May challenge reveal Part 2 + some updates

Hello everyone!

Before I go on to the second part of our May challenge reveal I need to tell you some updates. 

This will be the last post that I will personally do here at Once Upon A...Sketch, for a while at least. I announce this with a very heavy heart and even as I type this I want to go back and change things as it feels it will be alright to keep on going. But it will not. 

In March of 2011 with the help and encouragement of some friends I decided to start Once Upon A..Sketch. For some reason, you all accepted it and it became bigger than I ever anticipated. The standard of the Design Teams past and present have been outstanding and over the last 3 years I have received the most amazing comments about the inspiration people find here. 

Somewhere along the line sponsors believed in this too and we have secured some AMAZING prizes and permanent sponsors all these months. 

I will not lie. Without sounding arrogant, I am very aware that the organisational skills it takes and the time I gave to this blog contributed to its success .People like to know the owner takes it seriously. People like to know the winners will be announced and that prizes (most of the time) will be sent out. People like organisation, set days, the blog posts to look organised etc. I like that and I am sure many people do. 

At the beginning and for a few years I did it all on my own with the help of some along them way. That was impossible to keep up. 

 3 years is a long time, especially when A LOT happens in between. And a lot did happen to me and I almost gave it up so many times but the Design Team always encouraged me to keep going. 

I have a baby.. well.. she will be 1 on Saturday but I still call her a baby as she is my 3rd and probably last. 

I have 2 older daughters in Kindergarten and Year 2. 

I don't know how to split myself anymore and I find this challenge blog slipping from my fingers with each passing day. 

It all sounds very serious doesnt it? Well for me it is. This has been a "baby" for me while I was trying to fill the void of not being able to have another baby and I am very very sad. 

I gave it my all, I gave it a LOT of love and attention. But now.. I can't keep up with it anymore. There is a LOT of stuff that happens and the Social Coordinators have been running a lot of it for a looong while now. I cannot thank them enough. 

I announced to the team that if no one will pick this up then maybe June would be the last month :( 

But a couple of people would like to help out and I will be here to support them . 

This will run as it until December because everything is set up until then. After that... we don't know.. We will see where everyone is. 

I want to believe I am still the owner of this beautiful site , at least as a consolation prize :) But it will be run by a group of ladies including Tracey Sabella, Val Thorpe, Lizzy Hill, Wilma Voermans and Anna Wiśniewska (Wiosanka) for the time being. 

I will still be around so I am not saying goodbye. Come December we will see what happens but for now it is staying in the family or so to speak and we will continue as normal. 

So .. I will see you all around .. 

All my love, Nadia. 

Journalling Theme: "Anything goes...."

Yes, you heard right.. this month you can create a layout about ANYTHING you like, but please do not forget our journalling rules..Read below..

You are free to interpret our theme ANY WAY you like. It is for your inspiration and this theme word DOES NOT need to be part of your title or journalling. But please make sure your layout is based on the sketch below and includes journalling (hidden journalling is fine). Acceptable journalling is MORE than just a sentence, or generic writing such as date/place etc. It needs to be present and at least 3 lines long. Remember, hidden journalling (under a photo/tag or behind your page) is perfectly fine but please DO let us know in your post where your journalling is! 

Please welcome the winner of our March challenge

Charllie G

Hello I'm Charlemagne G. Gargalicano Jr., also known as Charllie Gee or Shimmerlyscrappy. I lived in the Philippines at The city of smiles , Bacolod . I'm 17 years old and was born on May 3 ,1997.

     I'm a Young college student and have  a passion for Paper Craft , Painting and Digital arts . I'm a male-scrapbooker who love to used mixed-media techniques and writing stories behind the page. 

      I started scrapping when I was 13 as yet another way to express my artistic vision. Since then, I have found scrapping has changed my life , given me the chance meet people from all of the world and most of all confidence to be myself 

 Now here is what our Design Team came up with. Please click on their blogs for more details on their creations. I am sure they would love to hear from you !!!

Lizzy Hill (Australia)

Elena Olinevich ( Belarus)

Journaling is hidden on the back side.

Stephanie Schütze (Switzerland)

Ulrika Blomfelt (Sweden)

Journaling is on the back of the layout. Supplies from Papirdesign.

Stacey Young (Australia)

(journaling on the back of layout)

Olga Vasileva (Russia)

Elena Smoktunova (Russia)

journalling is the tag

Maja Stokk (Sweden)

Anna Wiśniewska - Wiosanka (Poland)

My very personal journalling is hidden - it's on tag behind the photo.



 Ola Komenok (Israel)




Ana Paula Leal ( Brazil)

The winner of this challenge, as voted by the Design Team will be invited to come back in July as our Guest Designer. They will also win the main prize from our main sponsor.

Our main sponsor for May is

Manor House Creations was born in June 2011. The owners, seeing a need for a greater choice of flowers on the scrapbooking market, and having a desire to promote excellent product and efficient service, formed a new company. The focus at Manor House Creations is on providing quality, highly sort after products.

Manor House Creations blooms are diverse in size and design, and available in a multitude of colours. We spend considerable time with the factory managers, carefully choosing colours and adding our own personal touch to each flower design. Prints are selected exclusively for Manor House Flowers. With such a versatile range, we cater to both the avid scrapbooker and off-the-page crafter alike.

Manor House creations has donated a $25.00  prize pack for our May winner. 

Now here are some more AMAZING prizes donated by our wonderful permanent sponsors for 2014.

First up is our Facebook sponsor. Please don't forget to upload your entry to our Facebook Page HERE for your chance to win this price..

13arts is donating 10 colours of their gorgeous paint tubs , in your choice of colours, with free domestic and international postage. 

7 Dots Studio will donate a prize pack full of their product valued at US$50.00 with free domestic and international postage. 

The Flying Unicorn online store is donating a US$50.00 gift voucher to spend at their store !

2Crafty Chipboard is donating a chipboard pack to the value of AUS$50.00 with free domestic and international postage

Swirlydoos kit club is donating their monthly kit valued at US$36.50 with free domestic and international postage

Die-namites dies is donating a prize pack to the value of US$30.00 with free domestic and international postage

Lindy's Stamp Gang is donating a US$20.00 gift voucher with free domestic and international shipping..

Scrappers Garden online store is donating a prize pack to the value of AU$20.00 with free domestic and international postage

Scrapbooking Fantasies is donating a ribbon pack  for 2 winners valued at over AU$10.00 each plus with free domestic and international shipping 

Wiff Of Joy stamps is donating 1 stamp set from the Stephanie Schütze Design collection stamps valued at  EUR14.90 with free domestic AND international postage.