SUO Challenge #85, Non-Traditional Christmas – Our Top 3!

12 / 16 / 1312 / 16 / 13

Thanks to everyone who participated in our latest challenge. Lots of gorgeous ideas for non-traditional Christmas projects – colors and images alike! We loved them all – as usual!

Thanks especially to our Top 3 whom we felt did the best job of capturing our theme for the week! Click on the pictures of their projects to go to their blogs or galleries for more details.

Alyson M. The beautiful translucent pink Poinsettia is so festive, especially with the background made with My Digital Studio, and the Holly Jolly and scalloped edges picking up the background colors. Not Christmas colors, but it's definitely a Christmas card – and a gorgeous one at that!

Amy Kunkle. This is definitely a "Merry and Bright" card! This is about as non-traditional as you could get, colorwise, but it, too, is unquestionably a Christmas card!

Donna Centamore (Butternut Sage). These snow "shovels" are arranged just perfectly for this lovely Christmas scene. The colors are traditional, but the beautifully decorated gardener's spades are certainly not – but a great card for a gardener!

SUO Challenges #85 – Something Non-Traditional for Christmas

12 / 3 / 1312 / 2 / 13

Usually about this time of the year I'm pretty tired of Christmas cards using red and green or red and white or blue and silver – well, you get the picture! You, too? Then this week's challenge is for you! The challenge is to make a Christmas card card or other project that includes non-traditional colors or images – or both! Once you have your project done, post a photograph of it on your blog or in any other open online gallery, and then add a link to our Link Tool at the bottom of this post. 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!

Of course we have guidelines and they are detailed at the left and summarized below,, including the dates that this challenge is open.

Please remember this is an SUO (Stampin' Up! Only) challenge. Cards using non-SU! images, paper, embellishments, etc., will be removed. We also ask that you do not have advertisements for products (e.g., classes and subscription services) in your post. Please respect our criteria.

And now on to some inspiration from our talented design team for this week's challenge!

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 December 2, 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: December 3, 2013 (3 am USA Eastern Time) –

December 14, 2013 (6 am USA Eastern Time)

SUO Challenge #84, Let It Snow! – Our Top 3!

12 / 2 / 13

Thanks to everyone who participated in our latest challenge. Lots of gorgeous ideas for showing off Snow in Stampin' Up! projects. We loved them all – as usual!

Thanks especially to our Top 3 whom we felt did the best job of capturing our theme for the week! Clip on the pictures of their projects to go to their blogs or galleries for more details.

Kez (Kerry Bunting). We loved the sponged background – so well done! The non-
traditional image and colors are beautiful for a Christmas Card.

Gloria Steger. This is another gorgeous scene created with wonderful layering of the stamps and shadows. The glistening snow is a highlight!

Diane Vander Galien. What an elegant centerpiece with the beautifully stamped candles with some extra embellishments to make the decorations 3-dimensional. The matching ornament is a perfect accent for the whole design.

SUO Challenge #84 – Let It Snow!!

11 / 19 / 1311 / 19 / 13

We're getting awfully close to the month of December – which means snow for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere – I've already seen pictures of snow on the Internet! So this week our challenge is to make a project featuring Snow – with Stampin' Up! products ONLY, of course! Once you have your project done, post a photograph of it on your blog or in any other open online gallery, and then add a link to our Link Tool at the bottom of this post. 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!

Of course we have guidelines and they are detailed at the left and summarized below,, including the dates that this challenge is open.

Please remember this is an SUO (Stampin' Up! Only) challenge. Cards using non SU! images, paper, embellishments, etc., will be removed. We also ask that you do not have advertisements for products (e.g. classes and subscription services) in your post. Please respect our criteria.

But before we get started, some news! With SUO Challenge #84, we are welcoming the newest member of our SUO Challenges Design Team!

BRONWYN EASTLEY.

Here is Bronwyn's introduction to us all:

"Hi. I live in the beautiful state of Tasmania, Australia, with my hubby. We have two grown up children, one studying performing arts and the other, pursuing a career in public policy. I have been paper crafting for five years and in 2012, I re-joined Stampin’ Up! after a 12 month break. My day job as a Kinder/Prep Teacher and my role as Head of Junior Campus, keeps me super busy. When I do snatch some time for myself, you’ll find me in my studio, playing with MDS and my Silhouette Cameo, stamping and die cutting, discovering different ways to make an easel card, or writing the occasional tutorial to help fund my paper craft obsession. I was so excited to be asked to join the Design Team at SUO Challenges (still pinching myself) as I will be amongst an amazingly talented bunch of paper crafters whose projects I have admired from afar. I am really looking forward to being able to highlight the extensive range of SU! products through the themed challenges."

And now on to some inspiration from our talented design team for this week's challenge – including our newest member, Bronwyn!