Challenge Yourself

I may not have time to play along with every challenge blog out there each week, but I love to subscribe and check them out when I have a free moment to get inspiration from the ever growing design teams available.  Below you will find a list of every challenge blog I like to participate in when I find the chance.

I've taken the time to give you as much detail as I could to make it easy for you to decide which might be a good fit for you.  Feel free to share this post or even pin it for reference if you'd like.  All of these challenges are are subject to change their rules/schedule from what I've posted below, but I've made great effort to keep them updated.

How do you play along?  Just find which challenges interest you and when you play along post your own creation to your blog and share a link to it on their challenge post.  Contact the blog owners directly for more details.  All of these below are the best of the best and ALL worth checking out!

Layout Challenges

There are two challenges posted each month.  They alternate between a prompt and a sketch.  Participate in both and you are eligible for the prize draw. 

A new piece of artwork is posted on the first of each month that you must base your layout on.  Traditional and digital scrapbooking accepted.  The rules state that you cannot link anything to their challenges that you also plan to link to another challenge.  They are open to international entries.

Weekly challenges based on childhood favorites.  Draw inspiration from the title, colors, patterns, theme...endless possiblities, but layouts only.  Though a new challenge is posted each Wednesday, you have the entire month to complete each for the chance to be featured in the top 3 and possibly gain a spot as a guest designer.

Fabulous Friday challenges are open to all types of crafters.  There is usually a variety of creations posted by the design team from altered projects, cards, and many layouts.  Amazing prize sponsors and a weekly top 3.  In addition, they post a new Tutorial every Sunday for extra inspiration.

Sundays bring a new challenge that will be open to scrapbookers only.  They post throughout the week designer inspiration and featured favorite entries as well as a weekly prize.

Scrapbook sketches posted each Monday.  Play along that week for a chance at being named a weekly fav.  Play along at least 2 of the 4 weeks in any given month for the chance at a randomly drawn prize.

My Creative Scrapbook Kit Club has started a monthly sketch challenge.  You can use any product you like for a chance to win a random prize.

Every Friday a new sketch is posted but you have all month to play along.  A random winner will be drawn from all entries at the end of each month.

Each month a new sketch is posted along with a journaling prompt.  They only accept traditional paper layouts, but they do accept entries from all over the world.  You can enter as many times as you wish and at the end of the month they will feature a top 5 as well as award a prize.

Playlists post weekly and you have the entire month to play along.  You can interpret the song anyway your find inspiration.  Use the title as your title, journal the lyrics, use the words as a queue when choosing embellishments, photos or even colors.  Play along for the chance to be named among the top 3 for the month or even be chosen as a prize winner.

A new sketch posted every month.  You can combine it with other challenges, but it must be a scrapbook or scrapbook related off the page creation...in other words, no cards.  At the end of each challenge one winner and two 'top picks' are selected.

New sketches are posted on the 15th and 30th of the month.  An international challenge blog with prizes is open to you combining your layouts based on their sketches with any other challenge blogs you draw inspiration from.  Five designers each challenge are featured at the top of their blog.

A new sketch is posted on the first three Thursdays of the month.  You have until the end of the month to enter one take per sketch.  The top 3 is chosen and offered a position as a guest designer.

New layout sketches posting the 1st and 15th of each month.  They do not allow you to combine entries for their challenges with any other challenge sites, but they do award prizes on a monthly basis.  You have all month to complete each sketch and they post inspiration for the sketches multiple times a month.

First and third Monday of each month, a different 'paper girl' will post a scrapbooking challenge.  You have almost 2 full weeks to play along for the chance to win a prize.  Currently only US and Canadian residents are eligible for the prize draws.

Misc Challenges 

(open to multiple or other craft types)

Every other Sunday a new challenge is posted with two weeks of designer inspiration.  It's open to all types of crafters EXCEPT cards.  You can create ATCs, tags, layouts, painting, sculpture, textiles, altered items, the list is endless.  There are no prizes, but they do spotlight favorite entries twice a month.

Every Monday a new theme to follow.  You must use a Cricut cut somewhere, but it doesn't have to be the shape detailed in the challenge theme.  They post tutorials, inspiration and favorites throughout the week as well as award a prize to one talented entry.

We all know and love Becky Fleck's sketches posted monthly on pagemaps.com.  They also have a blog where they post card and layout sketch contests often.  There are always awesome sponsors with amazing prizes to be had.

Every two weeks there is a new 'issue' posted with amazing designers sharing their take on the featured theme.  You can link up anything you have created (both new and old projects) that fits the criteria and for the next two weeks they share their favorites with readers.  There are also random prizes awarded throughout the month. 

They alternate between card and layout challenges on a weekly basis, all based on prompts taken from movies.  You may enter as many times as you'd like, but each entry must be newly created for the challenge. They choose a top 3 and award one randomly chosen prize.

They post lots of fun challenges.  They alternate between layout sketches, project life challenges and a die-cut challenge.  Please note, they do not allow you to combine entries with other challenges.  There is a whole lot of inspiration and a top 3 chosen.

Card Challenges

AllSorts Challenge Blog - New posts each Saturday and you can combine them with any challenge you wish but you can only enter their challenge up to 3 times for the chance to be in the top 5 or a prize winner.

Bitten By the Bug - Each Monday they will post a Cricut cut that you must include on your card, but you are welcome to use whatever cartridge you wish.  Most entries are cards, they do accept layouts and off the page creations if you feel so froggy.  Link up for the chance to be featured on their blog.

Cardabilities - The sister site of sketchabilities posts their card sketches on the 15th and 30th of the month.  A top 5 is chosen at the end of each challenge and featured at the top of their blog.  There are prizes to be had as well!

City Crafter - The majority of entries are cards, but you will find a layout or two among the designer's examples.  If you play along for the week starting on each Tuesday, you will have the chance to be  spotlighted and even win a prize.

Color Throwdown - Every Wednesday a new color palette is introduced.  You can use whatever brand/style papers you choose so long as they consist primarily of the challenge colors.  After 5 days they name the week's featured stamper.

Crafts 4 Eternity - Fridays bring a new recipe challenge to help inspire you to get to card making.  You can entire up to three times and at the end of the week a top three and a random prize winner are selected. 

Craft Your Passion - Each Monday brings a new theme or sketch you must follow.  The first challenge of each month is designated as 'anything goes'.  The prizes are more geared towards stampers, they do accept other entry mediums.

Crafty Creations Challenges - A new challenge every Wednesday.  All crafts are accepted and eligible for the random prize draw each week.  You may enter up to 2 creations each week and most of the designers and entrants create cards or off the page projects.

Cut It Up - Every Friday a new theme.  It MUST include a diecut (Cricut, Cuttlebug, Sizzix, Cameo, etc).  Most of the entries are cards, but a few designers contribute layouts.  The prizes are awarded to American and Canadian entrants only.  

CUTE CARD THURSDAY - Every Thursday brings a new theme to play along with.  Weekly prizes awarded at random.

Crafty Catz - New card challenges posted each Friday with three simple rules.  1- Follow the theme.  2- Only one new entry per person. 3- Link back to them in your post.

Divas By Design - Weekly challenges posted each Wednesday.  They accept other projects, but most are cards and off the page projects.  There is a prize awarded at random and a top 3 featured.

Fab 'n' Funky - Weekly card challenges sponsored by several uber adorable digi stamp companies.

Mojo Monday - Every Monday they post a new card sketch for you to play along with.  Once a month they even pick a winner to get a stamp set!

My Time to Craft - A challenge posted each Saturday.  Create a card, layout, tag, etc for a chance to be named in the top 3.

Our Creative Corner - A new card challenge posted each Saturday leaving you almost a week to play along.  They do ask that you only combine your entry with up to three other challenges to be eligible to be chosen as a top artist and featured on the blog.

Papertake Weekly Challenges - Every Tuesday night a new card challenge is posted.  They will accept other paper crafts, but their main focus is cards.  Randomly drawn prizes are awarded too.

Party Time Tuesdays - Weekly card challenges that are super fun to play along with.  They not only require you to link back to them, but to display their blinky in your side bar to be considered for a prize or top 3 spot.

Shopping Our Stash - Weekly challenges posted each Tuesday with the focus on using up the supplies we all have stashed.  You can enter just about any type of handmade project you can imagine, but the majority of projects are cards.  They do allow you to combine entries with other challenges, but limit those to 13 total.  Each week there is  a top 3 featured.

Sketch N Stash - Sketches are posted on alternating Mondays with the focus on getting you to use up your newest or most neglected stash in your card making endeavors.  Just make sure you tell them which you used.  A top 3 and a random winner is chosen following each challenge.  

Sketch Saturday - Every Saturday a new card sketch is posted.  They do allow projects other than cards, so long as you follow the sketch.  You may enter up to three times and one winner each week will be chosen to receive a prize.

Southern Girls - Bi-weekly challenges open to all paper crafters.  They select a top 5 as well as award two prizes.  One to an entry from either Australia or New Zealand and one to an entry from anywhere else in the world.  

Stampin' Royalty - Their big rule is no more than 3 challenges combined total, but lots of fun card challenges.

The Pink Elephant - Challenges feature mostly cards entered, but they accept a wide variety of projects. 

Tuesday Morning Sketches - New card sketches posted on... you guessed it... Tuesday mornings.  Play along for the chance to be named in the top 5 or to win a prize.

Unscripted Sketches - Make card making easy peasy (or so they say) with maps that tell you just where to place your embellishments.  Of course you still have to pick stuff that will go together well.  They also allow you to use the sketch for a scrapbooking layout.

Helpful Tips

I hope you find inspiration in some of these challenge blogs.  Whether you are new to participating or not, there are a few bits of etiquette that you should keep in mind.  These may not be listed in the rules every time, but are widely accepted as the 'right way to do it' unless posted otherwise.  I hope sharing these tips will make it easier for you to jump right in!

• Do not ever use something you didn't create to enter a challenge.  A given right??
• If you enter a creation you made that was based on someone else's work (scraplifting is the endearing term for it) or by following a sketch even if it's not an open challenge, make sure to mention it in your post and link back to the original inspiration.
• Don't just post your take on the challenge and then link it up.  Give credit where it's deserved and link back to the original challenge.  If you have the time, talk the challenge up a bit, otherwise a simple text link will usually do.
• If you use one project to enter multiple challenges make sure you say so in your post.  Most blog owners don't mind, just be upfront about it and link to all the challenges that inspired you.  I personally think it's a great way to cross-promote and drive traffic to your challenges, but some blogs specifically ask you not to do this.  Read the rules.
• Link directly to your blog post that shows your creation.  Do not just post your generic blog URL.  Go to THAT particular post and copy the link in the top bar.  For example, my blog is: http://sameoldscrap.blogspot.com  However if I want to direct someone straight to this post, my URL would look like this: http://sameoldscrap.blogspot.com/2013/02/go-ahead-challenge-yourself.html
• Don't backlink.  It's almost never allowed (though rarely you'll find a blog that hosts a favorite creation challenge allowing you to backlink).  Back linking is when you enter a current challenge with a creation you've previously made and shared somewhere online before the start of the challenge you are entering.  The purpose of challenges should be to help you get projects out of your head and onto your medium....so cheating kind of defeats that purpose and most blogs you'll find (there are a few exceptions) consider this practice definitely cheating.
• Posting URLs is super easy as most challenge blogs have adopted a linky tool.  You simply click to add your link and follow the directions.  On some occasions you will have to leave your link in the comments.  It should be noted that Blogger does not support clickable links automatically.  If you just paste your blog address it will be difficult for the owner to visit, so you can create a simple html code. Just type the following in the comment replacing youURLhere with the link you copied from your post and postnamehere with whatever you want to call your link (most people will type their blog name, or simply 'my post').
  
  
• Take the time to read the challenge instructions in the post and the general rules usually posted on the sidebar or in a top row tab.  It's super frustrating to weed through posts that are awesome, but need to be disqualified because it was lacking a key element that was listed as required or ignored a specific rule that was put in place to keep things fair for the other entrants or even the sponsors.  You can always ask the blog owner if anything's unclear.  Some blogs are intentionally vague because they want your creativity to flow wherever it naturally goes, other's have very specific limitations.  Simply commenting on your blog "I loved this challenge, and I know I went outside of the box by ________, but still wanted to share." will make the difference between someone looking at your blog and thinking 'what was she thinking' or thinking 'WOAH....what a cool spin on that challenge!"
• Some blogs will have 25 or less entries a week, other's get several hundred.  You aren't expected to have time to comment on every single entry.  However, you will be shown the consideration you put out there.  If you enter a challenge visit the design team blogs and maybe even pick a few of the entries that catch your eye and comment on their posts.  It's the very best way to get traffic back to your blog to view all of your own hard work.
• If you win a challenge, be grateful.  Whether you win a prize or just bragging rights, it's very thoughtful to take the time to comment "Thank You!!!" on the winner post.  If you have a chance, post to your own blog that you won or were featured and link back to the challenge site.  You can make it it's own post or just a footnote on a current post, it's totally the thought that counts.  And if they have a 'winner' blinkie/button post it on your side bar with a link back to the blog.  It lets you show off your win and gives them permanent advertising as a thank you.  If you win a prize, check to see if they have a facebook page you can 'like' or a place you can email your thanks.
• If you find a challenge blog really enjoy, subscribe to their feed by 'becoming a follower'.  Most will have an easy link on the side bar.  If not there are instructions under your blogger dashboard for adding a blog to your feed.  Check out their blog and see if they have a blinkie or a button that you can display somewhere on your blog with a link back to them if you really love them!
• When showing off your creation make sure you go into as much detail as possible.  If you remember anything about it such as the inspiration, the brands, how-to's on any techniques, etc.  These posts are likely to be the only that get traffic outside of your normal readers and you definitely want those posts to be on their A game!  

**If your blog is listed here and you would rather it not be, just let me know or email me.  If you notice an error or if you have a challenge blog that you host, design for, or just love to play along with... please share it in the comments and I'll check it out and possibly add it to the list.