"For Those Who are Left Behind" Blog Hop

Hi!  Welcome to CropChocolate's Unofficial "For Those Who are Left Behind" Blog Hop.  This weekend CropChocolate is holding a "Spring Fling" crop in Utah.  I am so excited for all those crafty gals who get to go and get their crafty on . . . plus getting to meet all the awesome people behind CropChocolate . . . I'm trying hard not to be too envious. :)


For those of us who are left behind, we decided that we wanted to have some fun too!  So we came up with the "For Those Who are Left Behind" challenge blog hop.  Here's how it works . . . each blogger has come up with a challenge and posted it on their blog for you to do.  (The list of blogs will be following.)  

Once you get a challenge done, you go back to that blog and submit your project by providing a link/post of a picture of your project per the instructions of that particular blogger.  Some bloggers are using Mr. Linky, some are having you email pictures, and some are having you put your link in their comments . . .  Please be sure to pay attention to which way each blogger wants because there are prizes for posting/linking your projects.   Deadline for posting your projects is 9am MST Thursday July 5th.  ***NOTE:  Due to there being power outages in some areas and a US holiday right before the deadline, the deadline has been extended to 9am MST Friday July 6th to be eligible for the main blog hop prizes.  Each individual blogger has the choice of extending the deadline for their own blog candy. Thanks!***


Two (2) more things about your projects, your projects should be NEW projects that haven't been used in other CC challenges before.  And you may combine up to 3 challenges on one (1) project, but you must post it on each individual blog.  


Prizes? you ask . . . well, for participating and/or hosting in this blog hop, you will be eligible for $10 CropCredit on CropChocolate, "Homemade" mini theme paper by EP, "Blue Jean" paper potpourri by Doodlebug, and some distress inks.  How's that for incentive?  :)  Winners will be announce at 9am MST Monday July 9th.  I will post them here and on the CC message board.


Some of the bloggers on the hop have mentioned that they plan to offer blog candy.  Be sure to look for those and follow the instructions they would like you to do to be eligible for those prizes.  


I would like to take time right now to thank everyone who helped put together this blog hop.  It was short notice, but we did it.  I am in awe of every single one of you.  I would also like to thank all the bloggers who took time to come up with a challenge.  Because of all your hard work, I will be randomly selecting a participating blog to win a surprise blog candy from me.  All you need to do, in addition to posting your project, is to participate in the actual hop by at least commenting on each blog and I will then select one random winner from the list of blogs to win my surprise blog candy.


And here we go . . .  for my challenge, I wanted to do something that reminded me of "spring".  So I decided to do a layout of what we did over Spring Break last year.  So my challenge for you is to do a project (using at least 50% CC products) that reminds you of Spring or what you would do on a Spring Break.  Pretty simple?


Here's what I came up with for my project:

Supplies

CC Products:

"Beach Babe" paper by Fancy Pants (from the Fancy Pants paper grab bags)

"Beach Babe" chipboard stickers (large heart)

Walnut Stain distress ink

Snake Tape

Non CC Products:

"Beach Babe" rub-ons by Fancy Pants

"Beach Babe" chipboard banners by Fancy Pants (small heart and star)


Here's a close-up

and another

Once you have completed this challenge, come back and using Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post, submit your project.  I will also be giving away my own blog candy . . . a set of the Summer Edition Distress Inks.  To be eligible, submit your project, become a follower and leave a comment that you have done so or already are.  I will be drawing a name Monday July 9th and posting here and on the CC message board.

Once more, remember to have your projects posted by 9am MST Thursday July 5th in order to be eligible for the big prizes and for my blog candy.  ***Deadline has been extended to 9am MST Friday July 6th***

Now that you have hopped here, you can go onto Scrappy Canuck . . . addresses are as follows.

(1)    clayton528 – http://www.upinthenightwithkat.blogspot.com  -- you are here

(2)    Scrappy Canuck – http://scrappycanuck.wordpress.com/ -- go here next

(3)    Karey2005 – http://www.karey2005.blogspot.com/

(4)    by belle - http://stuffbybelle.blogspot.com

(5)    bethd488 - http://engineeringmemories.blogspot.com

(6)    scrapaddict-laura - http://scrapaddict4life.blogspot.com

(7)    mom2tayandbay - http://www.talesoftayandbay.blogspot.com 

(8)    raebae – http://kitchentablescrapper.blogspot.com/

(9)    NinaN - http://ninastimeout.blogspot.ca/2012/06/for-those-who-are-left-behind-blog.html

(10)  Christina -  http://www.thriftysisters-chris.blogspot.com

(11)  Haf2scrap – (guest of centralnyscrapper)  http://centralnyscrapper.blogspot.com.

(12)  NanCDru – Char - http://craftychicchar.blogspot.com

To submit your project, please use the following:


Happy Crafting!!! Kathy

Focus Group #4 Call

A few weeks ago, we got a call on CropChocolate to submit a project for the selection of their 4th Focus Group.  The challenge was to use a NEW technique in addition to picking three (3) items from the tic-tac-toe board you see below.  The items had to be three in a row . . . diagonal, vertical, or horizontal.



I picked a straight horizontal line . . . patterned paper, ribbon or trim, and alphas.  And my new technique was sewing on paper with my sewing machine . . . I had always wanted to try but never got around to it. :)  I also went one step further and made a tic-tac-toe board . . . though my elements aren't in a "winning" pattern. :)  Here's what I came up with:

Supplies:

CC Products:

Authentique "Loyal" 6x6 paper pad

12x12 "Gathering" paper by Authentique

"To the Moon" chipboard alphas by Fancy Pants

"12 Days of Christmas" by MME

Walnut Stain distress ink

Other:

Butterfly w/ button & twin are from the "Summer Lovin" kit by UmWowStudio

Mettler thread #678

I chose some pictures from when went to the ocean for the 1st time because they matched my paper choice so. Because the pics were taken from the beach and I was a bit far away, this type layout worked great for those pictures once they were cropped down. :)  Hope you like it!

Til the next time I'm "Up in the Night". Kat

Challenge #18

Here I am once again up in the night . . . and thought I'd check the status of my blog.  Has it already been 2 weeks already since I put up a new posting?  WOW!  I apologize for that . . . don't you just hate it when life gets in the way. :)

Speaking of life, remember back to some of my NSD projects . . . well, I won one of contests.  I won "Strike up the band"  Challenge #7 - make something with an accordion base.  I had made a file with lunch sacks as the base . . . it's listed under "What a week" in May.  I won $35 in Silhouette download cards.  Can't wait to get them and buy more images . . . well, probably alphas since I'm addicted to alphas whether they are rub-ons, stickers, thickers, die cuts, etc.  Doesn't matter . . . I love them all!!

Anyway, you all know that I just love CropChocolate and that each week they have a Challenge.  I've been doing them and sharing them here . . . well, I didn't share #16 because I feel it still needs "something".  Though, I did post it for the challenge . . . maybe I will post it here and see what suggestions I get for it.

Anyway, for this week's challenge, Challenge #18, we were to create a project using the following items: - a stamp - bling - an embellishment that you typically wouldn't use.  I immediately thought of "glitter cuts" for an embellishment that I typically don't use.  They have come with several paper collections from Fancy Pants, but I haven't been able to find a use for them.  Well, this challenge pushed me to find something . . . Here's what I came up with . . .

Supplies used:

CC Products:

 "Off to School" paper by Fancy Pants

"Off to School" glitter cuts (my normally don't use item) by Fancy Pants

Dear Santa rhinestones (my bling)

Making Memories Magnetic Stamp & base (my stamp - "Oct 2003"

Walnut Stain distress ink

Snake Tape.

I got inspiration for this layout from PageMaps. (I just LOVE PageMaps . . . Thanks to NinaN for telling me about them . . . well, actually, she had used them on several LOs of her own and I was so impressed with her layouts that I checked out PageMaps and decided I just had to have them. Plus, they have new ones posted each month on their site.)  

I used the Fancy Pants "Off to School" Mega Collection for the layout which included the paper and the glitter cuts . . . it also included (but I didn't use ) chipboard alphas, tissue flowers (?) and chipboard stickers.  When I got this collection, I just knew I had to use it with some school pictures . . . I think it turned out pretty good.  I hope you do, too. :)

Till the next time I'm "Up in the Night". Kathy

Challenge #16 - "Let's get INKY"

Here I am once again up in the night . . . and thought I'd go ahead and share my project for CropChocolate's Challenge #16 "Let's get INKY".   Scrappy Canuck and BethD488 came up with this challenge which was "Do some spraying, misting or flicking of paint, ink, stain! Let's get messy!! It can be with commercial or homemade products as long as it is applied in a spray or mist, or by flicking it on with something like a watercolour brush." 


This sounded like so much fun and so messy!!!  I couldn't wait to get started on it . . . so I put aside my other projects I'm working on and got to work.  But I had one problem . . . I went blank.  Nothing was turning out the way I wanted . . . so for many days and nights, I just walked away with my head hung down low wondering how long this "freeze" was going to last.  


Well, thankfully, it only last a few days . . . this past weekend I put together a graduation card for my cousin which thawed my freeze. Yey!!!  So to work (actually, play) I went.  I decided to challenge myself again to using papers I received in my numerous cardstock grab bags from CropChocolate.  I found several different sheets from "It's the Little Things" by Fancy Pants (hence, I also found my title).  Getting some inspiration from PageMaps, here's what I came up with:

(Full view)

Supplies from CropChocolate:

"Spring Fever" from ITLT by FP

"ITLT Strips" from ITLT by FP

"Shuffle" by ITLT by FP

6x6 "It's the Little Things" paper pad

"Note to Self" cardstock by EP (Tan

Making Memories Shimmer Alpha (black)

"It's the Little Things" brads by FP

Lush Orange Rhinestones by MME

Buttons by BBP (BazzillBasicsPaper) in Neutral 

Brad Jackets by BBP in Intense Orange

Snake Tape

Black Soot Distress Ink.   

Non CC - BBP Alpha Stickers in black; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in "Marmalade" and "Lily Pad"

A brief rundown on a few things I did:


I sprayed Glimmer mist on my background ("Spring Fever" - the script). I cut 1" strips of "Shuffle" (black w/ white polka dots) and adhered them to "Spring Fever" (the script), making sure the dot pattern matched up.  I misted the black paper after I cut it into strips . . . found it didn't curl as much.  Misting can also be done after adhering the strips to the script.

(left side)

For the orange gingham . . . I used the orange gingham on the "strips" paper since I didn't have a full sheet of it and I matched up the pattern.  (If you look real close, you can see where.)

(right side)

I cut various sizes for my photo and journal mats . . . 3x3, 4x5, 4x6 . . . so I could fit many photos on my layout.

(close-up of flowers)

For my flowers, I used my Cameo to cut them.  I adhered the black flower first, then with the green and tan flowers, I used my fingernail to curl up the petals to give it a little "umpf". Then adhered that layer along with the brad jackets and buttons.

(close-up of paper "ribbon")

For the paper ribbon, I cut a strip at 1/4".  Sprayed with water, crumpled it and then let it dry . . . this way it made the wavy part.  You can also do this by just using your finger or a pencil and using pop dots to help make it wave.

Well, I hope you like my project.  Sorry for no photos on it yet . . . I couldn't decide on which photos, plus I needed to take a few more to put on this page.

Till the next time I'm "Up in the Night" - Kathy

Challenge #15 - use something homemade

Has it been almost two weeks since I've posted??  WOW, how time has flown when you're getting messy . . . . I mean, having fun. :)

Not only have I been putting together layouts, my dd also turned 16 at the end of May.  Hmmm, Sweet 16 . . . remember that time in your life.  Falling in "love" for the first time . . . Carefree . . . well, you know what I mean.  There was just something about being that age that almost makes me want to go back.

Anyway, for the past two weeks, CropChocolate has had some awesome challenges.  For Challenge #15 (last week), we were to "Create a project using something that you've make yourself, rather than buying from a store (ie: twine, washi tape, etc.). Make sure to use 3 different colors".   I also decided to challenge myself by using only paper I had received in my cardstock grab bags. Here's what I came up with:

CC Products:

"Beach Babe" by FP (from grab bags)

Lush orange rhinestones by MME

Walnut Stain Distress Ink

Snake Tape

OMC 1/8" Craft Tape

Non CC Products:

Copic Markers (BG15 & G45)

plain twine

Misc. rub-ons (sun - I cut in half and "HOT")

Misc. trims/ribbons (from stash)

"Sunshine Sweetie" diecut (from stash)

My "homemade" item is the two-tone twine.  I used white twine (from Michael's) and my Copic Markers (and followed Amber's instructions) . . . I went thru more twine than I care to admit to get the result I wanted . . . but it was worth the effort.  In addition to the "homemade" challenge, I decided to challenge myself by limiting my paper choices to only that I had received in cardstock grab bags.  One question I was asked about my LO was "How did you get the wavy stripe so even and matching the yellow gingham?"  Well, that was pretty easy . . . at least to me it was.  I used my KiwiLane Templates to cut the yellow gingham first.  Then I traced and cut the strip . . . but to keep it from getting bulky from over lapping, I took the template and moved it up 1/4", traced it and then cut it again . . . thus making an 1/4" wavy border.

If you have any other questions on this LO, please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.  Till next time I'm up in the night. Kathy