Challenge # 26

June 29th - July 6th is Flower Power! Use flowers one you scrapbook page this week, whether it is stickers, punches, die cuts, computer art, hand drawn, etc... Make it all about flowers! Silk flowers from Wal-Mart (or Dicke’s!) are a nice, girly touch!
Sources: - CK April 2006, page 65, CK Aug 2004, page 133 - 143, SS Mar/Apr 2006, 27 - 29

Challenge # 25

June 22nd - 29th is Everyday/A Day in the Life! Scrapbook something that happens everyday, your routine, take notes one day and write down everything that happened, etc... Do one or do all! This will be neat to read in the feature and see what is the same and what has changed!
Sources: - Effer Dare # 8, Me Blog # 11Speshal # 31

Challenge # 24

June 15th - 22nd is Simple Page! Which means only cardstock, pen, adhesive, photos and computer! Not stickers, embellishments, brads, staples, pop dots, etc...
Sources: SS Magazines and CS 1 and 2

Challenge # 23

June 8th - 15th is Ribbon/Fiber! They add so much texture while still remaining fairly flat! Try using them on your scrapbook page this week. Some ideas: Make a border, use on tag, string through eyelets, etc...
Sources: - ES, pages 135 -137, S. Solutions, pages 195 - 198, CK July 2006, page 97 - 108, Freestyle # 13

Challenge # 22

June 1st - 8th is Tags! The look of tags adds a nice touch to a scrapbook page. They are great in sight or out of sight with hidden journaling! Try having a tag on your scrapbook page that is from a punch, die cut, stencil, hand cut/drawn, etc... Big or small they all count! For a twist do a metal rimmed tag you get at Staples or other stationary stores.
Sources: - ES, pages 148 - 149S. Solutions, pages 73 - 83

June Bonus Challenge!

Hindsight! If you knew what you know now, what would you have done differently? What would you have changed? Why?

Challenge # 21

May 25th - June 1st is Packaging/Leftovers! Do you realize how much we throw away that could be used? For sticker sheets, most have the color go outside of the letter and you can cut around that and use that letter shape too! The same goes for die cuts. There are many examples, but how about you go check out your stash and see what you can use. Stretch your mind for this challenge!
Sources: - Freestyle # 3

Challenge # 20

May 18th - 25th is NO Glue! This will be interesting! You cannot use “normal” scrapbook adhesive or glue of any sort. You can use brads, eyelets, tape, staples, or anything else you can come up with! Remember the rules!
Sources: - Freestyle bonus idea

Challenge # 19

May 11th - 18th is Interview Someone! Pick a person, any person (I am available!) and ask them questions! It can be serious or funny, sad or happy, weird or wild, etc...! It is nice to get another person’s point of view for the journaling, changes the dynamics of the scrapbook and journaling!
Sources: - Me Blog # 4

Challenge # 18

May 4th - 11th is Tearing! This can add a really nice, soft effect or a really hard, tough effect depending on the page you use it on. Explore the different ways you can tear (fast, slow, sideways, up and down, etc...)
Sources: - ES, page 176 - 179

May Bonus Challenge!

Use someone else’s handwriting! You can get that certain person to write something down OR you could find a card, letter, note, or list they wrote and use that!

Challenge # 17

Apr 27th - May 4th is Decorative Scissors! Chances are that you own at least one pair and probably had more before, but tossed them out. There was a reason you bought them, use them for this challenge! The key is moderation not to get carried away! It will be fun to see the results!
Sources: CK Jan 2006, page 150 -152

Challenge # 16

April 20th - 27th is Stitching / Sewing! I love the look of sewing on scrapbook pages! For this challenge you can use another wonderful hobby on your page! Hand sewing and machine are both acceptable. OR if you are really intimidating you can do it with a pen (do mock "stitching") and I know that there are also rub-ons that look like stitching. These are also accepable!
Sources: - Freestyle # 5 and - ES, page 258 - 261 and - CK Feb 2006, page 50 -51

Challenge # 15

April 13th - 20th is Bad Photos! Guess what? You can still use them! Even if they are blurry or need major cropping, etc... An idea for a blurry photo, use it in whole and talk about how fast life is going and how it is a blur! Cropping isn’t bad, it can actually be good. You could make a snippets of your life page! This is supposed to be fun!
Sources: - Effer Dare #30 and - Freestyle bonus idea

Challenge # 14

April 6th - 13th is Scrapbook a color that makes you feel uncomfortable! Or you think it is hard to work with. Look through your scrapbook, what color have you not used very much? Chances that it is intimidating for you! This week work with that color and experiment with small and big portions of this color. Look in a scrapbook magazine or online (twopeas, etc...) to see how other people use this color.

Challenge # 13

March 30th - April 6th is 10 + Photos! A tip I have is to crop and/or use the square punch. Can be on one page or double page spread. This would be a great layout of the "Many sides of you" or for an event, etc... Check out Becky Higgin's sketches for ideas too! Sources: - CK, July 2006, page 86 - 94

April Bonus Challenge!

Make a heart shape out of scraps, flowers, buttons, felt, etc... So many pages have been made like this. I love the look, but I have yet to it! That shall change! Any questions? Want to show what you did? Post in the comments! Sources: - Effer # 1

Challenge # 12

March 23rd - 30th is Use a Square Punch! The square punch is a good cropping tool for those far away photos or photos that have distractions, etc... It is good to use the tools we have. For a twist use it on pattern paper, doesn’t have to just be photos. Sources: - CS, page 41

Challenge # 11

March 16th - 23rd is What Makes You Mad? Haha, they say to scrapbook the good AND the bad, well here is your chance! No matter how funny, strange, weird, etc.. Scrapbook it this week! Some ideas (to get you going), the toilet set left up, people who can’t say your name right, being late, doing laundry day in and day out, etc... Enjoy this challenge!
Sources: - Speshal # 2

Challenge #10

March 9th to 16th is One Photo! I know that some of us don’t like to do one photo pages (unless there is a ton of journaling) but I want you to try it out just this once and don’t feel pressured to do lots of journaling (unless you reallywant to). If you are having a hard time, pick up a scrapbook magazine and scraplift a page. Warning: You might like it! Sources - Clena and Simple, page 14 (Cathy shares why she thinks it is not bad to do one photo pages. You should check it out! Let me know what you think and the page you created in the comments!)

Challenge # 9

March 2nd to 9th is Your Name! What is special about your name? Why did your parents name you that? Do you have nick-names? Why do you/don’t you like your name? Any funny stories about your name (first, middle, or last)? Scrapbook them today and show me and your family what you did! Sources: - Effer Dare 51

March Bonus Challenge!

Dreams! What is your dream? Everyone has one (whether you know it or not!) There are so many great quotes (If you can dream it, you can do it! or Dreams can't come true if you don't have any! etc...) for dreams, why not add one to your page? For a twist you can do an actually dream you had at night and still remember! Keep a pen and paper by your bedside!

Challenge # 8

February 23rd - March 2nd is Make it BIG! Some ideas are to enlarging photos, using big words (in size or context!) embellishments, titles, etc... Sometimes bigger is better!!! Why not post in the comments a link to your take on the challenge, I would love to see it!
Source: - SS Mar/Apr 2006, 97 - 103 and - SS Sept/Oct 2006, 35 - 37

Challenge # 7

February 16th -23rd is Use Your Scraps! Guess What? I know you have scraps laying around and I know that you save paper scraps! This weeks challenge is to use them! So, you pick out your background paper and photos, BUT everything else needs to be scraps. So for stickers you can’t take from a new sheet, some have to be already taken from it, etc. It might just be harder then you think! But then again, maybe not!
Source: - CK April 2006, page 83-88 and - SS Mar/Apr 2006, page 39-47

Challenge # 6

Feb 9th - 16th is Confessions! What is something that not many people know about you? What are you quirks? Something special about you? What are your hidden talents? For me, I like to leave my orange out after I peel it so that it is crunchy when I go later to eat it (now how many people do that?). Come on, have fun with this one and see what you come up with! Also, a comment was left in challenge 5 asking if we are doing the challenges and if we will post our layouts. The answer is yes we are doing the challenges (although, I admit, I am behind!) but hopefully this week we will be able to upload the ones we do have. So, layouts to come!
Sources: - Me Blog #8

Challenge # 5

February 2nd - 9th is Then and Now! Use older photo with newer photos! Some ideas would be old house, new house. Before hair-do and after hair-do. Old vehicle and new vehicle. Photos of when you were a child with photos as a teen or adult (what features are the same?). It’s up to you! If you look closely, a few scrapbookers in CK (Ali Edwards for one) do this fairly often... Get some ideas from them! Why not add a link to your scrapbook page in the comments, I would love to see what you came up with!
Sources: - Effer Dare # 13 and Me Blog # 6

February Bonus Challenge!

Break up journaling! Ok, you have your journaling or title from the computer, stickers, punches, die cut or even by hand! The you cut a part apart each word and then group them together on the page. It could also even be whole sentences (line strips)! Does this make sense? I hope so, comment on the blog if you don't understand and I'll see if I can explain it better!

Challenge # 4

January 29th - February 2nd is Womanhood! Fact: You are a girl! So why not celebrate it on a scrapbook page? Womanhood is filled with it’s ups and downs (talk about hormones!) and you can talk about what you don’t like about being a girl, what you do like about being a girl, or BOTH! Do anything that talks about you and your more girly side (or lack of?) Remember, just because you make a scrapbook page, doesn’t mean you need to show it to everyone - this is for YOU! Maybe even try a double page spread or hidden journaling if you have lots to write about. I am all for pages about for youself and a book of me. Try doing this challenge today!
Sources: - Effer Dare # 14
- Effer Dare # 23

Challenge # 3

January 19th - 26th is Song Lyrics/Titles! This is gonna be fun! Do you realize you have thousands upon thousands of songs to choose from? The hard part will be deciding which one to do! You can have the song title for your page title (idea: You are my Sunshine, I can only Imagine, Never Alone, Better is One Day, Made to Love, White and Nerdy, etc...) or you can type out all the lyrics and say why you like the song. Anything is acceptable, as long as it somehow includes songs. Another idea is doing a page with all your favorite song titles on it. Enjoy! I know I am going to keep doing this challenge, I will never run out of songs to scrapbook! This one is exciting for me, what about you?
Source: - SS Mar/Apr 06, page 129 - 134 and - Me Blog # 2
and - Me Blog # 7 and - Speshal # 23

This page has the lyrics to the song "Miracle" off of the movie The Prince of Egypt, made by my sister Natasha about her trip to Trinidad in 2003.

Challenge # 2

January 12th - 19th is Doodle! Doodling is hot right now in the scrapbooking world - anyone and everyone can do it! Maybe you have been afraid and /or didn’t want to try it. Guess what? Now I challenge you to! You can go as crazy and wild or as clean and simple as you want. Make it work for you! Don't try to be something your not! Some ideas are doing some squiggles around your photo and handwriting the title! It’s all up to you! I think you would be surprised at how much you do enjoy this, you might not be able to stop. In the case you don't like it, then you know and you move on!
Sources: - Ck July 2006, page 34 -35
- SS Sept/Oct 2006, page 22 -23
- Enclopedia of SB, pages 80 -83

Check out this page if you're new to doodling:
http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/pg.asp?gallery=1&cmd=display&layout_id=1027536

Challenge # 1

January 5th - 12th is Monochromatic! I thought our first challenge should start off easy (be warned that it gets harder as we go ;-) Just so you know, monochromatic is varying shades of one color. This includes pattern paper and cardstock. For a twist though, you can (if you want) add just the tiniest touch of another color (maybe three brads?). I haven't done a momochromatic page in awhile because I just love pattern paper! So maybe this will be a hard challenge!
Sources - Speshal #28
- Ck August 2004, page 92
- Almost any other scrapbook magazines

The layout on the right was made by my mother, Terry, and is a perfect example of monochromatic! It also is a scrap-lift of a page by Rebecca Sower in "Scrapbooking Life's Little Treasures"

January Ad Challange

Hi, my name is Natasha, and I am Rachel's older sister (the great gal who came up with this idea!).
Anyway, she has graciously agreed *smile* to allow me to be in charge of the ad challenges every month. I find that I get most of my inspiration from the ads, so it's something that I'm very passionate about - I mean, if you don't have a lot of time, why not borrow an awesome design from someone who got paid to design the ad? You can go through almost any magazine (but home decor magazines work especially well) and they's usually jam packed with ads that are pleasing to the eye and suitable for scrap-lifting. Give it a try - once you do, you'll never turn back!
At the beginning of every month, I will provide you with an ad to inspire you - obviously by the design, but it could also be a color combination or some other element. For this first challenge, I have included my own variation of this ad with a scrapbook page I made about when I was in Norway... I would love to see your takes on this ad as well!

January Bonus Challenge!

Use arrows! Make them from paper scraps, punches, die cuts, hand drawn, photo corner, ribbon, computer or any other way you can think of! I love how fun they are and how they can "focus" the eye to looking at exactly what you want them to look at. Try having the arrow point at the photo, journaling, the title, whatever. Also, remember that if it is a bigger arrow you can add journaling or a title (or ___) *inside the arrow*. Have fun with this! If you are having troubles coming up with a idea, pick up a magazine or go on two peas and see if there is anything there to inspire you. Arrow are fairly hot right now, should be too hard to find a layout with an arrow on it!

Do You Accept the Challenge?

Guess what? There are no rules, EXCEPT to have fun! I don’t want this to be hard or painful or boring or a chore! I want it to be fun, exciting, and something you look forward to and can’t stop talking about. I also want it to stretch your creative abilities and help you to look outside the box and see all the possibilities scrapbooking holds! Let those creative juices flow! I made weekly challenges with a bonus challenge on the beginning of them month (I couldn’t cram all my ideas into 52 single challenges!) As I said before, there are no rules (except to have fun that is), but I will tell you what is acceptable. You can do your challenges ahead of time OR you can go back and do the one you missed when you were really busy. You can also do the challenge more then once! If for some reason you really enjoyed it (which I hope you did/do!) you can do it again and see new results (who says we can have too many thankful pages? Or maybe your dream will change? Or you want to add a new wish! Or you want to find new ways to add flowers to your page)! Ask questions by replying to the post (aka comments). You are allowed to scraplift and look in scrapbooking websites (www.twopeasinabucket.com is a favorite) and check out scrapbook books and magazines for inspiration and ideas! I also thought it would be neat if you had a calendar so that you can keep track of how many pages you make. Wouldn’t be neat at the end of this year to see when your most productive (or un-productive) months are? Good to take note for next year. You can also keep track of points (next thought!) on there for easy reference. Mom had mentioned this idea to me, BUT keep in mind that it is totally optional. Mom has done a challenge before when they had points for each item they used and you kept track of points. Now if you get discouraged easy or compare to much I don’t recommend you do this (bragging is also not allowed). The idea is to motivate you and only you! Decide how many points you want to achieve a week or month or year. I am going to make it a “no buy challenge” for myself (meaning I won’t buy any scrapbook items till I reach my goal of whatever number I choose that is applicable to me), you do what you what you want. The points will be as followed and it counts for each item, unless it is a tool (so if you use 10 stickers, that is 10 points, if you use a punch 10 times, or even once, that is 5 points ). Photos = 2 points each. Stickers = 1 point each. Rub-ons = 1 point each. Cardstock = 1 point each. Pattern Paper/Vellum/Homemade/Special Paper = 2 points each. Die Cuts = 2 points each. Punches = 5 points. Brads/Eyelets = 1 point each. Special Scissors = 5 points. Stamps = 5 points. Inks/Chalk/Sander = 4 points. Fiber/Ribbon = 1 point each kind. You are welcome (and encouraged) to leave comments. I would love to hear if you take up the challenge or found it interesting, of if you have questions, etc... Also, I would to love to see the pages you creat from these challenge ideas! Why not post in the comments with a link to your scrapbook page? NOTE: These challenges aren't totally orginal (opps, you got me!) I was inspired by SO MANY wonderful and inspiring scrapbookers/artists out there. I tried to leave a source if I took it from somewhere. Look there if you need farther inspiration or ideas. Book mark them too!
Sources: Speshal = http://everyoneisspeshal.blogspot.com/
Effer Dare = http://fortheloveofeffers.blogspot.com/
Freestyle = http://www.autumnleaves.com/freestyle/
Me Blog = http://www.autumnleaves.com/meBlog/
the rest are books! CS = Clean and Simple Scrapbooking by Cathy Zielske, CK =Creating Keepsakes Magazine, SS = Simple Scrapbooks Magazine, S. Solutions put out by CK.