Springtime Twosome

Hello all, it's Alison here with my second piece of inspiration for you for Monika's lovely Spring challenge.  You've just got a few more days to get your entries in.

For my second offering I've got a pair of tags created with the same floral stamp, but on one it's stamped and embossed in a lighter colour than the background and on the other it's stamped in a darker colour... I really love the subtly contrasting effects.  Do come over to see more details at Words and Pictures, and we hope you'll be inspired to come and play along this month - you've got just a few days left.

Alison x

Double Dragonflies

Hello all!  Alison here with my second bit of inspiration for Sue's fabulous Make Your Own Background challenge.  Backgrounds are one of my favourite things, and oh how I love the wrinkle free distress technique!  For this pair of tags I did my usual double-trouble inky creating, but this time with an extra twist.

If you'd like to see the details, do hop over to Words and Pictures and check it all out.  Hope to see you there, and I hope you'll come and play along with us to be in with a chance at the randomly drawn prize voucher from Country View Crafts.

Alison x

Antique Bottles by Alison

Hello all, it's Alison here with you from Words and Pictures with another piece of inspiration for Brenda's fantastic "Inspired by Bottles" theme.

This time, I've been altering some actual bottles... they were already vintage, and I hope I've made them look even more antique-y!!  It was quite a simple transformation, so if you'd like to see how it was done, do come and check out the details over at Words and Pictures.

There are just a few more days to enter the Inspired by Bottles challenge.  With a prize voucher from Country View Crafts on offer, what have you got to lose?  Hope to see you there.

Alison x

Words and Pictures

Last Days of Autumn Townscape

Hello all, Alison here to share some more inspiration for this month's
Create A Scene challenge.

My second creation for Rachel's lovely Create A Scene theme is an autumn townscape on that blustery day which strips the last of the leaves from the trees, leaving the bare branches silhouetted against the sky.  It's all taking place on a recycled jar, so if you'd like to see what it looks like all lit up you'll need to head over to Words and Pictures!

There's still plenty of time to join in,
so we hope to see you Create A Scene before the month is out!
Alison x

Blue With Cold - by Alison

Hello all, Alison here with my second round of inspiration for Doreen's The Colour Blue theme this month.

Alison

I'm even more wintry than before with this second outing for The Colour Blue.  The stamps here are by Sara Naumann, from the fabulous recent PaperArtsy release.  I love the bleak spare look of them, so I've kept the background to a frosty minimum too.  Come over to Words and Pictures if you'd like to see more details, but do bring a scarf and gloves!

I hope you'll be inspired to come and play with The Colour Blue with us, and there's more inspiration almost daily here on the blog.  You have until the end of the month and, as always, there's a prize voucher from our great sponsor Country View Crafts for a randomly chosen winner as well as the honour of Top Three places or even our Design Team Member's Special Mention at stake!  Hope to see you soon.

Alison x

Alison 2

Alison joins us with a fabulous autumnal tag today.

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Alison 

If you thought my first piece this month was slightly dark in mood... wait til you see this one!  Sorry, autumn just sometimes hits me this way.  But there's plenty of texture to be found on this earthy tag, so I hope you'll be able to hop over to Words and Pictures and see the details - it's not as gloomy as it looks, I promise you!

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It doesn't look at all gloomy to me, does it you? I love all the autumn colours and the dark earthy ones are rich and natural and tell me that winter is well on it's way.


Looking at some of the projects that are being entered into the challenge I see a whole variety of colour blends including autumnal and wintry blends. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Be here in another couple of days to see what the next project brings in way of inspiration for the current challenge.

See you then.

hugs Brenda and the CVC team xxx

Thankful Thoughts

Welcome to our CVC challenge blog where we bring you exciting monthly challenges with a £20 Country View Crafts online store token for the lucky winner. Every couple of days we share a new project to provide you with on-going ideas and inspiration and hope you will join in and share yours too. Today it's Alison's turn to show us what she has focussed on for her second numbers project.

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Alison 

My second numbers project is a little handmade book for counting your blessings with.  Again I've layered up the numerical ingredients - stamping, stencilling, papers, die-cutting, stickers and Idea-ology.

If you'd like a closer look at the pages inside and at my first proper bit of book-binding, do come over to Words and Pictures for the details.

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Thanks Alison I will be over to take a look as I love positivity joutnals so this looks right up my street.

Thanks for stopping by all you lovely crafters and readers.

hugs Brenda and the Team xxx

Alison's inspired by her paddling!

Good morning all!

This morning we have a post by very talented DTM Alison, who chose our theme for this month.  Many of you will already be familiar with her style but, if not, then you really don't want to miss it!  

Here is her second DT make for the month.....

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What could be more summery than paddling in the sea, collecting the shells and pebbles and starfish (if you're lucky) you find in the shallows and the rock pools?  This altered A4 clipboard uses one of the Seasonal Found Relatives cards and lots of mixed media to create a summer's day at the beach.  Come and visit Words and Pictures for all the details, as well as to read the poem which swirls around the heart of this creation.

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A beautiful creation of Summer Alison and how reflective of the sea - brilliant, thank you!!

Whatever your thoughts, whatever your creative processes, whatever your memories, we'd like to see how you represent this theme!  Do join in and share with us how 'Summertime' has become part of your thoughts and family memories.

Have a great day!

Chris and the CVC team  xxx

Brrrrr! It's August?

Good morning dear Friends!

Here in the UK we've had a really cold couple of weeks and we're feeling it too!  Despite that, we're looking forward to warmer weather and are still totally motivated and looking forward to August's challenge.  The theme for this month has been chosen by our lovely Alison (aka butterfly) and this is a topic that ALL of you can join in with!  It is...

We're hoping that, by now, you'll all be aware of our rules but if not, you can find them here.  Everyone has a chance of winning the £20 shop voucher, generously contributed by our sponsor, Country View Crafts, because we select our winner at random using random.org.  We encourage and welcome all to participate, from beginners to those that have been crafting for years, we also like to see ALL types of crafting from cake making to quilting, from knitting to pure art, from papecrafts to home decor - if you craft then you qualify - please join us!

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ALISON

It's no secret that I love meadow grasses and flowers, but it's only in recent years as my hayfever has died down that I've really been able to enjoy them to the full.  I love the idea of a dreamy summer's day spent drifting through meadows, brushing the tops of the grasses with my fingertips, and that's what inspired this card made for a friend's summer birthday.  Come and visit Words and Pictures to see more details.

BRENDA

It's August and hopefully we will get some lovely warm sunny days so we can sit out in the garden or go for some inspiring walks. It was thinking about the garden, the grass and flower borders that inspired my tag for this challenge. Lots of green with a splash of colour and some remnant rubs. I'm looking forward to seeing what inspires you for this summertime challenge.

CHRIS

This is a card, one with a dfference, and made using a Tattered Lace exploding box die.  I've used stamps and dies from Hearfelt Creations and Tim Holtz inks and dies to colour the embellishments as well as his stamps and dies for the butterflies.  You can find the step x step on my blog.  Chris xxx

DEBS

 Hello everyone, are you enjoying your Summer? as I write this the children are on their last day at school and parents are preparing for those long hot summer days at the beach or country walks. but if like me you are working everyday then we have to bring the summer indoors to our screens. For my project I wanted to capture some of those elements that you see in Summertime like the blue skys, rain, and bright gardens. lots of brayering and use of Acrylic Ink. Im really looking forward to seeing what your summertime project will look like. Take Care Debsx

DOREEN

Hello..... I hope I am bringing some sunshine your way with my first

make this month

Details of how this was made can be found here.

GABRIELLE

 

The joy of warmer weather means that summer is here and there’s something special about the UK in the summer! This month’s theme puts me in mind of bucket and spade summer holidays at the beach! Jo Firth-Young’s stamps are just perfectly evocative of these holidays and I have used them a lot this month! For my first project for the new Country View Crafts Challenge this month of Summertime I have made a tag. The beach hut opens up! As always, there's more on my blog including what's inside my beach hut! Gabrielle x

JENNIE

Over the last few weeks I have been making a vase of summer flowers and these are the latest. Blousy Cabbage Rose Blooms using the Tattered Florals Die.  I have fallen in love with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink all over again! If you would like to see more details and a tutorial on how to make them, then please visit  my blog.

NIKKI

For my first creation this month I took a canvas and just started playing with stamps, stencils and paint to create a floral, summary image. More details can be found today at Addicted to Art.

RACHEL

Hello there! Here's my first make for the wonderful challenge that is summer! I adore this theme - and have made firstly a canvas that is full of colour using lovely goodies from Paperartsy.

Please check out my blog here for full details of how i made this. Hugs rachel x

SUE (Sue the Iron)

For my first project this month I've taken us out to the country with lots of paint and Dylusions. Full details can be found here on my blog.

TRACE

For my first summertime make , I was inspired by thoughts of the sea, its waves and beautiful blues and whites.  For all the details of how I created these cards please see my blog xx trace x

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Once again we hope to inspire you with both the mix of genres as well as the differing styles we craft in.  Whatever your penchant, please do join us if you can, and use the 'Linkie' below to take part.

Have a wonderful August!

Chris and the CVC team!  xxx

An InLinkz Link-up

MAGPIE: It's a DT's postcard day today!

Hello there!

It's a Magpie Day today and some of the DT have got together and followed our theme to create some postcards for you.  Here's our line up...

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DOREEN

I have gone for a vibrant postcard scene from somewhere hot and sunny,you can find out how I made this over on my blog

SUE D

Hi, I've gone for some un-inked rubber for my postcard, and some new paints.

Details can be found here on my blog x

JENNIE

With hardly anything "scenic" in my (vast) stamp collection I have gone for a vintage sepia postcard  with a "wish you were here" feel! As usual there are a few more details on my blog.

ASTRID

One of my all time favourite stampers is the very talented Paula Whittaker who blogs at Just for One Day. This little scene was very much inspired by her wonderful work. If you want to see how I put it together, all you need to do is click here

ALISON

I didn't have time this month to be part of the main Simply Scenic inspiration, so I'm really happy that I was able to squeeze in a Magpie Day postcard.  I kept it simple with some stamping and some of my favourite Distress Ink colours.  Hop over to Words and Pictures if you'd like to see more.

CHRIS

My choice is inspired by my recent Tim Holtz aquisitions, put together in an ode to purple, lol!  You can find my step x step here.

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We hope you like our little interlude, normal service resumes on Monday, lol!!

Have a great weekend everyone, make it a crafty one!  >:o)

Chris and the CVC team xxx

Alison's using kraft with mixed media

Good morning everyone!

We hope you all had a good Easter holiday and commiserations to those of you that had to work!

Alison is with us this morning to share her 2nd project and what a beauty it is!...

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Alison

For my second krafty creation of the month I've been playing with the Mixed Media thinlits again, and this time it was the honeycomb die which started the whole thing off.  There's a crackly krafty bee collecting pollen to create glossy, crackly honey in his krafty honeycomb, and it's all over a gesso-printed background.  Come and check out the details over at Words and Pictures.

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This is beautiful Alison, we're loving your style - thank you!

No matter your choice of genre, whether you're into mixed media or not, tags, journals, cards, whatever your preferences, we'd like to see how YOU are using kraft card.  The lucky winner will be chosen at random so remember, your entry just might be the lucky one!

We'll have the first of our Top 3 guests appearing on Thursday so please join us to share in the fun!  >:o)

Chris and the team xxx

It's our April challenge!

Good morning craft lovers!

It's April 1st but there's no April fools here today, just a great line up of creativity and imagination from our DT to inspire you to join in our challenge this month!

Sue D (aka Sue the Iron) has chosen our theme for the month and what a great theme it is...

Whether we're into card making, scrapping, mixed media, altered art or any of the other popular crafts, we can all find ways of using kraft card in our projects so this really is a challenge where you have carte blanche.  We're looking forward to seeing all the creative and inventive ways you can come up with for using kraft in your projects, all we ask is that you follow our simple rules.

You can enter as many projects as you like and the winner of our £20 shop voucher, generously donated by our sponsor Country View Crafts online shop, will be chosen at random using random.org.

As usual, we have a previous winner joining us today and leading out the DT...

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Chris of pearshapedcrafting

Hello, I’m Chris, usually known as ‘Pearshaped Chris’!  I’m thrilled and honoured to be asked to take part at Country View Challenges as a Guest Designer.  I started crafting as a young girl, encouraged by my Mum, who used to knit, sew, use natural dyes etc ; although in those days it was known as ‘saving money’!!!  It was only recently, when asked about my crafting, that I realized I have been doing crafty things for pretty much all my life, although once I retired I had more time for it!  I enjoy most aspects of crafting, especially if it involves getting messy or trying something new!

I love using Kraft card and love the effect of white and pastels on the card. I needed an anniversary card for a young couple so used two of my favourite bird stamps to make this card. I hope you will pop over and see what Mr Bird is planning!

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Sue D

Hi, it's my turn to choose the challenge theme this month and I've gone for Kraft card. I love using kraft, it just seems to make all the other colours pop. For my first creation I've used a Sheena Douglass stamp to make a Fathers Day Card.

Full details can be found here on my blog.

Trace

 I love playing with neutrals and was tempted stay neutral that but decided the kraft looked great with a splash of colour in the shape of abandoned coral. I made a box to fit my collage style cards into...treasured  family memories in a box . All the details can be found here.

Alison

Springtime has to be blue/greens, grasses and butterflies for me... and so my butterflies are very krafty!  They're made with the Bigz/Texture Fades butterflies released this year.  I've also used the kraft card with one of the new Tim Holtz Mixed Media Thinlits, and mounted the whole tag onto kraft card too.

Astrid

 

 I love using Kraft card, it is so versatile. For this birthday card I used it as the base of my card, but also behind the leaf aperture that was created with the Tim Holtz Layered Leaf die. If you want to see more, just click here

Brenda

 I made this card for Chris's birthday which was just a couple of days ago using Tim Holtz papers and dies as well as some other bits and pieces. Both the card itself and the butterfly are kraft card, although the butterfly has been painted , crackled, inked and splattered, so it's not so obvious here.

Chris

My 'Hope' triptych has a background of treated, textured kraft card with kraft flowers and leaves.  Kraft card is such a great medium to work with.  Details of the how with the what can be found in a picture format step x step here.  Chris xxx

Donna

I often use Kraft card, it's such a versatile and easy card to work with so this was a fun challenge.  For this make I've used one of my favourite techniques, combining Kraft with gesso and embossing it...

...there are more photo's and a how to on my blog if you fancy dropping by :)

Donna xx

Doreen

I have decided to make a start on my Christmas cards, I know you might be saying it is too early but at least I won't be panicking at the end of the year.
More details from my blog

Gabrielle

I love kraft card and just how versatile it is! For this postcard I used Translucent Embossing Paste to reveal the kraft card beneath so it became the pattern in the background. As I am going to post my postcard I needed to keep the decoration very flat so I kept the decoration simple, and to a minimum. There are, as always, more details on my blog! Gabrielle x

Jennie

Crafting with Kraft - a favourite of mine! I recently taught a beginner's scrapbook workshop here in Shetland and based one of the layouts on Kraft cardstock. I find it is very versatile and works well for vintage layouts as well as modern ones.  For a few close ups and how I made a second layout from the same elements please hop on over to my blog.

Nikki

I have used Kraft card as the surface to create a grungy background using gesso, inks and sand paper. there are more details over at Addicted to Art today.

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Phew, what a line up and welcome back to the ranks Trace! >;o)

We love sharing our projects with you and we hope you like them just as much as we've loved making them.  As ususal, we'll be bringing you a new, themed project every other day from today throughout the rest of the month so please bookmark us and remember to come back and visit.

The challenge is open to all crafters and we'd like YOU to join in.  To do so is very simple, just make your project demonstrating out theme and post it on your blog/web page then link that page to us using the InLinkz linkie below.  As well as a £20 shop voucher from Country View Crafts awarded to the (randomly chosen) winner we also award blog badges to our Top 3 chosen projects and to one special project that we think has shown the most originality.  All winners are invited to come and guest with us in a future challenge.

Now it's over to you!  We hope you'll have fun with this theme and look forward to seeing just exactly what you come up with.

Have a fun month!

Chris and the team xxx

An InLinkz Link-up

Alison has her journal out - wow!

Hello there!

It's colour and beauty all the way today with a gorgeous project from our talented Alison.... in her art journal!

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Alison

I headed for an art journal for my second piece of inspiration this month.  What better place to play with Sue's fabulous theme of Drips and Drops?!  I had a lovely time playing in my favourite Jan/Feb vivid blues and greens (and there's even some yellow in there this time!), as well as book pages, crackle and glossy textured stencilling.  What more could a woman want?!

 It really is worth coming over to Words and Pictures to see some close-ups of this one... hope to see you there!

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How gorgeous is this!!??  A fabulous layout Alison and what a fun way to express our theme - thank you!

If you're into journalling then why not show us what you can do?  If you're not, then how about trying it?  Whatever you craft, we'd like to see how you can take our 'drips and drops' theme and make it your own.

Doreen will be here on Thursday with another of her beautiful makes - please come back and visit us again then!

Chris and the team xxx

Happy February, what a theme we have this month!

Hello dear Bloggers!

It's Sunday, it's bleak and icy for many of us, BUT we have a fab' new challenge to get you all warmed up with, lol!  Our lovely, talented Sue B (who is currently situated in much warmer climes!) has set our theme for February and little could she have known just how appropriate it would be, it's.....

Whether you prefer paint or ink, watercolours or gels, stains or other media, you can choose any of them and your own topic as long as we can see you demonstrate 'drips and drops'.  It might be that you choose to use a graphic to represent the theme (eg splats, raindrops, cup stains, etc), they are equally as valid.

The challenge will run until 5 minutes to midnight (London time) on February 28th and you can enter as many projects as you like providing that you follow our very simple rules.  The winner will be chosen at random (random.org) to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of winning and will receive a £20 shop voucher from our generous sponsor, Country View Crafts.

As it is Sue B's theme, she will be choosing her Top 3 entries and the DTMSM (DT Member's Special Mention) all of whom will receive a blog badge and an invitation to guest with us in April.  So, to get you all started, the DTMs are off of the bench, warming up and presenting thier first makes for the month...

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Sue B-scrumplescrunch

If you have never designed a Bg with 'Drips and Drops' then let me tell you it is so much fun.

Once you start you don't want to stop, I used watery paint for my drips, my drops are more subtle. I used the word 'SMILE' because that was what I was doing when constructing this mixed media  card. Of course I have more details on my blog.

Alison

What a fantastic theme from Sue - I've had so much fun.  For my first piece I used some of the ideas behind one of my Winter Journalling pages, and created a tag of two halves.  There's ink dripping down the crackle on the lower half, and spritzing, spraying and splatter on the top half.  In the midst of all that fun, it actually has a more sombre message.  Come over to Words and Pictures to find out more.

Astrid

It being February, I could not help adding a heart to my Drippy Droppy card. But this is not your ordinary Valentines card as you can probably see. Naughty black little cupid is in the process of breaking a heart, but luckily there is some hope somewhere along the line. To see more details and a brief step by step please visit my blog.

Brenda

I have used the 'Drips and Drops' theme to make a card for Spring or Easter. I decided to run with several of my favourite 'go to' techniques using distress inks to create a speckled background which complements that gorgeous egg image. I have a step x step at Bumblebees and Butterflies if you are interested in finding out more.

Chris

Lots of stains, water and ink as well as some splat stamps made this tag card.  You'll find more detailed pics and my steps here on my blog.  Chris xxx

Donna

Colourful, watery drips and drops for my first offering for this challenge...

 

 ...step by step pics on my blog if you fancy popping over to say hi :)  Donna xx

Doreen

Hello to you all

My drips and drops come in the form of a technique and a Raindrops stamp.

This has pushed me to try a technique I have never tried before....

You can get more details of how this was made from my blog.

Gabrielle

 I was so thrilled to see this month's theme! There are simply loads of ways you can incorporate Drips and Drops! I chose, for my first project, to make some drips into flower stalks! As always, if you would like to see more, please do pop over to my blog! Gabrielle x

Jennie

I had a great time with this lovely challenge theme chosen by Sue! Normally any drips I do are accidental so it was fun creating these - although they didn't quite go where I wanted them to!  There are also lots of drops (and splatters) here and there too, so hop on over to my blog if you would like to find out more!

Nikki

With Valentine's Day approaching I used my Drips and Drops to create the background to this card. I removed ink with dropping water, added ink with splatters and made some glittery droplets with glossy accents. Do pay a visit to Addicted to Art for more details.

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Thank you teamies!

We hope you like what the CVC team have made for you, now it's your turn.  Remember, we post a new project on the theme every other day (odd days) throughout the month for you to see and, hopefully, these will inspire those of you looking for some ideas.  First up is Sue B herself, she will be here on Tuesday with another fabulous make so please pop back and see it.

Good luck everyone, stay safe and HAVE FUN!

Chris and the team xxx

An InLinkz Link-up