I'm hosting a DIY challenge over at STTG - $20 STTG gift card prize

I've started a new monthly challenge over at  STTG called Getting Messy D.I.Y. Style.

This challenge is all about creating homemade embellishments and/or incredible backgrounds for your scrapbook layouts. The aim is to hopefully inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and explore new techniques and styles or fine tune some of those you may have already tried.

Each month will have it's own theme so to get started the theme for Aprils Challenge is

TEXTURED MADNESS

So.....it's time to get your hands dirty with some pastes and colour mediums

It's important to note that the theme based tutorials and techniques are OPTIONAL and not required to be eligible to enter the challenge BUT if you do use them you will be given an EXTRA VOTE.

Challenge Prize: $20 STTG Store Gift Card

There are 2 options available to qualify to enter the challenge.

OPTION 1 - Create your own BACKGROUND PAPER

Create your very own unique scrapbook layout background paper using embossing, stencilling, masking, stamping, misting or any other creative techniques.

Textured Madness Technique Option: To earn an EXTRA VOTE use some molding paste, textured pastes/gels or gesso together with any type of colour medium to create your background.

To help inspire you here are some examples done by my fellow DT and myself

Rock Star Attitude by Wendy Greenaway

Here I jumped in head first and covered the entire piece of cardstock with molding paste and and resin gel which I then stamped into. I used metallic acrylic paint as my colour medium

Journey To You by Adrienne Ford

This stunning piece was done by Adrienne using molding paste and micro beads to create the butterflies. Adrienne used some homemade mists as her colour medium.

Easter 2011 by Gerry Van Gent

Typical of Gerry's beautiful whimsical style, she created this adorable Easter layout background using a combination of mists, fussy cuttings, molding paste and puffy paint.

OPTION 2 - Homemade Embellishment

Your layout must have at least one homemade embellishment clearly visible. This can be anything from a homemade paper/fabric bloom, pearl/rhinestone flourishes, polymer clay molded embellies.... The sky is the limit here. As long as you made it yourself and it's clearly visible on the layout, it counts.

Textured Madness Tutorial Option: To earn an EXTRA VOTE make a textured paper flower using the following tutorial.

Textured Flower Tutorial

In the tutorial I used alcohol ink as a colour medium but this can be substituted for any other colour medium.

Challenge Rules

1. Challenge runs from 7th April to 7th May. Entries must be posted by midnight PST on the 7th May
2. Entries MUST have at least one clearly visible homemade embellishment OR uniquely create background paper
3. Themed techniques and tutorials are OPTIONAL and NOT required to be eligible for the prize. Using the techniques and/or tutorials will however earn you one extra vote.
4. Please post your entries on this thread as well as in the main gallery. When posting to the main gallery please include "D.I.Y. #1" in your title.
5. Winners wil be selected by the STTG design team and fellow contestants. Please send me a message on the 8th May with your TOP 2 votes. You need not vote for yourself as you will receive a vote for voting. Winners will be posted on the 9th May.
6. Tracy will contact the winner with the STTG Gift card details soon after the winner has been announced.

Good Luck and have FUN!!!

This Challenge runs from the 7th to the 7th of every month