Friday, January 18, 2013

Oh, My Word! Blog Hop: Connect

It's the beginning of a new year and, we hope, a fresh start to your creativity. The Design Team at Two Scrapbook Friends, plus some special friends, have been busy putting together some amazing paper crafting projects that are sure to kick start your new year of creativity. We challenged our designers and friends to choose a special word that captures what they would like to manifest in their lives in 2013.

To see all the great projects, begin the hop at the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog and travel from blog to blog.  If you comment on each blog, you will qualify to be in a draw for a special prize from Two Scrapbook Friends! We hope you are inspired to choose a special word of your own to inspire you in 2013. Once you have completed the hop to all our designers blogs, leave a comment on the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog. To receive an extra entry to win, send us an email of your own special word!

In addition, if you create a project representing your word and upload it to our Gallery (by February 28, 2012, 11:59 pm) we will award you 10 Forum Buttons! (See our Forum Button Policy here for more information.)

The hop will remain open from January 18th to January 21st at 11:59 pm (EST). Winners will be announced on January 22nd on the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog. So, be sure to stop back at the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog and check to see if you are the winner of a fabulous prize!

So remember, in order to be entered to win:
1. Leave a comment on all the blogs as you go and then go back to the Two Scrapbook Friends blog and leave a final comment there.
2. To have a second chance to win, send YOUR special word that inspires you in 2013 in an email to  2friends@execulink.com. Put "Blog Contest" in your subject line.
3. Create your own design based on your special word and upload it to our Gallery and Forum before February 28 at 11:58 pm, and receive 10 Forum Buttons towards gift certificates in the store!
4. Check back at the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog on January 22nd to see if you are the prize winner. (Winners will not be contacted personally.)

Be sure to stop by each of the following blogs and leave a comment!  Enjoy the Hop :)


Two Scrapbook Friends
Joanne
Two Scrapbook Friends 

I always have a hard time choosing just ONE word to represent my vision for a WHOLE year, perhaps because I have so MANY things I'd like to focus on! For 2013, however, I found one single word came to me quite clearly: CONNECT.  It has so many implications in my life and in my desire to CONNECT with those around me in different ways. 

For our Blog hop at Two Scrapbook Friends, I chose to focus on the SCRAPBOOKING connotations this word has for me. Last year, my BFF Ann Jobes and I began a challenge group called Inspiration Elevator. It was just a group of like-minded artists looking to grow in their own personal journey of creativity through challenges. We contacted friends in the industry; designers who had blogs and wanted to challenge and be challenged.
Here is a design I made using photos of my IE friends for 2012/2013 (I used their FB photos). 



I began with Pebbles Walnut Grove background paper and added white splatters of paint. 
I arranged the photos in this format to represent that Ann and I began this joint adventure and matted each on white card stock. The large patterned chevrons are cut from Pebbles Walnut Grove too.
They represent movement and facing inwards show that I am trying to make a CONNECTION between the two pages of this double.
I also added Studio Calico wooden, boxes, hexagons and arrows which I coloured with ink, and stitched on.
I also thought I would hand stitch the title in hand writing to better illustrate the idea of CONNECT.

I was thrilled with how this turned out and I am so grateful for such wonderful ladies in my life to bolster my creativity and help me grow.

Now, off to Jan's blog and be further inspired! Until next time, keep doing what you love!

38 comments:

  1. Wow, that stitching had to taken a long time, would have taken an eternity for me! I love your page and all the symbolic things you've added like the arrows. Beautiful double (?? you, double???) layout you've done! I admire your work and your ability to rise to every challenge!

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  2. Wooo wooo for a double page layout! Connection is a great word. Your layout clearly shows the connection among the ladies on your pages! Love how you placed the chevrons and arrows together. I think they represent the connection symbol well!

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  3. This is fabulous! What a wonderful way to honour your IE friends. I love the bold shapes on the page.

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  4. What a great double page. They are simply so beautiful and the stitching word is a focal point of the page.

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  5. Hi Christa! This is Mary (Joanne's sister). She told me about the blog hop and I thought I would check it out. How cool of an idea this is. I love the "connect" layout you designed. I enjoy seeing your work as they always amaze me...I especially love the thought you put into this one...how you've illustrated "connect" throughout your design!

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  6. Awesome Christa! I love it! And your word choice too :)

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  7. Love the stitching and the embellishments. Great layout.

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  8. Just fabulous Christa! The layout has such a great design - clean with great embellies and details! I love the wooden items and your stitching. Brilliant!
    Joanne xo

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  9. Christa, what a lovely page to highlight your connections in creativity! I love the photos and all the big and little details that connect them. The chevron arrows, the stitching, the splatters, the little frames and the honeycomb decorations. I love this contemporary page.

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  10. Very nice, Christa. I think all pages should have stitching!

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  11. I love the squares that connect the photos. Great layout.

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  12. Super double Christa, I love that the chevrons and layout of the photo's draw the eye exactly where it needs to go.....great flow and a gorgeous page.

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  13. Great photo placement, reminds me almost of a family tree type layout. Love your little bits, especially the wood pieces. Brilliant idea to stitch them on, consider that lifted!

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  14. The stitching must have taken forever

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  15. Great word Christa! I especially love the boxes, arrows and stitching. Love the color too!

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  16. This is amazing..your are amazing! Love the stitching, the arrows..and the squares are genius!

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  17. Really beautiful and I love your concept of connecting!

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  18. Love the use of geometric shapes on your layout. Beautiful colour palette.

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  19. Love the flow of this layout! Colours too! Great choice for word of the year.

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  20. This is just beautiful Christa! I love the colours and there are so many fabulous elements on here! The stitched title is perfect!

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  21. Fantastic layout! i love your word for , too. Thanks for sharing, and being a part of this hop. i am your newest follower!

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  22. you have illustrated your word exquisitely

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  23. Christa, such a great layout I love it! Wishing you all the best "connect"ing this year.

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  24. Wow, you have outdone yourself again...each of your projects tops the one before. Love this one. Cute wooden squares, your stitching is fab. the whole idea of IE is fantastic and you did a wonderful job of highlighting the members.

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  25. Fab LO ... The idea behind this page is superb!

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  26. Loving your layout and the inspiration behind your theme...so neat!

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  27. Fabulous layout, I love that stitched title and how it looks so clean and simple at a glance but there are so many wonderful details to absorb!

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  28. Christa, I really love your page. I love the thought you put into it, the way you laid it out. I think you are well on your way to connecting. Great job!

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  29. Wonderful layout...I love the hand stitching. You are very fortunate to be "connected" to so many creative ladies.

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  30. This is just the cutest!

    Andrea :)

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  31. Christa, you always seem to impress me with the layouts that you create! I love your word by the way! Connections with others in your life is always super important! Awesome work!

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  32. Can't remember if the Kim that commented on the stitching was me or not. New to blogging so checking if I did this right That stitching would have taken forever. Do you machine stitch what kind on machine

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  33. Oh Christa, this turned out awesome! Love the arrows, paint spatters and stitching!

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  34. Your layout is gorgeous!! Love that you stitched the title! Also love how everything points inward to the connections you have made with some wonderful ladies! Great job and thanks for sharing!!!

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  35. Hi Christa, beautiful layout! I love the hand stitching!!!!!! its one thing I would like to try to include more of but not sure if i will ever get there lol - so many wonderful techniques out there!!! great job!

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  36. I can't believe I never commented on this, but I just wanted to tell you what a great idea for a layout, and it is just such an awesome design! I am so honored to be a part of it! :)

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