The Final Challenge (May 2013) - Candied Flowers

Hello Scrappy Friends! This is a sad day at The Paper Mixing Bowl as I have decided that this May's challenge will be our final challenge. We've been doing challenges for a little over a year now and I just haven't seen the participation increase to any extent. Due to other DT commitments (and my desire to have some sort of personal life beyond scrapping), I just cannot justify the time for something that isn't generating significant interest or participation. 

I want to thank everyone who has played along with our challenges - I hope they have inspired you just a bit.

To my wonderful Design Team - as you already know, my decision to end The Paper Mixing Bowl was extremely difficult because you have all been so wonderful and inspiring. Please accept my sincere gratitude and appreciation for all you have done for the PMB!

Now, onto our last Recipe Challenge - Candied Flowers! In May, we celebrate Mother's Day - so this challenge is all about Mom (be it you, your Mom, or someone who is like a Mom to you). 

Please be sure to review the Etiquette tab for instructions about how to play along! You can link your newly created layout with the InLinkz tool in the right sidebar - entries are due June 14, 2013 by 11:59 p.m. EST.

Now - let's get cooking! Here is this month's Recipe Card and our Design Team reveal!

Recipe Card

Design Team Layouts

Sarah - "Precious Moments"

Cathi - "Too Sweet" 

Connie  - "Laugh Together"

Monica - "Celebrate Love"

Lee - "Magical Creatures"

Drea - "Mi Hermosa Madre"

Jenny - "HD"

Tina - "Mom"

Cathy - "Love"

We can't wait to see what YOU cook up for this month's challenge!

Be sure to check in next week for our Guest Designer spotlight! Our final Guest Designer is a super-talented scrapbooker who is sure to inspire you!

Happy Scrapping!

Chef Jenny's April Recipe

Here's a look at how Jenny used the April Recipe.
http://jennythomas101.blogspot.com/



This is my take on our beautiful Ambrosia Salad sketch this month. I have used modeling paste, gauze for nesting below the picture, butterflies and of course our three colors. The papers are from my amazing Scraps of Darkness kit titled "Dayglo" along with the pretty pink flower. The other elements are bits from other SOD past kits. Please pop over to The PMB and join us in the challenge this month, we would love to see your take on this gorgeous sketch!

This photo is of me and my paternal grandparents whom I grew up not knowing. I was adopted by my amazing dad who married my mother shortly after this picture. It is such a sad and emotional subject, my grandparents. My Grandfather died not long after this so I have no memory of him and did not know he had died until I began searching for my biological father and them when I was 16. When I found my father and grandmother it was then that I learned of his passing as well as my great grandmother. My heart is heavy with the sadness of not knowing them and not having time with that part of my family, but at the same time, my mother did what she felt was best for me and I had a loving family full of laughs and memories that I would never change. I find myself wondering why things have to be a certain way, why my father was an alcoholic, why he chose that life over a life of family with me, why I couldn't have had my grandparents even though my father was lost, so on and so on.

After finding my grandmother and father, I had a few years with them and I am so grateful for that. It was hard to watch my father self-destruct and at times I wish I hadn't found him. But in the end, I suppose I am happy I did and as he took his last breath I held his hand. I had one last Thanksgiving with my Grandmother before she died peacefully in her sleep and as I wept for her, she let me know in her own ways that she was with me. I know that someday we will all be together and my heart smiles because of that knowledge. I suppose I am lucky in some respects, not only did I inherit an amazing family through my adoptive dad, but I also have this side as well. That's a lot of love. Thank you for looking everyone, love and light to all. -Jenny

Chef Pat's April Recipe

Here's a look at how Pat used the April Recipe.
http://gentlewoodfarms.blogspot.com/

It's April 15 - which is tax day, but more importantly it's The Paper Mixing Bowl's reveal day! I've been sitting on this project for a few weeks, and I'm so excited to get to finally show it to you!

First off, some background.

At PMB, every challenge includes a recipe card, which has the challenge specs, a sketch, and some journaling or topic ideas. Here's this month's card :






As you can see, it's all about spring and pastels this month, which was really tough for me. People who know me well know that I love working in the fall color palettes. For me, any color, as long as it is rich and dark is a winner. Pastels - man - not so much. But I'm all about the challenge of stretching myself and working outside my creative box, so I went rummaging through my paper stacks and found a piece from the Webster's Pages "A Sweet Life" collection, another from the Graphic45 "Once Upon a Springtime, a third from the DCWV "Mariposa" collection, and finally, I found one of my beloved polkadot patterns in a stack of MME "Wild Asparagus" collection. I'm just not ready to START unless I have a polka dot pattern in the mix!



Papers in hand, I grabbed the gesso and dressed up a chipboard birdcage, fussy cut the little bird out of the Websters paper, and used my Tim Holtz WordPlay die to cut some title letters. I strung the title on a piece of cotton string, then went rummaging through my flower box to see what might be lurking and waiting to play with my papers.


I hit pay dirt with some old Prima Camelot roses in pale peach and pink tones. I grabbed some mini roses that I'd found in the $1 bin at Michaels and dressed those up with some peach tone stickles. Finally I used some music paper (not sure what the manufacturer was), sprayed it with some sunflower glimmer mist, and cut myself out some 3-d wind up roses. I love making those. They all have individual personalities, and it's so fun to see flat paper become a three dimensional piece of floral wonder!


All that was left to do was ASSEMBLE. I did a decorative corner punch with a Martha Stewart Wild Flowers deep edge punch, and then I added some final touches. I dressed the raspberries with some Glossy Accents, created a hanger for the birdcage with some dimensional paint, gave some life to my florals with some wired jewel stems and silk leaves, and used a couple of pop dots to get that bird up in the air. I even STAMPED on this project! It's a creative miracle!


Here's what ended up coming out of my fingers.






The photo of the robins doesn't even begin to capture the event. There were literally hundreds of them in my back pasture. The ground was damp from a fresh rain (Thank You, God), and the birds were having a grand time scratching for bugs.


I love Spring - the sun is warm, the breeze is cool, hope is alive, and anything is possible.


Thanks for stopping by, and if you get some time this month, you should try your hand at the Paper Mixing Bowl Challenge for this month. Grab the link over on the right side of my blog and it'll take you right there!

Chef Lisa's April Recipe

Here's a look at how Lisa used the April Recipe.
http://theshabbyhorse.blogspot.com/

Hello and welcome to The Paper Mixing Bowls April Reveal!!! This recipe was just so beautiful to work with. Here is the recipe:

SO here is the recipe I cooked up.

A photo of my beautiful grand daughter. We were out in our backyard and ya know those fairy fuzzy flowers that when you blow on them they fly all over.....well she picked a flower that kinda looked like it and I told her to blow on it and it just wouldn't do anything and then she figured it out and that is why she has that look on her face!!!

Some hand made flowers because most of the time I can't find flowers that match!!!! I have a couple of tubs and still can't find matches!!

The butterfly spray, a close up of the molding paste I used also.

This recipe was a lot of fun to cook. I hope you join us.... Thanks bunches for visiting!!!! Have a wonderful week!!

Chef Monica's April Recipe

Here's a look at how Monica used the April Recipe.
http://happyscrappn2.blogspot.com/

The Paper Mixing Bowl ~SOAR~

It's that time of the month again.. what a fantastically beautiful recipe card we have for this month of April!!! It's Ambrosia Salad. So perfect and full of spring's promise!
I love these soft beautiful colors. I sure hope you will join us this month and cook up something beautiful.

I also had the challenge in mind that is being hosted over at Berry71Bleu.
I love my flowers. They give me a sense of hope, peace and joy. I will be entering this lo for that challenge.


Here is my take on the recipe:



SOAR







a row of flowers



Prima Say in Crystals Butterfly - in love



Dusty attic flutterbies



ReneaBouquet's magnificent butterfly



Some Gesso...



Webster's Pages and Prima Stamps



Prima stamps

Some of my ingredients were : gesso, flowers, butterflies, birds and torn paper.
My Whipped Cream I have spread in the upper left and right corners with a little gesso.
I sprinkled some butteflies thru out. On the right side of my garden I have a little bird taking flight.

That Magnificent butterfly in the upper right corner was made by the lovely Renea Bouquet. Be sure to check out her Etsy for mouth watering embellishments!

Supplies used:
3rd Eye Stamp : Kardiogram TES-006
Prima Divine Collection:
Magnola Green Vine Bling
TCW-Mini Ledger
Gesso, Dusty Attic :0543, 0766
Distress Inks: Squeezed Lemonade, Gathered Twig, Tea Dye
Reinker-Squeezed Lemonade ; Distress Stain : Victorian Velvet
Prima Flowers : Pankita Rose Summer Mix, Trixie Cinder, Prelude C, Bretton Vines Alyssa, Parisa Winston Mix, Marmonie Pastel, Lady Godiva Nougat, Stamp -557126, Tatiana Coral, Say it in Crystals -553999
Close To My Heart : Live Out Loud Stamp
Webster Pages : Whimsy Hearts and Pefect Accents (Sunday Picnic)

Thanks for taking a peek and telling me what ya think.
God Bless and Happy Scrappn!

Heather Jacob - April 2013 Featured Guest Designer

This month we have one of my all time favourite paper artists as a returning Guest Designer for The Paper Mixing Bowl - the unparalleled Heather Jacob (see her first feature as our Guest Designer here)! If you haven't visited Heather's blogs -- Art and Life and Art and Soul -- then you are seriously missing out on some of the most inspiring and unique scrapbooking and altered art creations to be found! Here is a little bit more about Heather in her own words:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi there, my name is Heather Jacob. 

Firstly I am so honoured and delighted to be invited to guest design here at the The Paper Mixing Bowl, thanks so much Sarah for having me. 

Now a little about me, I am blissfully married to my wonderful, supportive “soul mate” Baden, and my beautiful family feature throughout my work . 

To me this craft is the perfect combination of art, photography, beautiful paper, 

and glorious words. 

I especially love to choose some elements, cast a spell and see what happens, to create a dream and follow it through. Subtle shadows, light and color are all ingredients for casting the spell. 

I am in harmony with my garden and its inhabitants, connecting with the beauty that surrounds me. For me it is all-consuming, inspiring and a natural expression of my inner self, which I love to weave into my works. 

I am inspired by colour and texture … I love to include stitching, chipboard, journaling, muslin, fabrics, metal elements, inking, masking and texture paste. 

Off the page projects and altered art are a fave of mine. 

I see my style as “Classic” with attention to detail… 

I tend to lean toward monochromatic themes with a little shabby chic/grunge thrown in.. 

I feel blessed to have had my work published in magazines 

and I am lucky enough to be on a number of design teams. 

Warm hugz from Heather x 

My blogs 

www.heatherartandlife.blogspot.com

www.heather-artandsoul.blogspot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How utterly fantastic is Heather's creation using this month's recipe? From the gorgeous chipboard elements, to the stitching and amazing doodling that perfectly feature that stunning photo. . . Heather's layout is a true work of art - and a delicious example of creativity!

Thank you so much to Heather for returning as a Featured Guest Designer at The Paper Mixing Bowl this month - you are such an inspiration and such a sweet scrappy friend!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, I just know that Heather's gorgeous layout has provided some inspiration to our Scrappy Chefs out there - we can't wait to see what you cook up to play along with April's Recipe!

Happy Scrapping!

Winners ~ March 2013 Recipe Challenge

Thanks to everyone who played along with our March Challenge - we love seeing your layouts and hope you'll join us again! 

Winners - please grab your Winner Badge on the Etiquette page of the Blog! We would also like to invite our winners to be Guest Designers for next month's challenge here at The Paper Mixing Bowl. Please email Sarah at papermixingbowlblog {at} gmail.com if you would like to join us as a Guest Designer next month!

Unfortunately we had to disqualify an entry last month due to not following our etiquette rules, which is why the design team could only crown 2 winners.

The Main Course (1st Place)
Renee "Like Mary Poppins"

Dessert (2nd Runner-up)
Buffy "Oct. Morning"

 Congratulations to our winners!!