NEW STAMPS AND FINE DETAIL EMBOSSING POWDER...

We recently introduced fine detail embossing powder by Stampendous to our 'Must Haves' section on the website, and of course we also released some new rubber last week.  So I thought I would make sure the powder picked up as much detail as possible from our very detailed stamps.  I used our A6 glossy white stamping card, plus a Versamark pad to create a surface for the embossing powder, and then made a card with CI-393 'Oriental Fans' - which incidentally is our special offer of the moment (just until the end of August), and you will receive it free if you spend over £25 on our website soon (before postage is added).

I was very pleased with just how great the detail was on the fans and the butterflies, and how well the stamp, embossing powder and glossy card worked together.  If you haven't tried this powder before, and you haven't tried the glossy card (which is fabulous for all your stamping), you must give it a go - I'm sure you will be as pleased with both as I am!

Two members of our little Team have also been having fun with the Oriental Fans stamp, in completely different ways.  Gio has made a card with hand coloured lace (hardened with the addition of PVA glue - great idea!), acetate and the fans - so very pretty and unusual!

Brenda has decorated a tag with the same stamp - very shabby chic!

Before..

And after..

Brenda added some images from CI-394 'No Guarantee without the Stamp' - loving those gloves in a very feminine pink!

Anyway back to the subject of fine detailed embossing powder, I also tried it out on our new Christmas Elements stamp CI-396 'Santa's Legend' - or at least on the little angel part of the set.  I added a die cut of the new 'Starry Christmas Tree' cut from pale blue glittery card (gorgeous!) to make a quick and easy Christmas card - my very first for this year!  Again the powder worked really well on the angel and the detail is amazing used in conjunction with the white glossy card ..

Unfortunately you can't see the shine of the powder on the photographs, but it is definitely opaque and nice and shiny.  I will be experimenting some more with other stamps, and will show you the results soon.

We have another brand new product just added to our website this weekend - a new publication by Traplet and Craft Stamper, where some of your favourite cards from the last few years have been gathered together to give you an attractive and useful special edition magazine 'A Card for all Seasons'.  You will find the publication right HERE for just £5.99.  It features quite a few Crafty Individuals products inside, and also has a project by me within, so I'm delighted of course.

My last offering for tonight is a little hanging I have just made.  I scanned in an image from our People and Places 2 mini book, and then printed it out on TAP (that marvellous stuff!), before ironing the image onto white cotton.  I combined the printed image with vintage laces and a flower, fabric, ribbon and a button, and hung the finished piece from a lace bobbin (I collect all sorts you know!!), to make a sweet little decoration ..

Such a pretty face!

Hope you are having a great summer - back soon with more crafty bits!

Jean x

NEW RUBBER GOODIES, PLUS NEW DIES AND MASKS..

Hi everyone

We did indeed release 6 new stamps, 2 dies and 3 masks very recently - do have a look at them all - you will find the new stamps HERE and HERE and HERE.  The new Dies HERE, and the new Masks HERE. I will probably chat a bit more about them in another post, however I must show you what Helen has done with the new Alice Palace Penguins - cos I do sooo love it!

They look like they are having great fun sploshing about in the water with the starfish.  Check out the link to Helen's blog above to see how she made this.  Helen had previously decorated the front of this canvas - bird style -

So two completely different looks on one canvas - cool!

I had a tiny little play with one of the new masks too, and an older stamp of ours CI-061 ..

We still have a Challenge on the go for August, and we are getting some great entries linked in on the relevant page HERE.  Do join in if you can as 'anything goes' in this month's 'open' challenge.  The team have been helping out with samples, and I was thrilled to receive the following project images from Sylvie -

 

 

There's certainly a bit of a birdy theme going on here.  I spot a 'Seagull Adventure' and 'Seabird and Roses' (this stamp is on special offer at the moment too).  Plus we have a visit on the printer tray from the 'Teatime Delights' birds too - in such stunning colours!

I don't think I've mentioned yet that I am delighted to have a project featured in the most recent issue of Craft Stamper, which is for sale on our site HERE, and here is a sneaky peak.  If you want to know what's inside those doors, you can find out if you get hold of a copy of the magazine.

Bye for now, thanks for tuning in, and please do leave a comment if you can,

Jean x

STILL ON THE SUBJECT OF 'ANYTHING GOES'..

The lovely Open Challenge entries are starting to come in now - so do have a look at them HERE, and don't forget to link in your entry before the end of August!  Anything goes in this Challenge - well almost anything, because you must have used at least one of our products in your creation, but other than that there are no rules for August.  And now I have some more crafty creations from myself and the team to show you, all using CI products within.

I bought a few square frames a while ago - just because I liked their distressed effect, and recently I thought I would decorate a square wood piece to fit within one of the frames, resulting in the image below:

As the wood was nice and smooth I firstly gessoed it and then I transferred a background pattern onto it using a computer print out on TAP paper, and an iron.  I then decorated the square with images from the birdcages plate - CI-329, and a little girl from CI-292, plus the addition of lace, ribbon and flowers.

I now have some lovely images of cards by Effie to show you:

Featuring here are the latest stamps, CI-387, CI-388 and CI-389 - beautifully coloured and laid out - very nice indeed!

Helen has also sent over some items and this birdhouse is just sooo gorgeous, again using CI-387 plus the little robin from CI-357 -

Plus finally tonight I have a couple of clever items by lovely Lucy -

The first is a Steampunk canvas featuring a gent from one of our mini image books, plus lots of bits and bobs incorporated into the layout, and the second a decorated mini suitcase and matching tag - with lots of our stamps showing on both.

Many thanks all, and we're so looking forward to seeing your entries soon!

Jean x

AN OPEN CHALLENGE FOR AUGUST .....

Hi Everyone

I'm just about managing to cope with the heat here in the UK, although at my age, its a bit tricky I have to say!  I don't know if its hot where you are, but if it is I do hope you are surviving it too.

August is here and its time for a new Challenge.  Because its holiday season and not so much like crafting weather I thought we would have an 'Open' themed Challenge this time, rather than one based around a specific theme.  This means that you can link in any project you care to make, or indeed have made in the past, using at least one Crafty Individuals product.  Here are the usual guidelines:

CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

To enter this month's Crafty Individuals Challenge please put together your chosen project - your project must include at least one Crafty Individuals product please, then post your Challenge project on your Blog, before the end of the month, and include a link back to this blog.  Leave a link in the URL box displayed in this post to take us directly to your Challenge project, which will then appear on this Blog as a thumbnail image - so we can all see your wonderful arty work.

At the end of the month we will set about choosing five lucky participants, each of whom will win a CI rubber stamp of their choice, and don't forget that as per usual, once you have linked in your creation, you can also claim a lovely 25% discount code to use on anything you purchase from the CI Website which will be valid until the 10th of September.

Go for it, and enjoy the challenge x

...

Please do join in and link in to your project - you will have a chance of winning a free stamp, and you will also be able to obtain a cool 25% web discount.  Please email us at info@craftyindividuals.co.uk once you have linked in to collect your special discount code.

I now have some rather gorgeous inspiration from our team to wet your appetite and get you started:

First, from Brenda, here is a great framed seaside feel good project, featuring CI-284 and CI-272:

How gorgeous are those sandy shells!

Next a superb decorated 'cabinet' from Daniele, which could be straight from a grandmother's Victorian vintage room.  Daniele has used CI-391 and CI-388 in her cabinet:

Simply stunning!

And finally tonight I have three glorious projects by lovely Gio:

Isn't the little 'book' fantastic at the top - with its tiny shrink plastic elephants and giraffe from CI-390, the 'On Safari' rubber stamp?!  Then the two cards below feature CI-174 (one of Gio's all time favourite stamps) and CI-387.