Monday 9 September 2013

UKS End of Summer Blog Hop





Welcome to my little corner of the world, I am hoping you have come here from the talented Emy and her washi tape jewelry, if not don't worry just pop over to the UKS thread here for a list so you can follow everyone on the blog hop.

I want to talk to you about....


Challenge

A dictionary definition is 
  • a call to someone to participate in a competitive situation ie  a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities
  • a call to prove or justify something
  • or to  invite (someone) to do or say something that one thinks will be difficult or impossible
I love a challenge, especially when it comes to my main hobby, scrapbooking. I only began making pages a few years ago and initially I would never have dreamed of completing a challenge, in fact I did not really join in with UKS until last year when I became part of a team and then started creating layouts for the challenges.I really love them and have only missed a handful since then. As regular readers will know, my new team set the weekly challenge recently which was great fun.......



After making friends online through my hobby I have met several of them in real life and this was my first experience of scrapping with other people.  It gave me the confidence to join a local group (that I found out about on UKS) and recently we had a 14 hour crop, with several challenges.....




I met up with  team mate and friend K in August and set a challenge for us to do together (and anyone else who would like to join us!) just for fun......



There are numerous ways of joining in challenges online, with many sponsors (and other websites) running monthly challenges such as Sarah's Cards monthly sketch challenge.....



Another sponsor who challenges me more than almost anyone else is Shimelle and this month I am challenging myself to join in Learn Something New Every Day.  So far I have taken daily mobile phone pics and written down my 'lesson learned' in a notebook.  I will make up my pages and put them in my album....



made from one of these....




  and this..... (with a few letter stickers)



I am an avid blog follower and will join in whenever possible with blog challenges, even if it just to use up some of my supplies!  Last year for the very first time I joined in with Rinda's Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt (this years can be found here) Rinda challenges you to find items from a list and take a picture.  I am still snapping away and hope to find the last few things in the next 2 weeks before my time is up.  I hope to make an album of all my summer snaps and this is an example of a page I made from last year.....



Do you ever take part in challenges?  Do you like them? I have tried several things that I wouldn't normally do as part of a challenge, many I have loved and a couple I have hated (I think I am going to take apart the Rainbow coloured page I made recently... one you might never see!) but at least I have tried new things.  I have used up more stash, recorded a few more memories and mostly had fun! 
So, I would like to encourage you to take up a challenge.... this blog hop may be a challenge for you, making some of the fab projects featured on the blog hop may end up becoming a challenge, or joining in with the challenges set by online stores or UKS may be new for you.  

I would like you to consider one last challenge..... join in with UKS if you don't already, it is an amazing community jam packed full of inspiration.  It is free and an amazing resource whatever your style or taste, definitely something for everyone. I would also encourage you to join a team as it is a great way of meeting new people and feeling part of UKS. If you are interested in joining a team we are looking for some new members so if you like to scrap, do challenges and chat, get in touch!

Thanks for reading my blog today and please go onto visit Carole's blog here


Once you have visited every blog on the hop, and commented on each one (except where noted) go to the UKS thread here and post a reply. If there were any blog you were unable to comment on make a comment in your reply of the blogs you missed. Don't forget to use your UKS user name when leaving comments. You can comment until 6AM 10th September, at which point the hop will close.


There are some amazing prizes on offer including....
UKS voucher for sponsor of your choice £25
ATDML (voucher)
Angel Crafts - Embellishment kit
Artistic Stamper (stamps of the winner's choice to a value of £15)
Beanpole Books (book and craft goodies) 
Carole Bryson (Hysteri-Cal) (£10 voucher)
Beautiful Impressions (£5 voucher)
Lovely Tapes - Washi tape specialists (£15 voucher)
Sarah Hurley (£10 voucher)


goodbye, good luck and enjoy the blog hop xxx

60 comments:

  1. lovely lo's . ukscrappers name lemonblossom

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  2. Super projects, love the ages and the Filofax.

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  3. Fab project - love this! - Thanks for sharing - Hugs Butterbee (UKS Blog hop)

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  4. Love your LSNED but starting with a Doctor Who file is sacrilege - that's like using a Harry Potter book!!!
    My challenge is to finish the wedding album for my friends so no more scrapping on anything else until it is done (including LSNED)

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  5. Love that book and those layouts are great :) Gemmasteele on uks

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  6. Great LOs and TFS the tip on using 'plasti-coat' to cover things like that Dr Who book - the result is fabulous.

    Toni xx (misteejay on UKS)

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  7. I have also used a Dr Who filofax and a Happyfeet one before now but never thought to use a spray - mine are just covered in PP ! Thanks for the tip :) Kitty Crafts UKS

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  8. Love a challenge if only I had time! LOL.. great layouts!

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  9. I must admit, I have neglected my own blog for a very long time. I do want to take up challenges again but feel a bit overwhelmed by it all sometimes. uks simplyme

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  10. Some great LOs here, well done. I like challenges too but my enthusiasm tends to come and go and I have to pick my moment! Thanks for sharing.

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  11. Great post Ruth....I love all your LO's. I like a good challenge too and usually join in with the one's on UKS. Scarymary555 on UKS

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  12. Great blog post. I will have to invest in some 'plasti-coat.

    LynM UKS Lyn55

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  13. What a great idea to use spray paint, it looks fab.

    scoobiesue - UKS

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  14. Lovely to see your LOs Ruth and also great transformation of the Dr Who folder. Brilliant. Thank you for sharing.
    PaulineD UKS

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  15. Great post and gorgeous layouts. I love a challenge, it's great for when my mojo has done a runner! :D x UKS Wonky

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  16. Great topic for a blog post Ruth :o) What a great effect that spray has given. I think we have several of those mini filofax type things that the children no longer use. Perhaps that will be my next challenge!

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  17. Interesting post, I love a good challenge:)

    UKs susibee

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  18. Fab post. I might take on a few more challenges :)

    UKS chrisrydal

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  20. I am getting back into challenges myself after a break - even if I don't actually finish before the deadline or submit them it still gives me something to work towards and gives me some direction. And I love the stone effect spray - need some of that!

    UK-Weaselwise

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  21. Just talking about challenges yesterday and love the variety you've shown UKS mrst

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  22. Love challenges, even if I don't always have time to do them. The spray is fantastic, tfs

    UKS AliTS

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  23. i try to join in where time allows. I agree, Shimelle is my fav at the moment, but I also do weekly challenges and HIGSFY on UKS.
    love what you are using for LSNED album/journal.
    UKS akilli_melek

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  24. I love your scrapping style - especially the You make my heart sing LO and the one that follows. My trouble is that I find getting enough time to take on a challenge, errr, a challenge!!

    Mole UKS

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  25. I too love challenges and try to do the UKS weekly/house one whenever I can, I write the challenges down so that I can use them as inspiration in the future too. Really enjoyed your take on this :) Thanks

    UKS Violaceous

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  26. Another who struggles to find the time here but yes challenges do help the mojo, jopink

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  27. I wish I had your commitment, I'm so easily distracted, Pinterest has so much to answer for! but when I am into crafting and don't have any mojo I usually go for one of the challenges for inspiration.

    UKS Aurora

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  28. i love a challenge and it often gets me scrapping and takes me out of my comfort zone.
    UKS lelly

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  29. I love challenges too, you can probably hear the cogs whirring from there when I'm thinking of them :)
    Great post.
    cheekymole

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  30. You've done a good job of "selling" UKS to me ... where do I sign? ;-)
    So glad to see that the team spirit has boosted your confidence and scrapping. Can't wait to see you again soon! (PM on its way)!

    Jemma (aka Jimjams)

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  31. Challenges are what keep me focused when i can't make my mind up - Yours are great!

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  32. I do love a challenge :-)

    Beanpie11

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  33. I always say I'm going to take part in challenges when I see them but sadly never seem to get around it it! When I do though I love them as it gives you a starting point and often allows you to think outside of the box.

    Jessbaby

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  34. Some great layouts, thanks for sharing
    Chris55

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  35. Challenges are a great idea!

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  36. We quite like challenges too, but we don't join in nearly enough, too many great ideas and not enough time but we do gain loads of inspiration which is the main thing.

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  37. I sometimes do the UKS challenges and really enjoy the inspiration they bring.
    I love your LSNED album - what a fab idea!
    Alimad - UKS

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  38. Always mean to take part but most times it just doesn't happen...must try harder!
    Efemera

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  39. I too love challenges and also LSNED
    Great post
    Scrapdolly

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  40. Hi teamie, I go through stages of doing loads of online challenges & then struggling to just one, but I love it that they are there when I need a push of inspiration.
    Hugs
    Sylphraven

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  41. Challenges are so good to take us out of our comfort zone, and UKS is great! Thank you for sharing!

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  42. Thank you for sharing.
    Jude (hollybank)

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  43. I LOVE a good challenge too! xx UKS: ScrapHappyNiki

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  44. I'm always up for a challenge! Thank you for sharing.
    Sue x (MiniOwner)

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  45. I like the idea of challenges but rarely have time to do them at the right time though!

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  46. Good challenges, i do find they encourage me to do more

    uks darm

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  47. Great pages. I like a challenge but am not good at getting out of my comfort zone. I do love a crop, I love going to the one I go to.

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  48. Forgot to say I'm lindschick!

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  49. Love all your challenges (jo.bee)

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  50. lovely looking at all your challenge layouts. I love the doctor who - learn something new! We have a couple of those fax things lying around... might have to alter them too. Happy hopping, jenx

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  51. Great to see all those challenges. Well done on doing them all. Kjjc

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  52. Great layouts Ruth...I do love a challenge but never seem to find the time to fit them in. Love seeing what you are up to though.

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  53. Fab layouts. I love challenge and normally try to get at least one a day done. Thanks for sharing (Jacqui200284 on Uks)

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  54. Thank you- and love the Stone Touch! Leanie

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  55. I'm more of a card maker than a scrapper, but yours looks good!

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  56. I'm more of a card maker than a scrapper, but yours looks good!

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  57. I love the yellow/orange and structure of the first two.
    Rinda

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  58. I do like your LSNED notebook - lovely!

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  59. Gr4eat post Ruth and I am feeling very guilty as I can't remember last time I logged onto UKS. Life has been very busy and I never even got tound to doing LSNED this year. I started to make my album and that's as far as it got. I decided to do it in October instead... say no more!
    Yes, I love challenges and taking part in online courses. As you know I have recently set up my own course, The Artists Way, and I hope now this is done I will get back to other forms of creativity again. I have a Stitched Post Card to make as part of a swap, and a tutorial for a mini book planned. Wouldn't it be nice to have the time we want for these things?! We could take part in even more challenges then! Love what you have been doing and sorry I missed the blog hop. Well done on offering such great prizes!

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