Announcing our August winners ....

We've decided to do things a little differently - the DT will vote on the main winner each month and there will be a randomly drawn RAK taken from those remaining entries.  This will be dependant on the amount of entries we get each month as we need sufficient to make voting a viable proposition.

Congratulations go to Julie Short our main winner with Julene Matthews receiving a small RAK from me.  Well done ladies!!

Spring is in the air ....

Spring is here and we are on the downhill run to Christmas - both exhilarating and yet depressing in the same sentence!

This month we have what I think is a really delightful inspirational photograph.  It is simple yet really can produce so many thoughts. 

 

What do you see when you gaze at this image?  A beautiful little boy, amazing soulful eyes, a mop of curls, a hand knitted jumper, flowers, a hand extending friendship or love, an age gone by  ......

 

so many things from a simple picture!

 

 

Our team have some wonderful takes on this inspiration ...

 

ALICIA

This month I was inspired to choose a picture that was as solemn as the inspiration photo. From there I included white and yellow flowers and used a floral page with writing under a sunflower vellum page to create the background. For details on products used I have everything listed at my blog. I hope you find fun inspiration from this page.

 

 

DI

 

When I first saw the image of the small boy holding flowers in his hand, I felt a strong connection, as this was often the look on children's faces when they brought flowers to me when I was teaching.... an unspoken question; would I like them? and of course I did. I loved nothing better than being given flowers.

 

I've gone with a special event idea. The day that P & P is due for posting, is  my 40th Wedding Anniversary. The photo I have used for my layout is of my 2 bridesmaids and self showing off our beautiful bouquets. The flowers in these featured orchids, grown by my dad, so they were extra special.

 

 

TONE-LILL 

 

I had big ideas to use big flowers like sunflowers on my page but as I started the small yellow flowers on the inspiration photo really got my attention. I still have a few photos to use to fill in my nephew's album and I just love the cute tiny sunshine buttons I have used so this is what I made and those tiny smiling suns looks so cute on this. My nephew is now aged 15 and is on the recruitment team to the Norwegian national swimming team. No problem at all to keep him in the water ☀🌻

 

 

 JANE

 

I was drawn to the eyes in this inspiration photograph - they say that the eyes are the window to the soul and I have always felt that you can see well beyond the surface when you look into someones eyes.  I have used a vintage photo of my husband as a young boy - he probably won't like me saying he's vintage but I'll counter the slight with a comment on how beautiful and expressive his eyes are. 

 

 

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on September 30th, 2013. We'd love to see what you can make of  this photograph. 

 

Please stop back later in the week when we will announce our August winner.

 

It's time for another challenge ...

... here on Pixels and Paper but firstly I want to send my appreciation to those who entered in our first ever challenge - thank you so much for your support.  Mr Random.org has come up with the number 3 which means Margaret C you are our very first winner.  Please email me your details and I will put your prize into the mail for you.


Our inspiration photograph this month is one I think you will all enjoy ...

 

so many ways to interpret this gorgeous photograph.  Use the colours, use the fashion, go vintage, highlight the hair or the legs or the shoes.  Work on a pageant theme or visit the beach ... the choices are endless and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

 

My talented team have some wonderful layouts to inspire you this month.

 

ALICIA

DI

 

I adored the beautiful ladies and first thoughts were of: Beauty Pageant, then beach competition and the colours of the costumes and shoes. I also looked at their expressions and how much their eyes seemed to be a focal point. I hope this has come across in my layout.  I have also concentrated on a beach theme, using colours reflecting those of the costumes.

 

 

TONE-LILL

 

The ladies all in swimsuits in a row inspired me to use a photo of the beach huts in Torquay (south west England).  I used beach related papers and embellishments from Tilda.

 

 

 

JANE

 

I knew I had the perfect photo from probably the same era in a lovely picture of my MIL in her younger days whilst on holiday in Skegness, England.  I then let the colours inspire me.

 

 

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on August 31st, 2013. We'd love to see your interpretation of this photograph. 

 

Introducing our final design team member ...

I'm delighted to introduce you to the final member of the Pixels and Paper design team, Alicia Somers.

Hello, I’m Alicia,

I am predominantly a paper scrapbooker, but I am a huge photo editing geek. I love how just a few clicks with my mouse can completely change the focus of a shot, add to the story of a moment, or enhance the mood of the photo. My style is tailored, although I have been branching out recently and adding more “stuff” and over embellishing some layouts just to try my hand at the style that is so popular right now. I began crafting as a kid with my mom, and have been scrapbooking since the 90s when we only had 8 ½”x 11” printed paper. I have a vast variety of techniques that I have picked up over the years from things as simple as creative layering to complex and time consuming quilling pieces.

In the case of the DT call inspiration photo I saw three girly girls who love each other and animals. I saw them living on the edge of the outback on a ranch where they were free to roam the gardens after chores, playing together all day long. I was drawn to the wrought iron chair the youngest was sitting on, which inspired me to use the metal looking corner pieces that I die cut. I wanted to bring focus to the three girls so I cropped and created another photo to use on the page that shows each girl better, and I tinted it pink to bring out a more feminine feel than the black and white shot allows. I kept embellishments to a minimum so that the focus remained on the photo and the story I created for them about how important and close they are to each other. I titled it “Together” because as a girl who grew up in a rural area myself I know nothing is more important than family being together. Journaling reads: Growing up on the ranch at the edge of the wild outback my sisters and I had only each other and our animals for playmates. Our animals are like family, and my sisters and I are the best of friends. Helping out on the ranch, or exploring the gardens we did everything together. I can’t imagine a more perfect way to grow up.

 

 

Here is some more of my work ..

 

 

 

 

 

The close up photos of the baby layout is of a metal foot I handmade, and the other is a tiny foot I drew.  I believe wholeheartedly that I am creating art to leave behind for the future generations and so I do a lot of personalized things like this. I like to put pieces of me into every layout, and even though my handwriting is nothing special I know one day someone will cherish all the handwritten stories I include.

 

Please visit me on my blog http://taylordscrapncraftreview.blogspot.com/ 

 

 

 

 

Introducing the lovely Tone-Lill Angelskar ...

... the second member of our design team.

 

 

My name is Tone-Lill, a young at heart Norwegian  who loves "artsy" stuff and create with papers, scissors  paint and glue. It started with card making, but now it's more or less only Scrapbooking I do. I don't think I have any particular style when it comes to scrapbooking, but I do enjoy trying out new things and ideas.  I love my gesso and misting sprays  making tags and using  different things not meant for scrapping. I  also love colourful projects and use art as inspiration, as well as visiting other blogs for new and fun ideas and connect with other scrap bookers who share the same passion for scrap booking and paper craft.

 I currently live in England and have been here 7 years. I have a son who is 18  and a 12 year old daughter (going on 20) and it is mainly their faces that end up on my layout pages. To me it is a fun and a memorable way to record their lives by scrapbooking events into memories.

I hope you will find inspiration here on this challenge blog and that you will join in on the fun and share something that is special for you.

 

Please see more of my work on my personal blog.

 

Here are some more layouts from Tone-Lill.

 

 

 

Introducing the first of the design team ...

I'm delighted to introduce you to the first member of the Pixels and paper design team, Di Hasthorpe.

 

 

Hi,  I'm Di Hasthorpe. I'm married (almost 40 years) with one son. We live in far north east NSW. I've been scrapping for about 5 years and started my blog last year.

I don't really have a set style, layouts are very much dependent on what mood I'm in and what I've been playing with at the time. I really love experimenting with different mediums and quite often use fibres on my work.

 

I enjoy visiting other blogs and attending classes to see what others are up to. I also enjoy reading (again quite varied, depending on mood, but always thick books... the thicker, the better!), photography (mostly natural environments and wildlife), painting (acrylics and watercolours), travelling in Australia (still heaps to visit), gardening and cooking (focus on gluten-free as I'm a coeliac, and using Australian native plant foods).

I also love catching up with friends and fellow crafters.

 

When I first saw your DT call inspiration photo, my first thoughts went immediately to Mary Grant Bruce's books which I enjoyed as a young teen. These books, so Australian were firm  favourites. I had other books also written by early Australian authors, given to me by my mum. She grew up in  this era, having been born in 1911. My other favourite way of sourcing these books was to visit the local Quota shop on Saturday mornings and searching through their preloved book section, and the joy of finding a bargain for sixpence.

 

Looking at your photo, I wondered who this group was waiting for. Could it be grandparents visiting?  a loved one returning from war?  Is the young girl sitting down nursing a doll?

The setting reminded me of stories mum told, of her early married life, working on share farms and living without any form of electricity, during the Depression. The tumbled-down buildings, overgrown with vegetation was also reminiscent of any area I visited as a teen.. an old , once thriving mining town north west of Tenterfield on the new England tablelands... heaps of old, deserted overgrown buildings.

 

This layout is my take on your photo. This is a photo of my late mother-in-law's family and sadly, the only thing I know is that one of the boys is her father. 

 

 

 

Secondly one is of self taken by a school photographer some years ago 

 

 

 and of an old home in the Midlands region of Tasmania.

 

My blog is: http://mytawnyinspirations.blogspot.com.au/  named for some little feathered friends, tawny frogmouths, which reside in my garden during summer.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to July ...

Firstly you are going to notice we have had a slight name change - my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.  I noticed a few days ago there was an online magazine out of the US with the same name so in the interests of fair play (and self preservation) I've opted to switch things around now rather than risk having to do so further down the track. 

So a very big welcome to the very first challenge on Pixels and Paper.  It is great to have you join us.  Please make sure you view our rules to familiarise yourself with the how it all works here.

Our July challenge ...

 

When I look at this photograph I see many different things:-

 A child (girl) alone or a child (girl) and her dog (pet),

Someone fishing,

A bridge,

A river or lake on a sunny day,

Hair in plaits,

Rolled up jeans and sneakers,

 

If I look more closely I might see ..

A hand knitted cardigan/sweater (made for love or necessity?),

Intense concentration,

Companionship and/or love,
 

You may well see other things. What story do you wish to tell using this inspiration piece as your starting point?  Please explain this link when you submit your entry.
 

Introducing our inaugural Creative Team and their wonderful interpretations. Please welcome Di Hasthorpe, Tone-Lill Angelskar and Alicia Somers.   I will be presenting each team member individually and in greater detail throughout the month.

 

 

 Di Hasthorpe

used  a photo of her husbands grandfather and his dogs taken at a beach ...

 

 

Tone-Lill Angelskar

 

depicted the love of a girl for her horse

 

 

Alicia Somers

 

recounted a fun-filled day of a family fishing trip

 

 

Jane Howden

 

shows a tiny girl with her own fishing rod

 

 

 

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on July 31st, 2013. We'd love to see your interpretation of the photograph. 

 

I am still on the lookout for another digital based team member for Pixels and Paper - please contact me if this might be of interest to you.