August 2019 Main Challenge HAPPINESS & SKETCH

Another month, another main challenge reveal,

and we hope that this one will make you happy!

Our Main Challenge is based on a word inspiration and a creative challenge.

Word Inspiration - HAPPINESS

Creative Challenge - SKETCH

What does the word HAPPINESS inspire you to create?

You can choose to use the actual word somewhere on your project 
or simply be inspired by it. Please explain in your blog post 
how it inspired you if it isn't obvious in your work.

Speaking of happiness, we know what would make you happy this month - this beautiful and unique SKETCH designed by none other than our very own Edith Cloutier. A sketch is a great way to kickstart your creativity! You can rotate it or change it up as you like as long as we can clearly see that you modeled your project on it.

Please check out all our challenge rules in the RULES tab above.

Now let's see what our fabulous DT has come up with, 

inspired by the HAPPINESS & SKETCH main challenge!

HEATHER MCMAHON

Heather: I chose these brightly coloured photos for this challenge because colour brings me great HAPPINESS. I found the SKETCH wonderful to use. I put 2 photos in each photo space to show more of the coloured buildings and added a funky frame around the title.

ALICJA STASZAK

Alicja: The word HAPPINESS inspired me to create this layout of me laughing and having a great time. This month's SKETCH helped me with building the composition. I used butterflies and the idea of 2 photos with the title in between.

ROSALIE DUKE-STANLEY

Rosalie: My take on HAPPINESS is when my best friend and I went to Bali for a week. She had never been there and it made me so happy to share with her one of my favourite holiday places. I turned the SKETCH sideways and used frames to create the square features of the layout.

MARY TZALLA

Mary: This month's challenge inspired me to create a page with 2 bridal photos which to me always represent happy moments in life. I used the word HAPPINESS in the quote and I loved using the SKETCH as basis for my composition.

NUNEKA BOX

Nuneka: To me HAPPINESS is my hubby and I doing what we like the most: travelling. As soon as I knew this month's word, I thought of these photos of the 2 of us the first time we visited the Grand Canyon. The SKETCH helped me create a clean composition with just a little touch of mixed media, allowing 

the photos to get all the attention.

ANAT WEKSLER

Anat: She is my HAPPINESS and he is hers! One year ago, Juice (the cat) arrived at our home, and since then, my sweet princess is always happy. I was inspired by the SKETCH to use 2 photos and made this layout which I really enjoyed creating. I love how it turned out and find that the sentiment I've chosen is perfect for these photos and this challenge: 'Happiness looks gorgeous on you!'

NICOLE DOIRON

Nicole: I cannot but think of these 2 fabulous girls when I hear this month's word. My nieces are definitely a great source of HAPPINESS in my life ever since they came into it 12 and 14 years ago. They are smart, kind, beautiful and absolutely know how to have fun! I always enjoy a great SKETCH to get my creative 

juices flowing and Edith's was no exception.

PRIYA MISHRA

Priya: HAPPINESS to me is that little things in life and the celebration for everything that it is. The photos I used here are of little moments of happiness. I was inspired by the beautiful SKETCH and kept my design very similar to it.

HINA MIRZA

Hina: I rotated the SKETCH vertically to create my layout, featuring one of my favourite pictures of my daughter. We celebrated her 1st birthday recently which was a moment of immense joy and HAPPINESS for us!

FRANCE RINGUETTE

France: When I saw the picture of my friend's boys all snuggled up together, I knew that they were the perfect subject for this challenge. True HAPPINESS is surely how these 3 little ones love each other. I especially love how the eldest is hugging both younger twin brothers. I played with the SKETCH and added a trio of butterfly concept, 1 large and 2 tiny ones to represent these little charmers.

DAISY RAMSAY

Daisy: For this challenge my sister's family photos inspired me a lot to illustrate the word. We can easily see that they share a great HAPPINESS. I interpreted the beautiful SKETCH with lightness since the photos are already loaded with a lot of elements. I had fun creating in this minimalistic style.

DARIA SCHUKINA

Daria: For some reason, this SKETCH reminded me of a house with windows. Therefore, I wanted to create a layout resembling a house with blooming balconies. I now dream of a beautiful home which would represent true HAPPINESS for me.

DI GARLING

Di: As soon as I saw the SKETCH I knew I had a series of photos I had been dying to use & so I decided to change it slightly & use three photos instead. As far as the word part of this challenge goes, well I thought this lovely smiling face means HAPPINESS in anyone's language.

Oh, all these gorgeous projects from our DT sure make us HAPPY,

and we hope that they have inspired you to play along using our SKETCH!

Here are the fabulous prizes up for grabs!

MAIN CHALLENGE WINNER

(as voted by our DT)

$50 USD value prize from MAJA DESIGN

4 RUNNERS UP

(as voted by our DT, in no particular order)

$25 USD value prize from THE VINTAGE CHICKS CLUB

$25 USD value prize from MINTAY PAPERS

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

$25 USD value prize from 2CRAFTY

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

$25 USD value prize from KORA PROJECTS

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

RANDOM WINNER

(picked at random from all eligible entries)

$25 USD value prize from LINDY'S

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

MYSTERY WINNERS

(hand picked by our Admin team - two entries not in our Top 5,

but that have that special something that captured our attention)

$25 USD value prize from FABRIKA DECORU

$25 USD value prize from AB STUDIO

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

SPECIAL GUEST DESIGNER

One participant, with a high number of votes and handpicked by our Admin team, 

will be invited to be our October 2019 Special Guest Designer.

We are very grateful to all our generous sponsors for these fabulous prizes.

To learn more about any of them, click on the SPONSORS tab above.

We are looking forward to seeing your entries into our

August Main Challenge HAPPINESS & SKETCH.

Link up your projects using our LinkyTook in the right sidebar

by August 31 at 11:55 pm EST.

July 2019 Main Challenge DISCOVER & OLD STASH

July is here and so is a brand new main challenge,

especially designed for you, right here on the More Than Words blog!

Our Main Challenge is based on a word inspiration and a creative challenge.

Word Inspiration - DISCOVER

Creative Challenge - OLD STASH

What does the word DISCOVER inspire you to create?

You can choose to use the actual word somewhere on your project 
or simply be inspired by it. Please explain in your blog post 
how it inspired you if it isn't obvious in your work.

We bet you've got lots of treasures in your OLD STASH waiting to be discovered! Is there a favorite paper that you were saving for a special project or some old rub-ons or even an ancient pair of wavy-edge scissors that you forgot you had? It's time to drag them out and use them! Please tell us which of the old products or tools you used that have been sitting in your stash for a while.

Please check out all our challenge rules in the RULES tab above.

Now let's see what our fabulous DT has come up with, 

inspired by the DISCOVER & OLD STASH main challenge!

ALICJA STASZAK

Alicja: This month's word made me think how important it is to DISCOVER new places and beautiful things around us, inside and out. I've created this hexagon shaped canvas using OLD STASH, among other things, some old pastes that I hadn't been using in so long. 

PRIYA MISHRA

Priya: For the word inspiration, I think everyone should find their spark and DISCOVER the shine within themselves. I used the beautiful Fabrika Decoru papers from the Wild Flowers collection, chipboard and Magic Paints that they were kind enough to send me for my project this month. From my OLD STASH I used a lot of metal charms, flowers and some moulds that I had been holding on to for a while.

DARIA SCHUKINA

Daria: I have chosen for this project a photo that I took myself at the Red Sea. It was an amazing journey during which I DISCOVERED many new and interesting things. I also used cuttings from an old 49 and Market collection as well as dots from my OLD STASH.

CAROLINE ELLIAM

Caroline: For our Summer vacation this year we will DISCOVER California! I used a picture of the Santa Monica pier because I can't wait to see a beautiful sunset over it. I picked up a clear title from My Yellow Bicycle, some dew drops and label stickers from my OLD STASH.

HEATHER MCMAHON

Heather: The DISCOVER part of this challenge was fun for me - I love to discover new places. I dived into my supplies and used up loads of OLD STASH on this page. Just about everything is old and some is positively ancient! I love to use up old bits and pieces on my work and I think they can be modernized by using cool designs, funky colour schemes or mixing old products among newer ones.

DI GARLING

Di: This month's word DISCOVER made me think of about my past, so I decided to scrap this beautiful photo of my great Grandmother. I remember her when I was a very small child. For the creative challenge I merged old with the new. I had a gorgeous parcel from one of our sponsors, Fabrika Decoru, including beautiful vintage papers that were perfect for my layout. From my OLD STASH, I used chipboard pieces and flowers I bought years ago as well as various other embellishments I had for a while. 

ANAT WEKSLER

Anat: DISCOVER means so many things to me... I decided to create about discovering myself. That's why I have chosen this picture of a mirror, key pastel and dark colours. As OLD STASH I have used the light bulb and old chipboard collections.

DAISY RAMSAY

Daisy: I would like one day to travel to Japan to DISCOVER the culture, architecture, nature and food of this country that fascinates me so much. For the creative challenge I used OLD STASH out of old blue sticker buttons.

ROSALIE DUKE-STANLEY

Rosalie: My concept for the word DISCOVER was a gorgeous picture of my granddaughter and her  mum exploring the Adelaide Zoo. My OLD STASH was butcher's twine. I collected up a lot a few years ago, but forgot I had it. I have used it by embossing and painting it, using it as support to my textured grungy layout.

EDITH CLOUTIER

Edith: The picture on this layout was taken at an old prison built in 1865 in my city. Today it's closed and abandoned, but I've gotten lucky and DISCOVERED it during a private tour. For an history fan as I am, it was a very good moment for me. For the OLD STASH creative challenge, I used brads and buttons.

FRANCE RINGUETTE

France: Hi everyone! On my end it was easy to discover great elements from my OLD STASH as I have acquired such an amount over the years. For this layout I used some old tiny resin stars by Jenni Bowlin. I chose to interpret the word inspiration with a photo from our trip to Venice. It's an amazing place that certainly needs to be DISCOVERED.

NICOLE DOIRON

Nicole: This month I decided to create a mixed media canvas. The word DISCOVER made me think of this quote 'By discovering nature, you discover yourself.' So I went into my stash to find some nature elements to create clusters of blooms and butterflies. For the creative challenge I picked some metal flowers from Prima as well as other metal decorations that I had in my collection of OLD STASH for years, being afraid to actually use them.

NUNEKA BOX

Nuneka: I was looking for some OLD STASH in a box full of little treasures, and while I grabbed the peacock feathers and swirly paper clips, some memories of my first trip to London (where I bought those things) came to me. Isn't it magical how you can DISCOVER old memories?!

MARY TZALLA

Mary: "Life is a journey towards the unknown, so get out on the way with a dream. At every step, wonder, explore, DISCOVER, and amaze." I don't remember who said that, but since I've read it I've kept it in mind. My canvas is based on this quote, and for the creative challenge, I used some pearls and lace from my OLD STASH.

How amazing are these creations from our fabulous DT!?

They took something old and made us discover some brand new art

which will be sure to inspire you to play along this month.

Another incentive to play along is also

our huge list of marvelous prizes from the absolute 

best sponsors in the industry!

MAIN CHALLENGE WINNER

(as voted by our DT)

$50 USD value prize from CREATIVE EMBELLISHMENTS

4 RUNNERS UP

(as voted by our DT, in no particular order)

$25 USD value prize from 49 AND MARKET

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

$25 USD value prize from THE SCRAPBOOK DIARIES

$25 USD value prize from THE DUSTY ATTIC

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

$25 USD value prize from 7 DOTS STUDIO

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

RANDOM WINNER

(picked at random from all eligible entries)

$25 USD value prize from EXPRESSIONSCRAFT

MYSTERY WINNERS

(hand picked by our Admin team - two entries not in our Top 5,

but that have that special something that captured our attention)

$25 USD value prize from FABRIKA DECORU

$25 USD value prize from AB STUDIO

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

SPECIAL GUEST DESIGNER

One participant, with a high number of votes and handpicked by our Admin team, 

will be invited to be our September 2019 Special Guest Designer.

We are very grateful to all our generous sponsors for these fabulous prizes.

To learn more about any of them, click on the SPONSORS tab above.

We are looking forward to seeing your entries into our

July Main Challenge DISCOVER & OLD STASH.

Link up your projects using our LinkyTook in the right sidebar

by July 31 at 11:55 pm EST.

June 2019 Main Challenge FAVORITE & SCRAPLIFT YOURSELF

The beautiful month of June is now upon us and, with it, 

here is a brand new main challenge here at More Than Words!

We hope that you will enjoy it and play along in large numbers!!!

Our Main Challenge is based on a word inspiration and a creative challenge.

Word Inspiration - FAVORITE

Creative Challenge - SCRAPLIFT YOURSELF

What does the word FAVORITE inspire you to create?

You can choose to use the actual word somewhere on your project 
or simply be inspired by it. Please explain in your blog post 
how it inspired you if it isn't obvious in your work.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens - are these a few of your favorite things? As an extention to our word inspiration this month, we want you to find a favorite old project of your own and SCRAPLIFT YOURSELF! You can copy the design, the colours or any part of the project, so long as the project was created by you. Please share the original project in your post so we can see both the original and the scraplifted pieces.

Please check out all our challenge rules in the RULES tab above.

Now let's see what our fabulous DT has come up with, 

inspired by the FAVORITE & SCRAPLIFT YOURSELF main challenge!

ALICJA STASZAK

original

new

Alicja: For this challenge, I decided to SCRAPLIFT my old layout named 'Breathe In'. The new one is also about nature. I used my FAVORITE natural elements to take you on a creative journey in the Summer forest.

ANAT WEKSLER

original

new

Anat: I've always liked the vintage style, but I believe now that this has become my FAVORITE style. I decided to SCRAPLIFT an old layout that I love and which is actually one of my favorites. I've created it more than a year ago and wanted to see if now, after gaining a bit more experience, I would do it better or just different. I think the original layout is still my favorite.

CAROLINE ELLIAM

original

new

Caroline: My FAVORITE music group is without a doubt Simple Plan, so I picked a picture of them to make my project. I also used one of my favorite past layouts to COPY/SCRAPLIFT myself.

DAISY RAMSAY

original

new

Daisy: For this challenge, I chose my favorite layout of the moment to SCRAPLIFT. I was inspired for my new creation by a picture of my FAVORITE niece. She's so adorable and photogenic.

DARIA SCHUKINA

original

new

Daria: I decided to SCRAPLIFT a project that I did a year and a half ago that I really enjoyed creating. It includes a lot of my FAVORITE scrapbooking styles and elements. In my new layout, I added pictures of the same girl, only older. I decided that it would be symbolic and a great way to document special memories.

DI GARLING
original

new

Di: The word inspiration inspired me to use some of my most FAVORITE goodies in my craft stash that I have been saving and coveting for some time now. It is a bit liberating when you finally do. For the creative challenge, I SCRAPLIFTED one of my older layouts that I have always loved the composition of; however, as always, I believe when you do something the second time around, you are always able to improve on it.

EDITH CLOUTIER

original

new

Edith: Inspired by this month's word and creative challenge, I chose to COPY one of my favorite creations made 1 year ago. This new layout illustrates one of my FAVORITE pictures of my godchild who I love so much!

FRANCE RINGUETTE

original

new

France: A friend of mine actually loved one of my older beach themed layouts and asked me to make her one for her 30th wedding anniversary trip to Bora Bora. It was so much fun SCRAPLIFTING and recreating this layout. I used similar colours, I added the pink to highlight the tropical paradise scene. Bora Bora is my ultimate FAVORITE dream vacation. For certain, it's high on my travel wish list!

HEATHER MCMAHON

original

new

Heather: This is one of my FAVORITE photos from our recent trip to Mexico. Our daughter was having such a great time swimming in the cenotes. I found a fave older layout to SCRAPLIFT. I used the same circle effect and banners, but I changed it up a bit, particularly around the edges of the page.

HINA MIRZA

original

new

Hina: Inspired by the blessings and beauty of nature, I created this layout where I SCRAPLIFTED from one of my FAVORITE layouts from the past. I copied the mixed media design and the nature theme.

JESS MACKENZIE

original

new

Jess: I decided to SCRAPLIFT a layout that I created about a year ago when I first started scrapping again. I added lots more dimension to my layers. I also chose to scrap another photo of my fur baby, Betty, wearing a flower crown as these are among my most FAVORITE pictures of her!

MARY TZALLA

original

new

Mary: I chose to SCRAPLIFT my fave canvas which I made about a year ago. I used a different photo, but I kept the same design and colour palette as it's one of my FAVORITE colour combos.

NICOLE DOIRON

original

new

Nicole: I thought long and hard about this month's word inspiration and how I wanted to represent it in my project. There were so many ways to go, but I finally decided to use a photo of one of my FAVORITE fictional characters of all time, Anne of Green Gables, definitely a favorite in Eastern Canada where I live. This particular depiction of Anne (with an E) is from the most recent TV version of this story, which I absolutely love. I decided to SCRAPLIFT the design and selfie theme of the very first project that I created for More Than Words, back in January 2016.

NUNEKA BOX

original

new

Nuneka: The original layout is my favorite among all the ones I've done. It's dedicated to my FAVORITE band, U2, using photographs of their video clip, Invisible. Keeping the theme with the chains and central cluster, I COPIED this layout to make a new one also dedicated to U2, this time using the cover photo of one of their albums.

PRIYA MISHRA

original

new

Priya: FAVORITE is something close to my heart... and my original project is just that! I participated in an exhibition, my first, and this layout was the most appreciated one. It also got sold which was quite unexpected. The new project is not just a SCRAPLIFT, but I copied my favorite layout using the same background paper, colour combination and overall look.

ROSALIE DUKE-STANLEY

original

new

Rosalie: One of my FAVORITE things to do is to explore nature. That is why both my projects have a natural element to them. My SCRAPLIFTED layout is based on a page I did last year of a trip down a snow covered lane. I loved using chipboard foliage, so I changed the position of the main feature and colour palette for my new project.

What wonderful creations from out DT this month!

With the original and scraplifted pieces, you got double the inspiration.

And now, let's take a look at the fabulous prizes up for grabs!

MAIN CHALLENGE WINNER

(as voted by our DT)

$50 USD value prize from LINDY'S

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

4 RUNNERS UP

(as voted by our DT, in no particular order)

$25 USD value prize from MAJA DESIGN

$25 USD value prize from THE VINTAGE CHICKS CLUB

$25 USD value prize from MINTAY PAPERS

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

$25 USD value prize from 2CRAFTY

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

RANDOM WINNER

(picked at random from all eligible entries)

$25 USD value prize from KORA PROJECTS

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

MYSTERY WINNERS

(hand picked by our Admin team - two entries not in our Top 5,

but that have that special something that captured our attention)

$25 USD value prize from FABRIKA DECORU

$25 USD value prize from AB STUDIO

(image below is for illustration purposes only)

SPECIAL GUEST DESIGNER

One participant, with a high number of votes and handpicked by our Admin team, 

will be invited to be our August 2019 Special Guest Designer.

We are very grateful to all our generous sponsors for these fabulous prizes.

To learn more about any of them, click on the SPONSORS tab above.

We are looking forward to seeing your entries into our

June Main Challenge FAVORITE & SCRAPLIFT YOURSELF.

Link up your projects using our LinkyTook in the right sidebar

by June 30 at 11:55 pm EST.