BRAND NEW RUBBER STAMP RANGE (DESIGNED TO 'MAKE YOU SMILE') - AND MEGA BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY COMING SOON ....

.......Oh yes very exciting times ahead, just around the corner - so do watch this space - like a hawk!

ONLY 5 DAYS TO GO TO ENTER OUR NOVEMBER CHALLENGE ..

So if you are still busily crafting with some festive sparkle in hand, don't forget to link in your entry before next weekend is upon us.  However there's still time to start and finish your November CI Challenge project if you get those crafty fingers moving swiftly.  Do have a look at the 18 rather fabulous creations so far at the bottom of my post HERE - you are excelling yourselves this month folks!

And as there are only 5 days to go I am going to post lots of lovely inspiration below by the Team - until I run out of puff!  Links will be brief as I have quite a bit to show you in this my final Sparkle post before the results.  Here we go :

Firstly three gorgeous crafty numbers by Paula..

The main stamps used here so very beautifully are top - CI-211, middle - CI-369 and bottom - CI-363.  Thanks Paula!

Then I have two very pretty festive projects from Lucy :

Quite a few of our stamps appearing here, but again I will link in to our new stamp CI-369 - great fun, thanks Lucy.

Followed closely by a project by Brenda, who has used an old favourite of mine - CI-154.  Such an adorable card Brenda!

Now I have a couple of fantastic items by Daniele, the first is again using CI-211 as the main feature (loving the crackled image) ..

And the second a rather gorgeous box card, using CI-358, CI-363, and CI-369 ..

To finish this festive delight for tonight I have a superb little calico bag by Lynne.  The bags are so very useful and simple to decorate and you will find them online HERE, and the swirly, starry tree stamp is currently our special offer free with orders over £18 - but better be quick as the offer will soon be changing!  Visit our website at www.craftyindividuals.co.uk for more details.

Plus two very pretty, sparkly cards by lovely Gio ...

Gio has incorporated our Magic Roundabout Mask, with good old Rudolph to make these glisten - CI-358.  Fabulous Gio!

Hope you enjoyed this mega festive post, and again to remind you that when you link in YOUR creation you will be entitled to a 25% discount from all products in our shop just for entering.  Now that can't be bad can it?

Happy crafting,

Jean x

COME AND SEE US ...

If you live in or around the Tees Valley area (North East of England) do come and see Malcolm and I at Wynyard Hall this coming Wednesday or Thursday at their annual Enchanting Christmas Shopping Fayre.  In my wisdom I decided we didn't have enough to do (lots of lols!!!), and I booked us in to have a very little stand at this fabulous festive fayre in an incredible location.  However even little stands mean lots of work we've found!  This time we will be selling our handmade goods, rather than craft products as such, and Malcolm's lovely photography too.  I haven't done anything like this for years so have no idea how it will go - but the venue does attract good crowds - so fingers crossed xxx

Thought I would show you a little sample of what we have to offer:

I have been playing with TAP again - which you will find back in stock HERE. I printed a bit of background pattern onto the TAP via my computer printer, and then stamped over it by hand, using CI-320 (the stamp needs to work in reverse as you will get a mirror image - ie no text), and coloured with Copics.  I then ironed the whole image onto white cotton, and then stretched the cotton over a square wooden block.  I added ribbon, shell buttons (both from our site), and lace, then framed the block in a small white box frame...

I loved making this and intend to make some more soon (I love TAP me!!).

Now I'll show you a few more items - some re-jigged from previously made projects, some more 'rustic' Christmas cards (better take some of these as it is a Christmas Fayre after all!), and also some rather cool sticky note holders (idea pinched from some shop finds!), which are rather like easel cards with the sticky note pads as the 'prop'.  As you will see everything, more or less, that I used in the making of these can be found on the CI Website.

Thought I'd add the bottom image so you get a better idea of how the note holder folds up.  My regular local class ladies (yes you know who you are!!) really loved making these - they make perfect Christmas presents and very easy to do (and useful too - what more could you want in life??)

And finally I will show you a couple of Malc's lovely images - very ethereal I think - transport me to that place now!!

Now I realise most of you just don't live anywhere in the vicinity - but if you do it would be great to see you there!

Sweet dreams everyone,

Jean x

ps Back with more sparkle soon!

ANNOUNCING 2 WINNERS OF SETS OF NEW STAMPS, AND SPARKLE GALORE..

Hello Lovelies,

Thanks for leaving your very kind comments on my previous post.  We have picked two random winners of the sets of new stamps on offer - comment nos: 3, Cardgirl, and 12, Camellia Jhonson.  Please email your addresses to us ladies at: info@craftyindividuals.co.uk, and we will send your little packages off asap.  Enjoy!

We have nine stunning entries so far in our little Challenge for November - which you can see at the bottom of my post HERE.  If you have a look at them - and you won't be disappointed, maybe you could go on a little blog hop and check out their other lovely blog posts, leave comments, and even become followers.  It opens up a whole new crafty world right there on your screen - whatever did we do for inspiration before the web age?!  There is still lots of time, until 28th November, to put your own 'Festive Sparkle' project together and link it in with us, so please give it a go, and claim your 25% discount code from our shop, just for entering!

I still have lots more great stuff with a Festive Sparkle to bring to you, so here we go:

Carol always produces glorious, unusual, and very cool crafty items, and these little hanging decorations are no exception.  I've had a go at these myself, and if you have a meltpot to hand (to 'solder' the edges), some filigree charms, and a bit of bling, they are really very satisfying to make, not hard to do once you get into the swing of it, and recipients just love 'em.  Carol used our Miniature MERRY CHRISTMAS IMAGE BOOK in the making of these. (Carol sells her stuff on Folksy too - visit her blog for more info).

Helen has made quite a few adorable projects to inspire you to enter this Challenge, and here are another two of them.  Loving them both!!!

Just look at that cute robin's beady little eye (literally)!!  Helen has used stamp CI-357 (the cheeky little robin), and lace stamp CI-350 on this card.

She has also made a very clever little acetate decoration for the festive season -

And has used part of Elements stamp CI-357 very nicely here.  Will be having a go at this idea myself!

Lucy has also been playing along, and has made this pretty little sparkly canvas board -

Using various Elements stamps, and images again from our Merry Christmas mini book.  Thank you Lucy.

Lovely Lynne always helps us out with Challenge projects, as well as lots generally, and I know you all love Lynne's gentle crafting touch as much as I do.  I have several projects of Lynne's waiting in the wings, and will show you a selection of them below.  But firstly I will also show some close ups of how Lynne has been using our Elegant Swirls masks in her work recently.  She is very fond of this new mask which you will find HERE, and has been getting very creative with pearlescent medium, the masks and glitter:

And here are a few of the finished projects by Lynne-

Plenty there to feast your crafty little eyes on!  Lynne has used two of our latest stamps in the bottom projects CI-363, and CI-369 - how gorgeous are they?

Well I'm totally blogged out for tonight - however still lots more to come in following posts.

Don't forget to join in the Challenge!

Jean x

NEW PRODUCTS AND MORE TO SPARKLE ABOUT ...

I usually let you all know when we have new products on my blog here, as well as by mailing list emails, so although this is a bit delayed I will just give you a quick catch up on the yummy products we recently added to the Crafty Individuals Website, before another bit of a catch up with some more 'Festive Sparkle' November Challenge inspiration.

We have added some very pretty new stamps:

CI-369, CI-365, CI-367, which are from the Individual collection and can be found HERE.  Plus 2 new Elements stamps CI-364 and CI-366 which you will find on this page HERE

Also if you spend over £18 on products you will receive this lovely Christmassy stamp absolutely free:

I have had a chance for a quick play with two of the stamps featured above, and I think these can be classed as a little bit of Festive Sparkle inspiration too -

Both very quick and easy cards stamped on black with another of our new additions - 3 Brilliance ink pads (dew drop size) which have been added to the MUST HAVES section, and with the help of the machine embossed Elegant Swirl Mask make pretty little Christmas cards.  Quick and easy is always helpful at this time of year as I'm sure you will agree?!

Another idea with the free stamp and the new elements stamp is this card with random Brilliance pad stamping on black, and then 1" squares punched out to make this sort of thing:

As well as the new dew drop stamps pads in 3 different sets of 3 coordinating colours, we have also added some totally gorgeous ultra smooth 'stamping card' which is great for fine detail (see Christmas lady above).  As well as white we have managed to obtain some ivory card (a nice change from bright white we think), and both can be found on site under Silk Card heading HERE.

Brenda has also had a bit of a play with CI-369, and has made this very lovely card:

The gorgeous snowflakes in the background are from CI-241.

And to finish I will add even more Festive Sparkleness!

Helen has been dabbling with Rudolph, on this gorgeous card:

And Paula has used the same stamp CI-358 to decorate an eco-friendly hessian bag:

Which goes to show how versatile rubber stamps can be!

Finally for tonight I have several pictures of a very beautiful cuckoo clock by Sylvie - lots of CI detail going on here - probably too much for me to link back to - so maybe you could go on a treasure hunt to find the products on our Website, and make one for yourself too?!

What a beauty!  And still lots more festive sparkle to come!

So do please have a look at my previous post, and join in our November Challenge.  All you have to do is to link in your festive creation at the bottom of the previous post so that we can all see your lovely handiwork.

*If you fancy leaving a comment at the end of this post we would be delighted to randomly pick out two comment owners to win all 6 of the brand new stamps each!

Jean x