed to my craft room.  Here's a card I made, with a listing below for the challenges I created it for:
Penny Black Saturday Challenge http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ , where you had to use purple, cream, and brown;
Our Daily Bread http://ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/ , where we had to use buttons, brads, or eyelets;
Penny Black At Allsorts http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.com/ , which was to use punches on your card;
and
Card Patterns http://www.cardpatterns.blogspot.com/ , which was a sketch challenge, and here's the sketch: 

I enjoy sketch challenges, color challenges, inspiration challenges, well, pretty much all kinds of challenges.  If you like to make cards, or scrapbook pages, also, and haven't entered any challenges, I hope you will give them a try.  There are so many out there.  To enter, you usually post your picture of your card onto your blog, if you have one.  If you do not have a blog, you can join any of the free web sites, such as:
Two Peas In A Bucket http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/,
Coast Stampers http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/,
Treasured Scrapbooking http://www.treasuredscrapbooking.com/ , and Simply Scrapping Crafts http://simplyscrapping.ning.com/
I've included links for you to make it easy to find these sites.  They're free to join, and each of these sites has fabulous forums, galleries of cards and scrapbook pages, challenges, and fun stuff going on!  Once you join, you can download your pictures of your projects on the site.  Then, to enter a challenge, you simply click on the link in the challenge blog, and link your card from wherever you have it in a gallery.

Here's a quick run-down on the types of challenges you may find.
COLOR CHALLENGE - These usually post two or three or more color swatches for you to use in your card.
SKETCH CHALLENGE - Just as the name implies, you are given a sketch to follow.  It is not necessary to follow the sketch exactly, just as long as it is recognizable.  For example, in the Card Patterns sketch above, I pretty much followed the sketch, but I added the ribbon.  You can also "flip" the sketch, or change around the arrangement to please yourself. 
SPECIFIC CHALLENGES - The challenge blog will ask you to do specific things, such as use lace somewhere on the card, or uuse paper piecing, or letters and/or numbers, or embossing powder.
THEME CHALLENGE - Themes may include seasons, such as the Everything Autumn challenge going on now at the Hero Arts blog, Shine/Sparkle, New beginnings, Clean & Simple.

Here's a link to The Daily Dare, which lists several dozen blogs that issue challenges, and links to them: http://dailydare4u.blogspot.com/ .

Hope that helps and you'll try a challenge or two.  Some even give prizes!!
Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Blessings and peace,

lynda

22 comments:

  1. Hi Lynda

    Sounds like you've had a really productive weekend with all that preserving.

    Your card is gorgeous, it's another of my favourtite PB stamps and the colour combo lovely. Very effective how you have threaded the purple ribbon through the buttons.

    Thank your for joining us at Penny Balck at Allsorts this month and good luck.

    B x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a beautiful and elegant card.
    Thanks for joining us at Penny Black at Allsorts this month.
    Good luck.
    Debs xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh how pretty! Classy and Elegant!
    Glad you played along with the Card Patterns sketch challenge!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is beautiful lynda.
    hope it will get published in PB inc ^_^

    hugs
    yenni

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Lynda

    A beautiful creation with gorgeous distressing..

    I love the colours and layout very much.

    Thank you for sharing with Penny Black at Allsorts this month.

    Love Jules xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh how pretty. Love your take on the sketch. The flowers and the colors are so beautiful.Thanks for playing with Our Daily Bread Designs Forgotten Embellishments challenge this week.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gorgeous card, Lynda! Wow! I love the colors and the way you used the sketch! The die cut, pretty punched edge and buttons all came together beautifully!

    ReplyDelete
  8. beautiful card lynda.....thanks for joining in the fun this week at PBSC....hugs kath xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a beautiful card & the colours are a stunning combination
    Thanks for joining Penny Black @ ALLSORTS this month, good luck
    Hugz Fleur xXx

    ReplyDelete
  10. beautiful layout and lovely card

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the links. Love the card purple but NO green!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh I love the flower and text background. Very Botanical Collage! Thanks for playing along this week at Card Patterns. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh my, this is breathtaking!!! I think I'll have to borrow this idea of purple and brown...it looks just amazing!! I truly love your take in this weeks Shining the Light Challenge over at ODBD...thanks for taking the time to play along! Hugs and blessings, Sabrina

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful card! love the colors and that flower stamp!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I just LOVE purple.
    This card is lovely.
    GREAT image

    ReplyDelete
  16. So soft and pretty. I love the pop of purple you added here. Thanks for playing along with us at Card Patterns.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is soooo pretty - love those colors together! Great Halloween card!! Thanks for joining us in the ODBD Shining Light Challenge this week! Have a blessed week!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. what an elegant card, the button is such a nice effect. Thank you so much for entering the Penny Black@Allsorts challenge this month.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Loving the colour combo and the threaded buttons look fantastic...

    Thankyou so much for playing
    at Penny Black @ Allsorts
    this month...

    Emma xxx

    ReplyDelete
  20. lovely card stunning colours and i love the buttons with co-ordinating colour thread...x

    Thanks for joining us this month at Penny Black at Allsorts hugs Kirsten...x

    ReplyDelete
  21. wow the purple accents really set off the browna nd cream....I just love this card!

    thankyou for joining in the Penny Black @ Allsorts fun this month

    Amanda xx

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcomed and appreciated!