The 1 to 3 Challenge is a scrapbook kit review. A member of the Scrapstorian design team tries one scrapbook kit by applying it to three different sketch challenges in a month and documents the experience, providing our thoughts on the kit company, the contents and how versatile it was for different sketch challenges. We also talk about the sketch challenges.

For this 1 to 3 Challenge, I am going to work with a kit from Scrapthat for challenges at Scrap365, Creative Scrappers and 1-2-3 Get Scrappy.

How I found Scrapthat is an interesting tale. I have discovered and fallen in love with the work of Aida Domisiewicz and the design team over at 13Arts, a Polish mixed media scrapbooking blog. (If you ever need mixed media inspiration, check out their website or look for Aida’s YouTube videos – in a word: wow!) Anywho, lots of the designers over at 13Arts use beautiful papers from Maja Design. So I went looking for a Canadian retailer to order Maja Design paper. Well, I found out Scrapthat, located in my old stomping grounds of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once on the Scrapthat website, I was fortunately and unfortunately completely distracted by all of their great kits. I lost all self control and original purpose and ordered the Scrapthat Hope Chest Scrapbooking Kit from their July 2013 release, that does not have a piece of Maja Design in it. Doh! I was so distracted by all the great kits they had, I forgot my original intention for going there. What a scrapbooker! Short story long 😉 – look for posts in the future that feature Maja Design (I still must have some of this great paper) and 13Arts. This post will be all about the Scrapthat Hope Chest Scrapbooking Kit …

Overall, I was impressed with Scrapthat’s website. One of the features I enjoyed most was the photos of different completed layouts that flip through right beside the description of what is in each kit. As you look at the kit contents, you are inspired by how others have used it. Perfect! The kits have a very soft and feminine feel to them (creams, whites, muted patterns). They also have a bit of mixed media focus so they are not as cheap as the more ‘classic’ scrapbooking kits. For around $45 CDN you receive a pretty fair share of great product from many different lines: 11 or so 12×12 pattern or cardstock paper, some ink, alphabet, a couple of different texture pieces, blossoms and some fabric or ribbon. The kit arrived as and when expected in a ‘pizza box’ so there was no damage or concerns with the product. A few of the items listed on the Scrapthat website for the kit I ordered were different than what arrived but all of the replacement items were still perfect for the kit. I did order a July 2013 kit, so I was not surprised there were some different pieces.

Here is a quick snapshot of the goodies in the kit:

All right, I have my one scrapbooking kit and now to showcase it in three sketches.

Sketch 1: Scrap365 – I love this blog. You have seen me post about Scrap365 before and will again! This is a sketch blog out of the United Kingdom and they offer really fun, playful sketches and wow do they have a lot of talent on their design team. Here is the Scrap365 January 2014 sketch:

I couldn’t find photos from my stash that could be trimmed down enough to get three photos across like in the sketch. So I applied a little poetic license and took it down to two using Instagram inspired pics from my engagement photo shoot.

Supplies from the Scrapthat kit: Pink Paislee Hope Chest pattern papers, American Craft Thickers Rockabye, Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink in Luscious Lime, Kaiser Craft Camel 12×12 Weave Cardstock, cherry blossoms and small bud roses, tulle, green flock ribbon
Supplies from my own inventory: Tattered Angels Plain Jane Simply Sheer Mist in Rich Brown, Martha Stewart Crafts Gesso Primer and wood veneer hearts

Sketch 2:  Creative Scrappers – another great blog. Lots of fun, happy lay outs. The greatest part of the Creative Scrappers #260 release, beyond this great Jenny G Evans sketch of course, is Kristine Davidson admitting the hardest part of the layout is cutting the triangles. I hear ya! I had to really think about something so simple to get it right. I think I need a punch! Here is a photo of the sketch:

The picture I used for this layout is very old and means a lot to my fiancé, so I tried to find an old newspaper / bulletin board feel to the layout and ‘toned down’ the very fun title and arrow embellishments from the sketch in favour of more “manly” ones to bring out the picture of his dad and horse barrel racing.

Supplies from the Scrapthat kit: Pink Paislee Hope Chest pattern papers and journaling cards
Supplies from my own inventory: American Crafts Cardstock White, Ranger Dylusions Ink Spray Melted Chocolate, Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads Vintage Photo, Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint Vintage Photo, Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Marker Vintage Photo, Versa Magic Chalk Ink Jumbo Java, Tim Holtz Idea-ology Collection buckle embellishments, other embellishments

Sketch 3: 1~2~3 Get Scrappy – this blog has a really cool sketch challenge concept. Sort of like bingo. They give you a three by three tiled square, and each of the nine individual squares has a different element for a scrapbook page (colour to use, embellishment, theme). Like bingo you have to pick three squares in a straight line and include those elements in your scrapbook page. Here is this month’s bingo card:

I picked the row with a key, big picture and blue. However, I also liked the idea of old book pages, so I threw that in the mix too. This is a picture of my little sister walking the beach in Mexico, I wanted something that was really simple yet had lots of little feminine, textured touches. Here is my take on the sketch challenge elements:

Supplies from the Scrapthat kit: Pink Paislee Hope Chest pattern papers, tulle, cherry blossoms, Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink in Luscious Lime, cream pliable mesh, Kaiser Craft Pearls, and Prima Hello Pastel Stamp
Supplies from my own inventory: American Crafts Cardstock White, Bo Bunny Double Dot Slate, Versa Magic Chalk Ink Jumbo Java, Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads Chipped Sapphire and Vintage Photo, Tattered Angels Plain Jane Simply Sheer Mist in Rich Brown, Pure Steel and Kiwi and Martha Stewart Crafts Gesso Primer

My extra little love for Scrapthat … the name! When the Scrapstorian design team (myself, Cheryl and Shar) are on scrapbook retreats, if someone says something profound or has a cool technique or picture they share, our response is generally, “Scrap that!”

Thanks Scrapthat for an inspiring kit! Lots of fun to play with and so easy to use.

Next 1 to 3 Challenge here I come, stay tuned – or try your own and tell us about it!