Blogger, DIYer Kelly Ballard wins 2022 FrogTape Paintover Challenge

AVON — "City Girl Meets Farm Boy" blogger and do-it-yourself-er Kelly Ballard of Draper, Utah, has been named winner of the 2022 FrogTape Paintover Challenge. Ballard will receive the $5,000 cash grand prize from FrogTape, which is headquartered in Avon, and its parent company Shurtape Technologies. Shurtape makes and sells pressure-sensitive tapes for the DIY, home and numerous other markets. Its Consumer and Craftsman Group, formerly ShurTech Brands, is in Avon and sells the Duck, T-REX, FrogTape, Painter's Mate and Shurtape brands. During the contest, participating influencers were challenged to create five unique projects, one for each of the five 2022 FrogTape Design Trends — which were identified in partnership with professional designer Taniya Nayak. Nayak then selected the top five projects — one for each trend — and the public voted to determine the winner. All of the finalists impressed with a variety of projects, but the public selected Ballard as the winner for her outstanding and easy-to-execute patio furniture upcycle. FrogTape also will donate $10,000 to Ballard's charity of choice, Kenya Keys, an organization committed to providing students in rural Kenya with educational opportunities and life experiences. Ballard also will receive money and supplies to design and execute an interior project for the nonprofit, valued at $2,500. "Participating in the Paintover Challenge was a fun and rewarding way for me to put my design skills to work," Ballard said. "However, I am most excited that my project has resulted in a donation to Kenya Keys and that I will be able complete a project that will benefit the organization." The "Gather" trend, one of the five 2022 FrogTape Design Trends, is all about post-pandemic get-togethers with loved ones. Inspired by the trend, Ballard created an outdoor space for welcoming and entertaining guests. "Perfectly encapsulating 'Gather's' palette of dark and rich colors, Ballard added deep pops of black to the wood tone top of the fire pit," FrogTape said in a news release. "She created perfect stripes with crisp edges using FrogTape Delicate Surface Painter's Tape, a low adhesion, premium painter's tape that can be applied to fresh paint. When the paint dried, she completed the space with comfortable seating and decorative pillows." "This year's finalists demonstrated that adding paint to one element can completely elevate the overall look and feel of an entire space," said Allison Shagovac, influencer marketing manager for Shurtape Technologies, which markets FrogTape brand products. "They've also shown how just a few simple tools — like a great painter's tape and some paint — can make a huge impact on a space, at any skill level or budget range." During this year's challenge, Nayak judged the projects on criteria including workmanship, originality, use of paint, use of FrogTape brand painter's tape and use of design trends to determine the top five. The finalists of the 2022 FrogTape Paintover Challenge in each trend category were: - Embrace Trend: Geometric Shape Corner by Material Curls - Rise Trend: Stripe Bathroom Makeover by Discovery of Design - Gather Trend: Patio Furniture Upcycle by City Girl Meets Farm Boy - Revive Trend: Playhouse Renovation by Making It With Abby - Shine Trend: Sunrise Mural by Pocketful of Paint For more information about the FrogTape Paintover Challenge and project inspiration, visit FrogTape.com/PaintoverChallenge.