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23 October, 2016

October 2016 Mini Challenge - BOO!

Hello and welcome to our October More Than Words Mini Challenge!

We have a lot of fun with the Mini Challenges. Seeing your creations 
all come in within such a short time is amazing!

Here is our new challenge board:

Here's how it works:

The Mini Challenge runs on the last week of each month and is for
cards, tags and ATCs only. (ATCs, or Artist Trading Cards, are small works of art, about 2.5 by 3.5 inches or 64 x 89mm). This challenge requires you to use a specific word on your project. We must see the actual word. You have only one week - until the last day of the month - to enter, so be quick!

Entry for the Mini Challenge is only via our Facebook page 
under the relevant post. 

The winner will receive a $25 voucher from Dusty Attic, 
our fabulous Mini Challenge sponsor.

And just to sweeten the deal, all our prizes 
include free shipping to anywhere in the world!

You can see all our rules under the Rules tab at the top of this blog.

Are delicious creative ideas running through your mind? Here's what 
our Design Team came up with:













We hope this inspires you to give the challenge a go!

You have until 11.55pm EST on Monday the 31st of October to get 
your entries in right HERE so get your crafting on!

15 October, 2016

Special Guest Spotlight on
FIONA PALTRIDGE



Most of you will have already been wowed 
by the artistic talent of our very Special Guest this month! 


FIONA PALTRIDGE has made herself known in the scrapbooking community
as her creations seem to always emanate from a beautiful freedom of expression,
such as we all strive for on our own creative path.  She is a master of colours and
will no doubt be able to inspire you greatly with the October challenge!

Let's get to know Fiona a little more through her own words:

"Hello, my name is Fiona and I live in South Australia. I have been creative all of my life dabbling in a little bit of anything creative I could find over the years. I have scrapbooked for more than 15 years but only recently have I discovered the online world of challenges, design teams and the best friends a girl could ever ask for. As a scrapbook artist, I would have to say I don't have a "style" as such, except that I do include ephemera into my work almost every chance I get. 

I have had a whirlwind of an entry into this supportive community and have been blessed enough to have been given opportunities to teach all over Australia at expos, in local stores and scrapbooking retreats. I currently design for several international companies including 7 Dots Studio, 13@rts and Viva Las Vegastamps. I am also a part of the Aussie kit club "Scrappy Chat Designs" headed up by Beck Beattie and, lastly but certainly not least, I am part of a wonderful Polish challenge team called Scrapki-Wyzwaniow (yes, I can pronounce it, after many videos from my fellow team members and a LOT of practice!)  Next year, I'll be joining a couple of new teams so keep an eye out for those announcements!

I write a regular article for Scrapbooking Memories magazine and have had the privilege of collaborating with so many wonderful artists on many different projects including the e-book "80 Artists Around the World".  I am so honoured to be invited to join the More Than Words team for the October challenge."

You can visit Fiona at the links below:
BLOG  -  FACEBOOK  - INSTAGRAM  -  PINTEREST  -  YOUTUBE


Here's a reminder of our October CHANGE & OMBRE challenge
followed by Fiona's stunning take on it!





Here is how Fiona describes how she was inspired by our word:

"I believe CHANGE can be a funny thing. On the one hand, we need to change to be able to move forward in the world, but on the other hand, there are some things I really don't like having to change. In general, I'm ok with change. I work in an ever changing environment and like to keep up with current trends so change is inevitable and I manage it well.  However, when it comes to changes in my personal life, I find myself struggling... especially with the changes that have occurred so quickly right in front of my eyes like my children growing into young adults. They have grown up way too fast and although this change in life, from child to adult, I know is so important for them, it is really hard for me to let them be 'grown ups'. I am still practicing how to let them go.  I have gotten better, but every now and then they remind me 
"Mum, it's ok... I've got this."  

So I titled my page 'Never Change a Thing' but journaled around the design with words of wisdom that encourage their growth such as 'Change is always a good thing' and 'Change makes us stronger.  It turned out a very conflicting page, but I think it has been good therapy for me to remember that 'it's ok... they've got this'."

And now let's see how she incorporated our creative challenge:

"My creation is based around my handmade OMBRE background.  I have a link to the tutorial so you can learn how it came together and maybe give it a go yourself.  I style my layout on one of my favourite designs that I fondly refer as "The Elephant".  With the ombre, I felt that it suited it perfectly, the way it cascades down 
the page just like the colours do."

You can watch Fiona's creative process by clicking below!



What a stunning interpretation of our challenge!
Fiona has taken the time to really think about our word and be inspired from it.  She was able to not only create a gorgeous layout, but also to document a touching story around it based on what the word CHANGE represents to her.  Her OMBRE background looks fabulous, gradually changing from dark greyish pink to lighter shades of the same colour which goes ingeniously well with her design.

Now it's time for some close-ups:






Fiona, thank you so much for joining us this month as our Guest Designer and for this incredible piece of inspiration that we are sure will have all our followers run to their scrap space with their head and heart full of fabulous creative ideas!

So, now it's your turn to embrace CHANGE and show us your true OMBRE colours!

Link up your October Main Challenge project by October 31st !

08 October, 2016

Annoucing Our September Winners!!!

THANK YOU to all of you that were inspired to play along with
our September MAIN & MINI challenges!
 Once again we have seen some GORGEOUS creations
which, as usual, makes it hard to vote.

After a tallying up of our DT votes, here are the results...



MAIN CHALLENGE WINNER




Congratulations Anastasi! You have WON our September MAIN challenge!!
Please contact Tusia at tusia(at)7dotsstudio(dot)com
to claim your $50 USD prize package from 7 DOTS STUDIO


1st RUNNER UP

NOURA POMPILA (entry 36)


Noura, please contact Aneta at studio(at)studio75(dot)pl
to claim your $25 USD value prize from STUDIO 75


2nd RUNNER UP

IRINA LAZARCHIK (entry 5)

Микс медийные странички

Irina, please contact Pamela at langeheart(at)hotmail(dot)com
to claim your $25 USD promo code from THE DUSTY ATTIC


3rd RUNNER UP 

ANASTASIA ELENA  (entry 54)



Anastasia, please contact Tenisha at scrapelegancescrapbooksupplies(at)hotmail(dot)com
to claim your $25 USD prize package from COLOUR BLAST


4TH RUNNER UP

JENNIFER MARIE (entry 26)


Jennifer, please contact Kerrie at Kerrie@artdecocreation(dot)com(dot)au
to claim your $25 USD prize package from COUTURE CREATIONS



RANDOM WINNER




SATHYA KALA (entry 33)

Sathya Kala, please contact Janene at janene(at)thescrapbookdiaries(dot)com
to claim your $25 USD prize package from THE SCRAPBOOK DIARIES


MYSTERY WINNER

FARREL TAILOR (entry 30)

20160922_132601

We chose this layout as the mystery winner simply for the fact that it is super gorgeous, and that trifle looks super yummy! In her blog post, Farrel mentions that this is the very first challenge she has entered and we are so happy that she chose More Than Words to be her first!  Farrel not only scrapbooked about her favorite recipe, but also incorporated our own art recipe into her layout!

Farrel, please contact Tanya at fabrikadecou(at)gmail(dot)com
to claim your $25 USD gift certificate info from FABRIKA DECORU


MINI CHALLENGE WINNER



Janice, please contact Pamela at langeheart(at)hotmail(dot)com
to claim your $25 USD promo code from THE DUSTY ATTIC 


LUCKY COMMENTER


Kathleen, please contact Pamela at langeheart(at)hotmail(dot)com
to claim your $25 USD prize package from GRAPHIC 45


And lastly, but certainly not least, these participants didn't quite make it into our prize winning list, but having received a high number of votes on the MAIN challenge, we think that they very much deserve an HONOURABLE MENTION

MARY CATT (entry 56)
GEORGIE C (entry 10)
LYDIA GUIJT (entry 27)
KRIPA KOUSHIK (entry 23)
EIRINI TSAIMA (entry 13)
PADORIAA (entry 41)
TORSA SAHA (entry 50)

To lean more about all our very generous sponsors,
click on the SPONSORS tab above!

We encourage our merit winners, honourable mentions and participants who have had their project featured on our Facebook page to grab your badge from our left sidebar and PROUDLY display it on your blog! These have been made just for YOU!

Lastly, a friendly reminder that we are well under way with our October MAIN challenge and we are loving your projects so far! We can't wait to see
many MANY more, so please keep them coming!
The details of our CHANGE & OMBRE challenge are HERE.

Link your project using the Linky Tool in the right sidebar by 
the 31st October at 11:59 pm EST.

Once again, a big CONGRATULATIONS to all of our winners and THANK YOU to each and every one of you for playing along!

01 October, 2016

October 2016 Main Challenge
CHANGE & OMBRE


Another month, another exciting challenge at More Than Words!

Before we announce our October challenge, we have a special farewell message to make to a designer who has had to step down from our DT to pursue a wonderful creative opportunity.

Wilma Voermans was an incredible asset to the team and her presence will be missed.  However, we know that she will continue inspiring us in the pursuit of her art.

Best wishes to you Wilma!

Now let's take a look at this month's challenge...

Our Main Challenge is based on a word inspiration and a creative challenge.
The challenge is open to layouts, canvases and art journal pages only.

Word Inspiration - CHANGE
Creative Challenge - OMBRE

Use the word CHANGE as inspiration for your project.  You can choose to add the word somewhere on your project or simply be inspired to create from it.  Please explain in your blog post how the word inspired you, if not already obvious.

For our creative challenge, we want to see an OMBRE or shaded effect on your project.  Ombre is the gradual blending of one colour hue to another, usually moving tints and shades from light to dark.  Take a look at our DT work for some very shady ideas!

VERY IMPORTANT! You have to incorporate both requirements of the challenge, the word inspiration AND the creative challenge, on your project to be eligible to win.  Just look at our designers' creations and descriptions as example.  Also, remember that you must include our board image and a link to our blog in your entry post.

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




Valerie: "The word CHANGE reminds me of my son who is growing up too fast and becoming a teenager too soon!  To incorporate the OMBRE creative challenge, I made my background with a spray and I added water to create a shading effect."


Elena: "I've used the word CHANGE in one beautiful phrase 'Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile.'  I really had fun playing with the OMBRE effect on my layout.  I've used shades of the terracota color - it harmonizes perfectly with the skin."


Heather: "The biggest CHANGE in my life lately has been when I lost weight by joining a gym and participating in the 12 week challenge.  I'm very proud of what I achieved! The only colour on my page, apart from the gold, 
is the OMBRE colours on the feathers."


Arantzazu: "Sometimes you have to CHANGE your way of thinking, take risks and get out of your comfort zone to see what you can do!  I used different shades of my favorite colour, turquoise, to give depth to the layout with an OMBRE effect."


Valia: "The word CHANGE reminded me of the famous Buddha quote, 'Everything changes, nothing remains without change', keeping in mind at the same time how difficult it can be to actually embrace changes in life.  For the creative part of the challenge, I used a paper with an OMBRE effect and chose various shades of lilac flowers.  I also made a smooth transition of colour on my chipboard embellishments."


Helen: "This photo was taken in 1923, a year of huge CHANGES for Greece, and those troubled times are reflected in the innocent eyes of these boys.  For the OMBRE part of the challenge, I used various shades of black and grey blending with each other, as I think they match both my photo and the captured moment."


Caroline: "I chose this picture for the challenge because of its natural OMBRE sky.  This view is magnificent and it is only a 2 minute walk from my home.  We are so lucky!  I love so much this sightseeing spot near the river where we can observe the day CHANGE into the night."


Joyce: "The CHANGES in the colours of the leaves from green, yellow, orange and red are spectacular during the Autumn months.  As a kid, and even now, I'd walk on dried leaves just to hear the crunchy sound they made under my shoe.  My OMBRE take on the challenge was used to emphasize the encased, bejeweled leaf by cutting out various sized leaf shapes on several book pages and painting them in different hues of the colour green."


Rachael: "My love will never CHANGE for my family.  I incorporated the OMBRE creative challenge by working with shades of purple, purple being one 
of my favorite colours." 


Lilibleu: "For this new challenge, I chose a picture of me... but younger.  I must have been 6 or 7 in this picture, and I think I've CHANGED quite a bit since!  Concerning the OMBRE technical challenge, I tried to create both a shadow and a shading of some gauze that I coloured with several shades of green."


Di: "I really had fun creating the OMBRE effects on my layout.  I used sprays and powders on everything from the background to the flowers, leaves and chipboard too, carrying the colours through everything, just in different combinations.  I really enjoyed creating this and am really happy with my end result.  The word CHANGE inspired me to use the quote 'Don't ever change... Just be you' 
because I think this sums it all up."


Ekaterina: "The October challenge inspired me to create an art journal page.  My project is about the CHANGE of seasons.  Autumn comes to replace Summer in a magical OMBRE palette.  Green leaves on the trees are transformed into a heap of colourful rustling underfoot."


Pamela: "The word CHANGE inspired me to use this beautiful quote, 'Use your smile to change the world.  Don't let the world change your smile.'  I incorporated the OMBRE creative challenge on my background by going from light shades of yellow to darker shades ending up with gold.  It was a different experience for me."


Nicole: "The word CHANGE brought to my mind children and how fast they grow up!  These gorgeous little girls are my friends' daughters, two very close sisters who are constantly changing but at the same time staying consistent in their love for one another.  As far as the creative challenge is concerned, I picked a turquoise blue and created an OMBRE effect using mists of different shades of this beautiful colour on embossed die cut shapes and on my left border edge.  There is also a gradient of greyish blue on my tag and even the girls' dresses are ombre."


Nupur: "It is believed that there is nothing permanent but CHANGE.  We have to cherish every bit of that change.  If you change the way you look, the things you look at change... and there you begin to embrace the beauty and live!  Change is also the OMBRE effect which I've used on different elements of my page, like the different shades of the rose petals."


Kristina: "This is a wonderful challenge that inspired me to create a motivational page for my son.  The headline is a quote by Gandhi that reads: 'You must be the CHANGE you wish to see in the world.'  I used a sheet of watercolour with resist effect from a collection called Salvage Districts by PM and used spray and 
a brush to make the OMBRE effect."

What beautiful inspiration from our very talented designers!



All our prizes include free international postage!


MAIN CHALLENGE WINNER

a $50 USD prize package from MAJA DESIGN

Here is more information about our 1st place sponsor this month.

"Maja Design is a Swedish manufacture of craft paper.  We are dedicated to create unique and very high quality papers for scrapbooking and crafts.  Our papers, that are really thick and easy to work with, always follow a tasteful and matching colour theme, even between the different collections, perfect for mix matching.  Every collection is designed by the company's founder, Marie Janson, and are created with a unique story in mind.  Our vintage inspired collections are created to be long lasting and timeless, but yet still modern.  Today, we are proudly shipping our products to more than 30 countries worldwide, and we hope that our beloved designs 
will inspire your creativity!"


Next, 4 runners up will be each awarded a prize, as follows:

1st RUNNER UP

a $25 USD gift certificate from LINDY'S STAMP GANG

2nd RUNNER UP

a $25 USD prize package from LEMONCRAFT
(Image below is for illustration purposes only)

3rd RUNNER UP

a $25 USD prize package from 2CRAFTY
(Image below is for illustration purposes only)

4th RUNNER UP

a $25 USD gift certificate from FLYING UNICORN


In addition, we will draw one random winner from all eligible entries.

RANDOM WINNER

a $25 USD prize package from 13ARTS
(Image below is for illustration purposes only)


Each month, we hand pick a winner who has not made it into our Top 5, but who has captured our attention someway, somehow.  We might pick a project due to its original use of a certain product, the cleverest title, most beautiful photo, etc.  
Who knows what we will be looking for?

MYSTERY WINNER

a $25 USD prize package from FABRIKA DECORU


And lastly, we will randomly award a prize to one lucky blog follower who has commented on any of our October blog posts.

LUCKY COMMENTER

a $25 USD gift voucher from KREATIVE KORNER
(Image below is for illustration purposes only)

We are so very grateful for all our generous sponsors for these amazing prizes!
To learn more about all of them, click on the SPONSORS tab above.


We cannot wait to have you wow us with your projects inspired by our 
October Main Challenge CHANGE & OMBRE!

Link up your project using the LinkyTool in the right sidebar
by October 31st at 11:50 pm EST.