Monthly Challenge #6: October TATTOO!

This month's challenge is about TATTOOs. Scrap a photo of a tattoo or a design inspired by a tattoo.

The word tattoo is said to have two major derivations from the polynesian word "ta" which means striking something and the tahitian word "tatao" which means to mark something. People have been tattooing themselves since 12,000 BC. The most famous tattoo subject over the centuries, has been the Dragon. Today tattoos are more accepted and popular than ever before, and many tattoos are now considered "fine art".

Now is your chance to show off those tattoos or be inspired by tattoo art. Old English is the most popular tattoo font and the top 10 tattoo these days are Tribal, Nautical Star, Cross, Angel, Wings, Maori, Dragon, Phoenix, Butterfly, and Fairy. Other popular tattoos you may have in your scrapbook collection of punches & stickers include hearts, flowers, flames, dragonfly, dolphins, fleur de lis, cupids, compass, birds, skulls.

This is a great subject to try your hand with puffy pens, mists, fine ink pens, stamping, and paper piercing. Have fun!

TRAKking RAK Winner May-June 2011

As Marlene awarded the Jan-Apr RAK (probably for her last time), it's my turn to do the May-Aug one.

As we set forth when awarding the last RAK, the last 3 recipients (Denitza, Chris & Ammara) were excluded from being in the RAK-running...

And this period's winner, with hearty amount of check-ins, 100+% layout submissions & a steady flow of critiques is... Michelle! Congrats, Michelle, be on the lookout for a sb.com $10 e-gift certificate!

Honorable mention to Jesse - your steady participation Jun-Aug put your right on Michelle's heels...

THANKS again to Chris for the tRAKking. And thanks to you all for keeping this awesome group going, albeit at a more quiet, mellow pace these days. (I really do enjoy doing the tRAKking when I actually have the time...)

August 2011 tRAKking

Here’s the TRAKking for August 2011.. My cut-off date for late critiques was 9/19. Challenges were optional but I’m recognizing those who responded. Everyone’s # of LOs to critique is different (it’s the total # of LOs minus that person’s own contributions).  Extra LOs submitted count as "extra credit", so while someone may only have 4 LOs to critique (based on required submissions), they may, in actuality, have critiqued 6 and that is shown in my numbers.  (Confused yet?)  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sharon (Blushpea)
Check-ins: 3/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 8

Brenda (Twinscrapbee)
Check-ins: 1/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 3
Critiques after 10 day window: 5

Lisa (Gelidy Gelato)
Check-ins: 5/5
Submissions: 1
Total # of layouts to critique: 4
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Jesse (*Jesse*)
Check-ins: 3/5
Submissions: 2 (+1 extra)
Total # of layouts to critique: 3
Critiques within 10 day window: 4
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Marlene (.MaRLeNe.)
Check-ins: 1/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Brian (BrianFuchs)
Check-ins: 0/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Denitza (Denitza)
Check-ins: 2/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Michelle (Chell Ray)
Check-ins: 4/5
Submissions: 2 (+2)
Challenge response: 1
Total # of layouts to critique: 3
Critiques within 10 day window: 1
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Margaret (Scrappinmomto2girls)
Check-ins: 0/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 5

Ammara (Amms_c)
Check-ins: 1/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 5
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Chris (CMLeach)
Check-ins: 4/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 5

Critiques after 10 day window: 0

July 2011 tRAKking

Here’s the tRAKking for July 2011.. My cut-off date for late critiques was 9/19. Challenges were optional but I’m recognizing those who responded. Everyone’s # of LOs to critique is different (it’s the total # of LOs minus that person’s own contributions).  Extra LOs submitted count as "extra credit", so while someone may only have 4 LOs to critique (based on required submissions), they may, in actuality, have critiqued 6 and that is shown in my numbers.  (Confused yet?)  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sharon (Blushpea)
Check-ins: 2/4
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 8
Critiques within 10 day window: 8
Critiques after 10 day window: 4

Brenda (Twinscrapbee)
Check-ins: 1/4
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 8
Critiques within 10 day window: 14
Critiques after 10 day window: 4

Lisa (Gelidy Gelato)
Check-ins: 4/4
Submissions: 2
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Jesse (*Jesse*)
Check-ins: 2/4
Submissions: 2 (+4 extra)
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 6
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Marlene (.MaRLeNe.)
Check-ins: 1/4
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 8
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Brian (BrianFuchs)
Check-ins: 0/4
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 8
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Denitza (Denitza)
Check-ins: 1/4
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 8
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Michelle (Chell Ray)
Check-ins: 3/4
Submissions: 2
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 2
Critiques after 10 day window: 10

Margaret (Scrappinmomto2girls)
Check-ins: 0/4
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 8
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Ammara (Amms_c
Check-ins: 3/4
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 8
Critiques within 10 day window: 8
Critiques after 10 day window: 4

Chris (CMLeach)
Check-ins: 3/4
Submissions: 2 (+2 extra)
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 6

Critiques after 10 day window: 0

June 2011 tRAKking

Here’s the TRAKking for June 2011.. My cut-off date for late critiques was 9/19. Challenges were optional but I’m recognizing those who responded. Everyone’s # of LOs to critique is different (it’s the total # of LOs minus that person’s own contributions).  Extra LOs submitted count as "extra credit", so while someone may only have 4 LOs to critique (based on required submissions), they may, in actuality, have critiqued 6 and that is shown in my numbers.  (Confused yet?)  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sharon (Blushpea)
Check-ins: 3/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 4
Critiques after 10 day window: 4

Brenda (Twinscrapbee)
Check-ins: 2/5
Submissions: 1
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 7
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Lisa (Gelidy Gelato)
Check-ins: 4/5
Submissions: 1
Total # of layouts to critique: 5
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Jesse (*Jesse*)
Check-ins: 3/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 2
Critiques after 10 day window: 4

Marlene (.MaRLeNe.)
Check-ins: 2/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Brian (BrianFuchs)
Check-ins: 0/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Denitza (Denitza)
Check-ins: 4/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 3
Critiques after 10 day window: 5

Michelle (Chell Ray)
Check-ins: 5/5
Submissions: 2
Total # of layouts to critique: 4
Critiques within 10 day window: 6
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Margaret (Scrappinmomto2girls)
Check-ins: 1/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 0
Critiques after 10 day window: 0

Ammara (Amms_c)
Check-ins: 4/5
Submissions: 2 (+2 extra)
Total # of layouts to critique: 4
Critiques within 10 day window: 1
Critiques after 10 day window: 3

Chris (CMLeach)
Check-ins: 4/5
Submissions: 0
Total # of layouts to critique: 6
Critiques within 10 day window: 5

Critiques after 10 day window: 1

Monthly Challenge #5: September-A Month to Remember

If you can peel your eyes away long enough from The Boob Tube, here are a few words from last month's challenge. Light up the applause sign for Michelle's (aka Chell Rae) "That 70's Show" spread. And now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

This month's challenge is inspired by a number of ideas: two of our SHizztas' birthdays, International Self Awareness Month, and the tenth anniversary of a day we will never forget. Your challenge is threefold. Create a layout that: 1) includes the color sapphire, the September birthstone; 2) expresses yourself and the consciousness of your existence, the definition of self awareness; and 3) contains the word "remember," a small, honorable mention of September 11.

I'd like to add that since I've been experiencing quite an erratic scraft mojo in the past few months, I initially, wanted to make this challenge simpler and just get us scrafting. I thought of encouraging personal expressions, of any size, that didn't necessarily include our own photos--be it about a TV show, a book, a celebrity, a character, a pet peeve, a color, a song, a performer, a drink, a movie, a shoe, a wish, an emotion... anything! However, I felt I would be remiss to exclude this milestone year marking the remembrance of September 11. That noted, there might be those who are already planning a memorial page, while others might be overwhelmed by the emotions that this day conjures up to consider working on a piece this month. Either way, I hope this challenge honors both inclinations and ultimately inspires you to be self aware, encourages you to express yourself, and coaxes you to share your self with us.

Monthly Challenge 4/August 2011 - The Boob Tube

First, some business: Margaret regrets she couldn't post the July MC as scheduled. And, let's hear it for the only challenge response posted since the last challenge:

Response to MC 3 - Scrap a Favorite Summer Vacation Memory: Brenda's Hotel Mac/Thirty Fi35ve

Check it out if you haven't already!

Now for the challenge - The Boob Tube. Okay, I admit, the fact that I've been nursing our little one since last year may have led to the title of this challenge, LOL. But this challenge has nothing to do with babies or mammary glands (unless you want it to)! Simply put, scrap a layout using the title of a TV show, past or present. Easy & fun, right?!

Enjoy & happy scrapping!

(PS I really do intend to respond to this one someday, please pardon my delay! I recently splanned my response to the challenge I posted last, months ago. SO... though I stretch out deadlines, my responses WILL get scrapped!)