IT'S NEARLY VALENTINE'S DAY ..........

And as the fabulous Joanne Wardle (of Craft Stamper fame) has recently posted a simply beautiful card using our new 'Elements' rubber stamp CI-342 I thought I would share it with you in time for the big day - 14th February.  Check out Joanne's blog as she has some great ideas!

I have lots of other lovely items to show you waiting in the wings, so I will make a start with a few more today.  I have several projects so beautifully made by Lynne on my computer desktop, two of which I will insert below:

The first is a postcard made with stamp CI-335 -

And the second is some pretty and delicate inspiration for you relating to our current Challenge entitled 'Spring'.  To join in our Challenge add your Spring project link to the bottom of the post which you will find HERE.

Loving that hydrangea head detail!  Thanks Lynne.

Now I have a very lovely lacy piece sent over to us by Maureen to show you - mmmm!

Look at all that decoration, and you know how much I love that lace! Very vintage!  Maureen has used CI-331 in this project.

Lastly tonight I have two projects by Isabelle, both of which could be interpreted as some more 'Spring' inspiration, as they are very pretty and gentle.

Isabelle has used CI-301 in making this card.

She has also made another printer tray look delightful, this time the Mini House Tray from our 'Must Have' section:

Lots of our stamps and images and papers appearing in this house full of goodies, so why not check out our website online store HERE, and see how many goodies you can spot today!

More to post soon!

Jean x

OUR FIRST CHALLENGE OF 2012 STARTS TODAY ...

A little late, but not too late all things considered, to give you the details of our now bi-monthly Challenge - the first one of 2012.  However before I begin I must just mention that the new issue of Craft Stamper is again featuring lots of lovely projects to feast your eyes on, and also has several great articles concentrating on different ways of using CI products by Louise Crosbie - Zuzu's, Helen Chilton, and Riet van Zundert.  There is also a mini project by me too.  You can order a copy of Craft Stamper from us HERE - definitely a 'must-have' item in your crafting life.

Anyway back to the Challenge for February - Malcolm is in charge this time, and Malcolm just loathes Winter!  So he has chosen the theme of 'Spring' which you can interpret in your own way as long as you incorporate one or more Crafty Individuals products in your design please.  We would be sooo happy if you can join us this month to kick off 2012 in true crafting fashion - so no excuses, just get those fingers inky and your craft table messy, and play along with us - there are prizes to be won!

You will be able to submit your designs up until midnight on 28th February using the usual inlinkz tool and I will paste the general guidelines below:

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CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

To enter this month's Crafty Individuals Challenge please put together your project, following the subject matter outlined in this post (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, then leave a link in the URL box to take us directly to your Challenge Project, etc., which will  appear here on this blog as if by magic, as a thumbnail image - so that we can all see your wonderful work.

At the end of the Challenge the CI Team and/or guests will set about choosing five lucky participants, each of whom will be invited to choose a CI rubber stamp from our large range.

Go for it and enjoy the Challenge x

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And now I have some inspiration for you to get you thinking:

My own offering today is a little stage set - the Tall one, from Tando - which you can purchase on our website HERE:

A floral fantasy in which I have used pages from our 'Shades of Summer' mini background book, hand dyed silk ribbons, and lace and images from 3 of our rubber 'Elements' plates - CI-292, CI-206, and CI-329, plus some hand dyed muslin and stick pins.

Had great fun with that!

Next I have 2 very pretty cards sent over by Kim Woods where she has incorporated elements of CI-334 in the first card, and the whole of CI-320 in the second one:

Nice colours Kim!

A springtime butterfly lady is our next offering from Lucy Edmondson, so very joyful Lucy!

Lucy has used our Springtime Background Book plus stamps CI-235, CI-258 and CI-108 in her 'flight of fancy' project.

Helen Chilton has decorated a slide mailer to make a very pretty springtime gift for a lucky lady:

Helen has incorporated pages from our mini books plus stamping from CI-226 and CI-207 here.

Now I have a delightful creation from Sue at Paper Paradise -

Always loving Sue's work - and all I'm going to say here is that she has used lots of our stamps (I've run out of linking puff!) in a totally 'Spring' hanging.

And my final images tonight are from Carol (Ginger), who has come up with an amazing creation using the word 'Spring' in an interpretation of her very own - Wow!

A very unique use of CI-333 - very Steampunky and springy!!!

Now its over to you - looking forward to seeing your 'Spring' ideas.

Back again soon,
Jean x

NO - THIS IS ACTUALLY MY LAST POST FOR JANUARY ..

Well I didn't think I would be feeling this well so soon.  How surgery has changed over the years and is now a completely different experience from even ten years ago, and I certainly feel a lot better than when I went into hospital that's for sure, so if you have an op coming up I would say to feel positive about it.

Whilst I have been otherwise occupied our new selection of goodies has been released - I hope you received your email outlining the fabby new stamps and truly 'must have' items.  However I also thought I would make a post tonight showing you a few of the new releases and three of the items I made with them before their release.

I used a couple of the new rubber stamps from the INDIVIDUALS Collection to make the tags below:

I used CI-338 as my focal image on this tag.  I also used a SHABBY TAG and LACE in my creation - the new lace also dyes beautifully with spray dies!  I overstamped the shabby tag with CI-171 before embellishing.

The second tag features CI-343 and was made in a similar fashion to the first tag:

As this is a big year for the UK we thought we would help celebrate with another very 'British' stamp.  The London postmark is from CI-124.

Loving that crown!

I also made a little stage set with one of the totally scrummy new Tando layered stages which you will find HERE.  These are a totally new addition to their range and I LOOOVE them - so many possibilities, so little time!!!

Great for building up a little picture story - mine is about a street party here in the UK, and hopefully we will be seeing a few of these this year - don't you just love her glum little face - so reminds me of me at that age!

I have used quite a few of our stamps in this set as you will see, and I have also added two different die cuts using another new 'must have' addition from Memory Box, the WOVEN CIRCLE and the FREMONT CREST.  These are wonderful metal dies on a nice small scale that compliment our stamps beautifully, and work in pretty much all the home die machines on the market.

Do try the stage sets outs, you can get lots of depth going on and be extremely imaginative.  Show us what you come up with!

I am now going to put up some of the images of the new products themselves to get your creative thoughts flowing starting with the new rubber -

Now a little peak at the Tulle Lace and Chiffon Flowers -

A couple of the Tando Products -

And a little selection of four of the new Memory Box Dies -

As you can see the two butterflies work together to make a lovely addition to your handmade project.

Check out our WEBSITE for the rest of the new items, or one of the many shops that sell our products which you will find LISTED HERE.

Furthermore if you place an order on our website soon you will receive a pack of three frame charms absolutely free -and how can you possibly live without these in your life?!

And now I am being ordered to get to my bed and rest.  So that's it for tonight.  Back soon with details of the February Challenge.

Goodnight!

Jean x

LAST POST FOR JANUARY!?

I have some projects to show you tonight that have been sent over by the team recently - thanks so much ladies, you are so kind - hopefully they will brighten our lives on an otherwise dull, wet January day (at least it has been here on the east side of the country).  Must also thank you all for the continuing encouraging and caring comments you are leaving on a regular basis - they certainly do warm my heart!

I am going to show you one of two projects I have here by lovely LYNNE - the other will follow at a slightly later date.  This project uses stamp CI-336 and postmarks from CI-122 & CI-124 to adorn a stunning hanging so beautifully:

 

Nice bit of recycling going on there too!  Check out the close-ups (I like close-ups!) -

Then I have one of two printer trays sent over by lovely ISABELLE, where she has used the same hot air balloon stamp as above (and I notice she has a fabulous tag on her site too just now, made with our stamps - so do pay her a visit soon!):

Plus close-ups -

Lots of texture, and loving the rich shiny red on that balloon.

There are of course a few more of our stamps appearing on this tray including CI-221, CI-334 and CI-237 amongst others - very nice!


And I think to finish the display I will show you a lovely creation with a truly patriotic feel by lovely HELEN (lovely being the word of the day I think!) -

This will probably be my last post for January as I am off into hospital tomorrow for a thyroid operation (aaaagh - murmured in a weak small voice!).  I will be back blogging again as soon as I can and of course we will be having the February Challenge soon - although it may be a little later in starting than the 1st of the month this time, so please bear with me.

Also there will be new stamps out very, very soon - to be ably dispatched quickly to their recipients by Malcolm and Kay, plus some must, 'must-have' new products which we think you are going to love.  Watch out for the email, which will also have some info about a little crafting holiday you might like to join us on in March.

Goodnight All.

Jean x