Current Challenges

Sunday - CAS: May Day - Use Flowers
Monday - Greeting: Spring has Sprung
Tuesday - Color:

Wednesday - Sketch:

Twisted Thursday: Anything Goes
Festive Friday Challenge:

International Dance Day
National Oatmeal Cookie Day
International Baby Day
National Firefighters Day
Saturday - Paper a la Mode:

Anything Goes

This Weeks Outlawz Challenge

Sunday - CAS: Birthday Card for Young Child
Monday - Greeting: NO Corners
Tuesday - Color:

Wednesday - Sketch:

Twisted Thursday: Anything With Wings
Festive Friday Challenge:

National Pet Day

National Siblings Day

National Golfers Day

National April Showers Day
Saturday - Paper a la Mode:

Head Shots

Card or Project Planner A la Bon

So as promised here is my card planner. I use it for nearly every project and  I also have an Stampin Up! 6 x 8 Project life folder with blank sheet that goes just about every where with me to log inspiration.  In the image below you can see how I can utilize the sketch space for square as well as landscape or portrait cards. I like drawing a rough sketch of ideas I get from other blogs, Pinterest, magazines or even adverts or YouTube video's rather then having a picture of original to avoid just coping another crafter's work.  I try to record as much information about my idea before I start so I can go to my stash and pull everything out I need in one go.  This folder is really useful when the dreaded crafter's block strike.  Feel free to grap a copy for personal use by right clicking and saving the image file.  I will provide a PDF at a later stage.  

I like to write the measurements of completed cards on the back of these sheets that I leave blank specifically for this reason and if I am really happy with the end result I will also print out a small photo of the project to stick on the back next to the measurements.

Need some Card Sketches for Inspiration

Making a card and deciding where to put what  can be time-consuming so many card makers participate in sketch challenges each week.  These sketches alleviate hours of frustration and crafters block by showing us the best placement of card components and are great for inspiration.

A card sketch is made up of three very basic components: matting paper, designer paper, and embellishments. Matting paper is typically, but not always, cardstock, and is used to frame the designer paper to make it pop.  Matting paper is typically, but not always, cardstock, and is used to frame the designer paper to make it pop. Designer paper is available in many different brands, colors, and sizes and will be the most crucial part in the design of your card. The focal image, ribbons, buttons, brads, or "embellishments", you choose to use for your card are often based on the theme of your designer paper.

Below is a list of websites that offer free sketches and/or sketch challenges.

Splitcoast Stampers

• Splitcoast Stampers
  Splitcoast Stampers is one of the largest paper craft communities you will find on the web. Besides the endless resources they provide, Splitcoast offers a weekly card sketch challenge each Wednesday in which hundreds of card markers participate.

Taylored Expressions Blog

• Taylored Expressions
  At the Taylored Expressions blog, you will find dozens and dozens of paper craft creation ideas and card sketches. Taylored Expressions also hosts a card sketch challenge each Friday in which many card makers participate.

Mojo Monday Blog

• Mojo Monday - The Blog
  Mojo Monday is a blog completely dedicated to card sketches and sketch challenges. Each monday, a new challenge is given to those who wish to participate, and a winner is announced on the following Tuesday.

Card Patterns Weekly Sketch Blog

• CardPatterns
  Card Patterns Weekly Sketch blog offers many different free card sketches for any skill level. They also host a sketch challenge every Friday.

Inspirational Card Sketches Blog

• Inspirational Card Sketches
  Inspirational Card Sketches offers many different card sketches as well as a weekly sketch challenge every Tuesday.

Card Challenges & More Blog

• Card Challenges & More
  Another wonderful resource for card sketch templates. Card Challenges and More also hosts weekly sketch challenges.

Two Peas in a Bucket

• The Best Scrapbooking Supplies On The Web - Two Peas in a Bucket
  Two Peas in a Bucket offers many different card sketches. They also provide message boards for paper crafters, tutorials and resources for projects, weekly challenges, and more.

Oz-some Stamps Blog

• Oz-somestamps: Card Sketches
  Oz-some stamps: Card Sketches is a blog that offers many card sketches, as well as weekly challenges, project tutorials and more.

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2 Sketches 4 U

• 2 Sketches 4 You
  This blog has a lot of unique, card sketches and also features a weekly sketch challenge

 Sugar Pea Designs

• Sugar Pea Designs
  This blog has nice card sketches and also features a regular sketch challenge.

 Operation Write Home

• Operation Write Home
  Operation Write home has hundreds of sketches with measurements for US A2 cards (4.25" x 5.5").  They also have brilliant tutorials and a youtube channel.  The have a great link to a colour schemer to inspire you even more.

Verve Stamps

• Verve Stamps
  Verve stamps have great sketches with weekly challenges and a monthly sketch and color challenge.  This is one of the blogs I have followed for the longest due to the inspiration I get from their sketches and gallery.

Fusion

• Fusion
  This blog has nice card sketches and inspirational photo's and also features a regular challenges where you can use only the sketch or the photo of combine the two.

 Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge

• Operation Write Home
  Operation Write home has hundreds of sketches with measurements for US A2 cards (4.25" x 5.5").  They also have brilliant tutorials and a youtube channel.  The have a great link to a colour schemer to inspire you even more.

Crafty Challenges

 Sometimes it's just nice to have to 'think outside the box' for the sake of it and to make something you may not otherwise make so I use challenges for this and sometimes even combining more then one for a specific project.  I do not nessarily enter the challenge as some of the challenges have rules I can not really bother to follow and it feels like the "papercrafting" polivce will come for you if you dare stray from there rules.  It can however be a great way to expand your stash if yous tick to all their stringent rules.

You have to remember a few things if you are going to enter challenges though like:
Linking to your actual creation, by this they mean the actual blog post with it in and not your entire blog. You can understand this rule as you may make a post a day and the challenge blog may not get round to viewing your creation for a week or two and have to scroll through looking for your entry which consumes a lot of time. It is also advisable to link back to them or at the very least a mention to the challenge name and challenge host.


Some challenge blogs will not even consider your entry if the links are not done correctly so have a quick read of all the rules and if you want to be considered for the prizes, do this correctly.  Most of the time there will be a tutorial or explanation on the challenge blog of how exactly they would like it done.

I will be updating the challenge regularly as I find new challenges because I think it is a great way to get you out of a crafting rut and challenge you imagination to make the most of all your craft stash.

Weekly Challenges:

Splitcoast Stampers

• MONDAY  Try a New Technique Clean and Simple Cards  Scrapbook Inspiration
• TUESDAY Color Challenges Teapot Challenges Digital Scrapbooking
• WEDNESDAY Card Sketches Scrapbook Variety
• THURSDAY Ways to Use It
• FRIDAY Free for All Mix-Ability Scrapbook Sketch
• SATURDAY Inspiration Challenge
• SUNDAY Featured Stamper
• MONTHLY Christmas Cards Scrapbook Goals Cards for a Cause
• ONGOING Virtual Stamp Night Virtual Scrapbooking Night
• ANNUAL Hope You Can Cling To Dare to Get Dirty

 Outlawz Challenges

• MONDAY Greeting Card Challenge
• TUESDAY Color Challenge
• WEDNESDAY Sketch Challenge
• THURSDAY Optional Twist
• FRIDAY Alcohol Markers
• SATURDAY Paper Ala Mode
• SUNDAY Clean and Simple

DailyDare4U

 The Daily Dare lists team challenges only as there are too many independent demonstrator challenges to include them all.  It is a ver comprehensive list though.  They also have a list of places you can find Card Sketches from.

Card and Craft Challenge list

Another stunning list with tons of challenges.

Monday

The Pink Elephant
Mojo Monday A card sketch challenge created by Julee Tilman in 2007 on Poetic Artistry before moving here in 2009.
Stamp with Fun!

Monthly Challenges:

Kaarten-maken-met-Tiets 

Here you can find a lovey card scketch as well as a Digistamp Challenge

Next time I will be telling you more about Design Teams and the criteria most Organizers would like you to meet, so till the next time practise your craft, enter challenges and send your creations into magazines to get published.