123scrapbook.com.au Scraptwist Competition

Wilma at 123scrapbook.com.au has a fantastic online scrapping store, and she is currently running a 'scraptwist challenge'. It runs over 6 weeks, and each week there is a different item you need to showcase in a LO, an off the page item, or whatever, so long as you meet the criteria. Trick is, each week there is a twist. So you know ahead of time what each weeks criteria is, but you don't find out what the twist is until the Sunday, and then you have 2 weeks to complete and upload your entry. It's a great way to try new things, or to use something in a way you may not have thought of before.

I found these great acrylic coasters on ebay (which are designed for you to put a small cross stitch into), and thought I could use them for my entries on the 123scrapbook scraptwist challenge. My husband and I love to drink tea and coffee, but we have timber furniture, so always use coasters. Actually, we are still using our coasters that we received as engagement/wedding gifts 17 years ago! So this challenge will mean we will have 6 very personal coasters showcasing not only different scrapping techniques, but some special times in our family life, as well as a terrific memory of a great competition.

All of these LO's measure 3.25" square, and I can only scrap to a depth of about 3 mm. Now any of you scrappers out there reading this will go "what?" how can you restrict yourself to 3mm? It's WAY difficult. When I've used chipboard, I've had to slice it in half to make it thinner. I've had to keep most of my embellishments away from the edges (as this is where the backing seals)... there have had to be lots of considerations to get them all to fit.

Week 1

Challenge was to use paint, and the twist was to use chipboard in the raw (ie. no paint or ink or anything).

This is a snapshot of us (Em was 1, Jacob was 3) taken before an engagement party for my cousin. We don't have many pics of the 4 of us around this time.

I used a bit of paint on the background to frame the photo, and also to highlight the flowers. As required, the chipboard tag remained raw.

Week 2

Challenge was to use glitter AND embossing powders, and the twist was you couldn't use flowers.

The cog wheels were embossed, inked to make them look 'dirty', and then I added glitter to the spokes on the cogs.

This is a picture of Jacob at about 2, wearing his 'tools' which he loved playing with for many months.

Week 3

Challenge was to use rubons, and the twist was you couldn't put them on cardstock or paper.

I used my rubons on my monogram 'me' letters.

This photo was taken on a ferry ride on our last trip to Melbourne this Christmas past, and is the photo I have of me on my blog.

Week 4

Challenge was to use texture paste and the twist was you had use the paste on the background, plus on an embellishment, and you also had to use 3 photos.

I used texture paste on the background which I swept with a pallette knife, painted, inked and gouged out frames around my tiny photos. I also used the paste on my 'zzz' letters, which also had little dots scribed into them with a knitting needle, and then painted.

This is a very recent photo of my husband caught napping after Sunday lunch.

Week 5

Challenge was to use alcohol inks, the twist was you had to use it on 3 separate surfaces, and you couldn't use acetate.

I really wanted to use the inks on the actual inside lid of the coaster (which is why I bought the coasters in the first place), but no matter what I tried, I just didn't like the way it looked. So, instead, I used 3 different coloured inks, as well as gold, and applied them to the flower (it originally was orange), the letters j and y (which were originally bright yellow), and then I applied the ink around the edge of my LO, and applied it to a stamp which I used to frame my photo. I know you are not meant to use the alcohol inks on porous surfaces, but I actually love how it came out - it's like the colour changes seamlessly.

This is a photo of Emily taken when she was 6, and she was showcasing how you lose electrons on the trampoline!

Week 6

This challenge starts next Sunday - so I will be back with the last instalment of the challenge next week!

Fiona
xx