SAFELY HOME, WITH LOTS OF LOVELY PHOTOS

We had a fabulous time in Spain, including several colourful days spent in Seville.  It was very warm and sunny and we took around 1,000 photos between us - plenty of future material for crafting there then!

I have quickly put together a little taster (fragments) below - just amazing textures and colours:

Mmmm - yummy!

Plus another one of my favourites:

Well to crack on tonight - I have a few other crafting things to show you.  These are really relating back to the current CHALLENGE, which is now almost ending (just over a day for your submissions folks!), and should have been shown here a while ago.  Firstly a rather lovely 'winged things' wall hanging by SUE - a delight to grace anyone's wall.

Now a beautiful decorated tray by Isabelle - who is making some really creative projects at the moment, so do check out her blog -

Which also doubles as a calendar project - made for THE CRAFT BARN BLOG .....

And whilst I am on the subject of The Craft Barn Blog (which is always a treat to visit) - I spotted this project made by the uber talented ISA (from France) - I hope she won't mind me popping these images on here, but they are just so lovely - using our elements plates CI-255 AND CI-305 -

Go visit ISA'S BLOG as she is one very talented lady (and you can buy stuff too!).

Anyway back to 'winged things' and a lovely shrine by ZUZU, which was also made for The Craft Barn Blog -

And to finish this post tonight TASSY has been busy putting together a couple more of her clever and informative videos, using our products.  The first is on the subject of 'winged things' and can be located HERE - this is the card she is demonstrating:

And the second is a lovely alcohol ink technique based card ....

which can be watched HERE.  Enjoy!

Jean x

BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR SUNNY SPAIN .......

........thought I had better log in with a little post.  Malcolm and I will be away for a week - however there will still be ladies here eagerly waiting for your orders, and whisking them off in the post as usual - so no problems on that score then!

We had a lovely show in Port Sunlight last weekend, and it was really great to meet all of you who came over to our stand and said hello.  This was one of our decorated Christmas Tags that I further embellished with our new and very popular 'Rudolph' stamp CI-332:

I cut and overlapped parts of the tag around the stamp image, embellished further, and layered the tag onto two complimentary pieces of coloured card.

And the image below is of a tag that has become another one of those little handmade Christmas gifts that I am working on.  I used another tag (the same design as the first one) to cover a little 'cheap' notepad - the side view shows the structure better - and then I glued the covered notepad to the lower front of the first tag.  A cardboard strut back was added so that the project can stand alone - a useful present for a friend!

I'm sure you get the idea!

More gift ideas still to follow.

I also want to show you tonight some lovely sample projects by Lisa and Elaine of Destination Art.  Lisa and Elaine are retailers in Australia who work with and sell our products  - so very pretty!  Do check out their blog and shop!

And ....

Finally tonight I just must show you a couple of beautiful card images sent over to me by lovely Lynne of Adorn - so very feminine as always:

In this one Lynne has used our new Shades of Summer Background Book, plus rubber stamps CI-108 and CI-329.

Then .....

Again with the new background book and stamp CI-329, plus another new stamp CI-331.

To finish tonight just a little reminder about the current CI CHALLENGE - 'Winged Things' which is attracting some very crafty and individual creations this month.  There are still 13 days to go to get your 'winged' projects linked in - so get those stamps and papers out and join in with the fun!

Hoping to get some great photos, ideas and stuff in Seville (and a bit of warmth too perhaps) - back with you soon.

Jean x

MORE OCTOBER CHALLENGE INSPIRATION

This is a very quick post as we are off to Port Sunlight tomorrow morning to set up for the Happy Stampers show.  Looking forward to meeting you there if you have tickets for this great event.

But before we go I am adding a few more Challenge (Winged Things) inspirational pieces as follows:

An extremely creative and lovely piece of work from Zuzu ....

*(SORRY IMAGE REMOVED FOR MAGAZINE SUBMISSION)

Zuzu has used the angel CI-056 (one of my all time favourite stamps) plus our calligraphy stamps to create this - thanks Zuzu.

Then a great hanging using our new stamp CI-329 by Kim - loving this new stamp, which will also be featuring on Dawn Bibby's show I believe, on Create and Craft - Tuesday - so do check it out folks!

Thanks Kim!

A couple of superb 'acetate' cards by Sue featuring images from our Christmas Image Books, plus our calligraphy stamp.

And finally another piece by Helen - a lovely 'winged' pendant which would be a delight to wear.

Thanks to both Sue and Helen! 

Now I had better get back to packing those boxes - bye for now!

Jean x

WE HAVE 4 NEW STAMPS AND A NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW ....

If you are on the Crafty Individuals Website mailing list you will now know that we have released the latest new stamps, and our new background papers book - 'Shades of Summer'.  As you know I am in a pretty, pretty sort of crafting mood currently, so the new stuff suits this mood perfectly!  I thought I would show you a few of the items I have been making with the products in the last couple of weeks or so:

Firstly three cards -

This card was made with one of our Portrait Tags, our 'Shades of Summer' background book (cut-out birdcage and dove), stamp CI-258 (such a useful stamp!), plus flowers, lace, heart brads and hand-dyed ribbon (I bought this ribbon, and we are getting it in stock very soon - love it!).

Close-up -

By the way whilst I am the tag subject I have just received my copy of the new issue Craft Stamper (November), and it has a lovely, lovely article by Helen Chilton - using the TAGS in lots of great ways - even little birdhouses out of just one tag.  As soon as we receive our copies for the website we will get them up there for you, so you can check them out for yourself.  Whilst I am on the subject of CS Liesbeth Fidder (a very talented crafter from the Netherlands) also has an article in there using CI items in great creative ways.

Second card:

This time I stamped the new birdcage from CI-329 onto one of the background papers and then carried on in a similar way to the card above.

And the last card:

Using the new papers plus stamps CI-326 and CI-320.

Here are the new stamps:

And the cover of the new book:

We have also added another couple of items by Tando (loving their products!):-

A new Mini House Trio - with little doors and windows, how cute is that?, and another small Printer Tray with Cover.  Thought I would give the tray a bit of a makeover with Christmas in mind - so why not do something similar as a very special card for someone you love -

Close-ups:

And the front and back covers -

Firstly I gessoed and painted the chipboard in a pale blue.  I covered the front and back and inner right hand side with our Christmas Tags and then stamped over the exposed painted chipboard with snowflake stamp CI-241 and embossed.  Then I used the following stamps to decorate:- CI-142, CI-254, CI-327, CI-257 and CI-304, plus a couple of images from our Merry Christmas image book.

Do you like?

I am always delighted to read your comments on my posts, and sorry not to be able to chat to each of you personally (I would just never get any work done!).  However as a little thank you for today I would like to give each of the lovely commentees (is that a word?!) to date, from last night's challenge posting, one of the new stamps (of their choice) .  So we would be very pleased if Lee (Crafty Loops), Netty, Lynne (Ephemera), Daniele, Sid, Gisele, Fliss, Margaret, Florence, Ann B, and Cheryl, would forward their addresses and choice of new stamp to info@craftyindividuals.co.uk, so that we can get them in the post (I haven't included Lynne Moncrieff as she already has them of course!). 

Now I have to go - needing a nice cup of tea, and to settle down ready to watch 'Downton Abbey' (goody!) - no designing tonight then I don't think!

Thanks for checking me out.

Jean x

CRAFTY INDIVIDUALS OCTOBER CHALLENGE STARTS TODAY

It is already October, although you wouldn't think so here in England - it is hot, hot, hot!  We had a lovely early Spring - no Summer to speak of - and now an 'Indian' Summer.  Well that is England for you - always unpredictable!

Being the first day of October it is time to give you all the subject matter for this month's challenge.  This has been carefully chosen for us by Ginger, and is 'Winged Things', which should give you plenty of scope for your designs.  Ginger will also be judging the entries at closing time, and picking the five 'winners', who will be asked to pick a rubber stamp of their choice as a prize.

Please note:  As this is a 'Crafty Individuals' Challenge you must include at least one CI product in your project.

You can submit your challenge entries up until midnight on 25th October - so please join in if you possibly can, and help make our challenges a great inspirational success.

The usual info and details you need are pasted below:

........

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, by 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

........
  
And now I am delighted to be able to show you some of the 'team's' lovely creations on the theme of 'Winged Things' to get you started in the creative process......

First of all here is a lovely little bird box from Ginger herself - beautifully stamped and very yummy!

From myself a little heart hanging using some of our newest products - more on those in a blog posting tomorrow I am hoping (fingers crossed) -

With a couple of close-ups -

Now we have a hanging made by lovely Lynne (Adorn) who I am absolutely delighted to say is joining the CI 'Team'.  Lynne has been working with our products for a long time now, and with her super feminine touch makes some adorable projects.  Here is her first 'official' 'team' piece .....

Again Lynne has used some of our latest items.

I am also delighted to show you some crafting tonight by Sue.  Sue has been completely tied up with family stuff and moving house recently, but has managed to find some quality crafting time to help out with this month's challenge inspiration.  Here are a couple of her gorgeous projects, with another to follow later:

And ...

Thanks Sue!

And Helen has come up trumps again with a stunning, colourful bracelet on the 'Winged Things' theme:

Do check out her blog for futher info.

Finally for this evening I will give you the clever 'spooky' winged things creation from Lucy  which of course is very appropriate for this month as Halloween is almost upon us!! 

Hope you enjoyed tonight's display.  We look forward to seeing what you can do with the 'Winged Things' theme.

Bath time now for me - goodnight all.

Jean x