Challenge #30

Happy Friday everyone!
Wowza - I cannot believe that we are on our 30th week of challenges. Amazing! You all have been so wonderful and supportive. Now before I start on to the usuals, I have a couple of announcements.
*First off, there has been a suggestion for prizes. Would that encourage you all to participate? Or is the Bar-Tender badge enough of bragging rights? I originally began this challenge site for us to use what we have already accumulated in our craft supplies. However, I do know how gratifying it is to win a prize!
*This week you may notice less cards from the Design Team. 2 of our wonderful Bar-Tenders have stepped down - Darlene and Audrey were both here when we opened the Bar! Thank you so much ladies for all the hours you've spent mixing up card concoctions, we will miss you! With that said, I am on the hunt for 2 more designers to be here with us. All you have to do is link up your cards and put (DT) next to it, indicating that you would like to try out for the team. This will run throughout August, I will contact the new employees to begin their term in September! I hope you consider trying out, I am a really easy boss. ;) As a DT member, cards need to be completed by Thursday so I can post them to the blog, and everyone is assigned a number to comment on entries for the week. That's it! Hope to see lots of applications...
And now on to the top 3 this week for our sticker challenge:

Pattie

Denise

Lee

Congratulations ladies! Please contact me for next week's challenge and your chance to be a guest designer.
This week we want you to show us your

PEARLY WHITES!

heehee! Create a card using pearls, done in off white colors, or using an image with pearls - the sky is the limit! This week our DT has come up with some beautiful samples, starting with our Guest Bar-Tenders:

Heather

Alicia

And from our Bar-Tenders:

Anita

Erika

Thanh

Joni

Please be sure to mention Raise The Bar in your post, click on the happy blue frog below to link up your work. Until then, have a beautiful day everyone!

Challenge #29

Oh my word! What wonderful entries we had last week. I was giggling at how many Magnolias showed up for the distressed challenge. heehee! All the cards were all SO beautiful, thank you for your continued support and participation throughout the weeks.
Here are our top 3 this week:

Rica

Alicia

Jude

Congratulations ladies! Please contact me for next week's challenge and for your opportunity to be our Guest Bar-Tender.
And now on to this week's challenge:

A STICKY SITUATION

Does this sound familiar? Well, it's the name of my blog. heehee! BUT the actual challenge is to use a sticker on your card. Yes, I said it. A sticker. ;)
If you need some inspiration, take a look at what our awesome Guest Bar-Tenders did:

Jane

Michelle

I love it!
And if you aren't convinced yet, here's more inspiration from our Design Team:

Darlene (using butterfly stickers)

Anita (using stickers that have been in her stash for 6 years!)

Thanh (using a Crafty Secrets focal image sticker)

Erika (showing off some new Nikki Sivil)

Joni (using a Colorbok bus sticker)

We can't wait to see the cards this week! Click on the happy blue frog below to link up your sticker creation.

Challenge #28

A very happy Friday to you all!
The Bar-Tenders and I want to thank each and everyone of you who join in on our challenges. We are so excited to see such wonderful entries every week! Our last 'recipe' challenge of old/new/borrowed/blue was truly fun to celebrate with you all. Here are this week's picks:

White Raccoon

Jane of The Paper Affair

Michelle of Purple Monkey Moments

Congratulations ladies! Please contact me for next week's Bar-Tender's concoction.
And now for this week's challenge:

Distressed, Torn, Ripped, Broken

(cards, that is, not hearts!!!) 
 

There are so many wonderful cards featuring distressed papers, using ink pads, tearing edges, and incredible techniques that we thought we'd try out this fun style!
From our Guest Bar-Tenders:

Anna

 Julia

Renata

Absolutely STUNNING samples by the Guest Bar-Tenders!!

And now from our Full Time employees (heehee):

Dar

Anita

Erika

Audrey

Joni

Thanh

Now let's see what you can tear up! :D You can use any image, any papers, any type of method to achieve this look. Click on the happy blue frog below to link up your work, we'll pop by to say hello. Thank you so much for coming by everyone!

Challenge #27

Happppy Friday everyone! We are so happy you joined us today, thank you for all the sweet concoctions from your ovens last week! Thank goodness I surrendered the judging this week, otherwise we would have been in calorie overload with everyone's cards featured. ;)
Congratulations to the following ladies:

Julia

Renata

Melanie

Anna

Woohoo! Thank you ladies, please contact me for next week's challenge so that you can be a Guest Bar-Tender.
Now on to this week's challenge which is a wedding recipe:

Something Old

Something New

Something Borrowed {gifted/recycled}

Something Blue

From our Guest Bar-Tenders of the week:

Sarah

Brenda

Thank you ladies!
And from our resident Bar-Tenders:

Thanh

Old - SU Paper

New - Lace ribbon

Borrowed - Stick pins that she 'borrowed' from her roommate

Blue

Erika

Old: the onion netting on the handmade rose

New: Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage paper

Borrowed: the bow on the favors box {an old plastic hair barette}

Velvet rose cut out on favor box { Gauche Alchemy kit element}

Blue

Darlene

 Old & Borrowed: SU Toile Blossom set

{which she first borrowed from a friend then spent weeks trying to buy on Ebay}

 New: Martha Stewart Floral Vine border punch

Blue

Audrey

Something old: this House Mouse stamp

Something New: The Cuttlebug Folder

Something Borrowed {recycled}: This ribbon was tied around a gift from Christmas.

Blue

Anita

Gifted DP papers

Joni

Old: Designer Papers

New: Teen Anya rubber stamp

Borrowed: DD's yellow prima (we traded - heehee!)

Blue

See how fun a trip down the aisle can be? :D Click on the blue frog below to link up your work and we will come and pay you a visit. Enjoy this beautiful week dear friends!

Challenge #26

Okay everyone, before I wish you all a happy Friday and announce the usuals, I just wanted to let you all know how MAD I am!! heehee! I'm MAD because you all are making our jobs SO difficult with each passing week. Oh my word, with all the wonderful entries honoring the colors of our flags, it was so hard to choose. Thank you so much for your participation, and congratulations to the following entries:

Annika representing Ireland

 Brenda

Dawn

 Sally

Sarah

Ladies please contact me so I can send you next week's challenge and have you be a Guest Bar-Tender!

And now for this week's challenge...do you know what day it is today? It's National Sugar Cookie Day! lol! So today's challenge is:

Baked Goodies

It need not be a cookie on your card, but anything baked and yummy. Come on and enjoy the calories! Here are some wonderful samples from the oven of our Guest Bar-Tenders:

Peggy

Stephanie

Yogi

Mmmm...thank you for the treats ladies!
And from our Bar-Tenders:

Erika

 Dar

Audrey

Anita

Thanh

Joni

Come and join us in the kitchen! Click on the happy blue frog and we will pop in to see you. Until then, have a wonderful week everyone!