Crafts in the Command Center: Challenges

Showing posts with label Challenges. Show all posts

Monday, August 31, 2026

Strut Year V Title Page; SID Challenge

There are no pictures on this layout. Whoa. Have you ever created a layout without a picture? Since this is a title page for year five of my family's annual virtual marathon, I've actually made a few.

I used a sketch from Stick It Down for it. I loved the hexagons and thought it would be great to add more interest to it. Stick It Down drops three sketches a month - one page, two page layout sketches and a card sketch. You can find them on Facebook HERE.

Watch the video for the process.

I used a variety of pink, black and white papers and my Cricut for the hexagons. I also used my Cricut to make my own embellishment stickers. I'll be posting a video soon showing how I did this.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Family Layout; Stick It Down Sketch

You know I love working with sketches and Stick It Down always have good ones. The sketch:

This one is also pretty simple so I added a larger cluster above and below the focal photo. I'm really trying to use my older supplies and thought outside the box with the embellishments. I'm really happy with the layout.

If you like sketches like I do, check out Stick It Down. They post a new sketch for two page layouts, one page and a card every month.

Watch the YouTube process video to see how this came together:

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Designer Deep Dive; Echo Park YT Hop

It's time for another YouTube hop hosted by Tara of the Paper Snob. Scroll down for all the details.

Here's my layout using Echo Park School Rules stickers. When Echo Park had a big warehouse sale, I decided to purchase a bunch of their stickers versus collections. If you're like me, we already have tons of papers that coordinate with these stickers even if they are not from Echo Park. I used a big paper pad called The Basics. You know, the one you bought because you were going to use it for everything? LOL

I haven't...but they sure did coordinate with the School Rules stickers I pulled out for my granddaughters' first day of school. It's a simple page but I love how colorful it is! I followed a sketch by Scrapbooking The Day Away.

Here's a closeup of the title/journaling part in the lower left corner:

Check out my YouTube video and follow the other scrapbookers.

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#designerdeepdive #scrapbooklayouts #scrapbooking #useyourstash

Join a fun group of creators each month as we take on the Designer Deep Dive Hop! Each month Tara from @thepapersnob will select a designer or manufacturer to use on a layout. There will be some alternatives for some of the designers just in case you don’t have this designer or manufacturer in your stash. You are not required to use 100% of this designer! This hop goes live on the FOURTH THURSDAY of the month. We will have a hop on YouTube and Instagram to show how we each used the designer for the month.

The designer/manufacturer of the month is: Echo Park or Carta Bella!

Instagram:

Brandi www.instagram.com/scrappy.boymama/

Simera: www.instagram.com/scrappysimi

Laurie: https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookingbits/

Kathy C: https://www.instagram.com/kacarr61

Kathy S: https://www.instagram.com/kathyfl58/

Here is a playlist with ALL the videos of the YouTube creators:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCfSqErOPJorvbr97LYKxzROOYe2swnnb

If you want to play along, come over to the Paper Snob Community Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepapersnobcommunity/

Friday, April 17, 2026

Iron Crafter Challenge; Nuvo Drops

I'm participating in a YouTube Hop hosted by The Paper Snob (a Facebook Group) and the challenge for April is Nuvo Drops. I don't have a lot of them, and I realized that they are all pretty much the same colors! But I tried to get a little creative by making stars and just fun-fetti all over the page. I think it turned out ok. What do you think?

I also used a sketch by AnnMarie from her website, Scrapbooking the Day Away. Click HERE for the website.

My finished layout:

This is the right side to a two page spread. I created the left side awhile ago without knowing about the banners & Nuvo Drop challenge so I brought it back out and added some more embellishments in order for the two sides to coordinate:

Now watch how it's done in my YouTube video:

Read below for all the hop details:

Join a fun group of crafty people each month as we take on the Iron Crafter Challenge! Each month Tara from @thepapersnob will select a challenge ingredient to use on a layout. This hop goes live on the THIRD FRIDAY of the month. We will have a hop on YouTube and Instagram to show how we used the challenge ingredient(s) for the month.

The mystery challenge for April is to use our Nuvo Drops! You can also use Stickles or Pops of Color or anything similar by other brand names.

Instagram:

Tina www.instagram.com/tinamcmmvr

Brandi www.instagram.com/scrappy.boymama/

Laurie: https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookingbits…

Simera: https://www.instagram.com/scrappysimi/

Annie: https://www.instagram.com/annaascraftycreations/

Here is a playlist with ALL the videos of the YouTube creators:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCfSqErOPJopIC9M3OMW4IQE8OuRmpSSn

If you want to learn about the mystery item and play along, come over to the Paper Snob Community Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepapersnobcommunity/

Friday, February 27, 2026

Nat'l Strawberry Day Watercolor Card

Happy National Strawberry Day. I swear there's a national holiday for just about anything but hey, it gives me excused to make theme specific cards!

I created this card by adding red watercolor paint on a thick piece of white cardstock. Then, I created my own patterned paper by stamping two different strawberry stamps and some paint splatter around it.

Once that was dried, I heat embossed a sentiment on patterned vellum and adhered this panel to the patterned paper using four white brads.

Hello! This card has so much going on. Watercoloring, embossing, stamping, vellum and brads.

Check out the process video on my YouTube channel and follow the Instagram Hop starting on my IG account, @3sons_and_astar

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Nat'l Margarita Day; Stick it Down Sketch

I love the sketch by Stick It Down for February and loved how it worked turned on its side for this two photo layout.

As you can probably guess, I was determined to use all these festive stickers from this collection sheet that I've had for many years. I bought it on clearance for $.79. How could I resist?

Here's the sketch:

And my layout:

The top two images are a photo printed at 2x2 square and a margarita sticker from a completely different sticker set.

Stick It Down posts three sketches each month. A card sketch, two page and a single page sketch.

You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Guest Designer on the Scrapbooking The Day Away Website; Week Two

Hi there, I'm a guest design team member on the Scrapbooking The Day Away website and there are some fabulous sketches there.

This week's sketch:

And my layout:

I was really excited about this sketch because it allowed me to use lots of scraps. I bought a beer themed collection years ago when we did a 60th birthday party for my hubby and still had lots of scraps. I pretty much used them all for this layout. There are four different patterned papers on this one layout.

I added white mats a few places to settle the eyes a little but I think the rest looks great! I hope you agree.

Check out my process video to see how this was put together and to get a few little paper saving tips so you can use those scraps!

Be sure to join the free membership on the STDA website. There is a free and a pay subscription available. Of course you get so much more with the paid subscription and it is totally worth it!

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Rainbow Crush YT Hop; Red

Welcome to Rainbow Crush – a Social Media hop where we share projects that feature a color of the rainbow each month! This hop is hosted by Tara on her Facebook Group. Anyone is welcome to play along. This hop takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of the month! The color for February is red!

You can sign for the next month’s hop over on the The Paper Snob Community Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepapersnobcommunity/

The challenge color is perfect for these photos I have of our 49er Superbowl Party in 2024.

I used two different sketches from Scrapping the Day Away and lots of red.

More pictures:

The two footballs were the negative from a project that I completed before. I just had a feeling that I would use them for something. I thought about adding a back layer, but for this layout, I felt like it looked fine without one.

I know this side looks a little plain, but I actually like it. I may go back and add some journaling strips, but I'm not sure.

The three patterned papers are 4x6.

Here is the YOUTUBE PLAYLIST for this hop! All the videos in one place!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCfSqErOPJooq6mP4JFm_bkwtpLnpv6pO

Take a moment to watch all the participants' YouTube videos. Here's mine:

Thursday, January 29, 2026

TKS IV Layout; 100 Patterned Paper Challenge

I love scrapbooking challenges and this layout was completed using a five item challenge on the 100 Patterned Papers Challenge Group on Facebook.

The five items we had to use are: circles, die cut, small words, thread/twine and something new.

Watch the process video for details on the five items.

Gotta tell you, I wasn't sure how I was going to incorporate thread/twine but then I was adhering the sneakers and it just came to me!

What do you think? Nailed it, right?!

Leave a comment if you'd like more info on how to organize your own virtual marathon. It has given my family a way to honor my nephew's memory and build new memories.

Thursday, November 13, 2025

National Holidays IG Hop

I try to participate in IG, blog and/or YouTube hops as much as possible. On IG, I have joined some amazing card makers in monthly National Holiday hops.

This month there is a holiday for sandwiches, happy hour and fast food to name a few.

Here are the cards I created.

Can you guess which card is for which holiday?

I don't always post on my blog so follow me on my instagram account. @3sons_and_astar

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Rainbow Crush YT Hop; Orange

#scrapbooking #scrapbooklayouts #rainbowcrushhop #scrapbookprocessvideo

You can sign for the next month’s hop over on the The Paper Snob Community Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepapersnobcommunity/

I worked on a Month in Review layout using orange cardstock as the base. I'm happy to say, I used a lot of my dwindling fall patterned papers.

INSTAGRAM:

Brandi: https://www.instagram.com/scrappy.boymama/

Tina: https://www.instagram.com/tinamcmmvr/

Laurie: https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookingbits

Neyla: instagram.com/nelliepickles_crafts

Fawn: https://www.instagram.com/fawn_opalmer/

Dorlene: https://www.instagram.com/3sons_and_astar/

Simera: https://www.instagram.com/scrappysimi/

Here is the YOUTUBE PLAYLIST for this hop! All the videos in one place!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCfSqErOPJopgABtmfCtZGiEKY7VBg8VV

Here's my completed two page layouts

And some close ups:

My video:

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

September Junk Calendar

So, I did a thing! I saw this idea while scrolling through social media and thought I'd try it for September. You know what I found out...I eat out a lot! I really tried to add things that were not food related LOL

The idea is to create a calendar in the Junk Journal and add a piece of "junk" on each day that match that day's event(s).

I probably should have decorated the surroundings before adding the junk, but I did mine afterwards and I love it! I don't think I'll do this every month because after a while it loses its quirkiness, but I do like it.

Watch the YouTube video on the daily process and the finishing touches.

Whatcha think? Cool, right?

Do you think this is something you'd try?

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Rainbow Crush YT Hop; Yellow

Hey there, I'm participating in another Rainbow Crush YT hop and yellow is the color for April. I am using products from 49 & Market and a dog sympathy stamp set by Our Daily Bread Designs to create the layout for the final moments of our dog's life.