Show us your *ornaments*!

I'm so excited to have my tree up and decorated and it's not even December yet! I don't want to brag but there are EVEN gifts wrapped under it (thank you Black Friday deals!). 

One of my favorite parts of putting our tree up is unwrapping our ornaments. Each one tells a memory of a place traveled for my husband and I. And in 5 short years, we've collected quite a few! 

This is the first year for this little moose on our tree. He's from the Rocky Mountain National Park from our July trip to Colorado.

My favorite is this beauty from Rockefeller Center in New York City were my husband proposed 4 Decembers ago ;)

I could go on and on, but let's get to this week's challenge!

Your ornament could be an embellishment on a layout or card, a handmade paper ornament, a photo of an ornament on a scrapbook page, etc. If it includes an ornament, it works!

Our prize this week is sponsored by past design team member and Precocious Paper etsy store owner Tessa!

The winner of this week's challenge has their choice of 2 beautiful samplers:

The Very Merry Sampler   or

The Vintage Poinsettia Sampler

Gorgeous, no? Thank you Tessa!

Check out what our Team B designers created for the ornament challenge:

Cassie

Here's my take on this week's challenge.  I made ornaments out of buttons to hang on my layout, put ornaments on the tiny Christmas trees, and of course the title and pictures are all of ornaments too!  Talk about getting carried away with a theme ;)

Rachel

This was a fun card to make as I tried some new techniques. Both the ornaments and the green background were created with white cardstock, stamps, and inks.

Sandi

I recently bought Spellbinders Nested Pennants and tried them out for the first time on this banner.  I just LOVE them.  I used an ornament for the "o" in JOY and am pleased with how my first banner turned out.....I foresee creating many more of these in my future.

Jamilie

I haven't made a card with an ornament on it in over 2 years not sure why since it's so much fun! I used my Cricut with Joys of a Season cartridge to create the ornaments in different sizes. I scraplifted a card I made 2 years ago, and found the scraps of paper of it and reused it! 

Hannah

For this weeks challenge, I have decided to make Christmas ornaments. These have been made using book paper, and red and white paper and card. We have a red and white themed Christmas tree in our house, so I decided to make some coordinating ornaments to add to the collection. 

For links to the tutorials, please see Hannah's blog.

Suzanne

I created a set of gift tags (I hope to make one for each package under our tree!). I love how they turned out. - using my cricut to cut the ornament shapes and tags. The white fluffy ribbon is so fun!

Have you applied for our design team call?

We love seeing your entries every week and looked for 8 paper crafters to join (or re-join!) our team next month.

See THIS POST for the details.


Have a great week!!
-Suzanne

Winner!

Good evening!

Time to announce the winner of our photo inspiration challenge:

The prize this week was:

And our winner is !!

Kelly's layout:

I love Kelly's colorful border, how she cut her picture in thirds and embellished with faux leaves.

Congratulations Kelly!

Please email us at thepapervariety@gmail.com with a scrappy store of your choice :)

Don't forget about our DT CALL on THIS POST.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's challenge!

-Suzanne

Sunday Night Spotlights ;)

It's Sunday and time to highlight some of our entries in this week's photo inspiration challenge:

My top 3:

Heather's gorgeous card:

I love how she used her dies on cardboard. So much texture. That blue just POPS!

Tracy's clean and simple card:

Love the cluster of leaves she created! Fabulous inking/misting too.

Kelly's awesome layout:

Love the blue background with the orange woodgrain. The leaves, hemp, and burlap are the perfect embellishments.

Congratulations Kelly, Tracy, and Heather!! :)

Grab our featured blinkie on the sidebar ------->

You still have until Tuesday at noon to enter this week's prize! 

You don't want to miss out on:

See HERE for the challenge post and link up your paper project.

Have you checked out our DT CALL on THIS POST?

We'd love to read your app ;)

-Abby

Special Announcement :)

Hello crafty friends!

As we approach 2012, Abby and Suzanne have decided to make a few new and exciting changes to The Paper Variety! Beginning in January, the TPV blog face will receive a makeover and we'll also be including tutorials (photo & video) for our readers :) There are a few other improvements in the making, but you'll have to join us in January to see them :)

With these new changes, we're also seeking creative crafters who would like to join our Design Team!

We're looking for 8 designers to share their love of paper crafting and inspiring others - artists of all styles and experience levels. If you love paper and enjoy using it to create a variety of projects, then we hope to hear from you!

Here are some DT requirements:

• Be able to create a variety of paper projects including layouts, cards, mini-albums, altered items, banners, decorative pieces, gift bags etc.
• Submit a project every 2 weeks which follows the scheduled challenges
• Once a month, submit a tutorial (photo or video) with detailed recipe and instruction of your project.
• Have a blog and link our design team blinky on your side bar
• Post current TPV challenges and your projects on your blog, linking TPV and sharing sponsor information
• Be aware of project due dates and be able to meet them
• Use mostly current products on your projects
• Comment on participant entries
• Commit to a 6 month term beginning January 1st

Presently there is no compensation for your DT commitment. However, Abby and Suzanne do send small gifts of thanks and appreciation to each team member. Also, sponsors may provide product for our designers on occasion.

Applications will be accepted until December 16th midnight. The announcement of the new team will be posted on December 21st and each designer will be introduced daily following the announcement. :)

If you'd like to apply, please email us at thepapervariety@gmail.com with the following information...

• Your full name and an introduction of yourself.
• Your blog address
• Links to your online galleries.
• Current/Previous DT experience (not required)
• Photos of 3-5 projects that best showcase your papercrafting style. Please provide at least one layout, one card and one other paper project (such as a mini album, altered item, gift box etc).

(International crafters are welcome to apply, however they will be asked to pay shipping for any sponsor product provided for the DT if such an occasion should happen.)


Previous design team members are welcome to reapply! :)

We hope to hear from many creative paper crafters!

Abby & Suzanne

Happy Thanksgiving & a new challenge :)

Happy Thanksgiving week!!

Please join us on Friday 
for a special announcement! :) :)

Now, onto our challenge...
We know that everyone is probably really busy this week with special gatherings and family togetherness.. so we made this week's challenge super simple for you!

-Challenge-

There are so many avenues you can take with inspirational photo!
Colors: Brown, Gray, Slate Blue, Cream, Red
Add leaves to your project
Create a project about nature
Create an Autumn project
So many possibilities!
Don't forget to mention how you were inspired! :)

-Prize-

Mostly everyone will be shopping for others this weekend.
Wouldn't it be nice to shop for yourself!? :)

-Inspiration-

We welcome this week's guest designer,
Holly Gagnon

I live in Las Vegas, NV and I've been a stay at home Mom for the past 5 years.  I started scrapbooking 8 years ago then found the world of Cricut two years ago.  I absolutely LOVE, LOVE to paper craft!    My most favorite part of crafting is being able to make something special and unique for someone else.  I've given many albums, shadow boxes, decorations and other paper craft gifts over the years and now I'm excited  to have my own blog, Ribbons & Glue to share my papercrafting obsession with others.

We LOVE Holly's sweet bag! The colors, embossing, nature theme. Great project, Holly! Thanks so very much for joining our team this week! :)

And check out Team A's awesome projects following our challenge...

Jackie

Nothing speaks "Fall" like pumpkins and Scarecrows! 

 I love these fall color on these cute pumpkins and leaves.

Kylie

I was inspired by the leaves and these Scrapmatts chipboard embellishments were perfect for my layout.

Nicole

I loved this photo inspiration challenge!  I was immediately inspired by the color red popping out of the picture and decided to make it the main focus of my layout.  Also, i added a lot of leaves and a little Fall/Thanksgiving touch.  This layout was also based on Prima's monthly BAP sketch.

April

I was inspired by the colors in the challenge photo and found some amazing BG paper in my stash that was perfect to make these adorable notebooks with.

Sue

I created this card for my boyfriend for Thanksgiving. When I saw the inspiration photo, I immediately thought about one of the recent Artful Delight kits. I still had some paper left with leaves on it and I was going to use that. But this paper really made all the colors click for me.

Abby

I created this layout which features my son and nephew enjoying nature. I loved how the leaves in the inspirational photo look like they're stitched, so I did the same with my leaves. Love how they turned out!

Now it's your turn! :)

Enter your paper project following this week's inspirational photo challenge before Tuesday noon EST for your chance at winning a $20 shopping spree for yourself!
 If you enter before Sunday evening, we might choose your project to be featured in our Sunday Spotlight!


You may have noticed, we are not inviting guest designer sign ups lately. This week is our last to feature a guest designer for the rest of the year.  

Link up your project below. Just ONE entry per person, please! See our rules page here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
Abby

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who took time out of this busy time of year to link up to your "thanks" challenge :) We had 50 fabulous entries! Random.org chose our winner:

#14 was..

Susan aka the Distractible Scrapper! LOL!

What a great banner :)

I love those scallop squares!

Congratulations, Susan!

Please email us at thepapervariety@gmail.com with your snail mail address so we can put you in touch with our sponsor.

Thanks Emma!

Stop back in the  morning for a new challenge with Abby and the Team A designers :)

-Suzanne

I Love Sundays!

Especially fall Sundays at home - spent watching football with my husband and dog AND doing some scrapbooking :) I finished 2 layouts AND my team won in a big game! woot! I won't tell you who my team is .. because.. well you may stop reading now and not come back LOL!

I also love the Sunday before Thanksgiving because that means a short week at school before the big festivities :) 

Another reason I love Sundays? Spotlighting our fabulous entry's in this week's challenge!

The projects that caught my eye were..

Tessa's "thanks a bunch" cards for her son's teachers:

I love that they are fun - not the typical fall thanks theme - and include those gorgeous textured flowers/leaves!

Carmelita's "thankful" layout:

Love these sweet photos!  the ribbon flag border on the left is super cool, too. 

I also loved Holly's awesome paper wreath!

What a fun project. Love all the different patterned papers she used.

Congratulations Tessa, Holly, and Carmelita!

You still have time to enter this week's "thanks" challenge. Link up before Tuesday at noon for a chance to win this stamps set from Emma at My Creative Time:

Thanks for stopping by this fabulous Sunday evening!

Have a great week :)

-Suzanne

My Creative Time :)

TGIF!!

Has anyone thought that Friday would NEVER come this week! I did! I'm so glad it's here, though, and hope to get some layouts done :)

I definitely need a little "my creative time for me".

That's Emma's website and our sponsor this week!

My name is Emma and I've been married to a wonderful man for 12 years now! We have 2 beautiful boys together: Aaron, 9yrs and Anthony, 7yrs. We also have 2 adorable dogs named Scrappy & Angel.

I have been stamping and papercrafting for 7 years now and I absolutely love it!

Emma is celebrating her one year anniversary of designing her own stamps and dies! Stop by her blog to see the latest release.

You can win one of Emma's earlier sets "Just a Little Note to Say" by entering this week's challenge:

Have a great weekend!

-Suzanne

THANKS!! :)

Good morning! Oh my goodness is Thanksgiving really next week!??!!? ~insert panic here~ Where does the time go? Before you know it it will be CHRISTMAS! ~faints~

Sorry.

I got carried away there :) 

Nothing like a fresh, new challenge and yummy prize to bring me to my senses! hehe! This week is all about being THANKFUL.

You use the word "thanks" or "thankful" on your paper project. "Thank you" works too. But if you're not sure, please read the fine print to be sure your entry qualifies.

Fine Print:

We want to see the word "THANK" in there somewhere! Unfortunately, we are having discount a lot of entries when it comes to selecting a winner because they don't follow the challenge. A layout with a picture of your beautiful family (who you're thankful for of course) but the page title is "At the beach" and the journaling is about making sandcastles and catching rays will not qualify. Clear as mud? We want to see your THANKS ;) Thank you.

Back to your regular scheduled program! lol! Meet a returning sponsor to The Paper Variety.. Miss Emma from My Creative Time! wahoo!

She is providing our winner with (how appropriate) her "Just a Little Note to Say" stamp set! Thanks Emma!

Stop back Friday to hear more about My Creative Time!

Our Team B designers have OUTDONE themselves this week. Every single project blew me away. Click on the designers name to go to their blog and see more photos and details, too!

Cassie

Rachel

I was going for a warm, cozy, fall look on this card. I used my Silhouette for the index card shape and the "so thankful" words, and punched the leaves out of some packaging. I also used a wonderful Ali Edwards stamp-but you might have to zoom in to see it. :)

Sandi

I decided to make an altered frame for a close friend of mine.  I love the earthy textures in the burlap and ribbon and that gorgeous flower was handmade by a dear online friend of mine.  The pops of aqua in this year's fall collections are just beautiful -- don't you agree?

Jamilie

I started out saying that I was thankful for my 8 years of marriage, but ended up with FAMILY. ;-) Perfect opportunity to scrap this photo of our anniversary.

Hannah

I enjoyed making this card. I love these colours, they are my favourite combination. I found the inspiration for this card in a magazine, and it was actually quite quick to put together. This card is to thank a brilliant group of people who I did work experience with last month, I hope they like it.

Suzanne

I have been wanting to make a slimmer card with a banner that went "over the edge" for a while. I really like how it turned out! I used scraps on my desk from a layout I made last week using We R Memory Keeper's "Maple Grove" fall line. Love when I can do that ;)

We looking forward to visiting your blogs and galleries! Show us a project with THANKS :)

One entry per person please. Link up before Sunday evening for a chance to have your blog/project featured and before Tuesday at noon for a chance at the prize from

My Creative Time!

Have a great week!

-Suzanne