Candy Shoppe Sweet 16 Blog Hop Challenge

Candy Shoppe blog is hosting a super fun blog hop challenge in honor of their birthday. There are 10 blogs with instructions on each one and in the end you end up with a unique layout. Plus, the participants have a chance to win a sweet kit from Studio Calico, more details on Candy Shoppe Blog. I had a blast playing!!! Thanks, gals, for setting this up.

Here's a summary of the steps:

1) Choose a unique background. I was walking around my room looking for what would work when I came across this 12x12 cork I had leftover from a self made bullatain board. It was just the right size too so I couldn't pass it up. The only downside is that it won't fit into a page protector, but it was definitely unique compared to my traditional backgrounds.
2) Add an paper with an edge.
3) Add patterned paper on top.
4) Choose a closeup photo. I didn't have many options here because I was running low on photos and this one was a few of the closeups.
5) Do something to the side of the photo. I punched mine.
6) Layer the photo over the DP.
7) Add ribbon. On my page I have a ribbon seperating the two DPs and twine wrapped aroudn the lower part of the page.
8) Put at least 3 flowers into a corner of the photo. Did that.
9) Add at least 3 other kinds of embelishments. I added a paper tag that said "Smile", a fabric tag that says "Live with passion", a chipboard bracket and cut out branches from the remainder of my DP to tie in the earthy feel.
10)Add a title. My title was "Outside the Box" because this whole layout was kind of unusual for me, the layout was about me and in some aspects my life is kind of unique and finally because the page was about nothing in particular and I needed a generic title (there, I gave it away). The word "outside" is put together using Heidi Swapp clear alphabet where I outlined the edges with chocolate ink to make it more visible. The word "box" was a self made embelishment of a sort. I took some pop caps, smashed them, added DP with alphabet stickers and then covered the whole thing with Crystal Effects. I had to let it dry overnight but now it's hard and shiny. 

Hmm, since this doesn't fit into my album now i need to find a place on the wall to put this up. It's finally Friday, I'm so happy the weekend is here. Hope yours is a good one.

Supplies :

• Paper: Cork board, SIE Tarragon from Dill Blossom collection, Colorbok DP form a chipboard set
  
• Ink: Chocolate chip, Sharpie
• Accessories: Ribbon, twine, Heidi Swapp chipboard, tag and clear alphabet, Prima flowers, Stampin'Up! pearls, fabric tag ( I think it's from Around the Block), pop caps, Around the Block alphabet , Crystal Effects
  
• Tools: Stampin'Up! punch

~Olga