Thursday, 21 June 2012

CHALLENGE ENTRIES PLEASE!

Only 4 days left to get your Challenge entries in folks!  Fifteen lovely entries so far - but we would certainly like to see some more.  And just to encourage you I still have a few more Challenge related projects to show you tonight.

Helen has taken the Summer's Ball theme in a slightly different direction - and these girls are certainly having a ball of a summer (pity about the current rain - what happened to the long hot summers I seem to remember from childhood, or was it all a dream!) -


Now a lovely card by Sue -


And a gorgeous purse by Paula -



And I will just add another view of Paula's original purse for the Challenge - loving the addition of the pendant and the bottle in the photo - just perfect!


And to finish the Challenge inspiration this evening I have a very lovely card sent over by Daniele who is in charge of the current theme - which I think fits the bill perfectly -



So do join us with your Challenge project very soon!

On a different note Malcolm and I are very busy preparing to go down to Surrey next week to The Craft Barn, in Lingfield, Surrey.  This is an annual Extravaganza, with lots of demonstrators to see, and a fabulous shop from which to purchase crafting goodies by the ton!  I am running a class there on Friday, 29th June, all day, where we will be making a fabulous working faux cuckoo clock. I believe there are a couple of spaces still left, and I would just love to see you there!  Here is a sneaky peak of what we will be getting up to on the day.  I will also be demoing all day on the Saturday and Sunday - so do come and say hello if you possibly can!


Finally it is great to see that we are still getting new followers regularly on this blog, and thanks for the continuing delightful comments - they really mean a lot!

Jean x

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

TWO MINI CHALLENGE WINNERS, AND MORE CHALLENGE INSPIRATION

In my post before last - 28th May - I set you a mini challenge.  I asked you to tell us what CI products Sue had used in her lovely hanging.  Now I think this proved too much of a challenge for many of you (there were quite a lot) - however we do have two ladies who guessed correctly - namely Gail Tasker from Norway, and Craftyfield.  Gail sent over her address in an email but if Craftyfield could do the same please we will send off a little package of goodies to both of you!!  Thanks for joining in the mini challenge.

Now I must show you some more Challenge inspiration.  We have some superb entries already in and would love to see lots more.  Check out the info HERE, plus the current thumbnails. You still have until the 25th of this month to join in!

Bunting is all the trend at the mo and Sue has done us proud with Summer's Ball bunting to decorate the walls of the hall - or the garden if the rain holds off (we certainly are having a wet summer so far) -


Lovely Lucy is certainly making some truly gorgeous crafted items - have a look at her blog!  She has made the following very pretty box for the Challenge - perfect for that Summer's Ball gift!



Nice bubble Lucy, and lined too!

Lucy has also made this truly delicious Floral Fascinator - not especially for this Challenge but totally perfect for a lovely lady to wear to the Ball:

She has used our flower elements stamp CI-206 for this which you will find at the top of the page on our website HERE.  You can find out how she made it on the unrulypaperarts blog HERE.  Thanks Lucy.

We have two oh so pretty items for the Ball by Ginger.  A delightful fan is my first picture -


Note to self - must make a fan!

And an adorable arch - both necessities for the Ball me thinks.


And I will also post a lovely image of a piece by Lynne using the same dancing lady stamp (CI-346) which you will find HERE. A lovely delicate look!


Now to finish on another couple of notes, I want to show you a Father's Day card (which is looming here in the UK) by Daniele.  So if you haven't made yours yet you had better hurry!


A few bottles of wine - just what the doctor ordered for Dad!

Before I go today I want to remind you that Malcolm and I will be at the Craft Barn Extravaganza at the end of this month.  You will find all the details of this great event HERE.  I am teaching an all day class on the Friday (we are making a totally scrumptious working clock - a totally new design by Tando)  - I'm not sure if there are any places left, but it is one not to be missed (even if I say it myself) where you will have lots of fun with CI products too.  Saturday and Sunday I will be demoing the lovely, lovely, ways of working with TAP - which you will find for sale on our site HERE.  The Craft Barn will also have TAP for sale during the event. 

We would love to meet you there (well I will be there the whole time - Malcolm will probably go off on a wander from time to time - as he does!)

Bye for now,

Jean x

p.s.  I have a shadow box project in the latest edition of Scrap 365.  Our copies for the website haven't arrived yet, but do keep checking our Home page for the new July issue.  They should be here any day now.

Friday, 1 June 2012

THE JUNE CHALLENGE BEGINS:


Challenge entry by email from Gail Tasker:


Our bi-monthly 'June' CI Challenge starts today and the theme has kindly been chosen by Daniele. We hope you are all itching to have a go and join in as we would like to see loads of lovely entries please.  The only rule is that you must use at least one Crafty Individuals product in your project, and you need to be linked in by midnight on 25th June this time.  Daniele will then choose 5 'winners' who will be able to pick a CI stamp of their choice as a prize.

The topic this time is 'A Summer's Ball', and is open to your own interpretation - the options available to you are pretty limitless really, as you will see from the 'inspirational' project pieces sent over by the team.  I will display these over my next few posts, staring tonight.

......

CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

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

Post your Challenge project on your blog, before the 25th 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.

Towards the end of the month the Challenge leader 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

......

Now I have some projects based on 'A Summer's Ball' theme to start the creative process going, and I will begin with Daniele's own piece which is an adorable, beautifully crafted fan:



And of course every lady attending the ball also needs a little purse, as well as a fan, to keep her rouge and powder in.  This is a very pretty purse by Paula -



And as well as a fan and a purse a lady also needs a gift bag for the Pimms!!!  This is my gift bag -


And lastly this evening I have a gorgeous hanging by Helen to adorn the walls:




Lovely ladies!

Back soon with more - so get your thinking caps on and do play along!

Jean x

p.s.  Must also just mention that I was very kindly asked by Sarah Engels-Greer to be her June calendar gal - and Sarah would be delighted I'm sure if you would go and pay her blog a visit.  As well as some info on yours truly, Sarah has some other fabulous works of art on display.

p.p.s. Have a lovely Jubilee weekend all.  Apparently there are 1500 miles of bunting on display across the UK right now!