Mondays with Mel

Here are a few more of the 40 Ways to Be Creative (from   makeuseof.com):

4. Experiment

5. Socialize

6. Keep up with trends 

Ok, how many of these do you do? I'm sad to say, I don't experiment much. I see everyone's step cards and pop up cards and it just terrifies me to try those. I'm not mechanically inclined and am so intimidated. But I will be able to do it one day. I know I can.
I love to socialize with the ladies on the my scrapbook/papercrafting group. They are so fun!
And, I keep up with the trends on Facebook and Pinterest. Right now I see a lot of washi tape, layouts using scraps and the color combo of yellow and gray. Oh, and anything chevron!

Mondays with Mel

Usually while I am stuck in bed, I'm on Pinterest looking for inspiration. Oh sure, there are lots of recipes, hair and makeup tutorials and wedding planning, but there are to-o-o-o-o-ns of paper-crafting ideas on there,  too!!!
I came across a pin that was a graphic: 40 Ways to Be Creative (from makeuseof.com). So, here are a couple of ways this graphic suggests to be creative. It is universal to all mediums.

1. Create an Inspiration board.
2. Get out more.
3. Sketch more.

Those are only the first three. Well heck, I already do two out of the three. My inspiration board is my Pinterest pins! I have a card board, Christmas card boards, Disney layouts board, sketches boards, etc. 
I've already posted about my layout sketches from my notebook in an earlier post. And with that being said, here are a couple of sketches:

Now all I have to work on is getting out more! LOL

Winners of the July 1-14 Christmas in July Challenge

Welcome back and thanks for your patience while we visited all your lovely entries in the Christmas in July challenge posted on July 1. We offered the following prizes from our guest sponsor, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles:

• One random participant will receive the full mini kit.
• One random person who leaves a comment will receive both paper sets (patterned and textured).
• One random follower of the blog who leaves a comment will receive the word art set.
• One random player who uses the following FREEBIE digital paper (Click here for the link) from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles will receive three embellishment sets (frames, ribbons/lace, brads)

So, the winners are:
Participant who wins the full mini set:
Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2014-07-19 14:46:59 UTC

That's Edwina Brown! congrats Edwina! 

The random person who left a comment wins two paper sets:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

2

Timestamp: 2014-07-19 14:53:45 UTC

That's Holley Barnhart! Congrats, Holley! 

The random follower who left a comment on the challenge wins the word art set:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2014-07-19 15:00:49 UTC

That's Melissa R! Congrats, Melissa!

No one used the FREEBIE offered by Lisa of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.

Thanks everyone who played in the challenge. I hope you are all playing in the Christmas in July Part 2, Non-Traditional Colors challenge that runs until July 31!! Happy crafting everyone!

Throwback Thursday

Today we are featuring a Throwback picture of a crafter and SBP Yahoo group member who seems to have her fingers in a whole lot of pies. She started scrapbooking in elementary school when she received her first scrapbook album as a birthday present. She writes, paints, scrapbooks, alters art, watercolors, and creates mixed media canvases.
Meet Pat Martin, a.k.a. yours truly! LOL

Here's one of her mixed media canvases. In the last few years, Pat (that's me) was diagnosed as borderline diabetic. (I might as well switch to the first person) I have kept off both meds and insulin by watching my diet and exercising.

I have a huge creative project coming up in two weeks. I'm coordinating my parish's vacation bible school and just came back from the Dollar Store with 64 items that will turn the parish center into several different habitats for Weird (One-of-a-kind) Animals.
Before I close, I want to explain about my Throwback photo. I was in 7th grade and wearing a very special dress that my grandma's mother made for her when she was 17. Every female member of the family has been photographed in that dress. At the time (and being 13 years old) I did NOT appreciate wearing the dress, let alone having my picture taken. SO glad my mom insisted, so that I could feel a sense of family every time I look at the layout I created with my daughter, sisters, cousins, aunts, grandma and her cousins in the same outfit. I can't wait for Bella to be old enough for her turn!!

Christmas in July, again.

I know, I know. Everyone is having a Christmas in July challenge. Hey, it’s that time of year. The weather has been hot and if we think Christmas or winter, it might help us get through these hot days. Your challenge is to make a Christmas card in non-traditional colors. Yip, no red, white and/or green as dominant colors. 

Before we get to our inspiration, let me show you what you can win (by random drawing) if you enter our challenge.

Isn't that awesome?  Your very own Stampin' Up Paper Piercing Essentials Pack - donated by a friend of YOUR SCRAPBOOK PLACE.  You have a chance to win it, but only if you enter our challenge. Rules at the bottom of this post.

Lets see what our designers have come up with

Pat Martin 

 with QKD's Blue Fairy image

Virginia 

Image painted with Twinkling H20's.  Button presents used with shanks cut off

Holley 

Using Seasonal Trees from Squigglefly

Joyce

 Winter Friends from "From the Heart Stamps

Shell

 Make it crafty digital image Elf Crackered

Kathy

 And last but not least we have Getting Stuck from Cheryl Alger at Squigglefly

 I remember doing that as a kid. Do you?

Now here are some rules you must follow in order to be included in our random drawing.

Challenge Rules:

• You are welcome to combine your entry with other challenges.
• New projects/cards only - no back linking. Limit three submissions per person.
• Please link your project post to the challenge blog, not your entire blog link. If your project is not linked, it will not be counted in the random drawing
• Please include a link back to this blog in your entry post. If it is not linked back, it will not be counted in the drawing.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.