Merry Christmas ...

A very Merry Christmas to everyone who played along with us here on Pixels and Paper Challenge Blog during 2016. We hope you have a wonderful festive season - please stay safe, recharge those batteries and come join us again in 2017 for more fantastic inspiration and challenge fun.  

Shazza Bishop - Australia

Rebecca Daly - Canada

Lynne Joncas - Canada

Phillis Walrath - USA

Di Hasthorpe - Australia

Jane Howden - Australia

Elaine King -  UK

Karen Brierley - Australia

Say Hi to our December guest ...

This month we welcome Gocchi from Japan with her take on our inspiration image for December.

I imagined it from a warm and happy photograph spent with Santa and used a photo of smiling face of a son who brings happiness like Santa. Red, green, white, gold ... I made interlaced with the classic colors of Christmas that is also used in the inspiration photo. Santa is coming to my son on riding reindeer's sled ….

 Hi! I’m Gocchi. I live in Japan together with my husband, our son. About three and a half ago, I was introduced to my friends and encountered scrapbooking. So, I was crazy about it. I love to make works with pictures of my son and family. And I love the time to see my work with my family and talk about the day the photo together. I’m honoured to be chosen me as a guest designer for Pixels and Paper. Thank you!

My blog is here. → http://chocolog-gocchi.blogspot.jp/

And here are two of my favorite works. 

Thank you so much for guesting with us this month Gocchi. Your work is just delightful - I especially love how bright and cheerful your pages are. 

Everyone has until the end off the month to play along with our Pixels and Paper challenge. We'd love to see you Christmas, Pets or Christmas Pets challenge.

November winners ...

Thank you for joining in with us in November with all your touches of gold.

We were working from this photograph ...

Our criteria is GOLD - use it a lot, use it sparingly ... just so long as you have some on your entry.

While our main monthly prize is 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 November is #8 Helene

We would like to invite #4 Laura to guest with us in January and will send her a small prize for her efforts.

and our random draw winner is #2 Mandy

Ladies, please email me @ jjjustjane@bigpond.com

 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 our guest designer for this month.

And don't forget you have until the end off the month to play along with us with our  Christmas / Pets challenge. We'd love to see how you are inspired by our photograph this month !! 

It's December ....

and it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas and you guessed it - that's our theme this month with a difference, you can also include your furry and feathered friends.

CRITERIA - Christmas and/or Pets and if you are extra clever  ... Christmas Pets 

SHAZZA

Our naughty dog Duke, is definitely on Santa's naughty list this year!!

LYNNE

I was inspired by the warm Christmas colours and the sweet pets; this is my Zoe having a nap in the middle of my Christmas village!

PHILLIS

I liked the red poinsettias and the red bulbs on the tree. I used red flowers on my page also, plus some red, white and green buttons

ELAINE

For me my immediate inspiration was the gorgeous dogs all looking hopeful. I am the owner of three dogs so I knew straight away that I would be using a picture of one of them in front of the fire. It is there favourite place during the winter months. Living in a character cottage, it inspires you to go mad with the Christmas decor and our house usually resembles Santa's grotto! Lol. I used paper from the new Kaisercraft Silent Night collection.

KAREN

I decided to make some Christmas cards. I jumped into my (very small) stash of Christmas-themed products, and came up with... reindeer! Santa's pets, yeah?

DI

 liked the pet/traditional Christmas theme and decided to do a spin on these two subjects. We don't actually have any pets, but our semi-permanent resident tawny frogmouths disappear from about late July and often reappear during the Christmas season. When they come back, there are often youngsters in tow. This is a photo of two of the bubs who were a welcome Christmas surprise.

I've used traditional colours of reds and greens with a smattering of gold and silver. The black background was stencilled with gold ink before I attached the tree shapes and silk ribbons.

REBECCA

JANE

Inspired by the colours and the theme ...

Christmas - it isn't always about the presents, sometimes it is just about the boxes they come in !

NOW IT IS UP TO YOU ...

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

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

  You may combine with a sketch challenge only - no other combining will be accepted. 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.

Due to a family vacation our November winners will not be announced until the 11th of December.