Thanksgiving Challenges

 Here are a few quick challenges for you in case you have a little free time during the Thanksgiving holiday - who needs to go out and shop?? In order to be eligible for the grand prize drawing make sure to upload your designs by midnight on November 30th.

You may complete as many projects using each challenge as you wish. Each project will earn you an entry into our monthly prize drawing. Please upload your entries using our Linky Tools at the bottom of this post to be eligible for the Grand Prize, a drawing we do with all of our monthly challenge entries uploaded from the month of November.

Janice's Paper Folding Challenge

We all have certain techniques that especially catch our eye when they’re used on a layout, and for me paper folding is one of them. I seem unable to pass up a closer look at a page with folds! So my challenge to you this month is to add a little extra dimension and personality to a page by finding a folding technique you like (try searching for “paper folding” on Pinterest) and incorporating it into your design. You can add pleats, make rosettes, create faux quilting looks (like I did on my layout) or fold origami shapes. There really are many ways to use this technique. I hope participating in this challenge helps you to fall in love with folding like I have. Have fun with this; I can’t wait to see what you all create!

Danielle's Mixing Texture Challenge

My challenge for you this month could be one that will make you step out of the box, and it could be one that you are used to doing when you create a layout or project.

I challenge you to create a layout or card mixing 3 different textures.  The textures you choose are completely up to you!

In my layout, the textures I included are:

Mist (paint)

Cardboard

Twine

Introducing the December Guest Designer...

But this time it is designerS

Thanks to all of you that participated! 

We had an unexpected extra slot to fill for December so we chose TWO guest designers from this months' entries.  Congratulations!

Kristie Coleman

 

Kristie has been a guest designer with us in the past and I am excited to have her here again.

 

Ruth Tacoma

 

 Ruth has been a long time subscriber to Back Porch Memories but this is her first time to join us as a guest designer, welcome aboard, Ruth!

 

December Guest Designer Contest

We love seeing what you all create with these sketches each month and we can't wait to see what you do with this one! Becky Fleck of http://www.pagemaps.com creates an exclusive sketch just for us each month and we love her for it!

We'd like to see your layout include a title, photo(s) and journaling. Layouts will be judged by our design team on creativity and best overall design. The winning layout will earn a spot on our team for the month of December and this Guest Designer will get to work with one of our monthly kits.

Rules of our Guest Designer Contest:

• One (1) layout entry per person.

• Entry must use the sketch above and include a title, photo(s) and journaling.

• Your layout must be NEWLY CREATED for this contest.

• Deadline for entries is November 15th, midnight Eastern time (New York City time),and must be linked using Linky Tools at the end of this post.

•  We will announce our winner November 17th.

• Due to increased international shipping times and our tight due dates, we are no longer able to accept international submissions for our Guest Designer contest, including Canadian entries. Canadian entries have been accepted in the past, but we've noticed kits aren't making it to the designer in time to complete the requirements by our due date. We will continue to monitor the international and Canadian shipping times and reverse this rule if it improves.

• You must not have been a Guest Design Team Member at Back Porch Memories in the last six months. If it's been over that time period, feel free to enter again.

If you're chosen as a Guest Designer for Back Porch Memories:

• You will be contacted by BPM via email, and you're required to accept the position within 24 hours of notification (preferably ASAP).

• Your photo and bio will be featured in our newsletter and we will need these within a few days of your acceptance.

• You will receive one of the December kits and will be required to complete at least 3 layouts and 1 project (altered piece, card set, etc.) with the kit. These must be uploaded to the December Design Team folder in our gallery by December 10th.

• One of your layouts must be completed and emailed to us by November 30th so it may be included on our site as a "teaser."

• Your assignments will include hosting a monthly challenge, using our monthly sketch to complete a layout for our newsletter and completing a newsletter article. The sketch assignment counts as one of your three required layouts. For the challenge, you can use any previously designed project you wish OR use your kit. If you use your kit, this page will also count towards your layout requirement.

• We love getting to know you and so do our members. You'll participate in the forums by posting a minimum of 5 times a week. (This requirement is evolving to include our new communication formats, we are currently switching over from our message board format to our Blog/Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter - please be prepared for involvement in any of these formats)

We can't wait to see what you do with this sketch! Good luck!

Our October Challenge Winner

is...
Rebecca Daly

Rebecca will receive a past Back Porch Memories kit in the mail!  The new challenges will be posted soon, join us in November for your chance to win!

Introducing the November Guest Designer...

A big thanks go out to those of you that entered the November Guest Design Team Contest! It is always to fun to see the different takes on the same sketch.  A big congratulations go out to our next guest designer:

Janice Daquila-Pardo

 

I have to tell you that I followed her link and poked around her blog a bit and I am excited to see what Janice will do with our November kit,  Janice will be hosting one of our November challenges, as well as making several layouts using the kits, so you will get to know her quite well next month.  The next Guest Design Team contest will begin in about a week, I hope you will join us again!

Brand New Challenges!

October Challenges

 You have from now until midnight Eastern time on October 31st to complete these challenges. You may complete as many projects using each challenge as you wish. Each project will earn you an entry into our monthly prize drawing. Please upload your entries using our Linky Tools at the bottom of this post to be eligible for our grand prize, a drawing we do with all of our monthly challenge entries uploaded from the month of October.

Tammy's Sketch Challenge

Take a one page sketch that you like and stretch it, turn it, or otherwise alter it to make a two page layout.  I love so many of the one page sketches, but often find myself with more pictures than will work on them.  In this layout, I stretched the strips of paper onto the other page.  I used the medley kit, but you can use any of the papers from the current or previous Back Porch Memories Kits.  I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Rochelle's 3's Company Challenge

For this challenge, you will need to create a new layout with the following items:

3 Photos

3 Patterned Papers

3 Word Title

That's it!

Here's my layout:

November Guest Designer Contest

Please forgive us for not having a Guest Designer Contest last month.  We had some kit difficulties the previous month and decided to let our September Guest Designer have an extra month with us. But we are ready to see what you do with this sketch! Becky Fleck of http://www.pagemaps.com creates an exclusive sketch just for us each month and we love her for it!

We'd like to see your layout include a title, photo(s) and journaling. Layouts will be judged by our design team on creativity and best overall design. The winning layout will earn a spot on our team for the month of September and this Guest Designer will get to work with one of our monthly kits.

Rules of our Guest Designer Contest:

• One (1) layout entry per person.

• Entry must use the sketch above and include a title, photo(s) and journaling.

• Your layout must be NEWLY CREATED for this contest.

• Deadline for entries is October 15th, midnight Eastern time (New York City time),and must be linked using Linky Tools at the bottom of this post.

•  We will announce our winner October 17th

• Due to increased international shipping times and our tight due dates, we are no longer able to accept international submissions for our Guest Designer contest, including Canadian entries. Canadian entries have been accepted in the past, but we've noticed kits aren't making it to the designer in time to complete the requirements by our due date. We will continue to monitor the international and Canadian shipping times and reverse this rule if it improves.

• You must not have been a Guest Design Team Member at Back Porch Memories in the last six months. If it's been over that time period, feel free to enter again.

If you're chosen as a Guest Designer for Back Porch Memories:

• You will be contacted by BPM via email, and you're required to accept the position within 24 hours of notification (preferably ASAP).

• Your photo and bio will be featured in our newsletter and we will need these within a few days of your acceptance.

• You will receive one of the November kits and will be required to complete at least 3 layouts and 1 project (altered piece, card set, etc.) with the kit. These must be uploaded to the November Design Team folder in our gallery by November 10th.

• One of your layouts must be completed and emailed to us by October 30th so it may be included on our site as a "teaser."

• Your assignments will include hosting a monthly challenge, using our monthly sketch to complete a layout for our newsletter and completing a newsletter article. The sketch assignment counts as one of your three required layouts. For the challenge, you can use any previously designed project you wish OR use your kit. If you use your kit, this page will also count towards your layout requirement.

• We love getting to know you and so do our members. You'll participate in the forums by posting a minimum of 5 times a week. (This requirement is evolving to include our new communication formats, we are currently switching over from our message board format to our Blog/Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter - please be prepared for involvement in any of these formats)

We can't wait to see what you do with this sketch! Good luck!

September Guest Designer Contest

We love seeing what you all create with these sketches each month and we can't wait to see what you do with this one! Becky Fleck of http://www.pagemaps.com creates an exclusive sketch just for us each month and we love her for it!

We'd like to see your layout include a title, photo(s) and journaling. Layouts will be judged by our design team on creativity and best overall design. The winning layout will earn a spot on our team for the month of September and this Guest Designer will get to work with one of our monthly kits.

Rules of our Guest Designer Contest:

• One (1) layout entry per person.

• Entry must use the sketch above and include a title, photo(s) and journaling.

• Your layout must be NEWLY CREATED for this contest.

• Deadline for entries is August 20th, midnight Eastern time (New York City time),and must be linked using Linky Tools at the bottom of this post.

•  We will announce our winner August 22nd.

• Due to increased international shipping times and our tight due dates, we are no longer able to accept international submissions for our Guest Designer contest, including Canadian entries. Canadian entries have been accepted in the past, but we've noticed kits aren't making it to the designer in time to complete the requirements by our due date. We will continue to monitor the international and Canadian shipping times and reverse this rule if it improves.

• You must not have been a Guest Design Team Member at Back Porch Memories in the last six months. If it's been over that time period, feel free to enter again.

If you're chosen as a Guest Designer for Back Porch Memories:

• You will be contacted by BPM via email, and you're required to accept the position within 24 hours of notification (preferably ASAP).

• Your photo and bio will be featured in our newsletter and we will need these within a few days of your acceptance.

• You will receive one of the September kits and will be required to complete at least 3 layouts and 1 project (altered piece, card set, etc.) with the kit. These must be uploaded to the September Design Team folder in our gallery by September 10th.

• One of your layouts must be completed and emailed to us by August 30th so it may be included on our site as a "teaser."

• Your assignments will include hosting a monthly challenge, using our monthly sketch to complete a layout for our newsletter and completing a newsletter article. The sketch assignment counts as one of your three required layouts. For the challenge, you can use any previously designed project you wish OR use your kit. If you use your kit, this page will also count towards your layout requirement.

• We love getting to know you and so do our members. You'll participate in the forums by posting a minimum of 5 times a week. (This requirement is evolving to include our new communication formats, we are currently switching over from our message board format to our Blog/Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter - please be prepared for involvement in any of these formats)

We can't wait to see what you do with this sketch! Good luck!

August Challenges

 We love to give away prizes and we love to help you blow through your stash.  Our challenges do both! Use these as jumping off points to get some pages done this summer.  

You have from now until midnight Eastern time on August 31st to complete these challenges. You may complete as many projects using each challenge as you wish. Each project will earn you an entry into our monthly prize drawing. Please upload your entries at the bottom of this post to be eligible for the grand prize, a drawing we do with all of our monthly challenge entries uploaded from the month of August.

Rochelle's Sketch Challenge

Sketches are always a great tool to use to get your mojo going.  So for this challenge you are to create a layout based on this sketch.  Here's my layout I created using this sketch and the Back Porch Medley kit from June.

Danielle C's Scraplifting Challenge

My Challenge for you this month is to create your own page based on the one I have created.  I used the July Solo but you can use anything you have laying around.  Even though you are using this layout at your inspiration be sure to ake it your own, I can't wait to see what you come up with!

  

Elizabeth Hellmuth's All About Me Challenge

The challenge this month is to create a layout about you! There are three things that must be on your layout or creation. The first you must use your name, the second is you must use 5 words to describe you, and lastly you must use numbers of your age! I know, I know... Its not often easy to do this about ourselves but we are truly where we are supposed to be at the time we are, so I encourage you to be content where you are and show everyone that!!!

I kept my layout simple as I wanted to focus on the photo and where I was today. Play along with us this month and let's see who you really are too!

And the Winner is....

A big thanks go out to those of you that entered the August Guest Design Team Contest! Your designs were fantastic making the decision a tough one. The Design Team voted and it was a close one. A big congratulations go out to our next guest designer:

Elizabeth Hellum

I am looking forward to seeing what Elizabeth design's for us!  All of her designs using the August kit will be posted in the Back Porch Memories gallery and she will also be creating a Challenge for you in August, so stay tuned...

June's Challenge Winner

Sorry to be a little late posing the winner - I am on vacation and it totally slipped my mind!
We had lots of entries and loved looking at every one of them, thanks to everyone that played along.  The winner will receive a past kit from Back Porch Memories, and was chosen using random.org







Congratulations MINDY