Challenge #245 - week of 23rd January 2017

Whoops, missed a week. That's not exactly the best start to the year but I'm hoping to do better.

It's January and I have to say that even though we can definitely see the days are getting longer, and we've had some beautiful cold, sunny, winter days, there's rather a gloomy feel to the place. Let's face it, January is just a bit of a dull month. The decorations have all been taken down, the twinkling lights are turned off and there's definitely a lack of kitsch around the place.

We didn't actually decorate for Christmas this year at all, and the one thing that I missed the most were the pretty lights. Out on the balcony, on the tree, around windows or just hanging there looking pretty. Who doesn't love fairy lights?!?

So this week, I'd like you to be inspired by fairy lights.


Perhaps, you'll tell a story about the progress of your tree decorations - after all, what would a Christmas tree without fairy lights?

Or maybe you'd like to talk about a walk through your neighbourhood or town with all those twinkling decorations. The Christmas Markets here in Germany are always a beautiful experience.

It might be that you remember how you felt when those lights went up and there was one bulb which wasn't working which meant the whole chain was out! Or like me, maybe you had kitschy coloured lights back in the 70s which bring back wonderful funky memories. I know that there are even light embellishments in many Christmas collections as well as papers featuring light chains! So, I'm sure you can think of several pages and stories with this prompt.

We'd love you to use this prompt and hope you will share your creations - there are now two ways to do this!

You can either upload your layout into the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#245 or you can post it in our Whimsical Musings Facebook group. We've decided that we'll save albums for special occasions so just load up your photo to the group with the tag WM#245 in the write up text so that we can find it.

Challenge #242 - week of 19th December 2016

Christmas is almost here and I hope that by the time this post goes live, I'm more organised than I feel right now and everything will have been purchased, wrapped and maybe even posted to their intended recipients.

With that in mind, I'd like you to be inspired by presents.

Although not obvious at first glance, these bags were presents but I decided to write about what they say about me

This layout talks about my niece's love for a present that we sent here one Christmas - still a firm favourite I'm happy to say

And this layout is a literal interpretation of the gift theme, talking about this wonderful gift I received from our WM friend Lynnette.

Would you like to talk about your gift buying process? How you love to go out Christmas shopping or even how much you can't stand the full shops and now shop online? A favourite present or a worst one perhaps? How about a stand out gift for some reason - this might be the direction I take as I have a story I've been wanting to tell for a long time about a present that Father Christmas was unable to bring me one year. I this is is a very wide prompt and I can't wait to read about your present memories!

We'd love you to use this prompt and hope you will share your creations - there are now two ways to do this!

You can either upload your layout into the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#242 or you can post it in our Whimsical Musings Facebook group. We've decided that we'll save albums for special occasions so just load up your photo to the group with the tag WM#242 in the write up text so that we can find it.

Challenge #240 - week of 5th December 2016

And suddenly December is upon us.

It's St Nicolaus in Germany tomorrow, 6th December, which is a chance for kids round here to get some pre-Christmas chocolate and goodies to keep them going until the big day. St Nicolaus fills boots left outside the door and in some parts of Europe, this is the main day of the season.

Taking the boot motif as inspiration, along with my passion for pretty footwear, I'd like you to be inspired by shoes.

I made a layout about a particular pair of much loved, and still longed for shoes I spied in the window of the Chanel shop in Singapore a few years ago. The layout itself needs a rework as I really don't like how it turned out and those shoes are still in my dreams so this might be the way I go this week.

Do you have a favourite pair of shoes to include on your project this week. Or maybe like me, a pair you'd like to own - no matter how unlikely that is. Maybe you have a passion for shoes or even the opposite. How about your baby's first pair of shoes or memories of the new school shoes at the start of the school year. This one is really a prompt to take in any direction you like.

We'd love you to use this prompt and hope you will share your creations - there are now two ways to do this!

You can either upload your layout into the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#240 or you can post it in our Whimsical Musings Facebook group. We've decided that we'll save albums for special occasions so just load up your photo to the group with the tag WM#240 in the write up text so that we can find it.

Challenge #194 - week of 28th December 2015

The week between Christmas and New Year is always a bit of an odd one. Christmas is over, and the New Year is still on its way. Most of the time here in Germany, we are off work and are happy the shops have reopened after several days of country shut down and a little glimmer of normality is on the horizon.

I find myself wishing time would go a little more slowly and at the same time, finding myself willing the New Year to begin. I'm not a big fan of New Year's Eve (and I miss the Big Ben chimes at midnight now that I'm no longer in the UK) but I always have the highest hopes for a good start and fresh chances.

Over the years, we've had prompts about goodbyes, new beginnings, turning points, goals and possibilities. And I love the idea of having a prompt that is linked in some way to the turn of the year.

So, this week, I'd like you to be inspired by... countdowns.

You might be inspired by the NYE TV countdown to the Big Ben chimes

or the ball drop in Times Square

or maybe the various countdown apps that can now help you remember every event you are looking forward to...

Screen shot from 14th December - I'm not that far off on my Christmas countdown!!!

Maybe your country or family have a specific way of counting down to some special event or maybe you are just a cross-off-the-days-on-a-calender type of girl (remembering some stories here for me!).

Record your special countdown stories and link up over at our Flickr Whimsical Musings gallery here with the tag WM#194.

And not to forget - there is an open giveaway that I mentioned on the blog post for WM#193 (see post here). Blog comments here or on that blog post will qualify for an entry and a layout in the gallery anytime up to January 11th will qualify for an extra entry - the more the merrier. 

Challenge #193 week of 14th December 2015

Well, the Christmas build up is in its most intensive phase for the next 10 days and I'm late with everything - of course!

There are certain things that I like to do every Christmas and so far, I'm not sure I've managed more than one or two small things. But we've started one or two new traditions this year which is nice.

What is definitely missing is the time I need to watch my nice pile of Christmas movies which I like to work through in the run up to the big day.

Therefore, in the absence of me actually watching any of them so far, I think we need to make them this week's prompt.

So, be inspired by Christmas movies.

Everyone has a favourite. Mine is Holiday Inn for sure. Classic black and white Fred Astair and Bing Crosby with the original version of White Christmas. Who could ask for more? But there are also plenty of modern films in my collection, how about you?

As always, I think there are many ways to take this inspiration - whether it's just about your favourite, or your collection. Childhood memories, or traditions. Identifying with the characters  - I have a good memory that's very similar to Clark Griswold's tree that I might retell - or how they reflect your thoughts on the festivities at this time of year. Take it in any direction you like!

I'm late uploading a few into the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery but if you create, it would be lovely to see you there too. Don't forget to tag your creation with WM#193 so we can find you.

I'm in the mood for a little giveaway in celebration of this special time of year, so I'll put your name into the hat for any comments on this post and double points for a layout in the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery - who doesn't love a giveaway?!?

Challenge #191 week of 16th November 2015

You no doubt noticed that I missed a week. Sucks I know. But I've come up with a plan.

From now until to the New Year, we are going to have fortnightly challenges and then I'm coming back in January with a bang and renewed energy and on time prompts! Sounds good, doesn't it?

So that means that there will be prompts like this:

WM#191 - 16th November
WM#192 - 30th November
WM#193 - 14th December
WM#194 - 28th December
WM#195 - 4th January 2016 and then so on...

Did you notice the number? ... we are heading to 200 and I'm hoping to celebrate a little so I hope you'll keep coming back to see what we are up to.

Anyway, on to the prompt for this week.

I wrote up my 15 Loves over on my blog yesterday and shared a colour scheme which I think is worth a peek over here.

It's a very non-traditional Christmas/winter combination but somehow, shouts out holiday season to me all the same.

This week, I'd like you to be inspired by this Design Seeds colour board featuring soft mints and shades of brown:

Colour scheme source here 

And just to show you what I mean about the holiday season combination, check these cupcakes out!

Cupcake source here

This reminds me of my infamous black pepper chocolate cookies that I always make at Christmas with that intense brown and the contrasting white. And the colour scheme reminds me of a wonderful Bellaboo kit from back in the day featuring Autumn Leaves Manhattan something or other that I featured in my Counterfeit Kit Challenge kit for July - Redux.

Here's a layout I made with that kit as a little added extra this week.

As always, please know that even if it's been a bit hit and miss recently, I'm still so very grateful for you all and hope that you will continue to drop by. If you are inspired to create, don't forget to link up over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#191.

Challenge # 150 week of 22nd December 2014

Yes! We missed a week. Whoops! Sorry about that.

But I'm back today with some inspiration which I hope will keep you going through this Christmas week and then you can come back for the last prompt of the year next Monday :-)

And seeing as it is indeed Christmas week, I thought it would be appropriate to get inspired by a true classic. One that I only discovered as an adult - or at least as far as I can remember - but now no Christmas is complete without...

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Originally found on Pinterest (here) but source is Altered Artifacts (here)

And if this wasn't enough inspiration for you, a quick search on Pinterest brought up this page full of "'Twas the Night" images, ideas and presentations.

I've just been looking to see if I could find a layout that I've made in the past with this inspiration but nothing jumped out at me! But how about this Graphic 45 layout using their Jolly St Nick papers?

Pinterest source here

Don't forget to link up your creations over at our Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#150. Let's get that gallery hopping again like it used to!

And, not wanting to keep you from your no doubt overwhelmingly long list of things that you need to do in the next two days, I will sign off here and wish you....

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Challenge #148 week of 1st December 2014

I love it when the first of the month coincides with the beginning of the week and this month is no exception. How wonderful to have 1st December fall on this Monday and just one day after the beginning of Advent!

It's a big tradition here in Germany to have an Advent wreath with four candles for each of the Sundays leading up to Christmas and even on those years when we've not had a tree, there's been a huge, gorgeous wreath to brighten up those cold, dark December evenings.

There's been many different colours and this year's is a rather rich shade of gold. But we've had pinks and blues and silvers too. The wreath must match my decoration colour scheme of the year so I guess I will be going with a lot of gold this year!

So, this week, I'd like you to be inspired by Advent itself or Advent wreaths.

I went on to Pinterest and pinned some wreaths or Advent candle arrangements I found particularly pretty or inspiring onto the Whimsical Musings Pinterest board so why not check it out to see if you can find something to kickstart your creative process? And don't forget to follow us while you're there!

It would be lovely to see your creations over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#148.

Have a wonderful start to the week everyone and hope to see you again next week :-)

Challenge #115 week of 23rd December 2013

Wow, it only seems five minutes since we celebrated prompt #100 and here we are at #115. Time flies for sure. And slowly, 2013 comes to an end. Just a few more days before we celebrate Christmas and welcome in the New Year.

But just for now, let's all take a breather and relax for a minute or two .... better!

At this somewhat crazy time of year, it's important to just stop for a second from time to time and take a few moments to take it all in. The tree, the lights, the advent candles or calendar, the presents piled up, the list of things still to do - all evidence of fun and magic at this special time.

I'm especially pleased with my tree this year. I've used pale pink and gold with literally hundreds of tiny fairy lights. It sparkles with abandon! It's hard work to get it done, but it's always worth the effort. My tree is always a highlight for me.

Which got me thinking that I'd like you to take inspiration from the Christmas Tree.

There are so many ways to take this prompt. Here are just a couple that spring to mind:

• a story about your childhood Christmas trees perhaps
• your family tradition to drive into the wilderness to cut one down, Griswold family style
• how you come up with your colour scheme
• your favourite bauble
• who decorates the tree and maybe how harmonious that procedure is (or isn't!!!) when you are struggling to get the tree fixed and straight and then fighting with multiple, knotted up light strings
• maybe just how you're a real or an artificial aficionado (reference to the Paperclipping Round Table the other week)
• how about when you put it up - for example, many families here in Germany put theirs up on Christmas Eve and are horrified to find that I have mine up for weeks before the big day

I know that there will be something in this prompt to motivate you to get a little piece of your Christmas magic captured on paper, and we hope you will share your creations over at our Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#115

Challenge #114 week of 16th December 2013

Another week and another delightfully lovely Guest Designer.

We are so, so lucky here at Whimsical Musings to have a very close, tight community and I value my WM friends so very much. Lynnette is extra special to me and once again, needs no introduction. If you have spent anytime at all over here, you'll have seen her lovely layouts and no doubt experienced her sweet, kind, thoughtful comments on your pages. And if you want a giggle then you MUST go over to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog and check out her kit reveal posts. Her creativity in presenting her kits blows us all out of the water!

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City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear

Silver bells, (silver bells) silver bells (silver bells)
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, (ring-a-ling) 
Hear them ring, (hear them ring)
Soon it will be Christmas day

Well, hello there and Merry Christmas from the Big Apple!  I am thrilled to be featured as a guest at Whimsical Musings and inspire you with our whirlwind trip to New York City.  Bing Crosby truly captured the essence of Christmas in a bustling city with his song, "Silver Bells". Let's take a look at Christmas in New York!

We visited Macy's Herald Square on 34th St. (yes, like the movie "Miracle on 34th Street") to mail a hard copy of our requests for the season.

We were also fortunate enough to arrive at a "slow time" and only had to wait 35 minutes to see the big man himself and to put in a good word that the kids should be on the "nice" list this year.

A "must-see" attraction is the tree at Rockefeller Center.  Wish we had seen it at night, but the weather was too frightful the night prior.

The storefront windows are always fabulous.  Here's a replica of Rockefeller Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store.

So, there's just a sampling of our 24 hours in the big city.  Even though we only live an hour away, we don't always get there and especially not at Christmas, so it was quite a treat to have an overnight trip to savor all of the hustle and bustle.

This week, be inspired by Christmastime in the City.  Whether you have had the opportunity to visit a big city or stay in your own little corner of the world, show us how the spirit of the season comes alive around town.  Be sure to share your layout in the gallery and tag it #114.

Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day!

Challenge #113 week of 9th December 2013

This week, I'm thrilled to have Leslie (check out her blog here) join us here at Whimsical Musings as Guest Designer. She of course needs no introduction as I'm sure you are more than familiar with her fabulous creations over at our WM Flickr Gallery (here) as well as over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge.

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'Tis the season to be jolly!

 

It seems that everyone has something special planned at this time of year.

For me December is the season of my Saviour's birth, 

 

but also the month of my wedding anniversary 

& my first grandson's birthday.

What things other than the obvious make this month joyful for you each year?

 Is there something you always do while you have the extra time off?

A special place you always go? Some way that you pamper or spoil yourself?

It doesn't have to be about the season!

Make a page about JOY!

And be sure to link up over at our Flickr gallery with the tag WM#113.

Challenge #110 week of 18th November 2013

I'm not doing very well at the actual creation of layouts right now - even my own prompts!

But I hope you can forgive me. I will get better... soon. That's the plan anyway.

Welcome to another Monday and another challenge.

We've been going a little deeper the last few weeks so why don't we change things up a bit and be inspired by something gorgeous!

Every month I put a mini-round up of internet inspiration together for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. This month, I decided we needed a little sparkle. But I'm saving sparkle for a particularly dark and dreary Monday so not this week :-)

Instead, I'm going to suggest you be inspired by this stunning, glimmery image I found:

I don't know what I love more. The whimsy, the colours, the design, the fact that it's a wreath! I love every tiny square centimeter of it! I'm not sure it would go down too well on my own front door, perhaps a little girlie for that, but I love it and find it all so inspirational.

I hope you do too.

If this gives you the nudge to create this week, I hope you will share over at Flickr (here) with the tag WM#110. I'd love to see you over there. :-)

#72 inspired by bling, confetti and glitter

Well, I'm determined to catch up with everything as soon as I can on the prompts I've missed recently and there is a long list to be honest. Thank you to everyone for being so patient with me. I appreciate each and every one of you and even when I haven't been around, I've been thinking of you and try to get to our Flickr group as often as I can even if I don't manage to comment.

Life has not exactly calmed down round here but I am trying to just keep my head above water and make time for the things that make me happy and that most certainly includes Whimsical Musings and playing with paper.

I made a decision to leave the TV off yesterday evening and sat here looking for inspiration. It came to me from my Counterfeit Kit Challenge December page kit, Anticipate. I had posted about it on my blog and had intended to make a page about our Advent wreath tradition to include. I even had a note in my post to remind where to post the photo. Of course, I totally forgot and didn't manage to get my hands on any of my scrap supplies after I came back from our trip in December. So that was the first thing that needed to be checked off. I had the photos selected and printed so it was just a matter of picking up my kit and making it work for the prompt (immediately forgetting the original blog post also had a sketch to use!). And as the WM prompt was all about sparkle, it was perfect for this Christmas layout. I am a firm believer that everyone needs a whole lot of sparkle at that time of year.

I added in a sheet of white cardstock, glitter and sequins to match the photos and the prompt. I think this matches the prompt enough ;-) I included glitter slodges, glimmer mist, sequins, silver ink and some shimmery fabric. Ha ha, talk about overload!

CKC December page kit, Anticipate #1

So, being on a roll and thinking about how I had commented on the Flickr board that I had a sequin story to tell from my dressmaking days, I decided to carry on and finish a second page for this story. I love the way that our prompts or other inspiration pushes me into telling my story in small manageable chunks. If I ever get to put my layouts into albums, it will be interesting to see how that adds up and what bits are missing.

CKC January kit, Renew, #2

What a perfect prompt for this dull time of year. I was smiling all the time I made these two layouts.

Thanks Pam for making this week so easy for me :-)

Challenge #70 week of 17th December 2012

Time is flying, the reindeer are warming up and this time next week, it will ALL be happening!

Especially where I am as Christmas Eve is the big day and therefore,  I get to have two big days which makes me happy. When I have time, I am a Christmas freak and love every single bit of it.

But as you know, we have slowed things down a bit here this month and are giving us all time to breathe but still engage in some creativity when time and energy allows. We hope you are enjoying the different pace here on WM and we aim to be back up to our usual brain stretching next month :-)

Now for something completely different.

This week's prompt is to be inspired by, "He's making a list, he's checking it twice..." Which is just one of my favourite songs for Christmas. I remember it from my childhood, the Phil Spector version, and whenever I hear the word "list", I say this phrase in my head (which can get embarrassing if I'm in a business meeting!)

It often makes its way onto Christmas cards:

But I've realised I don't make many layouts with lists and they are too easy a technique to miss out.

Pam makes a list every year of things to accomplish before her next birthday and I joined in last year. Ok, so I might have failed miserably and only managed half a dozen or so (am too ashamed to actually count up what I actually got to do right now!) but the principle is one I love. And one I intend to do again. And I have the excuse that my list is a LOT longer than Pam's and obviously, it gets longer every year.

And Pam has enchanted us with these over the months.

So what's so different about this prompt then, I hear you asking?!?

Well, we decided to ask one of our trusty WM friends to join us on this challenge and be our very first Guest Designer. We got our heads together, approached Tara and were thrilled when she agreed to play along with us this week. Tara is a more than regular contributor to our Flickr Gallery (here) and has gone back to older prompts and has delighted us with her interpretations of them again and again. It's lovely to see these previous subjects inspiring new layouts.

Let me allow Tara to give a short introduction:

Hello! My name is Tara Mensonides and I am thrilled to be the Guest Designer here at Whimsical Musings this week!  

I started scrapbooking after the birth of my first daughter 10 years ago. Then I stopped scrapbooking after the birth of my second and life was crazy. I started dabbling back into the scrapbooking world about a year ago and it was at that time that my dear friend Lynnette guided me towards the wonderful Whimsical Musings family.  Since joining, I have been motivated and inspired and am thrilled with all of the progress I've been making and the people I've had the chance to get to know through story telling and photos.

Tara made this layout for WM#44 - Thank Heavens For Little Girls

Tara has had a heads up on this week's prompt and now you REALLY have to tune in on Sunday to see how she has interpreted it. :-)

An extra incentive for you to come on over next Sunday (as if you need it!)! I know you will love where she took the prompt this week.

#69 Inspired by Non-traditional color schemes

I tried to keep it simple this week again and with how hectic life these days that was just what the doctor ordered. 

All these blues and greens chose my theme for me : Blue Christmas.

 

This will be my first Christmas without my friend Steve. This week I got an ornament in the mail with the card tucked in the layout. This clearly made me sentimental so with a quick collage of Christmases past and a load of blues and greens I created this quick page. Hope you're enjoying your Christmas and cherishing every moment you have to spend with loved ones.

xo,
Pamage

#68 Inspired by cards

Not that I'm at all smug, but I'm writing this post ahead of time and just today I reached hand-made card #70 meaning that I'm all done! Ready and finished. Just waiting to be written and delivered.

What a weight off my shoulders. Thank heavens for Jingle Belles where we start with card right at the beginning of January and then continue all year long. *sigh*!

But this card isn't actually anything to do with Jingle Belles - this is from our very own Whimsical Musings prompt #68 where I took a card I'd made in July when Pam and I were making cards every day. We used 2Peas Finally Friday series for that initial inspiration and now I've been inspired by the card I made then.

And while the design itself is almost identical to that original one I made, I have changed it up a little by attaching a charm to the front that can be taken off and hung up somewhere for good luck. It's a bit hard to see but the ribbon is attached to a small 4 leaf clover. I did this a few times last year so I'm happy to have found a way of managing it again. I can't tell you who this is destined for but maybe they  will already have received it by the time this posts.

Even though I used older BG for this design, it really doesn't look very Christmassy which is just the pretty, delicate look I was hoping for. A collection of white, pearl and clear buttons sprinkled with pearls and I'm happy with how this turned out!

So, what are you waiting for? Get making those cards. In fact, this card would be perfect for production like creating - so simple and yet very eye catching.

I hope you have been inspired by this different type of prompt this week.

Remember to share with the tag WM#68. Can't wait to see what you make :-)

Happy December everyone and here comes Christmas!

Challenge #68 week of 3rd December 2012

And here we are on the last stretch before Christmas.

Pam and I have been talking about what to do this month. Everyone's busy this time of year and I know that I'm busier even than usual. So we are slowing things down a bit here on Whimsical Musings.

For once, we have collaborated on what our challenges will be each week and we decided to make them a bit lighter, somewhat easier. maybe less brain taxing! We hope you enjoy this change up and as always, join in if you can and when you can. There are no deadlines round here - we love to see what you create whenever you create it!

So, for our first prompt of the month, we decided to go with card inspiration.

Back in July, Pam and I did a daily card challenge, picking out inspiration from the 2Peas Finally Friday series. We had such fun and kept it light and easy. And got a bunch of cards ready to go whenever we need them to boot! Success all round.

One of my favourite cards was this one:

which was inspired by this one by Kristina Werner:

This was Pam's interpretation of the same card design:

And this is what I've created for you this week:

Rather than using buttons, I have a collection of wooden snowflakes that I thought added some extra texture and dimension along with the tiny jumping Rudolph in the bottom corner. Now I know I haven't changed the design of the card all that much with this one, but why change a winning design. The only thing with this is that I have to be sure this is a hand delivery card as it will cost a lot to post and the dimension might too much for the delivery system as well as the wooden pieces being too delicate.

You could create a card, use this design as inspiration for a layout, take an element of the design and incorporate it, take any of the sentiments as inspiration or maybe even one of the colour schemes.

Do share if you find time in your holiday preparations to join in over at Flickr (here) with the tag WM#68. 

Off to have another Starbucks Toffee Nut Latte now in the much anticipated red cup so have fun and see you next week!