LOTS OF IMAGES TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT

Thank you for all the lovely comments you have been leaving; they are a pleasure to read, and I'm delighted you are enjoying the project images I'm posting on a regular basis - so please keep keeping in touch!

I have rather a lot of images to show you tonight (with more waiting in the wings), so without further ado lets crack on.  You are loving our new 'all things British' stamp CI-334, and I have made a little card featuring my take on the Union Jack (and I added the little robin from CI-329):

Then I had a play with stamp CI-333, and made a triptych card.  Firstly I sprayed dye inks over a piece of open weave lace fabric, using the lace as the stencil - I often do this it makes an interesting background.  I then stamped over as shown:

I also used stamps CI-017 and CI-182 on the side panels (both of which I still use regularly), plus a stamp from CI-308 (another useful set of stamps).

Some close-ups:

Now I have a card image sent over from lovely ISABELLE who has also been doing some great drawings and posting them on her blog lately - go check her out!  In this card she used CI-336:

Nice masculine card - for the traveller in your life perhaps?!  Thanks Isabelle.

Plus a couple of little ATC's from Sue Abbott again using the latest stamps:

As you can see from the above there are lots of different ways of using the same stamps - that is probably the beauty of stamping - I'm never really sure of the effect I will get before I get stamping, so it is very interesting to see what can be achieved with just one stamp by other crafters too.  Which leads me onto the next set of pictures which were kindly loaned to us by a talented lady called Maureen, and you will find her beautiful blog HERE.  Maureen is somewhat involved in a new shop venture at Barjanb Crafts in Leicestershire, and I hope it all goes well for them, they deserve it!  Anyway Maureen has made several projects using CI-331 as the focal point which demonstrates clearly how there are lots of ways to use just one stamp.  I love them all but the colours in the first one below are just divine, and she has also 'framed' the image to great effect too - will be using that idea myself (the frame has been embossed), plus there is padding under the skirt which looks gorgeous but both are hard to see in the photograph - Enjoy!! (And go visit the shop!)

And finally an adorable little bookmark:

Well all that uploading and linking has about worn me out for tonight - hope you have enjoyed the display?  Check us out on FACEBOOK now too.

More to come soon, and I'd better sort out some more Blog Candy for you soon too I think.

Jean x

HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND A 'FOCUS ON' FEATURE

Is it 2012 already - can anyone tell me what happened to the holidays?  How quickly it all goes by and the children go back school/college/uni, and we go back to work!  Happy New Year to all my readers and followers - I hope the year goes well for you, wherever you are and whatever you do.

At Crafty Individuals we are in the throes of a super discount week, but only if you are signed up to the mailing list, which appears on the home page.  However it isn't too late to take advantage of the discounts; just sign up now and let us know that you have done so by email - info@craftyindividuals.co.uk - and we can send you the special code you will need to obtain your special discount.  Lots and lots of you are taking advantage of the offer (and Malcolm is running around like the proverbial getting the orders together) so don't miss out please.

All that aside I want to make my first post of 2012 with a 'Focus On' feature about the lovely work of NEFERTITI (Scrapcool Blog), and the following images are four projects made by the lady herself which particularly feature CI products.  If you want to see more please check out her blog HERE for more Scrapcool creations.

I will start with a project that particularly caught my eye within our November Challenge entries:

A lovely photo display piece using our stamps CI-193 and CI-292!

Next a fabulous framed project in stunning reds (I would never have attempted this colour scheme myself - but it does look stunning, don't you think?):

Stamps used here included CI-207, CI-208, and CI-323 in a very clever combination - loving that leaf flower.

Next a very decorative compartmented box:

Featuring CI-323 as above.

Now a charming tag in a pocket using the little children from CI-292 again:

And to finish off tonight a very recent addition to the Scrapcool Blog, a very crafty and deliciously decorated clock (... its high time I tackled another clock project me thinks!):

In this project images from our People and Places 1 book were used, which is now out of print.  However there are lots of similarly lovely images in People and Places 2 to choose from if you take a peek.

Hope you have enjoyed that little crafting display as much as I have, and thanks to Nefertiti for letting me put the spotlight on her tonight.

Bye for now,

Jean x

DECEMBER CHALLENGE WINNERS..

I hope you all had a really nice Christmas - we did in this house, despite the occasional sibling rivalry that occurs from time to time when my boys get together - but I guess that's family life in all its glory for you!

We now have five lovely 'All Wrapped Up' winners - very carefully chosen by our super-talented Jo Capper-Sandon.  Jo has also provided me with a beautifully worded summary about her choices and the reasons behind those choices - so over to Jo.........

'There may have been fewer entries due to the hectic time of year, but there was some wonderfully skilled work shown both by the team and the participants.

I found choosing just five very difficult.  I'd be useless on X factor picking for boot camp.  In the end I went for a wide and varied cross section on how people viewed 'All Wrapped Up' to be.

An entry I wish I'd made myself was a gift bag made by LAURY.  It reminds me of a scrap page on a bag.  I love the free feel to this with the painted area and frayed edge fabric:

This little Christmas Box by CARLA appeared at first glance from outside to be a delicately decorated box for a tiny gift, but on removing the lid burst open to reveal more wonderful Christmas Crafty Individuals images, using every surface to the full:

 

SAM READ brought a twist to the theme by using her process of applying colour as the 'All Wrapped Up'.  By wrapping the card in cling film Sam achieved a paint effect as a background for the 'Rudolf' card.  Sam also showed us what really goes on in that creative head of hers by adding a second image too, lol:

A little sewing gift pouch was brought to us by ZOEY.  Perfect for those odds and ends that get mislaid so easily and always good for an emergency sewing task.  The stamped images were finished off beautifully with a pearl headed pin (I love to see little details like that):

 

And finally, last but not least, this was the 'Ratatouille' moment for me (if you've seen the Disney film you'll know what I mean when Ego tastes the Ratatouille).  This tag by TRISH LATIMER reminded me of frost patterning on the inside of windows when I was a child living up north in the days before central heating became the norm.  Trish has captured the winter feel perfectly, makes me shiver (in a good way!) just by looking at it:

I wish I could have chosen you all.  It was a tough job.  Congratulations to the five!'

So there we are with the last Challenge of 2011 - thanks to all who entered, and to everyone who supports us with their fabulous entries, hope you will join in with us again in 2012.  If you are one of the ladies named above please get in touch with us at info@craftyindividuals.co.uk to claim a rubber stamp of your choice.

However we have been discussing the timing of the Challenges and have now decided to run them on a bi-monthly basis in 2012, as we think it is going to be tricky all round keeping up with the monthly plan  - those month ends come around so very quickly.  That means there will be just five or six Challenges next year and you will get a full month to assemble your entries.  So no excuses folks - keep those crafting fingers busy and help make the gallery of entries bigger and better than ever in the New Year.

The next Challenge will commence at the beginning of February all being well - so do watch this space!

If you are signed up to the CRAFTY INDIVIDUALS Website Mailing List watch out for a great deal coming very soon especially for you - and if you haven't signed up to it yet go do it now and join in the fun.

Chat to you all again in the early New Year - we wish you all a mellow and peaceful 2012!

Jean x

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

This is my last post now before Christmas and I just want to wish you all a Happy Christmas, and thank you so much for your support, and lovely comments over the last few years.  Hope you have got nicely to grips with the last bits of the shopping - well nearly anyway, and are now settling down to enjoy the holiday.  I think I had also better post images of the last of my stack of Christmassy craft projects still waiting on my computer desktop before it is just too late.

I adore these lovely tags and card made by Isabelle Norris over in Canada.  I think Isabelle has got in touch with her grungy side this time and it really suits her.

Check out our Elements stamps page for the trees used here.

Then 2 beautiful tags with close-ups:

How are those for lots of glittery gorgeousness?!

Now a lovely idea by Ginger who has acquired a bit of an obsession with decorating little wooden blocks.  In the project below she has used images from our Christmas Miniature Books:

A very nice alternative Christmas decoration me thinks - will be working on that idea myself at some point!

Now just before I go I want to let you know that Isabelle has also very kindly set up a Facebook page for us, and we would love you to check it out, and leave comments when you get the chance.  I am still on a learning curve about Facebook - its a new experience for me, so your help in making it interesting would be very welcome.  You will find the new CI page HERE.

Note: Just 2 days to go to get your 'all wrapped up' project linked up on the Challenge Page!

I think that is about it for tonight - Merry Christmas everyone!

Jean x