The Paper Girls Challenge:Blog Hop

The Paper Girls Challenge is having their very first BLOG HOP!!!!
Be sure to start at the blog and follow the links. The prize (donated by the fabulous Denise) is well worth your time and effort. I hope you have a little fun and get inspired along the way!
Here is a sample of ATC's I have made for trading with my scrappy sisters.

Check back throughout the week as I post my Spring ATC's and give a quick tutorial on using mist with ATC's on Saturday!

Here's the order of the hop:
The Paper Girls Challenge Blog
Amber Sheaves
Kristina McKeen
Judy Stech
Kyla Norris
you are here:
Charity Becker

this is your next stop: 

Erica Bass
Heather Gray

How to Participate:

Want to win? Get one entry for commenting on each of the blog posts, "like" the Paper Girls Challenge on Facebook, and finally become a follower on our blog. It's simple, you get to see some fabulous projects and you know you want to!

Want to have more fun after seeing all of the inspiring projects? Join in! Link up an ATC created by you and you will get an extra entry for the prize!

International readers are welcome to play along but currently we are only shipping prize packs to the US and Canada due to shipping costs.

~charity becker~

Amber Shift

Amber shift is a term that refers to the "perceived shift of color warmth in incandescent lamps with a change of electrical power". In these photos I took by the pond, the whole sky has a warm yellow glow. The sketch featured as Creative Scrappers # 204 fit the mood of these photos exactly.

~ Amber Shift ~

With the torn papers and scattered buttons I was going for the look of a sketch notebook.

The patterned papers are Authentique as is the title alpha.

The buttons are Basic Gray and the gems CTMH.

The star brads are Creative Impressions.

The trim was a gift from Misty Buck.

The twine is from My Minds Eye.

The star punch is EK Success.

~charity becker~

MCM# 80

Scrapbook Steals has My Minds Eye paper kits on a regular basis. Both of the kits I used on these cards were purchased from Scrapbook Steals. The craft is Kraft Fun Day and the Polk-a-Dot is Lime Twist. MCM # 80 was such a fun sketch I had to reproduce it in triplicate!

This first card combines Jillibean Soup twine and Basic Grey buttons with a Spare Parts brad and Up & Up washi tape. All edges are inked with Color Box Chalk:Charcoal.

The second card switched to a CTMH brad and generic twine.

This last card uses Marschino twine from the Twinery, an MME die cut, CTMH brad, and an EK Success punch on the corrugated paper from my stash.

~charity becker~

Count Your Blessings

Creative Scrappers # 205 for you today. Another great sketch complete with "scattering" details. Check it out here.

~count your BLESSINGS~

Mostly Webster's Pages on this one, the Gems and Pearls are CTMH, the brads are Basic Grey, and the Glimmer mists are Cranberry Zing and Brick. I also added a thin line of brown around the page with Color Box chalk. The trim and jute are stash.
The journaling reads, "When I count my blessings I count this house over and over again."

~charity becker~



Amethyst #9: Light 'em

Amethyst #9, another delightful sketch by Kristy Lee, had space for 10 2"x2" photos. I didn't have any photos I cared to trim that small, but I did have several pics from my daughters birthday of the lighting of the candles. I left my fav pic whole and cut two others into 2"x2" squares.

~ light 'em ~

I enjoyed interpreting this layout using my stash of MME patterned paper. The green is Lush, and the Orange ribbon is Abbey Road. The Kraft is Fun Day (a recent Scrapbook Steals purchase) and the buttons are from my button jar. The alpha is EK Success and the Stickles are "Orange Peel". I used CTMH and EK Success punches. The jute is stash.

~charity becker~

Spoiled Much

Creative Scrappers # 203 was just too yummy of a sketch not to over embellish. I found an adorable pic of our Boston, wrapped and pillowed by the kids and knew I had a winner.

~ Spoiled Much ~

The craft paper is MME Fun Day as are the delightful wooden banners. The blue paper for the background and the rosettes is Authentique: Foundations, the matting is A: Uncommon. The roses and crystal flourishes are Recollections. The twine is Twinery:Blossom and the stamps are CTMH. The Embossing powder is Stampendous.

~charity becker~

(featured on Practical Scrappers )

need 2 know

Practical Scrappers Tuesday challenge for last week was to use leaves on a layout or other project. I love the leaves on the Authentique: Genuine, Forever paper. So I planned this layout around them. I used a sketch by Authentique as my starting point.

~ need 2 know ~

For this layout I began by laying all my fussy cut flowers on the page then drawing the leaves in with a pencil. Because nothing was glued down it was easy to tip everything off the page so I had elbow room to sew. After stiching the outlines of my leaves I erased any stray lines.

Next I adhered the 9 flowers on the right of the L/O, then placed the photo. I finished by adhering the flowers on the left. I added "lagoon" Stickles for the flower centers. I used CTMH ink and stamp for the edge of the page and a combination of A:Loyal and Genuine "details" stickers for the journaling and title. The large 2 is from the MME:Lush collection, I inked it to match the L/O. 

I made the ribbon rose and leaves from a trim card my fabulous friend Misty Buck sent me.

~charity becker~

MCM #74: SPRING is in the air

With a lighter school and homework load this term I am running out of scrapbooking projects too quickly. I've taken to turning the weekly MCM (Monday Card Madness) sketch at Scrapbook Steals into a full page layout. Here is my take on MCM #74.

SPRING: is in the air...

I've been anxious to use my newest paper kit from Scrapbook Steals, MME: Craft Fun Day. I also have been contemplating which project on which to first use my new egg dye ribbon (from this blog post). This photo we took over Easter weekend has all the same colors my new ribbon has.

I started with a sheet of K and Company patterned paper, layered it with MME: Fun Day, then adhered some ribbon. After stitching the photo onto the ribbon/photo mat and adding ribbon rosettes I decided all it really needed was a little bit of twine (Doodlebug Design) and buttons (Basic Grey) with a simple title (AC Thickers) to finish it off. 

~charity becker~



Just Looking

A couple years back I took my youngest two on a train ride to the West Coast to attend a funeral. They had no idea it was a solemn occasion and reveled in the novelty of riding the train...IN THEIR PYJAMAS! Their happy faces and excitement helped make the trip much easier for me.

Paper Secrets monthly sketch challenge was the basis for this Layout.

Just Looking

Background Paper is Authentique: Genuine. The photo mat is The Paper Studio, cardstock. The Yellow patterned paper is MME 6x6. The Flower and leaves are Basic Grey, as is the border strip between the zippers and under the twine. The twine is MME and the heart brad is Spare Parts.

The paper between the zippers is K and Company, embossed with a houndstooth Cuttle Bug embossing folder, inked with CTMH ink. The edges of the L/O are inked with the same color. The stamp and pigment ink on the photo are also CTMH.

~charity becker~

1 year

MCM (Monday Card Madness) at Scrapbook Steals means more sketches. But for some of us it translates into layouts instead of cards! Last weeks sketch by Heidi Van Laar had ideas popping into my mind faster than I could get them on paper. Check it out here.

1 Year

This layout tells the story of my daughters first Birthday. It was just one of those days for her and she cried just about everything! Good thing we had celebrated with cake and family early. I was only able to get one picture of her that day.

The papers for this Layout are My Minds Eye, Follow Your Heart and Miss Caroline. The twine is MME and The Twinery. The embellies are MME, Follow Your Heart; and the alpha is GCD Studios. I edged all the papers with CTMH ink and used a 7 Gypsies punch on the photo mat.

~charity becker~

Make a Wish

Authentique sketch challenge...ready set Hexagon! Okay, so I don't have a hex punch. But ever since I got my star punch (The Paper Studio) I've been wanting to make a layout with plaid stars. This new sketch from the Authentique team seemed like the perfect opportunity. Take a peak at the sketch here http://blog.authentiquepaper.com/2012/04/april-sketch-challenge.html.

Make A Wish

The background sheet of paper for this L/O is Authentique foundations, the stars are punched from Authentique: Loyal ("faithful") and the photo mat is cut from the reverse side. The jute tied round the stars and the photo is MME. The Stamp is Glitz Design and the ink is CTMH.

~charity becker~

they ADORE you

My Minds Eye gave their blog a face lift and started a new round of challenges and prize opportunities. This month they are challenging participants to use hexagons. (Check that out here.) This idea was super easy to combine with the bonus challenge at Paper Secrets that is sponsoring Sketch Inspiration this week. Sort of a three for one deal!!!

~they ADORE you~

My daughters class visits an assisted living center once a month. They have activities with the residents and write letters to them on the inbetween weeks. Lori's two penpals are cousins and think the world of her. As far as I can tell the feeling is mutual.

This page made from MME: Sweet Caroline, Follow Your Heart, and Stella and Rose, with the exception of the CTMH ink that edges the layout.

~charity becker~

Paper Girls Challenge: Chiny-chin-chin

Paper Girls Challenge posts a new challenge this week and announces the winner of the last challenge. Rush on over and see what's up! http://thepapergirlschallenge.blogspot.com/

Chiny chin chin

The patterned paper for this L/O comes from Authentique:Genuine. The checker board pattern and the photo frame are made of Up&Up washi tape. The alpha and border strips are also A: Genuine as is the title card. The twine is Jillibean Soup and Doodlebug Design. The L/O is edged with CTMH ink. 

~charity becker~

318 Main

This month the Once Upon a Sketch challenge includes a sketch and the subject "Home". I immediately thought of the first home we owned. We spent MANY hours on the front porch just watching the world go by. I tried to recreate the feeling of leisure and endless summer with my paper and embellishment choices.

318 Main

Papers and Brads by My Minds Eye: Miss Caroline. The jute is also MME. The spiral flowers are made from Authentique: Loyal papers and Recollections fibers. The inks are both CTMH and Color Box. The photo frame is Webster's Dictionary. The border punch is EK Success. The alpha is Thickers.

~charity becker~

MWM: Amethyst #7a

The sketch that inspired this layout had room for four photos and the perfect place to tell the story of a man and his camera. My husband takes his time setting up for the light. We oblige by making faces for each adjustment. Eventually he's ready and we take that nice family photo. But what to do with all those funny faces we so painstakingly offered his lens? Kyla answered that question with the sketch she drew up for Scrapbook Steals.

Making Faces

I took the opportunity of putting my new EK Success punch to good use for this layout. These hydrangea blossoms are punched from Authentique: Genuine, inked with Colorbox pigment ink, and centered with a drop of Baby Blue Liquid Pearls. The twine wrapped 'round the ticket is Jillibean soup and the diecuts are from the Genuine collection.

The background paper for this layout is another piece of A: Genuine as are the photo mats. The yellow twine is MME, and the copper butterflies are CTMH. The ink for the L/O edges is also CTMH. The brads are Spare Parts. The flourish beside the photo is Liquid Pearls. The alpha is more A: Genuine.

~charity becker~



Naturally Elegant

I had some rather trying days last week and as always, turned to scrapping to soothe my mind. I like to say that Fussy Cutting is one of the best ways to work out frustration. As you can see, this project is ALL about the fussy cutting!!! Things are working themselves out, as they usually do, but my peace of mind was greatly enhanced by working on Sketch # 202 from Creative Scrappers.

Naturally Elegant

The orange paper is K and Company and the fussy cut frame and boarder is Webster's Pages. The jute is MME from the Follow Your Heart line. The blossoms are all Petaloo; the gems are CTMH and EK Success. The chandelier diecut is K and Company and the ink is CTMH.

~charity becker~

Egg Dye...It's not just for eggs!

My amazing scrapping group is onto a new past time. This one is super messy but SO fun. I couldn't be left behind so I assembled the "right stuff" and got started making my own hand dyed ribbon.

Ingredients:

One Egg Dyeing kit (I used Paas, Neon)

Individual plastic containers

yards and yards of white ribbon, lace, or seam binding

Instructions:

Follow the egg dyeing instructions using the ribbon (etc) instead of eggs. Leave the fabric in the dye for aprox. 2 hours. The time depends on your particular fabric.

This has to be figured out by trial and error.

Just have FUN with it.

Hang outside to dry...

Throw it into the dryer for about 10 minutes to make sure it is completely dry.

Roll into bunches and package with snack size ziplocks.

These "new" ribbons won't be acid free so use for cards or projects if you are concerned about photo damage.

I'm not sure what happened to the purple, but every piece turned out like that.

Definitly tye-died looking. I love it!!!

~charity becker~

Lucky: MCM #78

Scrapbook Steals has had such FABULOUS steals lately. Not only have they had stupendous deals on past collections, we've been getting the NEW collections at a discount also! This card is made from MME: Miss Caroline-Fiddlesticks, using a Kristy Lee card sketch.

The contents of this kit are so fabulous that with a little fussy cutting and a swipe of CTMH ink I had my card ready to go!!!

~charity becker~

Amethyst #7 b

I hope you had a glorious Resurrection Sunday. I know we did. This year we roasted Cornish Game Hens. They turned out absolutely perfect. Sigh*** But it's back to the grind of school now and the fun of blogging this weekends scrappy creations!!!
Kyla was this months guest sketcher at Scrapbook Steals. She did a fabulous job coming up with sketches for our Wednesday Mojo fix. Check out here ideas here. This is a companion page to saturdays post about my eldest daughters birthday. I used the same technique for the bracket/stencil shape.

Show me your....

The base page for this L/O is Authentique; Splendid. The photo mats are made from Authentique foundations wrapped with Doodlebug Design Twine. The flowers are Imaginisce and Creative Charms. The gems are Recollections. The alpha is Girls Paperie and Thickers. The liquid pearls, by Ranger, are Key Lime. The ink for the edge is Color Box and for the stencil is CTMH.

~charity becker~

Cake Face

There comes a time in every Mom's life when she has to finally admit it, her baby is growing up. Today is this cuties birthday. Just after 7a.m. she turned 11 years old! What better way to commemorate her birthday then with a reminder of her first birthday cake?

CAKE FACE

I began with a sheet of Authentique Loyal for this L/O then started layering ink and other goodies. I made the stencil by tracing a diecut onto a piece of white cardstock and then using the negative after cutting it out. The ink and stamp are CTMH and the chalk is Color Box. The Embossing powder is Stampendous and the twine is Doodlebug Design. The alpha is Thickers and the flowers are Imaginisce (from Scrapbook Steals). The picture mat is CTMH card stock and Authentique Loyal.

~charity becker~

Today...

Paper Secrets had lots of challenges for their birthday bash. This is the Tic-Tac-Toe challenge posted by Doris Widder. I chose to do a project with Patterned Paper, Brads, and Handmade Flowers.

The background sheet and flowers are from Echo Park: This and That, the pink is Authentique as is the sentiment, and the brads are CTMH. The chalk is Color Box and the flower centers are by Duncan. I used a EK Success punch for the flowers.

~charity becker~

Many Thanks

 I've gotten tons of mileage from Echo Park: This and That. I've been contemplating how best to use, "wooden nickel" and then Amy Heller solved that problem for me with a card sketch on the EP blog.

Included with papers and alpha from my Graceful kit is a couple of CTMH brads, some Jillibean Soup twine, colorbox chalk, and washi tape. Just ordinary washi tape??? No,no, no, this washi tape is all the craze in my FB group Crafty Enablers and it's from Target. At $4 for 4 rolls one can hardly refuse!!! (Find it in the stationary aisle.)

~charity becker~

Amethyst #6: DINOSAUR

Today my Authentique: Loyal came in the mail! I was so excited to have my new paper in hand that I whipped out my Amethyst #6 sketch from Scrapbook Steals and set to work.

I'm being swallowed by a ...
DINOSAUR

The majority of the supplies for this page come from the Loyal kit. The twine is from Doodlebug Design, the brads and buttons are Basic Grey, and the washi tape is Up & Up from Target.

~charity becker~

Paper Secrets Card Sketch

The inspiration for this card came from the March Paper Secrets Card Sketch Challenge. I flipped the sketch and used a vertical format rather than a horizontal one.

Thanks

The papers I used for this card are Webster's Pages: Sunday Picnic and Everyday Poetry (6x6). The twine across the width of the card is from The Twinery, and the sentiment is a Clear Art Stamps with CTMH ink. The vellum is from Hobby Lobby.

~charity becker~

The Paper Girls Challenge: Explore

Today Kyla is hosting a recipe challenge. Get the details on the blog and check out the fabulous DT samples. Then whip up one of your own and link it before the deadline. http://www.thepapergirlschallenge.blogspot.com/

For my photo I chose one of my three kidlets at a park in Spokane. My journal cards are from Kaiser craft. My trim and twine is by WP, The Twinery, and Doodlebug Design.  All four of my stamps are CTMH, including the embossed title using Stampendous embossing powder. Instead of 5 individual embellies I used 5 types of embellies. They are buttons (Basic Grey), Stickles (Ranger), Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Metal Tabs (CTMH), and the blue chalk on the L/O edge. The patterned papers are WP and the coral lace I used to make the butterflies is stash.

I did a little detail trimming on the bicycle to slip the photo underneath. I also blinged out the tires. I used Eucalyptus, Stickles on the tires and WP trim as well as Basic Grey buttons on the hubs.

~charity becker~