Need You Around Layout - Guest Designer - Athanasia Papantoniou

Hello Everyone

Today we have another super Guest Designer here at Berry71Bleu and today is the turn of amazingly talented Athanasia Papantoniou.

Hello! My name is Athanasia and I'm very happy to be here with you today! I live in Greece, I am a music teacher in elementary school and in my spare time, when I am not playing the piano, I love making handicrafts, felting, altering things and of course scrapbooking. I like scrapbooking because it combines such a vast deposit of media types not only with memories of my life and my family, but also with emotions and ideas whenever I have in my head and want desperately to express! Inspiration always derives from the photograph I use and the open choice of combination of mixed media techniques. I love to use gesso, mists and stamps! Through scraping I think I have found the best way to express myself and exploit my spare time in the best way.

my blog: http://athanasiameandmyself.blogspot.gr/

Hello dear friends! It is really a great honor being here as a guest designer today! 

I have to admit that I fell in love with this amazing moodboard. I got inspired not only by the neutral earth colors but also by the motherhood theme which touched me deeply as being a mum of two children is the most important thing in my life.

For this project I used three shades of Lindy's Gang Stamp sprays and embossing powders (on the chipboard pieces): grey, beige and gold to match the color combo of the photo and the moodboard. I also used black watercolor on some spots to create a little bit of contrast. I chose only a few embellishments because I wanted to focus on the photo and the background, which is created with stamps, a stencil and the above colors. The paper, sticker and chipboard I used are from 7 Dots Studio 'Soulmates' collection.

This page is incredibly special, meaningful and so beautiful, in every way! ;-)

Thanks so much Athanasia for inspiring us with this stunning page! ;-)

Here's one last look at this months mood board.

~ May challenge Mood Board ~

Our sponsors provided prizes with international shipping included! Yay!!

1st Prize:

25 USD Gift Certificate from UmWowStudio

Random Prize:

Set of products from 7 Dots Studio

Sponsors:

UmWowStudio

UmWowStudio is a US based manufacturer of chipboard, stencils/masks, and flair for the general artsy community. Our products make great additions to cards and scrapbooking as well as mixed media pieces, altered art, tags, canvases, art journaling and more. Our chipboard is extra heavy duty to stand up to any mediums you can manage to throw at it. Our stencils and masks come in a super thick durable plastic to give your pieces extra dimension, and our flair is flat backed for easy use.

Connect with us! Visit us on FACEBOOK, view our BLOG, we're on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and our shop can be found at UmWowStudio.com

Website: http://umwowstudio.com/

Blog: http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UmWowStudio

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/UmWowStudio

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/umwowstudio

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/UmWowStudio

7 Dots Studio

We are a team of creative women who cannot image their world without paper, glue and the creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion and we love to share our passion with other scrapbookers. For this reason, 7 Dots Studio exists. The quality of our products is our top priority. Our lines consist of papers, stickers, die-cut elements, clear stamps, stencils and chipboard pieces. You can find our products in scrapbooking stores around the world.

Blog: http://7dotsstudio.com/archives/category/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/7DotsStudio

Twitter: https://twitter.com/7DotsStudio

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/7dotsstudio

Retail store: http://retailstore.7dotsstudio.com/

Thank you and we hope to see your beautiful creations!

We appreciate each and every challenge entry and share the designs that catch our eye on our facebook pageand Pinterest Boards. Look for your work there!

Mothers Love Layout - Guest Designer - Nicole Doiron

Hello Everyone

We have a super duper Guest Designer today! Welcome Nicole Doiron, we are so thrilled that you are sharing your creativity with us here today! ;-)

Nicole is very well known in the scrapping world and really has such a beautiful style! ;-)

Here's a little about Nicole.

Hi! I am Nicole Doiron, am 41 years old and have lived in Eastern Canada all my life. Having been a fan of the Berry71bleu challenges for years, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to Guest Design this month, especially since I absolutely love this month's challenge. I have been introduced to scrapbooking by a friend in 2005 and, always having been a very creative person, I immediately fell head over heels in love with this hobby. In 2011, I started a blog because I wanted to participate in my very first challenge. I find that challenges are the best inspiration and at Berry71blue, each challenge month after month is unique and so much fun.

Although I tend to prefer shabby chic romantic creations, my creative style is very versatile and adapts itself constantly to my moods and the themes of my pictures. One project may be fun and colorful, while another may turn out vintage and elegant. I tend to use a lot of different pattern papers and embellishments - the more, the better! - and I love to dabble in mixed media. I love hand stitching on my pages, using templates to create textured backgrounds as well as trying all sorts of different techniques. My favorite scrapbooking products are flowers and laser-cut chipboard!

If you like my layout today, I hope that you will visit my blog at http://scrap-utopia.blogspot.com to see more. I also have a FB page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scrap-Utopia/508848229167055) on which I share all my work. You can also find me on Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/nicutopia/my-creations/) and Instagram (https://instagram.com/scraputopia).

Thank you Berry71bleu for this awesome GDT opportunity!

Nicole created this stunning and beautiful page! ;-)

Now, let's talk a little bit more about my layout based on the May challenge which is all about paying tribute to MOTHERS. I didn't have to dig deep into my stash of papers and pictures to find the perfect combination for this project. I knew I wanted to make a layout about my own mother who is very dear to my heart and who has always been my best friend, and I just happened to have a beautiful picture of her that I was saving for a special layout. It went perfectly with these pretty Tea-Thyme from Prima. I used the Prima May BAP sketch challenge always as inspiration for the design. Therefore, most of the products used from the paper to the flowers to all the bling comes from Prima. I added some journaling on the tag and slipped the tag behind the main flower cluster. For those of you who might be familiar with my style, you'll recognize my signature style per se, which is to dab white paint pretty much all over my page, embellishments and all, to soften everything up and give it a whitewash effect. I really love how this page turned out and I think it is fit for a Queen... my Mom who is the Queen of my heart! I feel so blessed to have her in my life.

Here's some close-ups.

Thanks so much Nicole, for this special, treasured and fabulous page! ;-)

There is a "wee" amount of time to still create something for this challenge. 

So you will have to be quick and upload your project asap! ;-)

~ May challenge Mood Board ~

Our sponsors provided prizes with international shipping included! Yay!!

1st Prize:

25 USD Gift Certificate from UmWowStudio

Random Prize:

Set of products from 7 Dots Studio

Sponsors:

UmWowStudio

UmWowStudio is a US based manufacturer of chipboard, stencils/masks, and flair for the general artsy community. Our products make great additions to cards and scrapbooking as well as mixed media pieces, altered art, tags, canvases, art journaling and more. Our chipboard is extra heavy duty to stand up to any mediums you can manage to throw at it. Our stencils and masks come in a super thick durable plastic to give your pieces extra dimension, and our flair is flat backed for easy use.

Connect with us! Visit us on FACEBOOK, view our BLOG, we're on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and our shop can be found at UmWowStudio.com

Website: http://umwowstudio.com/

Blog: http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UmWowStudio

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/UmWowStudio

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/umwowstudio

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/UmWowStudio

7 Dots Studio

We are a team of creative women who cannot image their world without paper, glue and the creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion and we love to share our passion with other scrapbookers. For this reason, 7 Dots Studio exists. The quality of our products is our top priority. Our lines consist of papers, stickers, die-cut elements, clear stamps, stencils and chipboard pieces. You can find our products in scrapbooking stores around the world.

Blog: http://7dotsstudio.com/archives/category/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/7DotsStudio

Twitter: https://twitter.com/7DotsStudio

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/7dotsstudio

Retail store: http://retailstore.7dotsstudio.com/

Thank you and we hope to see your beautiful creations!

We appreciate each and every challenge entry and share the designs that catch our eye on our facebook pageand Pinterest Boards. Look for your work there!

Adorable by Dana Tatar - All About Mom May Challenge

Hi Berry71Bleu fans! Dana Tatar here today sharing my take on Kay's "All About Mom" Challenge. My sister recently gave birth to her fourth child, which brings my total of nieces and nephews to 6. I created this layout as a gift for my sister and sweet Peninah.

I painted UmWowStudio Layered Chipboard Hearts with acrylic paint and used them both layered and singly as embellishments.

I hope you will find the time to join this challenge! Here is Kay's beautiful mood board for your inspiration:

We have some amazing prizes up for grabs! Our generous sponsors provided prizes with international shipping included this month!

1st Prize:

25 USD Gift Certificate from UmWowStudio

Random Prize:

Set of products from 7 Dots Studio

Sponsors:

UmWowStudio

UmWowStudio is a US based manufacturer of chipboard, stencils/masks, and flair for the general artsy community. Our products make great additions to cards and scrapbooking as well as mixed media pieces, altered art, tags, canvases, art journaling and more. Our chipboard is extra heavy duty to stand up to any mediums you can manage to throw at it. Our stencils and masks come in a super thick durable plastic to give your pieces extra dimension, and our flair is flat backed for easy use.

Website: http://umwowstudio.com/

Blog: http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UmWowStudio

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/UmWowStudio

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/umwowstudio

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/UmWowStudio

7 Dots Studio

We are a team of creative women who cannot image their world without paper, glue and the creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion and we love to share our passion with other scrapbookers. For this reason, 7 Dots Studio exists. The quality of our products is our top priority. Our lines consist of papers, stickers, die-cut elements, clear stamps, stencils and chipboard pieces. You can find our products in scrapbooking stores around the world.

Blog: http://7dotsstudio.com/archives/category/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/7DotsStudio

Twitter: https://twitter.com/7DotsStudio

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/7dotsstudio

Retail store: http://retailstore.7dotsstudio.com/

Thank you and we hope to see your beautiful creations!

We appreciate each and every challenge entry and share the designs that catch our eye on our facebook pageand Pinterest Boards. Look for your work there!

I Wish for Peace by Cathi O'Neill

Hi, Cathi here with my layout for April. A beautiful soul in our family has just died after a brief but aggressive fight with pancreatic cancer. I needed to do something to remember him by and just loved this photo that had been shared on Facebook.  I wish for peace is meant in many ways, I wish for peace for Olly, peace in the hearts of all that loved him, though it may take a while for a true peace to be there as the grief is still fresh. Doing this layout helped me a lot and it was great to have time to remember fun conversations and great stories about my brother in law. He was my youngest's girls Godfather, they had a special bond with a shared interest in art. He was both the girls favorite uncle, a kid at heart, and he will be deeply missed.

This month we were challenged to add handmade flowers to our layouts. I chose to add two Bitty Blossoms from my favorite Spellbinder dies. I added pearls to the center of both and placed them in with my other flowers.

I also used two amazing pieces of chipboard from UmWow Studios. I absolutely love this one with the hands and it perfectly suits this layout. The papers, stamps and die cuts are from the 7 Dots Studio Cold Country paper, just beautiful!! Finally, I used the filmstrips and tags of Venice from Darkroom Door, as Olly loved travelling and his job was as a filmographer, again they just worked perfectly for this layout. The words are also from Darkroom Door and from 7 Dots Studio and I used many to describe him and things he loved to do. In the top of this closeup photo here you can also see a flair of a dandelion, again to me a perfect symbolism of how brief and fragile life is.

A sad layout, but one I am glad I did.

As tomorrow is the last day of this challenge, if you have a layout this month with a handmade flower in it,

 I encourage you to enter it and share it with us!

Tracey is hosting a fun and fabulous challenge for the month of April over at Berry71Bleu

AND

This month we challenge you to create a project using handmade flowers !

There must be at least ONE homemade flower on your project.
It's not limited to a scrap page-think canvas, home decor, headbands, anything your creative mind can dream up! There are hundreds of flower tutorials out there for flowers made out of paper, felt, cloth, twine, burlap, coffee, filters, etc..

Check out the fabulous sponsors and prizes for this month:

First Prize:

Studio Shirel Pop & Colours Workshop

Second Prize:

Studio Shirel Pop & Colors #2 Workshop

3rd Prize:

Darkroom Door Paper Collection

Sponsors:

Studio Shirel

http://shirelstudio.blogspot.ch/

Facebook Page

Pop and Colours Workshop #1 - Art of Background 

Six weeks of workshops with step-by-step detailed examples and videos! Do you like to play with inks? Dirty hands, paint in the hair and stains on the apron don’t scare you? Then this workshop is for you! Whatever your style, learn how to create backgrounds very personal using the techniques presented in this workshop! I requested internationally famous guests who will share their secrets for making scrapbook pages from A to Z. Each week two different step-by-step (videos or photos and written explanations) will be presented. Each week, icing on the cake, sample pages created by the various artists using each technique will be shared. These examples will show you that the techniques are adaptable to all styles! The workshop will focus on scrapbooking pages, but the techniques are obviously suitable for other media (Art Journal, Project Life, mini-album, canvas Mixed Media etc.).

There is no time limit to subscribe to the workshop and it will be available for a period of one year from the beginning of the workshop (ie 18 October 2014).

Pop and Colours Workshop #2 - Around the World

10 weeks of workshops in video! Did you like Pop and Colours Workshop #1 - Art of Background and you want more? Well...we do have more! Pop and Colours # 2 - Around the World is based on the same principle. Our team of renown international artists will share their secrets for making scrapbook pages through exclusive videos! Different styles will share the spotlight: freestyle, shabby, mixed media or graphic style, you will find types for all tastes! Class started on January 3, 2014 and all the content will be available for a whole year. You can join us at anytime within this year!

Darkroom Door

Website: http://www.darkroomdoor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkroomdoor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/darkroom_door

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/darkroomdoor/

Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/darkroomdoor/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/rachelgreig

Blog: blog.darkroomdoor.com

Darkroom Door is owned by photographer Rachel Greig and graphic designer Stewart Yule who combine their talents to design a unique range of rubber stamps and papercraft products suitable for card making, scrapbooking, invitations, collage, mixed media and altered art. As the name suggests, Darkroom Door products have a strong photographic element in their design.

Products include: Rubber Stamps, Photo Stamps, Background Stamps, Frame Stamps, Collage Stamps, Word Block Stamps, Montage Sheets, Photochips, and Filmstrips along with a wide range of accessories for all type of paper crafts.

Darkroom Door also has a fabulous blog that is updated regularly with projects created by many talented artists. Check out the Darkroom Door website to see their full product range along with a gallery full of projects and ideas!

Design Team Sponsors

Website: http://umwowstudio.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/umwowstudio

Blog: http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com

We're a US based company who has recently changed directions and moved to chipboard embellishments! Our designs are fresh, new and on trend. We pride ourselves in the quality of our chip and our dedication to the trade. With our passion for paper crafts and our knowledge of industry

we can safely say you'll love our goods and their high quality!

7 Dots Studio

http://7dotsstudio.com/

We are a team of creative women who cannot image their world without paper, glue and the creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion and we love to share our passion with other scrapbookers. For this reason, 7 Dots Studio exists. The quality of our products is our top priority. Our collections are made from thick (250gsm), acid-free, lignin-free, archival scrapbooking paper. We also offer high quality cardstock stickers.

Please note that if the winner(s) of this challenge are international they will be responsible for shipping costs.

Make sure you follow our CHALLENGE RULES.

Thank you and we hope to see your beautiful flowers this month!

Special Guest Designer..DeeDee Catron.

Meet our special Guest Designer, DeeDee Catron.

"I'm a 26 year old creative gal with tons of passions. I'm the Owner/Creative Director of UmWowStudio, Marketing and Artistic Director for Viva Las VegaStamps! and Paper Designer for 7 Dots Studio. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree and <<LOVE>> color."

My Blog : deedeecatron.blogspot.com

UmWowStudio : umwowstudio.com

UWS Blog : http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com/

UWS FB : https://www.facebook.com/UmWowStudio

UWS Instagram : http://instagram.com/UmWowStudio

UWS pinterest : http://www.pinterest.com/umwowstudio/

UWS youtube : https://www.youtube.com/user/UmWowStudio

Here is the beautiful page she made for us: 

DeeDee made this beautiful flower for our April Challenge:

This month we challenge you to create a project using handmade flowers!

There must be at least ONE homemade flower on your project.

 This challenge is not limited to a scrapbook page - think canvas, home decor, headbands, anything your creative mind can dream up! There are hundreds of flower tutorials out there for flowers made out of paper, felt, cloth, twine, burlap, coffee filters, etc. For links to all of the flower tutorials pictured above, and many more, see Tracey's Pinterest page here.

First Prize:

Studio Shirel Pop & Colours Workshop

Second Prize:

Studio Shirel Pop & Colors #2 Workshop

3rd Prize:

Darkroom Door Paper Collection 

Sponsors:

Studio Shirel

http://shirelstudio.blogspot.ch/

Facebook Page

Pop and Colours Workshop #1 - Art of Background 

Six weeks of workshops with step-by-step detailed examples and videos! Do you like to play with inks? Dirty hands, paint in the hair and stains on the apron don’t scare you? Then this workshop is for you! Whatever your style, learn how to create backgrounds very personal using the techniques presented in this workshop! I requested internationally famous guests who will share their secrets for making scrapbook pages from A to Z. Each week two different step-by-step (videos or photos and written explanations) will be presented. Each week, icing on the cake, sample pages created by the various artists using each technique will be shared. These examples will show you that the techniques are adaptable to all styles! The workshop will focus on scrapbooking pages, but the techniques are obviously suitable for other media (Art Journal, Project Life, mini-album, canvas Mixed Media etc.). There is no time limit to subscribe to the workshop and it will be available for a period of one year from the beginning of the workshop (ie 18 October 2014).

Pop and Colours Workshop #2 - Around the World

10 weeks of workshops in video! Did you like Pop and Colours Workshop #1 - Art of Background and you want more? Well...we do have more! Pop and Colours # 2 - Around the World is based on the same principle. Our team of renown international artists will share their secrets for making scrapbook pages through exclusive videos! Different styles will share the spotlight: freestyle, shabby, mixed media or graphic style, you will find types for all tastes! Class started on January 3, 2014 and all the content will be available for a whole year. You can join us at anytime within this year!

Darkroom Door
Website: http://www.darkroomdoor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkroomdoor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/darkroom_door
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/darkroomdoor/
Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/darkroomdoor/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/rachelgreig
Blog: blog.darkroomdoor.com

Darkroom Door is owned by photographer Rachel Greig and graphic designer Stewart Yule who combine their talents to design a unique range of rubber stamps and papercraft products suitable for card making, scrapbooking, invitations, collage, mixed media and altered art. As the name suggests, Darkroom Door products have a strong photographic element in their design. Products include: Rubber Stamps, Photo Stamps, Background Stamps, Frame Stamps, Collage Stamps, Word Block Stamps, Montage Sheets, Photochips, and Filmstrips along with a wide range of accessories for all type of paper crafts.
 

Darkroom Door also has a fabulous blog that is updated regularly with projects created by many talented artists. Check out the Darkroom Door website to see their full product range along with a gallery full of projects and ideas!

Design Team Sponsors

Website: http://umwowstudio.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/umwowstudio 

Blog: http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com

We're a US based company who has recently changed directions and moved to chipboard embellishments! Our designs are fresh, new and on trend. We pride ourselves in the quality of our chip and our dedication to the trade. With our passion for paper crafts and our knowledge of industry we can safely say you'll love our goods and their high quality!

  7 Dots Studio

http://7dotsstudio.com/

We are a team of creative women who cannot image their world without paper, glue and the creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion and we love to share our passion with other scrapbookers. For this reason, 7 Dots Studio exists. The quality of our products is our top priority. Our collections are made from thick (250gsm), acid-free, lignin-free, archival scrapbooking paper. We also offer high quality cardstock stickers.

Please note that if the winner(s) of this challenge are international they will be responsible for shipping costs.

Make sure you follow our CHALLENGE RULES. 

Thank you DeeDee for your generosity and for giving us wonderful products to work with.