SUO Challenge #79 – A Favorite Technique!

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As we work on our paper crafting projects, many of us have a favorite technique that we add to our projects when it's possible. I didn't need to sit and figure out what my favorite technique is – I knew immediately when we got to this challenge what I would like to show off. Now that I see our Design Team projects for this challenge, I can also see where I might just have to rethink "favorite"! I love them all, and I hope you do, too!

And speaking of you – we'd like to know what YOUR favorite paper crafting technique is! That's your challenge for SUO Challenge #79 – to create a project using your favorite technique. What's the technique that you use that makes you smile the most when you're working on or have completed a project? Make a card or any paper crafting project – using Stampin' Up! products, only, of course – and enter it in this challenge through the link tool at the end of this post.

The details of our guidelines are over at the left. But I summarize them at the end of the post, including the dates that this challenge is open. If you have any questions about linking your project or problems in creating the link, be sure to let the challenge coordinator, Robin Messenheimer, know. We cheerfully help crafters out just about every challenge, so don't be bashful about asking for help!

And now for the entries from the ladies AND gentleman of our Design Team!

To participate in our challenge, make a card or other paper-crafted project and post a photo of it to your blog or a gallery on the internet. Then come back here and use our link tool at the bottom of this post to share the photo with us.

PLEASE remember this: We're looking for projects posted to the internet AFTER September 9, 2013. This is a NEW challenge! AND please mention/link to the SUO Challenge Blog in your post!

And, of course, your projects should be made with Stampin' Up! products only. The products may be those that are in current catalogs, or they may be retired products. But (as our blog title says) SUO – Stampin' Up! Only! This means that products from other papercrafting, rubber stamp, die-making or other companies may not be included in your project or in any other project included in your blog post if Stampin' Up! sells a like product. For example, Stampin' Up! does not sell sewing thread. So use of sewing thread from another company is just fine. Stampin' Up! does sell the Sizzix Big Shot, so use of die-cuts, texture plates or other such products from another company is not fine. If you have a question, please send an e-mail to our Coordinator, Robin Messenheimer, and she'll be glad to answer it!

Challenge Dates: September 10, 2013 (3 am USA Eastern Time) –

September 21, 2013 (6 am USA Eastern Time)

SUO Challenge #78 – Ribbons and Bows!

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With all the fun ribbons and bows currently in Stampin' Up!'s catalogs, we decided it was time to revisit this challenge from almost exactly 2 years ago. There's so much that's different in the catalogs today than back then, that we're sure you must have some new favorites that you'd like to show off! But, of course, old favorites are equally welcome here at the SUO Challenge blog! No matter if it's retired – we'd all love to see it again!

You'll notice in our Design Team entries that there's a sampling of paper bows – how much fun is that?! I haven't yet used my new Sizzix Bow die, but it's on my "to do" list and not far from the top. This year Stampin' Up! also has some bows already made up for us, and there's at least one of those in the Design Team Collection. We can hardly wait to see how many entries we get with these "alternative" bows. We need ideas!!!

If you're new to this challenge, welcome! You'll find the guidelines for our entries, along with a link to add your project to our collection, at the end of this post. If you have any questions, just e-mail Robin Messenheimer, our team coordinator, and she'll get back to you right away!

PLEASE remember this: We're looking for projects posted to the internet AFTER August 26, 2013. This is a NEW challenge! AND please mention/link to the SUO Challenge Blog in your post!

Challenge Dates: August 27, 2013 (3 am USA Eastern Time) –

September 7, 2013 (6 am USA Eastern Time)

SUO Challenge #77, Happy Birthday – Our Top 3!

8 / 26 / 13

Oh, my! There are certainly going to be lots of wonderful birthday cards being sent out this summer and fall, if our entries for the latest SUO Challenge are any indication! We all loved every entry, and hope that those who are on the receiving end of the cards are as appreciative of all your creative work as we are.

Our work to select our Top 3 this time around was difficult as always. But we did finally come up with our Top 3 selections. We hope that you will take the opportunity to visit the blogs of the Top 3 entrants – which you can do by clicking on the photos of their projects. We also invite our Top 3 entrants to grab the code for our Top 3 banner over to the left of this post and add it to your blog sidebar! We know you'd like to show this off!

Now our Top 3:

Laura Mackie. What a wonderful use of the stars. The simplicity and color combinations made us smile. This card definitely denotes a celebration!

Lynda Day. This card stands out because of the fab use of a wedding cake image as a birthday cake. At least two of the design team put this set on our wish list because of this card! The way the background paper colors are accented by the cake colors is so much fun!

De Williamson. This card with a more masculine design to it sends out a celebratory feel with the overall layout and the fun red accent. "Make a Wish" is a perfect greeting for this card.

SUO Challenge #77 – Happy Birthday!

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This is the time of the year – between showing off all the new Stampin' Up! Catalog and Convention-released products and the madness of trying to get all those winter holiday projects done – that I stock up on my Birthday Cards. I used the new Catalog products to stock up on my Thinking of You, Thank You and Friend cards, but there was nary a Birthday Card in the bunch. Now, at least I have one done!

And we're hoping that you, too, will get at least one Birthday Card done during this SUO Challenge, because Birthday Cards are the challenge! With over 40 stamp sets in the current Stampin' Up! Catalog collection that specifically mention Birthdays, not to mention those that have birthday-related images OR stamps that have been retired, I'm sure the every person who reads this challenge blog has at least one set that would make a dynamite Birthday Card! So drag out those stamps and Stampin' Up! Inks, Papers, and Embellishments and show your stuff!

To enter the SUO Challenge, make a card (or any project with a Birthday theme!), take a picture of it, post it somewhere on the Internet (such as your own blog or an open site such as Split Coast Stampers), and then add a link to your photo using the Link tool at the end of this post. As always, if you have any questions, please let Robin Messenheimer, our Challenge Coordinator, know.

Here (finally!) are our design team entries for this challenge, to get you started on your own ideas!

Robin Messenheimer

PLEASE remember this: We're looking for projects posted to the internet AFTER August 12, 2013. This is a NEW challenge! AND please mention/link to the SUO Challenge Blog in your post!

Challenge Dates: August 13, 2013 (3 am USA Eastern Time) –

August 24, 2013 (6 am USA Eastern Time)