The Lilypad Challenges

I've been hanging out over at The Lilypad a little bit lately.  It's a fab site with really friendly people, super designers and almost constant sales.  But one of my favorite things is the monthly challenges.  There are usually seven categories, ranging from product or journaling-oriented to templates and even a scraplift.  I have really enjoyed the direction, since I've been in kind of a creative slump.  Even better...you can earn store discounts for participation!

Here are some of the pages I've done for TLP challenges in April and May.  As always, click the picture to see it bigger...

April One-Word Challenge: Joy

Joy digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Paper: Summer Slushee by Rachel Young Designs; Stitching: String Stitches by Gunhild Storeide; Fonts: DauhnPen, Susie's Hand

April Product Challenge: Use a Bold Patterned Background

Orange Spiderman digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kits: Vintage Carnival and Play by Sahlin Studio, Summer Slushee by Rachel Young Designs; Staples: Gunhild Storeide; Font: Highland Perk

May Template Challenge

Fresh digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kit: Farmer's Market by Valorie Wibbens; Template: May 2011 Freebie by The Lilypad; Font: Underwood Champion

 May Journaling Challenge: A Special "Definition"

Grammy Soup digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kit: Retro Techno by Cori Gammon; Frame: Doodley Borders by Sahlin Studio; Template: April 2011 Challenge Template by Sara Gleason for The Lilypad; Font: I Love Derwin

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I Heart Faces: Yellow Challenge

The photo challenge theme this week at I Heart Faces is yellow...and it's made me realize that yellow isn't a prominent color in my life!  I already knew that I have a hard time scrapping in the shade, but apparently I don't photograph it often, either!  Who knew?

So, this really was a challenge for me.  I decided not to go the route of the sweet little dandelion in my daughter's hair or the warm, sunshine-yellow cast over the shot.  Instead, I wanted a really bold pop of the color, right in the center of it all where I can't ignore it...and then I found this:

Splash!

This doesn't read to me as a "yellow picture," but it's certainly there, so bright it borders on obnoxious.  And it totally makes me smile...

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Scrapbook Challenges NSD Blog Hop

It's that time again...woot woot!  If you're anything like me, you've already been steeping in NSD goodness all week!

This year's Scrapbook Challenges NSD Blog Hop is extra special, though...it's also a time we're taking to pay an extra little tribute to our founder Pamela Young.  This is only my first term on the Design Team at SC, but I have very much enjoyed getting to know Pam's heart (not to mention working with her awesome sketches!).  She's put together a fantastic group of women over here, and it's a lovely thing to watch them come together each week to make Pam's vision become reality.

So, for the Hop, we're all doing oldie-but-goodie sketches...a blast-from-the-past, dive-into-the-archives kind of thing!  I've hauled out Pam's Sketch 192:

This one resonates with me mostly because of it's clean, straight lines.  I also appreciate a good mulit-photo sketch and any chance I get to throw a swirl or splotch of something into the background!  So, here's what I did with it (click to enlarge):

Think on These Things digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Paper: One Love Collab Kit for Haiti by Scrap Orchard; Brush: Fancy Edges by Mels Brushes, Ornaments by Mourista; Sketch: 192 by Pamela Young for Scrapbook Challenges; Fonts: Porcelain, Century Gothic

Ok, so...on to the PRIZES!

1. One member who leaves a comment on all the blogs & in the hop will get Chipboard Borders, 12x12 Collection Kit and a 6x6 Paper Pad from To The Moon by Fancy Pants.

2. One member who does a NEW a layout based on one of Pam’s sketches and posts it in the HOP ON section will receive a package of Tim Holtz goodies.

3. One NEW member over the weekend will get the We R Memory Keepers’ Sew Easy Piercer, 4 Piercers, a mixed assortment of Divine Twine and 15 colors of DMC Embroidery Floss.

Thanks so much for coming to visit!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Your next stop on the hop is with Rene'.
If you're just joining us, or get lost along the way, you can find the beginning of the line at Brynn's place.

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I Heart Faces: Soft and Sweet Challenge

This week's photo challenge at I Heart Faces is "Soft and Sweet."   I had actually picked out and edited a completely different picture to post today... but I've changed my mind.

You see, I have this little boy.  A rambunctious, precocious, bouncing-off-the-wall, always "hungry more" little three (and a half) year old.  A boy, who despite his inability to regulate his volume, is one of the sweetest things in my life.  A boy with the clearest of blue eyes, who gives me dozens of unsolicited kisses and tells me I'm pretty and that he"ll love me forever.  A boy who brought me a fistful of dandelions yesterday and crammed them into a waterglass so they'd live a little longer.

So, even though I had made other plans for this post, I simply couldn't resist.  Because, in my life, it doesn't get much sweeter than this...

For you, Mommy!

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