Team Training for February ...

Welcome to our second edition of Team Training brought to you this month by our wonderful team member Tone-Lill Angelskar.

Each month one of our team will inspire you with a little tutorial, tip or trick to help you in your scrapbooking pursuits. 

February Tutorial by Tone-Lill

Hi there, today I want to show you how to use a stencil to create with paper. This technique can be used on cards as well as on layouts and tags.

I have used a 6x6 patterned paper with a chevron stencil

On the backside of the patterned paper, I traced  the lines only from the first row of chevrons from the stencil, and as you can see by the top one, you have to make sure that all the lines are long enough to reach into a horizontal line, so it is even when it will be folded to the front. 

 

When you have drawn all the lines, cut along all the lines, and remember the importance of keeping the lines on every chevron horizontal ... then you can start folding them out towards the front

 The top chevron will look a bit too long and will slightly end up on the outside of the top. This chevron you need to cut off. Now you can start to place all the folded chevrons under the chevron above. The one you cut off, you place under the bottom one pointing down and glue it on, along the bottom line  (like you can see on the picture below) 

Now you can stick this 6x6 to the card stock, or do as I did, add another piece of cardstock with a different colour, just behind the chevrons, to create a window like effect. 

This is what it looks like with the lighter blue colour under the folding technique, when glued on  to the dark blue cardstock. 

...and here is the finished card with a close up on the picture below

You don't have to use a stencil to create your chevrons, and you can make them as small or big as you like and of course on any paper project, but it always looks nicer when one side of the paper has a single colour and one side has some kind of pattern on it.

 I hope this inspires you to give it a try :)  

Don't forget to have your entry in for our challenge this month.  Some lovely prizes on offer - one prize by vote, another completely by random draw and a guest designer spot with RAK to offer one lucky entrant.  You have until 11.55 on final day of the month to have your submission linked.

Please welcome our February guest designer ...

This month we welcome Sherri Priest as our guest designer with her take on our challenge image.

I used K&Company Postcard printed flat paper

Took a page from a telephone book, punched out a shape, misted it and made my flower. 

Sherri Priest from Whitehouse, Texas (East Texas) who celebrates her 35th wedding anniversary this year to hubby Gary.  I have two grown sons who are both Eagle Scouts and now I have a sweet daughter in law, two precious grandchildren, Gracie who is 4 1/2 and Zachary who is almost a year. 

I started scrapping about 13 years ago.  I made my first scrapbook for my nephew when he was graduating from high school as a gift.  My second album was for my god daughter who graduated the same year as a gift.  From there I went crazy.  I remember having one tote that was not even full of scrap supplies and now I have a room full!  How do we get so much stuff.  I love making gift albums and have made many over the years for graduation, wedding and Christmas presents.  It is especially meaningful to give one to someone who has all their photos in a drawer somewhere, all scattered; to be able to pull their life photos all together into something they can view and enjoy and share. 

I sometimes wonder what will happen to all my albums - if they will just go in a landfill somewhere at sometime but in the meantime, I still enjoy the creative process and making them.  And hopefully, in my old age, I will be able to pull them out to help me remember things that I had forgotten which will bring a smile to my face. 

http://sherripriest.blogspot.com.au/

Some more work by Sherri ...

Thank you for joining us this month Sherri and sharing your work. 

You have until the end off the month to play along with us with our February challenge.  We'd love to see how you are inspired by our photograph this month.  Thank you for your continued support.

Next week we have something new to share with you, something special from a member of our design team.  Please call past on the 22nd for some Team Training.

January winners ...

Wow !! didn't we have some beautiful, bright and happy pages and cards submited last month - these were all gorgeous ladies - thank you. 

We were working from this photograph ...

While two of our monthly prizes are chozen by creative team vote, one of our monthly prizes is completely done via random draw so anyone, regardless of style or years of experience can be a winner here on Pixels and Paper - you just need to have an entry in :)

Our MAIN winner for January is Sue Smith with this amazing page.

We would like to ask Kerry to guest with us for March and send her a small prize for her efforts.

and our random draw is #10 - Sharon B

Ladies, please email me with your address and I will make sure your prize gets away to you.

Please pop back on the 15th when we introduce you to Sherri Priest, our guest designer this month with her take on our challenge image.

And don't forget you have until the end off the month to play along with us with our monthly challenge.  Details can be found on the left sidebar. We'd love to see how you are inspired by our photograph this month. 

And then it was February ...

Welcome to February - the month of love for those of us with a romantic heart and who enjoy the magic of St Valentine's Day.

This month we have a lovely inspirational photograph which I think radiates both love and days of romantic past.  When you think of cities wrapped in love and romance you immediately think of Paris do you not?

So what inspires you? What delights do you see in this photograph?  Are you drawn to the letters?  Do they tell of love lost, love gained?  Are they tales of distant travels, letters homes from loved ones far away?  Do they evoke memories of the past?  Are they a reminder of ephemera tucked away yearning to be used?

Are you a Paris fan?  Have you been to this wonderful city or just admire all things French?  

Are you drawn to the colours - loving the pale pink, mint green and gold theme which seems to be everywhere at the moment.

Here is what our team has taken from the image ...

LYNNE

I was inspired by the French theme (the quote translates to: "the better I know men, the more I love my cats!"  as well as by the letters, which shows up in the stamps and envelope on my paper. I added the chipboard Eiffel tower too, just to pull it all together!

DI

I've gone with the Parisian theme this month but have taken the slant of nightlife and a bygone era. I've stamped and added embossed card and washi tape. The embossing folders,  (came as a pair) were a had-to-have purchase, as one of them has my maiden name on it! The image is a purchased topper I've had and she just fitted this theme beautifully.

KAREN

For this challenge I shifted the focus geographically closer to home... Sydney Tower, which I visited in August last year. I drew inspiration from the letter paper in the photograph and also added some splashes of gold:

REGINA

I just loved the Paris theme this month. I focused on the Paris skyline and the city's most famous landmark, and went with a modern girly style. Hoping to see what you all come up with, looking forward to your entries.

PHILLIS

I love the statue in the inspiration photo. I visited France for month as an exchange student over 30 years ago. It always brings a smile to my face when I think of that time. I was drawn to the letters and the pink hue in the background of the letters. I planned to use some paper with words on them and then the pink theme took over and before I knew it I had the flower paper tacked down and the flower theme had taken over. That is how it is sometimes while creating a LO, you begin with one idea and before you know it you have a completely different idea happening.

TONE-LILL

I don't have any photos from Paris but was inspired by the Eiffel Tower to make a page with photos from Zermatt, where the kids were playing mini-golf with the Matterhorn in the background. The Matterhorn has kind of the same shape as the Eiffel Tower, and has the same fame in Switzerland as the "tower" has in France. 

Paris or not, you just need to be inspired by the picture... Have some fun and join in with us :)

HEIDI

I loved the photo inspiration this month as I'm a big Paris Fan.. I plan to go there in the next couple of years with some girlfriends...I used a instagram photo I had taken 2 years ago with a colourful filter and some lovely Paris paper which was very busy,glass glitter and flowers and cog dies ..hope you join our great challenge this month....

JANE

 
There is nothing more magical than Paris in the early evening, people strolling along the river bank, cafes and restaurants bustling with evening diners, tourists taking in the night sights and the Eiffel Tower glowing brightly in the darkening sky.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN ...

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry to the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on January 31st.

You are welcome to submit traditional paper layouts, art journals, divided page protectors, smash books (etc). Digital entries are welcomed and encouraged.  All entries must be new for this challenge and no back-linking please.

  I am happy for you to combine with two other challenges but the essence of the Pixels and Paper inspiration must be clear in your work. Combining with a sketch and technique/product challenge would be preferred. Please include our inspirational picture as well as provide a link back to Pixels and Paper on your blog post and don't forget to tell us how you were inspired. International submissions are welcome.

This year we will have two main prize packs - one will be selected by Creative Team vote and the other purely by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience.  All these prizes will be available to anyone, no matter your country of residence.  We will also offer one entrant a chance to guest with us for the following month and they will also receive a small prize.

Please come back on the 8th when we will announce the winners for January.