Gallery Idol Meets Practical Solutions!

P. Kelly Smith

Hello, friends! Today we’re kicking off Round 4 in our exciting Gallery Idol competition. Have you been following along? So far our talented designers have encouraged us, colored our world and shown their versatility using the same product.

Who will be this year's Gallery Idol?

This week’s challenge is based on the “Around the House” section of our special issue Practical Solutions for Paper Crafters. In it, you’ll find projects that use everyday items you would find in your home. From rubber bands and duct tape to paper towel tubes and wine corks, it’s amazing what inspiration is lurking right under your nose!

With this week’s assigned theme, I thought I would spotlight some of fabulous cards from the “Around the House” section of Practical Solutions for Paper Crafters. With only three days to create their entries, I can’t wait to see what clever, creative, and practical ideas our finalists incorporate into their designs.

Let’s begin with Chan Vuong’s We Moved Card (p. 33):

Chan used pink bubble wrap as a fun mat in this clever “we moved” card.

Next up is Laurel Seabrook’s Turn Me On Card (p. 41):

With such a cheeky sentiment to play off of, Laurel wrapped batteries in baker’s twine for a one-of-a-kind embellishment!

And finally, let’s take a look at Karen Baker’s Hold On Tight Card (p. 50):

Rubber bands are the perfect addition to Karen’s sweet sentiment.

Fabulous uses of everyday items, right? Once noon (MDT) rolls around, click here to preview the Top 10′s cards and to vote for your favorite. If you’re having a hard time deciding on who to vote for, according to the official rules of Gallery Idol 2012: “Cards should be judged on overall appearance, creativity, execution, and conformity to theme.” You’ve only got one vote per round, so make it count.

Good luck to our Top 10!