Mini Challenges

Toward the middle of the month we always have mini challenges that you have until the end of the month to complete and here is one of the challenges and some examples of the beautiful work the ladies have done. The weathered background was created by using glue so if you would like to know how to have this look on your cards or layouts please come on over and check us out. You can also check out all the rest of the challenges for the month, there is still time to play.

Look at these beauties the ladies created: Ruby's card

Tania's card

Sunday Card Challenge

Every Sunday on the Turtle Soup forum we have a card challenge. This week the challenge is based on a card sketch from Bev Code. This is the sketch:

This what Karen made using the sketch:

So come on over to the forum, pick a challenge and have some fun with us.

If you'd like to play along us the InLinkz to share..  ( we'll put your name in for a ballot along with our regular monthly draw.. so share here or in our forum gallery and challenge)  http://www.turtlesoup.scrappingturtle.com/

An InLinkz Link-up

Week in Review

Can you believe it's already September?  Where has this year gone? But with a new month starting we have some fun challenges going on and you have all month to play along.  Please stop by our Turtle Soup site and check out what's happening this month.

Here are a few of our DT and member's projects

Pocket Letters by The Gov

Crash your Stash card by Tania5127

Scraplift by PaulaJ

Inspiration page by Tania5127

Circle project by GinniG

Hope you'll stop by and play along with our challenges this month. We'd love to see your work!

Turtle Soup Magazine Issue #6 - celebrating our July Birthday Bash

Click here to view this photo book larger

hi.. we at the Turtle Soup had an amazing month of celebrations for our Birthday Bash. We would like to share with you some of the amazing creative things we shared during the month of July.

Take time to view our magazine in full viewing.

When you love what you see maybe you'll take the time to play along with us in our forum. 

August Mini Challenges

It is time for the Mini challenges at Turtle Soup Joan's challenge is to use punctuation on your layout, card or altered item.
 

 Cheryl's challenge is Back to School Memories
   

 Linda's challenge is all about Botany
 

 Karen's challenge is all about Geography
 

 Phillis's challenges is about Math
 

 Toni's challenge is to use a quote
 

Photo Tutorial by Design Team Member Elisa - Easy Mixed Media Background

Welcome Crafty Friends to my first ever Turtle Soup blog post and mixed media photo tutorial! I hope that you find it informative and inspiring, feel free to interchange products; it is the techniques that are important here also make sure you check out the Scrapping Turtle shop for a great range of inks, paints, stencils and other mixed media products. Here is the final layout and the tutorial is to show a few techniques on how to create the background.

Now onto the tutorial!

For the August Mini Crop over on the Turtle Soup Forum I have a challenge for participants to use a poem on your layout. I chose my poem and decided to print it up (using different fonts and a piece of a4 white cardstock) on my computer and cut it into individual pieces. For the base cardstock I have used a smooth white thick cardstock so the paint glides on smoothly and the thickness of the paper will ensure that the layout does not warp. Once you have cut your poem into pieces put them aside (perhaps in a zip lock bag so you don't lose any pieces like I did the first time around)

 

 

As you can see from the second photo I have selected 4 different colours of paint, all acrylic paint. Colour selection is entirely up to you. Squirt lines of paint onto your cardstock. I also cut a wedge from a cardboard box to use as a large palette knife or scraper ( a cheap alternative ).

 

 

 

Using a small amount of pressure scrap the paint across your page, turn your scraper over and complete scraping the paint across the bottom of the layout to your satisfaction. I didn't go completely across the page and I didn't worry to much about it being perfect!!

 

 

 

 

 

Let the paint dry completely before completing next step! Grab your favourite stencil, I used a Crafters Workshop stencil which are stocked at the Scrapping Turtle shop. Lay your stencil on your layout where you want it. Using texture paste or modelling paste (not gesso) spoon some paste onto your stencil and spread with a palette knife or use an old credit card like I did. I like using the old credit card as you can get a smoother coverage.

 

Put aside to dry, while mine dried I used coloured markers to colour in parts of pieces of the poem and I gathered together all of the embellishments and papers I wanted to use.

 

 

Next step! grab your favourite 'texture stamp' I love using Kaisercraft Texture stamps as they have an awesome range and they are extremely affordable. I also used an archival ink - Versafine black but any archival ink will do. Stamp in desired area. I stamped around where I was planning for my photo to sit.

 

HOT TIP!! after inking up your stamp gently use a baby wipe to wipe the ink off around the edges of your stamp so when you stamp you won't get those pesky 'mistake' edges that sometimes appear when you apply to much ink to a stamp or if you apply to much pressure when stamping.

 

Wait to the ink dries and then piece your poem back together in desired position so that you can work out where your embellishments are going to fit in your design, As you can see from the photo below I added my secret to many layouts (plasterers/joiners tape which can be bought from hardware shops) it has a sticky back and looks like mesh and can be coloured by paints or inks etc. Awesome!!

 

 

Now fast forward a bit, as the tutorial was for just the background, after you have stuck down your desired embellishments, I will post a  material's list at the end but please use whatever you like, visit the Scrapping Turtle Shop for supplies or dig into your stash for similar items.

 

And some close ups!!  Poem by Dr Seuss. :-)

 

Well we've come to the end of the tutorial, I really hope you liked it and that you will try some of the techniques and branch out of your comfort zone even a little bit. Make sure you leave some love on the blog!

 

Handy Links:

 

Scrapping Turtle Store 

Turtle Soup Forum

 

My Blog:

 

2crazycrafters Blog

 

 

 

Materials:

 

Coredinations Cardstock

Lily Bee Paper

Hessian, Joiners Tape

Paint - Jo Sonja, Making Memories, Decoart

Cardboard, Jo Sonja Texture Paste

Kaisercraft Texture Stamp, Versafine Ink

Die cut black frame, Plastic Straws cut into small pieces.

D-Lish Scraps flowers, Unknown Origin of Flower Sprig

Maya Road Love Heart Clip, Colour Markers.

 

 

 

 

 

Week in Review

Have you checked out what's happening on the Turtle Soup message boards?  There are some great challenges going on like sketches, new techniques, color inspirations, tags made from formica samples and a whole lot more.

Here are just a few of the wonderful creations by our members.

By Beecee

By Cheryl

By Ladybing

By Ural

By Inspired Scrapper

By Inspired Scrapper

If you would like to see more projects please stop by Turtle Soup and maybe even play along!

Hope to see you there!