July Challenge - Have Fun With Circles

 Welcome everyone to our July Challenge

This months theme was chosen by Hazel so let's all Have Fun With Circles

Hazel

Hi there, Hazel here, kicking off this month's topic which I have had the privilege of choosing. Fun With Circles!

Love them, satisfying, enduring, versatile, just fun! I hope that you will join in with us this month. I have used circles of paint and stamping on top. To explore the details, please hop over to my blog.

Monika

For our July Challenge I have created a birthday card with circles. If you want to know more about this card, please visit my blog! Thank you and happy crafting!!!

Gabrielle

The new theme at Country View Crafts Challenges this month was perfect for me! Circles – I love them! They are ideal as a frame for an image or to contain a sentiment or to add a little movement to backgrounds. For my first piece this month I wanted to practice the clean and simple backgrounds many of you do that I so admire. I used stamped circles (from Emma Godfrey) as my background in my journal and as a frame for my sentiment. Su (the name for my phrenology head) is doing a good job keeping her crown of greenery on! As always there is more on my blog. Gabrielle x

Corrie

Hello everyone,

Corrie here with the first of two inspiration pieces for Hazel's fun 'circles' challenge. I hope you play along with us.

This is a little art journal page with lots of circles... if you want to know how I made this then hop over to my blog HERE ! 

I'll be back later in the month ! 

Nikki

I have created a textured canvas today using texture paste and Deco Art paint. This was definitely one of those projects where I started with no fixed plan and just enjoyed the journey. More details over at Addicted to Art today.

Jane 

Welcome to July when summer will soon be in full swing. I decided to let my cute style out to play this month for Hazel's "have fun with  circles" challenge......I used lots and lots and if you want to see exactly how many pop on over to my blog here where I will reveal all.

Sue

Living up to my 'last minute Sue' tag I've made a birthday, and a Father's Day card. One has gone in the post on the way to the airport, and the other has gone in my suitcase. I'm really enjoying using my Distress Paints, I think the Distress Crayons have given them a new lease of life. For more details wing you way over to my blog, and have a fun week.

Brenda

My card box seems a bit depleted at the moment so I thought it was time to start adding some more back in. Having come across a Prima paper pack recently on one of my shelves I decided to use these clocks from it for my circles and used a mop up tag to mount them on. I really must use patterned papers more often to get some cards done for special occasions throughout the year

Rachel

I have had fun playing with painty circles in my make for this months challenge - I have a step by step on my blog here if you would like to see how I made my card.

Huggles rachel x

Craftyfield

For my first Circle project I won't drive you round the bend but will keep it CAS (Clean And Simple). Come and see the details on my blog, it won't take a minute!

Evelyn

My first "Circle" project is a summery little tag with bright colors. I used the finnabair stamp set "Don´t forget to fly" with it´s pretty circle stamps and butterflies. To see more details, please visit my blog!

These gorgeous creations from our Design Team will give you inspiration to use your circles. So it's over to you now, create your project and link it below with the chance to win a £20 voucher to use on the Country View Crafts website

Thanks to everyone who took up the challenge last month. There are some fabulous entries and the winner will be announced soon.





An InLinkz Link-up

Is that real crackle?

Hello it's Jane from Jane's Journal here today to share my 2nd DT crackle piece. June has flown by and you now only have 4 more days to enter our crackle challenge. I shared a mega crackle effect Father's Day card for my first DT piece using DecoArt mixed media products. Today I want to share a similar Dad card.....but shhh it's actually a faux crackle effect...so....

 if you want a "quick" crackle technique to be able to join in the challenge before it closes on Thursday just click the link here and pop over to my blog for a step by step. Time to get crackling!

Bye for now,

Jane x

Crackle Your Dreams

Hello Everyone. 

Jennie here with you today and I'm sharing a little board I have made for a picture frame using some of my favourite colours and embellishments.

If you would like to see how this little piece came together using crackle paste and DecoArt Fluid Acrylics then do please join me on my blog.

I hope everyone is enjoying our crackling month! 

Jennie x

Enjoy the little things

Hello everyone,

For my second inspiration project for Evelyn's 'crackle' challenge I have made an art journal spread.

If you would like to know how I made this then hop over to my blog HERE. 

There is a tutorial with lots of photo's. 

I hope you will play along with us this month ! 

Corrie x

Guest Designer - Sharon Traynor

Hello everybody! We're delighted to welcome Sharon Traynor from From My Craft Desk as our guest this month.  Sharon won our Industrial challenge in March with her zingy tag, and today she's here with her take on this month's Crackle theme.  You're going to love what she's created, so without more ado, let's hand over to her...

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I have always loved anything arty or crafty since being a child. In sixth form I took 'A' level Art, but have sadly let my drawing and painting skills dwindle since then. At first I moved on to sewing window dressings and clothes, then it was cross stitch, until I discovered card making and stamping back in 2008. I have been totally hooked since then. 

I adore nothing better than slipping away to my craft room. My real passion is donning a pinafore, throwing some music on and then splashing, daubing, spraying and smearing ink, glosses and crackle all over things! I make so much mess that I have recently started to learn how to create CAS (Clean And Simple) cards, to try to discipline myself into not throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at my creations. So my new blog is mainly dedicated to that CAS journey. 

However...........there is only so much CAS I can do before the inner ink demon reemerges! ;-)

I had fun with this little trinket box because when I think of this month's theme, "crackle", I naturally would head to the dark, grungy, muddy colours to show the crackle off.

My challenge to myself for this guest designer slot was to make an inspiration piece for you that was light, pretty and feminine. I hope you like it.

Details of how I made this piece can be found on my blog.

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Fantastic, Sharon!  Thank you so much for joining us this month as our guest with all that lovely crackle.  There's still plenty of time to join in with our Crackle challenge, and I'm sure this will have given you even more inspiration on top of what the brilliant team is sharing here throughout the month, so we hope you'll come and play along.

Alison and the CVC team x 

Crackled wood panel

Hi Craftyfield here and I have my second inspiration piece for the Crackle challenge.

This time I used a base of wood (from my recycling bin) and a standard method for my crackling. It's the real thing... Come over to see all the details on my blog!

 

Crackled birdhouse

Monika

As my second piece of our June Challenge - Crackle - I have brought you a birdhouse. For this I used the same wooden structure what Evelyn used for our April Challenge. And I'm sure we both had bought it in the same German dollar store, lol :-) For more details about the birdhouse, please go to my blog. Thank you and happy crafting!

Crackled Perpetual calendar

Hello there! Today I have a perpetual calendar to share with you that I have altered using Crackle glaze from Paperartsy.

Full details can be found over at my blog here.

Hugs

Rachel x

May Winner, Top Three, DTMSM and Bloghop Winner!

Hello everybody!  It's time to announce the May winners - not only our Challenge Winner, Top Three and Design Team Member Special Mention, but also our Birthday Bloghop Winner.  Are you sitting comfortably?  Then let's begin!

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First of all, the winner of the £20 Country View Crafts voucher, selected by Random Generator from the challenge entries is...

Number #5 - that's Samantha Wade of Craftroom Delights with this fabulous butterfly design.

Congratulations, Samantha!  Your winner's badge and voucher will be on their way to you shortly, and we hope you'll join us a a Guest Designer here at Country View Challenges in the future.

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Now it's time for Christine a.k.a. Craftyfield to share her top picks with you.  As always you made it very difficult to choose from so many amazing entries, but here they are in no particular order.

#7 Craftymama (Lesley) from Crafty Love and Hugs

 Christine said: Loved the trio of ATCs made from a Gelli print, with its luscious  layers of paints and stencilling, including the accidental crackle!

#20 Autumn from Sew Paper Paint

 Christine said: A gorgeous Mixed Media canvas with a Vintage vibe. Loved the stencilling as well as the 3D cluster of embellishments that showcase the photo perfectly.

#67 Ellie from Paper Stamps Colour

 Christine said: A rare one layer Mixed Media make, and a very fresh design. I love this Gelli print where the negative stencil plays peek-a-boo with the layers of paint and stamping. 

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And finally, last but not least, here's Christine's choice for the Design Team Member's Special Mention.

#22 Nick from Barnsley Crafter

 Christine said: I was so impressed by this very original scene created with a piece of Permagano as a frame and some delicate stencilling building up to a landscape. Lots of work but a fabulous result !

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Fantastic work all around!  Congratulations - your badges will be on their way soon, and we hope you'll display them with pride.

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Now finally it's time to announce the randomly selected winner of our Birthday Bloghop and that very special Sizzix BigShot Machine and Die Bundle, courtesy of Country View Crafts.  Thanks to everyone who participated and passed on such lovely birthday greetings.  We're so grateful to all of you for being part of the fun but, of course, there can only be one winner.

Drum roll, please....

Number 21 - That's Sandy D of Sandy's Piece of Heaven.  Congratulations, Sandy, and thank you for your visits and comments to all our blogs.  We'll be in touch very soon to arrange delivery of your prize package.

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Thank you all, once again, for your brilliant support and for sharing your amazing creativity with us each month in the challenges.  Don't forget, we're looking forward to seeing your Crackle projects this month... and if you need inspiration, there's always some to be found from the team here at Country View Challenges.

Happy Crafting all!

The CVC team xx

The Usual Suspects

Good morning, and I hope it's another warm one. Haven't the last few days been beautiful. When I was younger I hated the sunshine, but the older I get the more I like it!
For my second piece I'm celebrating all things Alice. I must admit I'm not a fan of the Alice films (shock horror), but I do love Alice stamps.
More details can be found here at Sue The Iron.
Don't forget to join in, and have a fun week x

p.s I think the cat did it....

Cracking Invite

I am really inspired by this Crackle theme this month and made this invite for a family get together for my daughter's sweet sixteenth birthday - as always there are more details on my blog. I used PaperArtsy's Crackle Glaze which is so much fun to use because the cracks very quickly appear before your eyes as it works its magic! Perfect for those, like me, who are really impatient!
We are really looking forward to seeing your entries!

Gabrielle x

Crackled Landscape.

Hazel

I have combined lots of crackle and bling to create my version of a hilly landscape.

Not a card, or a canvas or anything useful...just a picture which I may mount sometime.

If you likey, then please hop over to my blog for more details.

#40, Hazel,

Crackled Art Journal Page

Hello dear readers,

it´s Evelyn here today. This month it´s my turn to host the challenge and I want to show you my second "Crackles" project, this time an art journal page.

I made this pages in my holidays, I spent in Italy two weeks ago. I wanted to try out something new and used Crackle Glaze through a stencil.

If you want to see more, please visit my blog!

I hope, you will find the time to join our challenge this month.

Thank you for popping in here today!