Thursday 8 September 2011

JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, A SNEAKY PEAK, AND A FEW LITTLE GIVEAWAYS ....

Tonight I have a couple of little projects of mine to share with you, a sneaky tease peak, some giveaways, and a little challenge.  Things have been very busy for us at Crafty Individuals this year -  we usually have a bit of a slow down in the middle of summer - but not this year, which is fantastic of course, but it also means I don't get as much time to craft and design.  Most designing gets done in the middle of the night, or the early hours of the morning these days, and my boys (aged 18 & 20) even say to me 'isn't it about time you went to bed?!', as they pass me still on the computer on their way to bed after coming in from a nightclub.  Anyway this tends to mean that my crafting projects at the moment are often quickies.

The first item is a tag I made using distress stains and stamp CI-271 from the Elements Collection.  I added some vintage lace I picked up in a 'collectables' shop, some flowers and scrim, an earring, bits of ribbon and topped it all off with an image from our Secret Garden 2 glossy sheet.  I did a little machine sewing around the image, which I really like, when I can be bothered to get out the machine that is.


The second item is a little round frame (and you know how much I like these!) from Tando, that I started decorating at The Craft Barn demo day a few weeks ago using stamp CI-325 and some of our background papers, plus to follow - a piccie of some of the lovely ladies who joined us on the day!



Now I want to give you a sneaky peak at a few of the pages of a new CI background book, that is currently at our printer's being made up.  I just can't wait to see this finished as it was a long time in the making (partly due to that lack of time I have to design these days) and its our favourite book so far.  Called 'Shades of Summer' it features vintage inspired flowers, birds and birdcages, in pretty pastel colours, and also has the bonus of a few more pages inside than the existing background books do too.  Hopefully it will be ready to launch along with the next batch of new stamps in a few weeks time, so watch this space!


At this point I would like to present a few giveaways (we do like to give things away, here at Crafty Individuals!), and I thought it would be nice to give a little something occasionally to some of my lovely followers, as I don't get a chance to thank you all personally.  So tonight I thought I would give a little surprise gift to my very first follower - apwilkinson2001, my most recent follower to date - Carol, and a follower from somewhere in the middle - Butterflies.  So if you are mentioned here please email us at info@craftyindividuals.co.uk to claim your little prize package of CI products.  I will be doing this again on a different basis from time to time so do keep an eye out if you are a follower, just in case your name is mentioned in the future.

To finish off tonight I have a little challenge for you set by Malcolm.  If you read this blog regularly you may have noticed that Malcolm had a week's visit up in the far reaches of Scotland recently, when he attended a photography workshop with Bruce Percy.  One of the photographs he took is displayed below, and Malcolm would like you to take a guess as to where this photo might have been taken.  To give you a clue - it was on an island, so get those maps out!

If you would like to take a guess please send your answer in an email to us, again at info@craftyindividuals.co.uk, and the first correct answer will received a package of CI goodies.  So go on, give it a go, it is open to all and really you have nothing to loose do you?!


I do like that image - very restful and serene!

Jean x



26 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Lovely projects and the new papers look very promising. I've just completed a card using papers from your Springtime pad - they are gorgeous.

Fabulous photograph! The island - could it be Arran?

Elizabeth

Netty said...

Loving the sneak peaks of the new papers, gorgeous. Also loving the two beautiful pieces you've shown and that gorgeous lace is yummy.

TesaB said...

Love the sneak peak, such beautiful vintage look!!! And wow for the photo. Sooooo beautiful.

Jo Capper-Sandon said...

Yep...I agree, the Isle of Arran. :0)

I imagine the course was a real getaway from it all. Looks amazing...can almost smell the salt air. He's a lucky guy that Bruce Percy, making a living from teaching classes on those Scottish islands.

Loving your artwork. Your post made me smile mentioning your lads coming in and Mum's still crafting!

And a few of those faces look familiar!! Looks a great class Jean. A long way to travel, you two certainly get out and about!

Fliss said...

Gorgeous artwork as always Jean, both so beautiful.
I recognise a face in the photo there too and I'm not sure she'll like the expression on her face!
Malcolm's photo is so stunning and atmospheric, a real wish you were there one.
Fliss x

Daniele said...

ohhhhh a new pad coming out , the images look gorgeous on the sneak peek. The photo is amazing so calm and tranquil
hugs

Penni said...

Beautiful projects and stunning photo.

Hugs
Penni
X

Sam & Poppy said...

Gorgeous artwork Jean, as always! I love Malcolms photo too. I'd love blown up to A1 size and hanging in my home. I'm guessing it was taken on a beach! Have a fab weekend with maybe a couple of early nights? Sam x

Vicky said...

It was well worth getting the sewing machine out for that gorgeous tag :) & what a beautiful photo Malcolm managed to capture :)

Laura said...

Beautiful looking papers as are your creations.

I think the Island is the Isle of Arran?

Suze Bain said...

Absolutely gorgeous tag and those papers look wonderful. Great photo, I love pebbles! xx

Jennie Atkinson said...

I just love your tag Jean - absolutely stunning!

And a great photo Malcolm - Scotland is a most beautiful place, especially the islands!

From my desk in Tingwall, Shetland .........

Helen said...

Love those projects Jean, especially the blues on that tag. The new book looks gorgeous.
Helen

Ephemera said...

Always a pleasure to stop by the CI blog, such a pretty vintage blue tag,loving the angel glossy image & the frame is stunning. Can't wait for more new stamps & as for the new papers they are just gorgeous. x

Lucy Edmondson said...

I love your tag and frame, Jean - a little different to your usual style I think? Those new background pages look gorgeous. I use your papers just about every day,

Lucy x

Gisèle said...

Your creations are so beautiful Jean and those papers look scrumptious...I adore the first set of background papers I have of yours...xoxoox

Elaine said...

I'm guessing it's the Isle of Arran. Gorgeous photo wherever it was taken. Your artwork is gorgeous too!!

Gini said...

Especially love your round frame Jean and the new papers look lovely, but I think your Seaside papers will be very hard to beat!
Malcolm's photo is fabulous, I don't know if the misty smokey water was created by a long shutter speed/delay or some jiggerypokery on Photoshop but it's a fab effect.

It was taken on the ISLE oF ARRAN.

In my atlas there are an awful lot of Scottish Islands, so I took advantage of my brain cell being round the front and visited the photographer's website.
Ha! No flies on me today, unless of course I got it wrong...

Gini
xx

Crafty Loops said...

Wow these projects are just stunning. And ohhhhh the sneaky peek images look gorgeous. I love Malcolms photo, its so tranquil looking. Lee xx

Maria said...

Beautiful projects! The new papers look absolutely gorgeous! I'll be having some of them when they're out! Maria x

Siobhan Fyffe said...

Malcolms photo is lovely. I'm from Scotland and not sure where it is. If that's the mainland, the hills are low so it's not the Hebrides. Might be Bute!!
If that's a quick tag - my goodness it's gorgeous!!
Siobhan

Kirsten Alicia said...

Wow, gorgeous tag & frame. It looks like the new book will be a must have. Beautiful photo, it would look great as a large canvas.

Carol Q said...

love that top tag, just beautiful.

Ali said...

Love this photo so much.... the softness of the water, texture of the rocks and colours in the pebbles......beautiful.

Ali

Alison said...

Your tag is stunning Jean, as is Malcolm's photo, the one of the seashore that is! Not sure about the one I'm in! Eek! It was a fab day at the Craftbarn though.
Alison x

Carol Plume said...

what a gorgeous frame and tag and those papers look totally FAB! can't wait to see them irl.

The photograph looks so refreshing and peaceful - there's something about the sea isn't there...I think, along with most others, it was taken on the Isle of Arran.