The Design Factor Challenge

[Hummie]

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Welcome challengers!

First, I want to thank Ripal for hosting this six week designer challenge. She has been a wonderful contributor to the digital scrapbooking community for a long time.


The Design Factor Challenge is held at Scrappers Online.

Ripal indicated that she would like each challenge to consist of learning a technique and, therefore, I am sharing with you my most recent lesson in the designer class.

I have some shabby overlays in the store if you want more, but here is one sample so that you can do this lesson. Download Of course, you may use any shabby CU stash you have on hand for this challenge. However, I would like all of the rest of the files to be made only by you.




This video shares ways that you can use the shabby overlays for both papers and elements.

Brushes are also another good resource for the shabby style.



If you are interested in more designer videos, please see the list of 64 lessons currently available, and more will be made as I have time.


This is your challenge. Make a mini kit with 5 papers and 10 unique elements with a shabby style to each file. A "shabby" style is a worn or torn look.

Remember to include solid papers as well as patterned papers. Choose your color palette carefully so as to utilize the design principal of contrast so that when a scrapper utilizes the kit, photos and elements easily pop against each other for successful layouts. See this sample lesson from Course 1 to about visual weight. Keep in mind how a scrapper utilizes visual weight to scrap will help you become a better designer.

The deadline for this challenge is Sunday, October 21 at 11:59 PM PST. Post your previews here (official) in your own thread with the link to the gallery (each racer is provided with their own thread), but you are welcome to upload to the gallery at Hummie's World also and post in this thread.

There "may" be a prize. I hope to create a new CU shabby overlay set this week.

P.S. I invite anyone to participate in this challenge, even if you are not in the race, and post in this thread.

[Linda Renee]

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Thanks for a great challenge and very informative tutorial, Hummie. You've explained it so well I can see how to translate the methods to work in my program, PSP.

[Hummie]

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Thanks for commenting Linda. It is good to know it works easy for PSP also.

If someone else uses PSP and needs help, we can send them to you.

[Becky22]

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I have several questions about this challenge. I just want to make sure that I am doing everything right.

1. Am I reading this correctly? The only CU we may use are shabby overlays/brushes? So everything else-patterns for papers, buttons, stitches, ribbons, flowers, etc, must be our own making?

2. You say everything must be shabby. So if I want to include a ribbon, the ribbon must be shabby? A flower must be shabby? I can use a paper flower but I'm not sure how to make a ribbon or stitching look shabby!

Thank you!

[Hummie]

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Yes, you are correct.

I did think twice about it before doing so and that is why I choose 5 and 10 (rather than 6 papers and 12 elements) because I knew it would be more difficult.

I think when learning to design, making everything yourself stretches you to learn. Learning how to make it also makes you appreciate the CU products you purchase even more too.

Also, with so few files (15), I wanted to encourage you to use every opportunity to practice the shabby style.

Welcome to the forum, Becky.

[Becky22]

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Thanks for answering the questions. Good thing I have CU shabby overlays!

Do you have an example of how to make a ribbon or ric rac look shabby? I'm just not sure how that would look. I'm actually thinking about just not including one because I cannot envision one in my head! But if I see an example of what you consider a shabby ribbon, then I would try to make one! Thank you!

[NancyP]

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Here is one I made:



And here are some from other designer kits that I have:

[Hummie]

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Thinking outside the box -- that usually makes me create some of my best things -- especially in regular scrapbooking, not just designing.

Remember, ribbons do not always have to be realistic. You can make them digitally with the papers you have created.

[Els AW]

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I would like to give this a try!
Just one question: when I design this Shabby Minikit, can I put it in my shop later?

[Hummie]

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Sure.

[createdbyjill]

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ooooh....sounds like fun! Can't wait to get started!!!! I'd love to learn how to actually MAKE these overlays *grin*

[Hummie]

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Just bringing my answer to questions from scrappersonline posts over to this thread too:

Buttons? .... I can think of ways to make a button shabby. If I share all my ideas, it won't help you think outside the box.

I did not provide the samples of the ribbons. A non-designer put that post in this thread.
I think Nancy just searched her stash and found a "shabby kit" and took screen shots of what was in her shabby kits trying to be helpful.

I think of grunge and shabby as two different things.

Words that seem good to me: worn, torn, faded, unevenly colored, scratched, broken

I taught how to use worn overlays on both papers and a tag. There are other methods to create the shabby look. For instance, I mentioned brushes.

I thought this was a designer competition and that some skill was already required, naturally, if you are going to be designing. I did not know I needed to teach all the skills.

[Hummie]

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If people need help with defining shabby, I invite discussion.

Some more thoughts from me:

I think shabby is often seen with muted color schemes. It seems to almost have a tan low opacity layer over everything.

It can be worn papers or worn fabrics textures.

Brushes can be used in browns and tans to make a worn look. Brushes can be used in yellow to make it look "yellowed" from age. Brushes can be used to make it look stained (tea stains on an old photo).

I think of "neutral" old paper looking colors.


Shabby from dictionary:
impaired by wear, use, etc.; worn: shabby clothes.
2. showing conspicuous signs of wear or neglect: The rooms on the upper floors of the mansion had a rather shabby appearance, as if they had not been much in use of late.

3. wearing worn clothes or having a slovenly or unkempt appearance: a shabby person.

4. run-down, seedy, or dilapidated: a shabby hotel.

[Hummie]

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ooooh....sounds like fun! Can't wait to get started!!!! I'd love to learn how to actually MAKE these overlays *grin*

Welcome to the forum.

I've thought about doing a video on how to make them.... but then you wouldn't buy them from me.... maybe someday I will.

[Becky22]

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Can I use an action that would make something look shabby or is that not allowed since you just mentioned overlays and brushes?

If I have a tea/coffee stained brushes, is that OK?

When I think of shabby, I think of old/antique as well as what you described Hummie. Although if the something old is in wonderful condition with no scratches, then I wouldn't consider it shabby.