Team Training for July ...

Welcome to our July edition of Team Training brought to you this month by myself, Jane Howden.

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

Towels cupcakes

Ever made a towel cupcake? - these are just perfect for place settings for birthday parties, morning teas, wedding showers, baby showers and are quick and easy to make.

 

 

What you need ...

 

face washers in whatever colour you wish

 

corrugated cardboard

TIP - if you don't have any you can use plain cardstock, thicker patterned paper

 or normal cake patties

 

elastic bands

 

ribbon

 

 

 

Take your washer and roll it one diagonal to the other.

 

 

Make sure the rolled flap is facing you and then roll end to end

 

 

It will look like this ... secure with elastic band around roll.

 

 

Cut cardboard between 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide depending on how "fat" your towel roll has ended up.  Roll this around roll to required size and secure with tape.  Use your ribbon to wind around base for decoration. 

 

TIP - You can tie this into a fancy bow, add bling, flowers or whatever you want. You could also add a small name tag if you wished.

 

 

Add in something to the top - I've used a small flower.  It should just push down into the centre of the towel.

 

TIP -  Make this appropriate for the occasion - use flowers, flags, lollipops etc

 

  

 

and voila !!

 

TIP - You can use other things besides face washers, just adjust according to the size.  These work well with hand towels and tea towels.

 

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 the final day of the month to have your submission linked.

Welcome to our July guest ...

This month we welcome Debi Clark as our guest designer with her delightful layout based on her interpretation of our image this month  ...

I was inspired by this wonderful photo of the blues & the whites & the sea…the warmth, the heat, & the relaxation. I chose some holiday photos, & worked on a LO using these colours & feelings. With a sprayed & dyed background also setting the scene.

I am passionate about the art of scrapbooking and cardmaking, - I see it as my artistic & creative element to my life.  I have been so fortunate over the years, & scrapping photos of amazing times has been a joy.

I am fighting an illness that often zaps my energy away, but when I can,  I play with paper & embellishments & inks & gesso – all the lovely stuff! I am messy, & love the fun associated with playing around with this wonderful craft.

My blog is http://debisjoy.blogspot.com.au, if you want to have a little peek.

Til’ then….keep on enjoying paper & bits & bobs.

 

  

Thank you so much for joining us this month Debi and being part of the team during July. 

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

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

Our June winners ...

Thank you to those who played along with us for our June challenge.  We had some wonderful submissions again last month. 

I would like to take this opportunity to just remind everyone of our rules about combining challenges - we are happy for you to do this but ask that you only combine with two (2) additional challenges - so ours plus two (2) others please.   A full description of the Pixels and Papers rules can be found on the right side or under our Rules page at the top.

In June we were working from this photograph ...

While two of our monthly prizes are selected 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 June is Anna U with this really sweet layout.  

We would like to ask Christel to guest with us for August and will send her a small prize for her efforts.

and our random draw winner is #14 - Rachel

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 Debi Clark, 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 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 July!

Welcome to July although I am afraid I am still wondering where both May and June went.  We are in the midst of winter here in Australia and I think many of us might be wishing we were all holidaying somewhere warm and sunny and as beautiful as this gorgeous Greek location.  We can dream can't we?

So perhaps this lovely image might inspire you to scrap some holidays photos, or it may remind you of another exotic island somewhere.  Perhaps you are inspired by the architecture or the vivid blue and white of the buildings and the Mediterranean location ... whatever the inspiration we would love to see your work in our gallery during July.

Our team has some wonderful takes on the inspiration this month.  This is team member Heidi Williams last month with us.  We have loved having her as part of the team and are all a little sad to see her go but wish her all the best in whatever and wherever her future takes her.

REGINA

I was inspired by the colours in this month's challenge. Although Santorini is on my wish list to visit, sadly I have not got there yet! I have just got some of our old slides printed and this one of me and my daughter was on the must scrap list! Looking forward to all your entries and seeing how you interpret this month's challenge.

HEIDI

This months colour were perfect for this holiday picture.  I did lots of stamping and inking this month.  Hope you can join us in this fab challenge.

TONE-LILL

 

It was the roof tops that caught my attention on this months inspiration picture, and the feel of holiday too.   So I found a photo from last year end of summer, when I took my American cousin to see the top of Bergen when she was visiting us.

PHILLIS

I was drawn to the blue and white in the inspiration photo. I also wanted to do circles on my page. I used some patterned navy blue paper and added white gesso "circles" with my stencil. I layered paper and embellishments under my photo.

KAREN

The dry Australian landscape is a long way from the iconic domes of Santorini! I was immediately drawn to the bold architectural shapes, which inspired my choice of background paper. It also occurred to me that this scene was framed in portrait, whereas it is typically photographed in landscape. (Do a quick Google search for 'Santorini' images and you'll see what I mean!) So I did the same with the photograph choice on my layout - I used a scenic shot of what would typically be framed in landscape, and framed it in portrait instead, which does provide quite a different perspective, I think.

JANE

I couldn't resist pulling out some very old photographs and scrapping another location in Greece my dh and I visited many years ago.  I have used a similar colour scheme as the inspiration photo (white, blue and ochre) although not in such a vibrant fashion.

DI

 This month, I've used the colours of the inspiration photo and the peep of the sea, to paint a seascape on A3- sized watercolour paper. To this I've added a photo, taken by my son, of a seagull perched on a sea wall at Ballina. This was enlarged to A4 size and then cut out.

LYNNE

I did something really different this month; the inspiration photo made me think of Bible times, so I portrayed the first Christmas in a card....the stark contrast of the bright blue and the white inspired me as well, and other than a bit of silver (which unfortunately doesn't photograph well) I stuck with just those colours. A bit early, but we've all heard of "Christmas in July", right?? Hope you like it-have a great week :)

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 July 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 June.