Jan 2008 Challenge

[lbjiowa]

I'll start this thread FIRST by apologizing for my absence in December. I ended up having surgery and my recovery was complicated by a bad reaction to the pain medications ... was flat-out until Dec 25 (NICE ay? not!). Thankfully, I'll almost back to 'normal' (whatever THAT is! :lol: )

Would love to hear what you all think would make a fun challenge for this month. Some thoughts I had were:

Valentine's Theme
Welcome Baby Theme

I also had an idea for an 'extra' challenge ... came from having signed up for DSU193 (Hybrid Card Making...great class even if I did miss out on some of the assignments due to the surgery...check it out sometime...). Here's the extra challenge ... create a 4.25" x 5.5" greeting card, lay it out on an 8.5 x 11 (or A4 size paper) and then use the extra white space to create tags, title cards, etc that can be adhered to the front of the card with pop-dots. Could even include ideas for ribbons, string, brads, etc. Could be a great way to make good use of the 'scrap' portion of the paper AND give us all an opportunity to use some of our fun art supplies!

So...what do you all think?

[sandilyn]

Glad to see you back Linda, hope you are feeling much better. Take it easy on your visit, rest up!

I love your idea for the extra challenge! I loved Meg's hybrid card class but didn't get to all the homework either between the holidays and major computer issues.

Either theme is fine with me- always need a couple of valentine's cards, and I have two extended family members who are expecting in the spring.

[Victoria]

Either theme is fine, as there are 2 family/friends children babies due in Feb.
I have made cards before, but not in this challenge, so am willing to give it a go.

[mommabyrd2003]

Either is fine with me. The SNL stuff for this month (not sure if you've had the chance to look) is "New Beginings", so we may want to wait for baby until we have that kit.

Here's the color scheme (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28674) for this month's SNL.

[spotty]

Hi Victoria, nice to see you here!
-------------------------------------------------
Linda's GCC blinkie will bring you to the current thread whenever you click on it; mine is still linked to the Dec thread..

[Muma]

Sorry to hear you were so sick last month Linda but very glad to have you back.

I'm going to try and see if I can do this one in January. Time seemed to fly by this month and I'm not sure where it went :). SNL is new beginnings this month so we may have lots of supplied for baby next month if you want to hold off till then. But either theme is fine as some ladies have babies due in Feb and might want to get those cards ready :D

Wonderful 2nd challenge idea ..... would love to give that ago.

[MarsOlson]

I am going to try and made some cards this month too. I better go find the rules. :)

[ScrapMel]

I didn't get to any last month either - crazy holiday time!
Hmmmm ... let's go Valentines then since the SNL kit for next month would be a good kit for babies ... just my two cents!
Oh, Mars, I saw somewhere you asking what we could use - actually (if I remember correctly) we can use ANY kit from ANYwhere for our cards.
And also having the 'extra' would be cool!
How was the hybrid class? I really want to take it!! Need to see when it is coming up next ...

[lbjiowa]

Hi Victoria!!! Glad to see you here!

Sandi - DSU193...I can RELATE to that problem...I'm glad I was able to get the lessons printed so I can continue to work on them...maybe I'll use them here in the GCC group! You too?

Muma - WELCOME! Can't wait to see some of your creations! Love the work you do in SNL!

Christina & Jo - My inspriation! You two are such a great encouragement for the rest of us. THANKS for being so faithful in December! I promise to be here MORE this month! There are SO MANY opportunities for greeting cards coming up...lots of incentive!

[lbjiowa]

OFFICIAL CHALLENGE - VALENTINE'S DAY :love1::yes::love1::yes::love1::yes::love1:

OPTIONAL - Since some of us will be making some WELCOME BABY designs for those babies joining our family/circle of friends in Feb, let's include and extended challenge to include them this month as an EARLY BIRD DESIGN CHALLENGE. :cool:

EXTRA CHALLENGE - :clap:This will be the first month we'll 'stretch' ourselves and see how many designs we can create for Hybrid Cards. You simply design a 4.25" x 5.5" greeting card on a full sheet of cardstock with 'extras' in the otherwise unused white space. You may include things like tags, title blocks, trim clusters etc that can be cut out and attached to the final printed card to create 3-d cards (Hybrid Cards).
NOTE: There is a template for A2 greeting cards in the 4shared account. :tup:
Download Adobe Photoshop version HERE (http://www.4shared.com/file/34360388/e6aa9ae8/GCC_Template_for_Extra_Challenge.html).
Download JPG version HERE (http://www.4shared.com/file/34360341/33c36d40/GCC_Template_for_Extra_Challenge.html).

Perhaps we can expand the idea to cards that will fit a standard business envelope (#10) ... next month? Anyone want to set up the template ... upload it this month with your contributions.

[spotty]

WTG Linda - I see you are truly on the ball again! You learned well from DSU190 despite being non compos mentis for more than half of it!
4.25" x 5.5" fits very nicely in NZ C6 standard envelopes, so thank you. I have also easily downloaded the template from the original GCC 4shared - in case anyone is wondering which password to use...
Have rolled up my sleeves ready for all the GCC and SNL extra challenges this month. Think there will have to be some doubling up if I want to do my Next Step challenges too. School holidays for another 4 weeks so will be spending 50% of the time doing things with DG. All the good things come at once - at least I should have plenty of photo opportunities...

[mommabyrd2003]

I have a baby kit done using this month's SNL colors. It's not my submission for the month. I tried doing something new for me - a hip, modern, kind of funky kit. That said I'd be happy to share it with anyone who wants to make some baby cards this month. If there's something else baby you need to make your card, let me know and I'd be happy to try. I've been trying to learn more design wise these past few months than actual scrapping.

Can someone PM me the password for the file share site? I've it written somewhere in my notebook and can't find the page. It sits at my computer desk, so it has tons of random doodles, scribbles, and thoughts. I need one for doodling and another for serious stuff.

[Victoria]

I need the password for the filesharing as well to download the template. I have another question, as a newcomer to this challenge, do we save "high resolution files" some where that the others then download? If so, what res, and where?

[Muma]

I need the password to for the card template to please :) .... really looking forward to this.

[mommabyrd2003]

Victoria -

Here's a link with all the technical specs Guidelines (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27239)

I honestly don't remember the password otherwise I'd PM you all with it. I'm sure Linda will be relieved to be back to where she can get on-line and will pop in to check the thread. It says she'll be gone through the 9th in one of her posts above which I just noticed.

[lbjiowa]

You'll need the password for our file sharing site ... send a PM to me or to Spotty and we'll get it to you straight away!

[spotty]

Linda is back and bouncing!!!
We have a new password for the sharing site where we upload our ready-to-print cards at 200dpi.

We have a file naming "rule" too. For example you will find my 72dpi jpg card Valentine 1 (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=234421) in DSP
becomes Spotty-GCC0801-Valentine1, a 200dpi png, in our sharing site. 08 is the year of course and 01 the month.

I loaded two cards just now in the January Contributions folder. Just click on the download button either on the bottom of the thumbnail or at the end of the detail view line - should you wish to use them.

[lbjiowa]

Just saw Jo's Valentine's Day card...she's RIGHT ON! This is exactly what I was thinking for the extra challenge ... a layout/design that included elements for Hybridizing the card ... making it a 3-D effect. Can't wait to try her card out!

[spotty]

Here's my other one (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=234422&ppuser=18693) - meant to be comical... Same principal of printing out the page (after deleting the instructions) and simply cutting out the extras by leaving a narrow border. Your choice as to whether you have him dreaming of a rather brash woman or her seeing a knight in shining armour...

[lbjiowa]

We have a couple participants this month who are NOT SNL designers...WELCOME to the group! You gals are going to LOVE this month's MegaKit!:love1: :love3:

It has over 80 items :yikes: and includes papers, elements, and even a 5x7" greeting card template with a sample card! It is in the shared folder at www.4shared.com (see our guidelines thread for help on getting to it.) and is 68mb zipped! so will take time to download.

Don't forget to post your finished preview in the GCC Gallery and then come to the following forums/threads and post a link:

GCC January Challenge
SNL January (or December)
Any special DSP challenge threads, such as January Sketch Challenge (if you used the sketch); TNS (they have a challenge right now for LO/designs using papers from 4 different designers in one LO...hey...EASY-PEASY (as my DGS says;) ) with the megaKit!) etc... there's even a publication call right now for greeting cards...maybe someone in our group will figure out a way to enter ALL-in-One!

[sueya]

I made a Valentine card for Irene's latest challenge


Valentine card (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=235935&nocache=1)

[sueya]

Here's another valentine card from me

http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=236555

[RoadMap4Us]

Just popping in to add my well wishes to you, Linda! Sorry to hear of your unplanned December. God bless you as you get back on your feet.

One of these days, I will I will I will I will (see -- I'm trying to convince myself) get into this challenge. I would LOVE to have a store-house of cards from this creative group. I need to just carve out time for this, don't I!!!!!

[spotty]

Another nice card, Sue.

Where is everyone else????

[mommabyrd2003]

I might post my cards late (sorry), however I will have some done worst case this weekend. I'm not certain where the month has gone. I volunteered tons at the kids' school. I'm also doing the levy committee so we have 1/2 day everyday kindergarten (when the levy passes because it will fingers crossed) instead of all day M/W or T/TH and all day every other Friday. Those things account for a small part of the month, so I'm still not sure where all the time went.

[lbjiowa]

Just popping in to add my well wishes to you, Linda! Sorry to hear of your unplanned December. God bless you as you get back on your feet.

One of these days, I will I will I will I will (see -- I'm trying to convince myself) get into this challenge. I would LOVE to have a store-house of cards from this creative group. I need to just carve out time for this, don't I!!!!!

Can't wait to have you come join us Deb!!! Haven't seen you in the forums much ... but ... it's likely to do more with my schedule than yours. I had thought January would be a nice 'hibernation' month, but that hasn't quite been the case! Once I was back on my feet I barely had time to get things caught up before heading to MN for a visit w/my mom. Then a short bit and I was off to Calif for some 'work' and some vacation time! Won't return to Iowa until well into February ... am trying to find opportunities to compute/scrap/forum hop as oft as possible.

Heard Iowa had some fairly unpleasant weather last week and earlier this week ... with just a bit of tolerable weather mixed in? Hope you and the family are all safe and warm! Have a warm cup of coffee and come join as as soon as you can!

[lbjiowa]

I might post my cards late (sorry), however I will have some done worst case this weekend. I'm not certain where the month has gone. I volunteered tons at the kids' school. I'm also doing the levy committee so we have 1/2 day everyday kindergarten (when the levy passes because it will fingers crossed) instead of all day M/W or T/TH and all day every other Friday. Those things account for a small part of the month, so I'm still not sure where all the time went.

Oh Christina ... I can SO relate!!! Luckily we aren't too tightly structured yet at GCC! I have some fun designs for Valentine's Day that I'm HOPING to get posted, but have had a ridiculous number of computer issues that have me stymied! It would be funny if it wasn't so annoying! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I'll be watching the gallery closely ... just love all the creative ideas coming out of this group!!! Best of luck on your levy work. See you in the gallery soon!:yes:

[lbjiowa]

Another nice card, Sue.

Where is everyone else????

Hey there Jo!!! Does it feel like we've abandoned you? So sorry!!! One of these days I'm gonna quite globe trotting...I promise! Prolly not until this summer though! Now...if I could just get all the hardware/software issues resolved so I could play digi-scrapping on the run I'd be SO content!!!:cool: (I'm really really really working on it though! Laptop replacement is on my LAP ... software on it's way ... mighty mouse soon to follow ... that should pretty much cover the immediate needs! guess will need to make decision about carrying case, but how hard can that part be? ... oh please tell me there is only one or two possibilities...I really have trouble making decisions sometimes...'course I'm kinda on a roll so maybe that will help?!?)

[sandilyn]

Another nice card, Sue.

Where is everyone else????


Oh, I am sorry for being AWOL most of the month- my scrapping computer died :( , I got a new one :D , am learning Vista and PSE 6 :rolleyes: - still haven't reinstalled all my plug-ins, etc. But I did manage to get a card done- hope you all enjoy! :D
Be Mine (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=238300)

[lbjiowa]

And HERE is the GCC January Bonus Kit preview (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=238368&ppuser=9981) for those who used the template for A-2 Hybrid greeting cards. I will be sending each of you a link for downloading next week.

PS I will have a Hybrid Card in the gallery & shared folder too ... just having all these computer challenges so it's all becoming a more challenging than I would have ever guessed. My hope is that I can have it in the shared folder by the end of next week...cross your fingers but DON'T hold your breath!!! :eek:

[spotty]

But I did manage to get a card done- hope you all enjoy! :D
Be Mine (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=238300)

Well done, Sandi, both with the cute card and overcoming your computer problems!:clap:

Christina - plenty of time! :pray:

Linda - OK I won't hold my breath but it is hard typing with my fingers crossed LOL.
Beaut bonus kit, Thank you:tup: