Challenge #135 - Party like it's 1999 {June 21 - July 4}

Are you singing now? I am.

Nothing like a little Prince song to get you going on a Monday morning.

Challenge #135:

Create a layout with:

1 word title

9 squares

9 brads

9 pieces of pattern paper

Michelle: I am so embarrassed...this is my challenge and I messed up the 1 word title. LOL. Pretend that Family Guy is all one word.....ok? :) I had fun layering the squares. And the brads were super easy. Pattern papers and sticker by Bella Blvd (Man of the House line).

Debbi: Yeah, I have the song in my head now, too! I had a lot of fun with this challenge. I used a Studio Calico kit for my page (plus a few odds and ends from my stash). I counted the background papers in my 9 squares since my layout is square. For some reason, I had a little trouble deciding where to put the last two brads, but after pondering and pondering, I added them to the little square above the picture. I've added my hidden journaling below my layout, in case anyone wants to know what's in the pocket.

Hidden journaling reads: Every year when we go to the reading conference, something memorable happens that we always laugh about the next year. This year, there were two defining moments: 1) The Garage Barbecue: Martha has connections and she managed to get us invited to a dinner hosted by a publisher. We're not sure what we were expecting, but one thing for sure was that we didn't expect to have our barbecue dinner in a garage! 2) The Key Fiasco: Our hotel room keys didn't work and the front desk guy didn't believe us and kept giving us more keys that didn't work. After three or four trips back and forth, we made them come and try out the faulty keys.

Elizabeth: Another fun challenge. I chose to use the squares as my embellishment feature on this one and used the brads to dress up the butterflies and flower.

Joy: I love a good grid design! I went with the obvious. I love this old photo of my 3rd child when she was a baby!

Challenge #134 - six of one, half a dozen of the other

Can you believe it's June already? The 6th month of the year! And that brings me to this next challenge - six of one, half a dozen of the other: use 6 patterned papers and 6 stickers on your layout.

Here's what the team members did:
Paula: I went clean and simple. I've had these photos sitting on my desk for quite some time but never could figure out what to do with them. I picked up this heart punch and was done pretty quickly after that! I counted the thickers as stickers and added a couple more down at the bottom.


Elizabeth: Fun challenge, once again. This one came together quickly for me, which is always a good thing. I used several pp's as the background paper and covered the dotted paper with a printed transparency (kinda hard to see). I used more pp to accent the pictures with a red border and also punched a few snowflakes out of patterned paper. It was fun to look through my word stickers for this layout, I used to use them ALL the time, but got out of the habit. Here's my layout...

Michelle: I finally scrapped these photos from this past December of our day trip to Memphis. Yes. I used 6 pattern papers; there is one piece of pattern paper hiding behind the chipboard circle tag. And it felt so great to finally use that Heidi Swapp chipboard tag I have had in my stash for a long time.

Debbi T: One of my many crazy photos of my husband. This is going into my book of silly photos. I had just finished another layout using this old Studio Calico kit from over two years ago that I'd been hoarding, and as I was preparing to put the papers away, I realized they were perfect for the picture. The clock and gear accents were perfect to go with this funny quote I found.

HMITM #133 - National Smile Month {May 24 - June 6} and a Design Team Call!

How Much Is Too Much, one of the oldest-running scrapbooking challenge blogs, would like to add a few fresh faces to our team.

The mission of our blog is to post interesting challenges that encourage participants to use their stuff because, let's admit it, we all have too much stuff!
Design team members will be asked to post challenges on a rotating basis. Challenges are posted every two weeks, so if you are chosen, you will be creating a layout for our challenge every other week.

To apply, please send the following to: dftehrani@aol.com (use "HMITM DT Call" as your subject) by midnight on June 6:

* create a layout using the current challenge* a link to your blog (if you have one)
* a link to your online gallery
* three ideas for possible challenges
* your name, phone number, and e-mail address


Please also link your layout on the HMITM thread at the Pub and mention that you're trying out for the team.

The new team members will be notified by e-mail during the week of June 21 and will begin their first challenge on July 5.

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Now, on to the challenge:

Did you know that May is National Smile Month? And that it takes 43 muscles to frown but only 17 to smile? Let's use those numbers in our scrapping:
* Use 43 things on your layout (yes, that can include your photos and the letters in your title)
* Use 17 words or sentences in your journaling or 17 letters in your title
We can't wait to see what you come up with. Post a link to your creations on the HMITM thread at the 2Peas Pub so we can take a look at what you made.

Elizabeth: What a fun challenge! I was a little scared about the 43 items, but when I got a 17 letter title on my first try, I knew this would be a breeze ;). I decided to do a layout about my son's chicken pox, seeing how I could just add more red dots to the layout if I needed more things to make 43! LOL The title is a little hard to see in the scan, but it says 'your turn for the pox'.

Debbi T: I was a little worried about my own challenge when I sat down to pick out 43 things, but I found a 17-letter title, so that took me almost almost half-way. I actually went over by one item when I counted at the end. I kept losing count!


Michelle: Debbi T likes to freak me out with these mega challenges. But I shocked even myself. Between the pattern paper, circles, stickers, brads, rub on letters, and chipboard letters...I used more than 43 things on my layout. And exactly 17 letters in my title. Thanks for the challenge Debbi. It gave me a great excuse to use all the Scenic Route I have been hoarding.

Francine: Like everyone else this challenge scared me! Especially since it's my first one in a long time. But I also managed a 17 letter title, and then the rest was a breeze. I think I actually have 44 things on this layout!

HMITM #132 ... 9,7,6,2 {May 10-24}

Can you guess what these numbers represent? 9, 7, 6, 2?
Well, in less than a month we will be adding another little baby to our family (or not so little, I usually have 10 lb-ers!), so I thought we would do the ages of my children before the little/big one arrives ;)

9 - circles
7 - brads
6 - photo corners
2 - stamps

Use these things on a layout and post a link to the Pub at 2peas so we can all take a peek. Have fun with it!

Elizabeth: I had an idea when I started with my layout but it didn't come together as easily as I had hoped. But I had fun trying ;)

Debbi T: I think circles are so fun and whimsical. I haven't done a page for my silly family photos in a while, so I thought I'd use this prompt to make a page for that book. Since I had planned to use my photo as a circle, the photo corner part stumped me, and then I decided to add them as a border. I mounted most of my punched circles on pop dots.

more to come...

Challenge #131 {April 26-May 9}

April sure has flown by...Today is April 26th.

2 X 6 = 12

Use as least 12 things on layouts. Things include pattern paper, brads, buttons, rubons, stickers, die cuts...

Michelle: I had fun add brads to the center of this flower. I used some rubons and some of my favorite 'old' Basic Grey letter stickers too.

Elizabeth: I understood this challenge to be 2x6 things, which was a fun way to interpret this challenge. I used 2 cardstocks, 2 pattern papers, 2 lace papers, 2 types of rubons, 2 word stickers, 2 foam embellishments.

Challenge #130 {April 12-April25}

It's FONTastic!

Come on, we all know we have WAY TOO MANY alphabets laying around...so use them up!
The challenge is to use:
- at least 2 different fonts in your title
- add some sort of fabric or stitch
- and some sort of bling or pearls!

Can't wait to see what you all come up with it an be sure to post your layout to the thread in The Pub for praise :)

Debi:
Love these cursive alphas by American Crafts. My hand stitching is the trail to the butterfly and the pearls are on the butterfly!























Debbi T:

I have so many packages of these tiny letter stickers, and I always forget to use them, so I was happy for this challenge that got me to add them to my title. I used crepe paper, which sort of looks like fabric, and I did lots of stitching on this--I stitched the ribbon, machine stitched the crepe paper and polka dot paper, and I sewed the pearl beads onto my page.




Elizabeth: I have so many letter stickers, so this challenge was just up my alley! I did a little hand stitching on the photo collage and the gems are around the snowman sticker. Great challenge!

Challenge #129 - Cloud 9 {March 29 - April 11}

I'm officially on Cloud 9 since I'm on spring break! So I'm calling my challenge "Cloud 9":

Use clouds on your page (as embellishments or patterned paper with clouds) plus 9 different embellishments.

Post a link to your creations on this thread over at the 2Peas Pub.

Debbi T: I adore this picture of my nephew and me. He always has the cutest expressions! I used the April Noel Mignon kit to make this page and had fun playing with my new Cuttlebug to emboss the clouds. It's hard to tell from the scan, but the letters are a fun sparkly brown.





Paula: Like Debbi, I embossed my clouds! I also used some embellishments to make new embellishments (the sun and the kite)!



Elizabeth: What a fun challenge! I have had this cloud paper from 'Around the Block' for AGES, so it was nice to have the push to finally use it. I handcut a few more clouds and raised one on chipboard. And how do you like the ancient Chatterbox letter stickers, I used to use them on every layout! :)

Michelle: Sorry to be late to the party here. I have been shuffling the clouds (cut from American Crafts Heat Wave pattern paper) around on this page for a while. And then I got a little excited with some stitching.

10x10x10 HMITM #128 {March 15 - March 28}

There is no real significance to the 10s in my title, we're just going with it :) Elizabeth here, with another challenge to help use up that stash you have been collecting! The challenge this week is to use ...
10 - rubons
10 - buttons
10 - stars
Sounds fun, doesn't it?!?!

All you have to do is create a layout using these 30 things and link us a peek at the 2peas thread in the Pub. Can't wait to see what you create!

Elizabeth: I have so many rubons but always seem to gravitate towards stickers instead. I guess that permanancy factor keeps me away from using rubons. But they are so fun and cool, so I challenged myself to break them out. Buttons and stars were an easy addition ;) I have been doing a lot of 2 page layouts, trying to get a lot of pictures tackled at once. This is a birthday layout for our youngest who turned 2.

Michelle: Stars...easy! Rub-ons...easy! However, I am not a button kinda girl. So that was difficult for me. I found a bag of Halloween buttons from a kit I received over a year and a half ago. Yeah! So I decided now as a good time to scrap this Halloween photo of the boys....

Debbi T: I was glad for this challenge because I have a TON of rub-ons, and I always forget to use them. Not sure why--I really like them. I've had these teeny-tiny butons in my stash forEVER (they were one of the first dimensional accents I used on my pages), so I was happy to use some of them up. That's my 90-year old Gram in the pictures.

Challenge #127 -- March 1st - M-A-R-C-H

I am so ready for spring. Warm weather would really make me happy right now..So let's celebrate March.
M - Metal
A - Arrow
R - Red
C- Chipboard
H - Happy

Use at least one metal, arrow, red item, and chipboard. And the topic of the layout should be about something that makes you happy.

Debbi T: Yeah, I know I made a layout about tea last time, too, but this is what's making me happy lately! I'm guest designer over at Work in Progress kits this month, so almost everything, except the metal arrow and the jewel on the flower comes from that kit. I promise not to make a layout about tea next time!

Michelle: Metal star brads. I created arrows using photo corner stickers. The arrows are red. I used up some oldie Heidi Swapp chipboard stars. and. Hanging with my boys makes me happy...

Paula:
Well, we don't have warm weather to be happy about right now in Massachusetts but we make the most of what we've got :) This photo of my kids with their friends just screams happy to me, even if we are barely above freezing!

Elizabeth: This was a fun and easy challenge! Hope you will join in!

Challenge #126 -- Feb 15th - A stitch in Time Saves 9

A nice and easy one this week - our theme is the old adage "a stitch in time saves 9": use stitching and 9 different things. Post a link to your layout in the thread in the Pub on 2Peas so we can see what you have done!

Paula:
I used a variety of patterned papers and cardstock on my layout and stitched some of the layers together with my sewing machine. I really need to do that more often!




Debbi: I love stitching on pages! I only stitched around the border of the green paper for this page. It looks like I used more than nine things, but I counted them (I counted patterned paper as one thing, even though I used several different patterns, and I counted brads as one thing, even though I used three of them). I scrapped about my current obsession with this awesome tea. I used the March Noel Mignon kit to make this layout. The left side of the page scanned darker because of the lump factor.



Elizabeth: This was a nice and easy challenge this week. I decided to follow the challenge for a couple pages I am doing for my friend's baby album. We all have to bring a page for her 8x8 album to the baby shower. The pages are simple and sweet...




Debi: Tried some misting on my page! Think I am addicted now!

Challenge No. 125 - 20/20 {Feb1- Feb15}

Another challenge for you all...and a challenge it will be!
The challenge is to use 20 pieces of patterned paper and 20 pieces of metal (brads, eyelets, staples ....anything metal). Use your imagination and show us what you got ;)

Be sure to post your layout to this thread in The Pub at 2 Peas!

Looking forward to seeing some fun creations!!

Debi:
Had a lot of fun making this layout. LOVE this picture of me & the hubby from Christmas Eve (Thanks, P!). I made a heart using 18 different squares of patterned paper and then cut out a heart, a little stitching and it was complete. I also pleated some patterned paper and held it down with 20 staples. The larger hearts on the background were made using the outside of some large Heidi Swapp Acylics. I just glued them on, let it dry and then used some Stickles glitter to add some shine.

Debbi T:

This was a really fun challenge. For a while, I was scratching my head at the 20 patterned papers part, but then it dawned on me to make one of those cool little banners I've been wanting to try. I hate the way metal scans. The title letters are actually a nice shiny silver. I also got to use the sprocket gears I've been saving to use for this topic.

Elizabeth: This wasn't the easiest challenge for me, but let me tell you, I have had these metal letters and brads for YEARS and it felt so good to get them onto a page. The metal is difficult to scan, but it reads 'Quick Dip' and the year 2009.


Paula:

I've had these photos printed out for almost a year and they've been sitting, waiting for inspiration. I guess using 20 patterned papers was it! I hand cut and sewed my title letters. I also punched out the flowers and leaves, mimicking the pattern on my daughter's jacket.

Challenge No. 124 - Shop Your Stash {Jan. 18 - Jan. 31

CHA is coming up next week, and I'm certain we'll all be itching to buy some new goodies, but we have to make room in our stash, right?

So I challenge you to shop your stash. Find some unopened packages and--using the challenge number 124--use:

12 embellishments from unused packages
4 patterned papers that you haven't cut into yet

I hope you'll play with us. Post a link to your creations on this thread at the Two Peas Pub.

Debbi T: It's embarrassing how many unopened packages of things I have in my stash! I challenged myself to use mostly "old" stuff and managed to use quite a few oldies. The solid blue background paper is the back of some really old Chatterbox patterned paper. Everything on here is at least a two years old (and some much older than that) except the K & Co. border, the Martha Stewart Punch, the micro-brads, the Cosmo Cricket paper, and the Jillibean Soup paper.

Michelle: I had fun with this layout. I dug out my box of winter embellishments. I had this unopened package of pewter Making Memories snowflake brads that I bought on clearance who know how long ago. I hardly ever use ribbon...no clue why I have so much wintery ribbon in my stash...I used 3 different ribbons. Also used some Heidi Swapp bling and Fancy Pants winter pattern papers.

Challenge # 123 Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I didn't stay up and countdown the New Year...fell asleep way to early. Ha! So let's do a count down layout!

5 - pieces of chipboard

4 - pattern papers

3 - sentences in your journaling

2 - die cuts

1 - sheet of cardstock

This challenge will run from January 4 - January 17. Can't wait to see your count down layouts!

Post your layout in The Pub at 2peas so we can take a look. Have fun with it!

Michelle: I had fun with these little Cosmo Cricket chipboard pieces!!! Just an every day photos of my boys!

Debbi T: Every Christmas, my mom asks us if we remember what we got for Christmas last year, and no one can ever remember, so this year, I decided I'd make a list (it's on the back of my page), so next year I can review it and tell her exactly what I got! I love this new K & Co. paper--so sparkly and pretty. I did a little creative photo editing to make my picture look old-timey.

Paula: Getting a bit nostalgic here for little kid rain boots! For my die cuts I cut my own stars using my Sizzix dies and some patterned papers. I especially liked limiting my journaling to three sentences!





Elizabeth: I managed to make a 2pager for this challenge, loved the combination of elements, and it came together painlessly ;)



Debi:
Loved that I scrapped this photo of my girl's from New Years Eve already :)

Challenge # 122 now it's MY birthday

Seeing how we are on the birthday kick here at HMITM, I thought I would continue on the theme. My birthday is on 12/22 and we are on challenge #122, so I thought we would use...
1 photo collage
22 circles
I know, I hardly imagined that I put 22 circles in a challenge, but I am actually quite excited about it ;) There is no limit to the kind of circles you use, it could be patterned paper, chipboard, buttons, felt, brads, etc, the options are endless.

This challenge will run from December 21 - January 3, so there is lots of time over the holidays to make something creative :) Can't wait to see how everyone uses their circles.

Post your layout in The Pub at 2peas so we can take a look. Have fun with it!

Elizabeth:
I usually shy away from circles, but whenever I do use them I love the effect they have on my project.


Debbi T: I love circles, too, but I wa sa little worried when I saw I had to include 22 PLUS a photo collage on an 8 x 8 page, but I managed to work it out by including the brads. I have one large patterned circle, two chipboard circles, seven buttons, a circular date, and eleven brads.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Paula: I didn't count the brads so I guess I ended up with 25 circles!! That somebody else's birthday - LOL. I used a Quickutz circle dies to cut my circles in different colors matching my kids jackets and sewed them on using my sewing maching. Naturally I used a photo cluster by Katie Pertiet for my collage -- I rarely do a page without one lately!


Happy birthday Elizabeth!

Michelle: I love these photos from our trip to the farmer's market! I used exactly 22 circle shaped brads. :) And some really really really old American Crafts pattern paper and felt....which makes me happy to use. Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Challenge #121 - It's My Birthday!

Since I just celebrated my birthday I thought it would be fun to play around with my date of birth. So here are the requirements for this challenge, and this time I want them to be exact, no more, no less:

12 Buttons
1 Word Title
1 Funky Border Strip or Punch
9 Stickers (this can include your title alpha)
7 Patterned Papers
1 Stamp

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Lisa: I used one of the patterned papers for my background, another as a photo mat and the remaining ones as paper strips on each side of the photos. I added a bazzill border strip that I cut in half and embellished with buttons. I used stickers for my title and one accent sticker. And I used one stamp as an embellishment three times.

Michelle: This was hard for me...But I really enjoyed creating this layout. I got out some old Scenic Route pattern papers, die cut, and stickers......I did 'cheat' a little...the background is dotted swiss cardstock and I counted that as one of my pattern papers. The stamp - Making Memories date stamp.

Elizabeth: What a great challenge! Loved getting a title that was exactly 9 letters ;) Happy birthday Lisa!!!