Complete Room Transformation Wins One DIYer $5,000 in FrogTape(R) Earn Your Stripes(TM) Room Makeover Contest

AVON, OH--(Marketwire - Aug 13, 2012) - In the second annual Earn Your Stripes™ contest, 93 contestants submitted a project for a chance to win $5,000 from FrogTape^® brand painter's tape. A panel of judges selected the top three designs based on criteria of workmanship, originality and accessories. This year's Grand Prize Winner was Olivia Pruitt from Chatham, Va. In second place, taking home $2,500 was Erin Willis from Lincoln, Neb.; and in third place was Jodi Dress from Kingwood, Texas, who received $1,000 for her transformation.

Pruitt earned this year's Grand Prize by completely transforming her bedroom from a boring space with white walls and minimum décor, into one full of color and unique designs that reflected her personality. Using FrogTape, she created a custom tree and bird pattern to coordinate with bold, multi-colored stripes painted in pink, black and teal. For additional character, Pruitt accessorized her new space with a painted lamp shade, a revamped photo album and a freshly painted mirror frame.

"Homeowners continue to impress us with their creativity and design skills," said Kristin Osinski, media relations manager, ShurTech Brands, LLC. "This year's Earn Your Stripes™ entrants were phenomenal, with Olivia truly demonstrating how you can transform any room in your home with creativity, paint and FrogTape brand painter's tape."

Second-place winner Willis wanted to add a retro-cool vibe to her husband's musical man cave. She was inspired by a 1950s Las Vegas-style trellis pattern on the walls, and a simpler rectangular design on the floor. Using FrogTape, she was able to prevent the different layers of paint from bleeding together, creating crisp, straight lines throughout the design.

To take home third-place, Dress used FrogTape to redo her daughter's bedroom on a tight budget. After a recommendation from the hardware store clerk to use FrogTape for clean lines, she taped stripes using FrogTape Delicate Surface tape. Seven paint colors and 230 sharp paint lines later, her transformation was complete!

"We're not surprised by the amazing designs homeowners were able to achieve with FrogTape because it's the only painter's tape treated with PaintBlock^® Technology," Osinski added. "PaintBlock is a superabsorbent polymer that reacts with the water in latex paint and instantly gels to create a micro-barrier that prevents paint bleed. FrogTape helped deliver clean lines and beautiful results for all of the 2012 entries."

The 2012 FrogTape Earn Your Stripes™ contest was also the first year that a "best in show" winner was selected from seven categories, with each category winner receiving a $100 cash prize. They are:

• Kids Rooms & Nurseries: Amy Bibee, West Harrison, Ind. - "Baby Nursery - Circus Tent on Ceiling"
• Kitchens & Bathrooms: Robyn Harper, Toronto, Ontario - "Tiny Wall, Big Impact"
• Man Caves & Basements: Cynthia DeGrand, Columbus, Ohio - "Faux Carpet Painted Stairs"
• Community & Commercial Projects: Michaelann Rountree, Augusta, Ga. - "Washington County Boys & Girls Club"
• Bedrooms: Michelle Carp, Estero, Fla. - "From Stodgy to Statement"
• Living & Dining Rooms: Tammy Zuniga, Rogers, Ark. - "Touch of Sweden"
• Other: Deborah Pope, Bayville, N.J. - "FrogTape Makeover: Laundry Room Edition"

"We're thrilled with the variety of painting projects homeowners submitted to this year's Earn Your Stripes™ contest," added Osinski. "We loved seeing consumers engage and share their stories regarding how FrogTape helped transform their homes, and we can't wait to see what consumers create for next year's contest."

To see all of this year's amazing entries, visit www.frogtape.com/earnyourstripes.

FrogTape brand painter's tape is available in two different adhesive grades which allow flexibility for homeowners to paint on different surfaces throughout their homes. FrogTape Multi-Surface has a medium adhesion and can be used on cured painted walls, wood trim, glass and metal. FrogTape Delicate Surface has a lower adhesion to prevent damage on surfaces such as fresh paint (24 hours old), wallpaper and faux finishes. 

FrogTape is available in a variety of widths to accommodate a multitude of patterns, designs and paint projects. The tape comes in a reusable plastic canister designed to protect the tape edges from damage. FrogTape can be purchased at The Home Depot, Walmart, Lowe's, Sherwin-Williams and other fine paint and hardware retailers across the United States and Canada with a suggested retail price of $6 to $12 in the US and $8 to $12 in Canada, depending on the size of the tape.

FROGTAPE^® BRAND PRODUCTS
The FrogTape^® brand, marketed by ShurTech Brands, LLC, offers premium-quality, innovative painting tapes that feature PaintBlock^® Technology, a super-absorbent polymer that seals the edges of the tape to keep paint out and lines sharp. For more information on FrogTape^®, visit frogtape.com; Like us on Facebook^® (facebook.com/frogtape); Follow us on Twitter^® (@frogtape); Follow our boards on Pinterest^® (pinterest.com/frogtape) or watch us on YouTube^® (youtube.com/frogtapetube).

SHURTECH BRANDS
ShurTech Brands, LLC, markets do-it-yourself tapes, office and housewares products under the Duck^®, Painter's Mate Green^®, FrogTape^®, Caremail^®, Easy Liner^® and Shurtape^®  brands. The company is a subsidiary of Shurtape Technologies, LLC, Hickory, N.C., an industry-leading producer of pressure sensitive masking, duct, packaging and specialty tape products, with facilities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Peru, United Arab Emirates and China. Shurtape services numerous markets, including industrial, packaging, HVAC, professional paint, auto, marine, aerospace, arts and entertainment, and retail. Shurtape also manufactures and markets the Shurtape^® and Kip^® brands. Visit www.shurtech.com for more information.

Facebook^® is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.
Twitter^® is a registered trademark of Twitter, Inc.
Pinterest^® is a registered trademark of Pinterest, Inc.
YouTube^® is a registered trademark of Google, Inc.