Show us a Secret!

We've a fresh challenge up at Southern Girls challenge blog and we want you to show us your hidden journaling, photos, pockets or whatever. I used a cute little brown paper bag (that I've had in my stash for, seriously, years!) I wrote my journaling, a list of some of the things (just a few of the many, many things!) we love about our son, on shipping tags and also, yes, on a clothing tag, and then tucked them into the bag. Because the photo is so large, I could adhere the bag right on top of it without losing anything of the photo itself.

It would be so cool if you'd join us, first by checking out the other amazing projects from the design team at the blog, and then by getting inspired to make a card or layout of your own that includes something hidden! When you do, link it up back at the Southern Girls blog and you might find yourself winning something fun from one of our sponsors this month - Delicious Doodles and The Paper Shelter!

Remember?

There's a new challenge posted today at Challenge Me Happy!

We want you to mask. Mist, paint, whatever. Use punches to make a mask and use the negative that's left.....up to you!

Here's what I did. The balloon mask is a Prima one and I love how the chevron paper underneath makes it look like the pattern on the balloons.

Planned that.

Ok maybe not, but it sure worked out ok, huh?

There's more fantabulous ideas from the DT at the CMH blog so be sure and check them out. Also? Nikki Sivils is the sponsor this month so you'll want to jump in and join us with the challenge for the chance to win something fun!!

As well, we have a fun Summer card challenge up at PolkaDoodles! I am ready for it to start warming up here and this card just helped me get all in the summery mood!

The stamp is from Lockhart Stamp Co (it's a stash challenge this week) and all the papers are printed from Sundae of Seasons and Pretty Tuff cds.

Make a summery card and post it at the Polka Doodles blog page for a chance to win the NEW Candy Doodles Collector's Edition cd!!

Last thing before I go...we've added to the design team at Scrap Your Crap!! Head on over to meet the new girls and read all about 'em!!

CHA Projects!!

I can show them to you now!! I was given the Lovely Day line, and like all the new releases it come with 4 shades of solid card stock, a combined sheet of card stock die cut stickers and two sets of alphabets, besides the sheet of 3D rolled flower die cuts.

First some cards.

And now some layouts....

And finally, a project! I cut several of the patterned papers from this line into 6" squares, and the cut them into spirals and rolled them up to make these luscious flowers.

This line as well as the others released at CHA Winter are available at Scrapbook.com.

A Couple of Announcements....

but first, a couple of photos (taken on the iPhone and edited with some fun Instagram filters).... Mr B and I went off to Montana for 3 days of snowboarding last week and we came home happily not too stiff or sore for our advanced ages!!

Now, down to business...

We have a fresh new DT at Scrap Your Crap blog! You'll want to stop by and check out the blogs of each of the girls and congratulate them!!

More DT news....My Little Shoebox is holding a design team call. The owner of this company is very generous with her team and it's a complete pleasure to work with her and her admin staff, so if you're thinking of applying, GO FOR IT!!

Here's the info:

My Little Shoebox Design Team Call

www.mylittleshoebox.com

www.mylittleshoebox.typepad.com

My Little Shoebox is looking for talented, motivated, responsible designers who have time to commit to design layouts and projects each month with our products and promote our products online and at their local stores. We haven't set a specific number of designers for our team. We welcome international submissions.

We are looking for:

1. Enthusiastic, creative people that love My Little Shoebox and are able to do monthly assignments such as layouts, projects, and cards with our products.

2. You must post your work on 2 different galleries plus the MLS galleries

3. You must be able to commit to a 12 months term, which will be from

April 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013.

4. You must be at least 18 years of age.

5. You agree to release the rights of your designs to My Little Shoebox for display on the company website, blog, and in company publications.

6. If needed, your designs may also be needed for display at trade shows.

7. In addition, as a design team member, you will be contributing twice per term to our company newsletter and be required quarterly to make a photo or video highlighting a technique for the blog.

8. People that can take great pictures of their work in natural light, with a few close-ups. Because we will be posting your work on our company blog, we want your work to shine. Dark photos, shadows and flash spots don’t show your work well.

9. International submissions welcome.

In return you will receive:

1. A quarterly package with plenty of MLS products to design with.

2. Your picture and bio on the My Little Shoebox website

3. Your own personal gallery on the My Little Shoebox website.

To apply please send the following to dtcall@mylittleshoebox.com (please use your full name as the subject):

1. Full name, address, phone number and email address

2. 1 layout, 1 card and 1 project representing your best work using MLS products (jpeg files no larger than

500 kb)

3. A link to your personal blog and to the online galleries or message boards that you post on.

4. Design teams that you currently are on.

5. Write a paragraph about yourself telling us why you think you'll be a good fit for the MLS team.

6. If you've been published.

7. If you teach classes.

Submission deadline is March 9, 2012

Our design team members will be announced on April 13, 2012

We thank you in advance for all of your work and appreciate your entry!

And another one...

Challenge that is...!

At Scrap Your Crap, where the challenge was to use your stamps! Which we did. And now that we've assuaged our guilt over our forgotten and neglected stamps in one fell swoop, we'll be all ready to justify another stamp purchase or two in the near future!

Shh...did I say that out loud??

Anyway, here's the layout I did. I used many MANY stamps and clear embossing powder to create a resist background and then spritzed, sprayed and sponged with ink over that to create all the color.

But that wasn't enough. Oh no. Then I made myself draw circles and HANDstitch them. As if all the tasks on my To Do List had all been completed. And cut a flourish out of dictionary paper and stitch it too!

@@ (Those are eye rolls. I'm hoping if I use those often enough as symbols it'll be come a thing.) I know. I irritate myself too with all this overachieving.

So, yeah that's it. One measly photo for the whole post. I'd be asking myself if it was worth coming all the way over here for that!

Anyway. What's done is done. And that's what this post is!

After I remind you to head on over to Scrap My Crap and check out all the other DT inspo. And if you get inspired to do a card or layout as well, post it there so we can love it up, and then you can reward yourself with some guilt-free new stash. Stamps maybe.

:-D

Two new challenges!!

The first one is up at Challenge Me Happy and the idea is to create something on the subject of "10 years ago". This layout shows a couple photos of our current reality. Something that was still only a dream 10 years ago....and not even sure then than it would/could ever happen...that we would one day be living in AZ.

It was fun to create this layout. I punched holes in the whole thing, then backed the holes with patterned paper and stitched around the edges to hold them in place. The canvas flourish is die cut with a Sizzix die. (It was pretty fragile until it got glued down!) And of course I had to add some of my current faves, dictionary paper and mist splats!

Our sponsor this month is Scrapbook Outlet NZ and the prize includes some fabby K&CO Smash goodness so make sure you make time to play with us!

As well, I've posted a mid month challenge at Love is in the Details! The focus of this one is to use Pinterest for your inspiration.

Here is the Pinterest pin that called my name and demanded to be turned into a layout!

I used a similar color scheme as well as the blocking design to create this:

Come on over and check us out and join in our challenges!!

Happy Hearts and Flowers Day!!

I went a little pink-and-red-and-hearts-and-balloons-crazy this weekend and this is the result! (Also a tutorial on the My Little Shoebox blog today.)

It started like this....

Got looking like this...

Took a little of this....

To finally reach this point!

My daughter got in on the action too, with the cookies!! Which no longer exist, sadly.

An important thing to remember on Valentines Day is that too much of a good thing....is just about right!