1st DECEMBER, AND A NEW CHALLENGE...

Well we are now truly into the serious run up to Christmas - hope you are getting to grips with the preparations!  It is time for the December Challenge to begin and Jo Capper-Sandon is in charge this month.  So I'm delighted to say she has come up with a lovely theme for us - 'All Wrapped Up'.  Jo is encouraging you to use Crafty Individuals products to make wrapping paper, or a gift bag/box/tags, or whatever else you can think of that the theme might suggest.  Jo will also be choosing the five winners after the closing date of 25th December, and we are very excited to see what you all come up with this time around - and maybe it will help with your Christmas crafting too.  We do hope you will join in the fun - and maybe you will get to choose a stamp from our collection as your prize.

Please note: As this is a Crafty Individuals Challenge you will need to include at least one Crafty Individuals product in your submission project.

You will be able to submit your entry up until midnight on 25th December, and we are so looking forward to seeing your artwork.
As usual I will paste the general guidelines below:

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CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

To enter this month’s Crafty Individuals Challenge please put together your project, following the subject material outlined below (your project should include at least one Crafty Individuals product please), then:

Post your challenge project on your blog, before the 25^th of the month, and include a link back to this blog,

Leave a link in the URL box to take us directly to your challenge project, etc. – which will then appear here on this blog as a thumbnail image – so we can all see your wonderful work.

At the end of the month the CI team and/or guests will set about choosing five lucky participants, each of whom will win a CI rubber stamp of their choice.

Go for it and enjoy the challenge x

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As far as inspiration goes - to get you started, I have quite a lot of beautiful images to show you from the 'CI Team', so I will pop a couple of projects down tonight, and will follow up with more very soon.

Firstly I will show you Jo's contribution which is a very lovely and unique 2" square squash book, held together with ribbon and a tag, and decorated all over with Crafty Individuals Christmassy stamped images.  Jo also thought it would be nice to put some family photos on some of the squares too, and even make a little box to put it in - you will find more details about the project on her BLOG soon.

And the inside:

 

Very lovely, as is all Jo's work!

Then as I was so late with my offering last time I thought I had better get in there quickly this time.  My project involves a simple open topped box shape made from thick card, with a cover made to suit.  You can use this format to present any small square/oblong gift - just measure your gift and make up to suit.  Mine was made to contain a little box of belgian chocolates, but I'm also thinking soaps, box of make-up, cd, computer game, etc., and decorated to suit the recipient.  I used papers from our Shades of Summer Background Book, and images from stamps CI-257 and CI-326, embossed in white, to decorate, and I made a little flap with velcro to hold down the lid.

And the inside:

That's me just about worn out for tonight - except I'll just add a lovely little tealight holder from Helen Chilton to close - I want this on my mantelpiece at Christmas - simple and very effective!

Bye, bye, back soon.

Jean x