Are you ready to play?  We have a Scraplift Challenge to help get those juices flowing! Take a look below and get inspired, twist, turn, choose any W&W kit and create away!  Remember this is only an inspiration, your layout does NOT have to look EXACTLY like this.

Remember your layout must be:
1. 80% of WW Goodies
2. Upload your pages to the WW Challenge Gallery
3. Post back here *or* at the WW Challenge Forum with a link to your page by Sunday

Remember you receive a Petal Point for participating.

I was so inspired when I saw the layout done by one of Gina’s CTs immaculeah.  I just love the simplicity of this layout, but what an impact it made.

Here is my try at scraplifting her beautiful layout.

Have fun weedsters,

UPDATE: Could everyone that posts in the comments, please put your username too that you use in the W&W area so that we can post the correct Petal Points to everyone. Thanks!!!

So sorry this challenge is a day late today, but yesterday life simply got in the way!

This week I’m going to concentrate on composition. When snapping  a photo, don’t just click, rather think first and move your camera around to get the best & also most interesting composition.

The challenge for this week is to concentrate on using an object in your image as a frame. There are so many objects that form natural frames when you look through the lens. Try using things like doorways, windows, trees, architectural details. Compose your photo by placing the “frame” around the edges of your photo to frame the subject and draw attention to it.

Take a look at Melissa’s photo she submitted for the B&W Challenge in January. Isn’t this just the cutest “framed” photo? The window frames the subjects perfectly. I also love that the window here is off centre and allows you to see the lovely pattern and texture of the wall in the shot too.

For some more inspiration, take a look HERE

So now grab that faithful camera and before you push down on the shutter, look for something interesting to frame your subject.

Post your photos in the Challenge Gallery and the leave a link HERE so that you can gain a 1/4 Petal Point this week (one point for every 4 photo challenges you submit for).

This challenge closes on Wednesday 10 February at 11:59pm EST.

Have a great weekend!

Hi there! Sorry this is a little later than usual, but I’ve had bit of a busy day. My car’s central locking system literally blew a fuse so I had to go get that fixed as there’s no way I could go anywhere and leave the car unlocked. Then of course this afternoon was me playing mom’s taxi (as usual).

Hope you’re all having a good week and keeping up with taking your photos. I’m very motivated this year and determined to keep up. What better way to keep up than with some photo inspiration?

This week we’re going to get QUIRKY! Let’s do something a bit different! Take a photo of someone but break some rules and add some fun! Try to make it more than just a photo – make it depict a memory, let the photo tell a story or simply use a different perspective.

• Challenge Rule 1 : Your photo must have a person (or persons) in it.
• Challenge Rule 2:  Make it Quirky and unusual.

Don’t you love photos that make you take another glance? Photos that just have something different in them that catches and holds your eye. Remember it’s still a photo for your 365 Project, so make it something that’s still personal to you and a photo that you like.

Here are a few ideas to spark your imagination:

• Take a photo from an unusual ANGLE. You can turn your camera;  take a shot while lying down on the ground or standing on a ladder; get down to your subjects’ level…
• Leave some BLANK SPACE on your photo. Place your subject to the side of your photo, leaving around 2/3rds of the photo “blank”. That is, with an uncomplicated background. This is an ideal spot for journaling or adding a quote.
• Take a photo of a PORTION of a person! You don’t have to have the whole face in the shot or even the whole body. Focus on the hands, or the feet or the eyes. This combined with an unusual angle could make for a fabulous photo.

One thing to keep in mind when taking unusual photos like this is – remember where you want the focus. For e.g. If you want to emphasize someone’s hands, for instance, then focus the camera on the hands so that they are crisp, while the rest of the image is slightly out of focus. Play with the depth of field.

Tip: To get a subject in focus, but to the side of our image (not right in the middle where your camera focuses) , first focus on the subject by pressing down on the camera’s shutter half way until it is in focus, then keeping your finger on the shutter, move the camera so your subject is where you want them in the image. Now press all the way down. Voilà!

A sharp busy background can also be distracting when photographing people, so concentrate on focusing on the subject. Make your subject stand out by either having very little in the background, or by making sure your background is blurred and your subject is clear and crisp.

Don’t just point and shoot, think about what you are photographing.

Although not a portrait, here’s an example showing Depth of Field, where I focused on a Bonsai in the foreground, with the hint of a blurred watering can in the background. This is also an example of chopping the subject off, only showing a portion of it.

Here’s another one I took of a giraffe drinking at a waterhole. Fortunately we were parked in just the right spot and the giraffe conveniently bent down and drank. I simply seized the opportunity! I love this angle- the giraffe looks so awkward!

I’ll post some quirky portrait photos of my own too once I have tied my little subjects down long enough to take a pic or two! I’m hoping to grab a chance tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy the challenge.

Take a peek HERE to see how the challenge works and how you can earn your petal points! Remember to post a link in the forum HERE to your photo in the Challenge Gallery.

It’s Photo Prompt time again.

Last week the challenge was Black & White Photography. There were some really amazing photographs! Thanks so much for sending your photos in. You will each receive a Petal Point for participating in our FIRST photo prompt challenge for 2010. I used a Random Number Generator and the lucky number is …..number 8 aka- Bretta! So you will receive an extra petal Point.

Here’s Bretta’s gorgeous Black & White photograph…

It has been raining here again where I live, and the ground is so wet and muddy. It is cooler today and still humid. So I decided to allow the rain to inspire the challenge for this week. Your challenge is…..WATER! You can do anything you like, but your photograph must have something to do with WATER. Try to come up with an unusual way to photograph it. Spray water over some flowers and photograph the drops on the petals, or let your kids jump in puddles (if you have puddles!) and photograph the splashes. Photograph that tap in your kitchen that won’t stop dripping.. The ideas are endless and with interesting lighting, you could create some gorgeous photography. Use your imagination and have some fun!

How the challenge works…

Every Thursday, I will add a Photo Prompt here for the week. Sometimes this will include a photography tutorial or tip – so do remember to pop in. You can then upload your photos to the CHALLENGE GALLERY and then post a link to your photo HERE in the forum.

Last week, everyone received a Petal Point as a treat as it was our first Prompt. Each month you need to participate in each and every Photo Prompt Challenge for the month in order to gain one Petal Point.

For January, you must have participated last week and you must participate in the last two prompts for the month (this week and next week) as well in order to qualify for the Petal Point. So get those cameras out and snap away!

All the entries from the Photo Prompt Challenge for the month (whether you’ve participated every week or not) will be entered into the Random Number Generator and ONE lucky number will win an EXTRA Petal Point.

Once you’ve accumulated 10 Petal Points (from all the Challenges here at W&W), you qualify for a $10 gift certificate from the shoppe!

Have fun playing with water! Just don’t get your camera wet!

Hey Weedsters!!!

I am happy to bring you the Weeds & Wildflowers Monday COLOR challenge!!!

I am getting into painting at a local studio where they teach step by step how to paint paintings that we pick online before going to the class! This is one of her pieces she is offering this month I love the colors; so that is what inspired this color challenge :) I look forward to seeing what Weeds masterpiece you make with them!

and before I sign off, a little inspiration from our some of our fantastic site gals!

from Iowan:

from Tiff:

and now for the extra fun!!!

Post your layout in the Challenge Gallery and post a link to your layout HERE so you can collect a Petal Point. Work up to 10 Petal Points and receive a $10 Gift Certificate to the Weeds and Wildflowers Shoppe!

REMEMBER here are the basic rules in order to earn your Petal Points:

This challenge will run for TWO WEEKS until the end of Sunday 31 January 2010.

It is essential you use the colors here in your layout!

Don’t forget to post your layout in the challenge gallery and again in the forum linked above!

Use at least 80% of W&W goodies.

We will then ask the W&W CT to vote for their favorite and the winner will win an EXTRA Petal Point- so 2 for the winner but 1 for everyone who plays along!!!

Have a great week and thank you for being a part of the Weeds & Wildflowers community!!!

(((hugs)))

Welcome to the weekly Photo Prompt challenge. This is how it will work:

Every Thursday, I will add a Photo Prompt here for the week. Sometimes this will include a photography tutorial or tip – so do remember to pop in. You can then upload your photos to the CHALLENGE GALLERY and then post a link to your photo HERE in the forum. You will collect a Petal Point for the photo you submit.

I will then select a winner each week from the photos submitted for an extra Petal Point. The winner will be announced every Thursday. You have until Midnight EST on the Wednesday to post your photos. (So this week’s challenge will close on Wed 20 January at 12 midnight EST).

How does that sound? Fun? Well here is the first one…

The theme for this week is   Black & White.

I love B&W photographs for various reasons. They seem to evoke and “old world” feel; they are classical, romantic & timeless. I love how they are able to really capture a mood or emotion. They look like works of art to me. They make gorgeous portraits and I love the contrasts and depth you find in them. Another great plus to a B&W photo is that you can use any colours with it in your digital scrapbooking. So next time you really want to use a particular kit and the colour of your photo clashes, simply change your photo to B&W!

1. When shooting pictures in Black & White, it is better to take the photo in colour and then change the photo later in a Photo editing program to B&W. This way you still have the option of the photograph in colour.
2. Use the lowest ISO setting possible on your camera (if shooting in manual with a DSLR). This helps eliminate unwanted grainy effects which are particularly visible when you change the colour to B&W. {Unless of course you actually want a grainy effect).
3. If you are taking a photograph with the idea of changing it to B&W, remember to take note of shapes, sizes, lines, patterns, number of objects etc. instead of concentrating on the colour. That way when the photo is converted to B&W, shapes, lines, patterns etc. will be dominant. These lead the eye around the photograph or toward the focal point of the photo, so it is really important to take note of them.
4. This is also a great way to practice your photography skills. To take a good photo you need to concentrate on Balance, Symmetry, shapes, sizes, rhythm, etc. and B&W photography really accentuates this (more about these points in a later challenge).
5. Also take note of shadows and highlights and texture. These are what make a B&W photograph interesting.
6. An overcast and shady day is great for taking B&W photos as the sun doesn’t cause harsh contrasts in your photo. Taking a photo on an overcast day in colour results in a blown out white sky and sometimes even a gloomy photo.Changing it to B&W allows the subject to pop and you notice shapes and lines more and your photo somehow looks less gloomy.
7. When you convert a photo to B&W, play around with the sharpness, as well as the contrast, you’ll be amazed at what a difference these make to a photo. You can make an ordinary colour photo really pop by changing it to B&W & playing with your settings in an editing program.
8. Do you want to use a photo on a layout but it’s a little out of focus, change it to B&W. You will notice straight away that it looks better. Then adjust “levels”; sharpness & contrast to achieve an even better photo. Although this doesn’t only apply to B&W photos, remember to keep slightly off-focus photos smaller, you are then less likely to notice the blur.

Well that’s my 2 cents worth on Black & White photos! Now get out that trusty ol’ camera, find a worthy subject and snap away! Then submit your photos in the Challenge Gallery.

Here’s a photo I took last week for Life 365. I’ve added the colour one as well so you can compare the two. I much prefer the B&W.

Happy snapping!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you’re going to have a fabulous year full of scrapbooking fun ;0) !

The winner for the Journal Challenge held in December is ….{insert drumroll here}…. Tamara {aka tam65}. What a gorgeous layout!! Congrats! You’ve earned an extra Petal Point!!

Wow, Christmas is certainly approaching almost as fast as it takes Santa to deliver his gifts on Christmas Eve! It has really started to feel like Christmas to me now. The stores are beautifully decorated, there are Christmas songs being played on the radio and we’ve taken out all our ornaments and will be putting the tree up tonight.

We usually put our tree up towards the end of November or the 1st of December. This year, it’s been a bit delayed as, firstly, I couldn’t remember where I had put the base to the tree (it wasn’t with the tree!), secondly, when we found it this weekend, my daughter had gone away for two days with a friend, and asked us to wait for her to return before beginning the decorating.

This has all got me thinking about how everyone celebrates Christmas in different ways. Do you have family Christmas traditions?

When do you put up your tree? Do you have a favourite ornament? What are your plans for Christmas Day? ………

I decided it might be fun to do a Christmas journal challenge to get those creative juices flowing and to record the way you celebrate Christmas. Don’t panic, you don’t have to write a book!! LOL!

I have jotted down a series of questions which you can use on a layout in any way you wish. These should hopefully help you get started on jotting down your Christmas memories.

Perhaps you’d like to ask your kids some of these questions the way I plan to. (See second set of questions). What a cute fun memory for them to have one day. If they can write already, get them to write down the answers so you also have a record of their handwriting (and spelling!). I’m sure some of the smaller kids will really amuse you with their answers too!

What about creating a journal jar ? Place these questions in a decorated little jar and ask them to take one question out a day and answer it.

You can then perhaps make a hybrid layout with a pocket on it or otherwise tuck their written answers in behind the layout in your album.

Here are a few questions to get you going:

1. Did you shop early this Christmas?
2. Are you using wrapping paper or gift bags this year?
3. Plans for your Christmas Table colour-scheme?
4. When do you put up the tree?
5. Is your tree different each year or is it always the same?
6. Does it have a particular colour scheme or theme?
7. When do you think you’ll take it down?
8. A real tree or an artificial one?
9. Can you remember your favourite Christmas present you received as a child?
10. What’s on the menu for Christmas dinner?
11. What’s your favourite Christmas song/carol?
12. What is your favourite ornament on your tree?
13. Have you got an unusual ornament?
14. Do you hang lights up outside your house?
15. What’s your favourite part about Christmas time?
16. What’s your worst part about Christmas time?
17. Are you celebrating at home or are you going away somewhere?
18. Will there be snow or shine?
19. What would you like for Christmas?
20. Is your tree topper an angel or a star?

Here are the questions I am going to ask my kids:

1. What would you like for Christmas from Santa?
2. Where does Santa live?
3. Where will he park his sleigh?
4. What’s the name of Santa’s reindeer with the red nose?
5. What’s your favourite tree ornament?
6. What’s your favourite ornament in the house?
7. What do you leave for Santa as a snack when he visits?
8. What’s your favourite Christmas song?
9. What do you like to eat at Christmas?
10. Where does Santa get the presents from?
11. What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?
12. What date is Christmas day?
13. Why do we celebrate Christmas?
14. Do you have an angel or a star on top of your tree?
15. What do the words “White Christmas” mean?
16. What will you be doing on Christmas Day?
17. How long is it between Christmas Day and New Year?
18. What colours do we see at Christmas?
19. What is an elf?
20. How tall is your Christmas tree?
21. How many ornaments are there on your tree?
22. Who do you celebrate Christmas with?
23. How long does it take Santa to deliver the gifts?
24. How fast does the sleigh go?
25. Describe Christmas using one word.

You can base it on this Christmas specifically, or on the way you celebrate Christmas in general – your choice. You can add extra questions and you don’t have to use all of these either. Adapt it as you wish. You can even simply answer one question in your journaling if you like.

Also, if you can think up any more questions to add, why don’t you post them in the comments here so we can get even more inspiration. (I’ll then update the list accordingly.)

You can have photos on the layout, or choose to simply journal -  BUT – you must journal!! And remember to check out the cute Christmas themed goodies in store HERE

Post your layout in the Challenge Gallery and post a link to your layout HERE so you can collect another Petal Point. Work up to 10 Petal Points and receive a $10 Gift Certificate to the Weeds and Wildflowers Shoppe!

REMEMBER here are the basic rules in order to earn your Petal Points:

This challenge will run for TWO WEEKS until the end of Sunday 20 December 2009.

It is essential you journal on your layout using either my questions, or your own.

Don’t forget to post a link to your layout in the challenge gallery HERE in the Challenge forum.

Use at least 80% of W&W goodies.

We will then ask the W&W CT to vote for their favourite and the winner shall win an EXTRA Petal Point.

PS: I have an added little extra Christmas present for you – I have created little journal strips using W&W paper from the Life is Good Collection.

You don’t have to use them if you don’t want to. I have also included some blank ones so you can add your own text. Enjoy it!!       DOWNLOAD HERE

Happy Monday Weedsters! It is time for another Photo Prompt Challenge!

With Christmas fast approaching I know all you lovely ladies will be rushed off your feet planning, preparing, shopping, wrapping and doing all the other million and one things that need to be done. But what about taking some time for YOU! If you get a few spare moments to yourself what will your indulgence be? Will it be a coffee and a magazine,some delicious chocolate, a trip to the gym?

This weeks challenge is to snap a picture of your indulgence.

Here’s mine.

Earn a Petal Point by posting your challenge photo Here by Midnight (eastern time) Sunday, November 29th

Hi y’all!!!

We have a new challenge for you this week and a great way to  collect another Petal Point.  Work up to 10 Petal Points and receive a $10 Gift Certificate to the Weeds and Wildflowers Shoppe!

Today’s challenge is a Recipe Challenge and will last for 2 weeks.

Here is the recipe:

Create a layout using only these specific items:
Ingredients:

1 or 2 papers
1 photo
2 frames
5 different elements
word art (either purchased or made by you)

Here is an example of a layout using these items -

REMEMBER - in order to earn Petal Points, all layouts must include the following:

• use at least 80% W&W goodies
• post your layout in our gallery and leave a link to your layout in the Challenge Forum.
• layouts must be posted by Sunday, Nov. 22nd

I hope you guys have fun!