CHNC challenge 87: for a couple

As usual, last week's entries were fantastic - a lovely variety of buildings incorporated into your Christmas cards - thank you, everyone, for participating.

Another week has passed already - we'll be into September before we know where we are - if you haven't started on your Christmas cards, perhaps this week is a good time to start - and there will be two randomly-chosen winners for this challenge - a lovely prize from Creative Treasures as well as a generous CD-rom of the winner's choice from Ooh la la Creations (and there are some lovely ones to choose from).

But before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winner of challenge 86. Unfortunately, there could only be one winner and this is the result of using random.org:

Number 9: Kim

who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Kim! Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to claim your $10 gift certificate from Digi Doodle Shop.

Challenge 87

For today's challenge I'm asking you to make

a Christmas card for a couple.

And for today's challenge I have two sponsors,

so you have two chances of winning something this week.

Firstly, Tracy from Creative Treasures is generously giving a gift of ribbons and flowers to the randomly-chosen winner - contents may vary from the picture:

Tracy says:

I’m Tracy and the owner of Creative Treasures, we are a family run business with a love of all things craft related. We stock a great range of mulberry flowers, pretty ribbons, seam binding, lace, pearls, buttons, charms and lots of pretty embellishments. We are always adding new stock.  Our aim is to provide fantastic customer service and great value for money.

Secondly, Ooh la la Creations are generously sponsoring this challenge - a randomly-chosen winner will be able to choose a CD-rom of their choice (up to the value of £14.99) - and there are so many wonderful ones to choose from, just click on the link to have a look.

I'm so pleased to say that Fiona is joining me today as a Guest Designer. Fiona writes:

'I work part-time in a well known chemist, which I've done for 22 years (I'm 42 now so it's been my only real job). I'm married to Rich, and we have two great kids, one of each, aged 8 and 14. We have one cat, aged 16, and one pup , aged 7 months. I make cards for pure enjoyment for family and friends. I've been making them for about eight years now. I don't really stick to one theme as I like trying all sorts, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be colouring Mo Manning stamps, and making easel cards. I'm lucky enough to have my own little craft room so I can go and tuck myself away whenever time allows.'

Fiona has made three delightful cards for this challenge - you can read more about them on her blog here. Thank you, Fiona, for joining me for this challenge.

Please visit Fiona's blog and leave her a comment.

Fiona has done so well with her cards and I feel as if I'm letting the side down a bit. I meant to get a couple of cards done earlier, but I'm now finishing this off on Friday evening and I've only just made my card - I really got stuck for what to do and wondered why I had chosen this theme - lol!

Anyway, here is my effort and you can read more about it here on My Crafty Outlook. I bought a new camera this afternoon and this is my first effort with it (and I haven't read any of the instructions - just took the photo because I need it NOW!).

I'll try to come back later in the week with a couple more cards.

Now it's over to you. As usual, you can use any materials, any techniques, as long as the end result is a Christmas card - and this week please make a card suitable for a couple.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with for this challenge - please add a link to your blog post (not your blog, but the actual post where your card can be found) by 22:00 UK time Friday 31 August.  Please mention my blog and create a link within the post for your creation.

You can enter as many times as you wish (a good way to build up your stock of Christmas cards) and also link to any other challenges that allow you to do so, but new work only, please.

A new challenge will be set on 1 September - and I will have a new Guest Designer joining me.

Please add your link to inlinkz. If by any chance it disappears, please leave a comment with the link to your blog post and I will make sure it is added.

If you haven't done so already, please become a follower and grab my bright pink button to post on your sidebar and help continue to spread the word about this challenge blog - thank you.

Please remember also to have a look at my CHNC page on facebook - if you do go there please join in by clicking 'like' so that I know that you've been there. During the week you'll find updates and hints of the next challenge - please feel free to chat there - I know that some of you do already - thank you.

CHNC challenge 86: include a building

Not so many entries for last week's challenge - perhaps everyone was enjoying the summer weather and not wanting to think about festive food. However, those who did enter the challenge did so with some wonderfully yummy cards - thank you, everyone.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winner of challenge 85. Unfortunately, there could only be one winner and this is the result of using random.org:

Number 3: Papersniffer (Wendy)

who shared this lovely card

Congratulations, Wendy! Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to claim your $21 gift certificate from Bugaboo Stamps.

Challenge 86

For today's challenge I'm asking you to include a building (or part of a building) on your Christmas card

For this challenge Digi Doodle Shop are once again generously giving a $10 gift certificate to the randomly-chosen winner.

DigiDoodle Shop

DigiDoodle Shop is the results of a mother and daughter’s love for the arts and crafts.  It was started a little over 3 years ago with a little more than 100 stamps, and has since then grown to almost 500 stamps.  Joy (the mother of this team) designs realistic images, while Judy (aka/daughter) loves the “fun side of life”, and create images with a cartoon flair.  Having these two complimenting styles have enabled

Digi Doodle Shop to offer a wide variety of stamps.

It is a real honor and pleasure to sponsor this challenge, and we look forward to seeing all the amazing creations.  We thank the design team for their incredible creations, and wish all the participants the very best of luck in this challenge.

Thank you so much for having us, and again the very best of luck to all of you.

Sincerely,

Judy and Joy

Unfortunately, there is no Guest Designer this week, but there will be someone joining me next week.

For my card I've used the Christmas church digital stamp kindly supplied by Digi Doodle Shop - you can read more about my card here on My Crafty Outlook.

Now it's over to you. As usual, you can use any materials, any techniques, as long as the end result is a Christmas card - and this week please include a building or part of a building - a roof, a door, etc.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with for this challenge - please add a link to your blog post (not your blog, but the actual post where your card can be found) by 22:00 UK time Friday 24 August.  Please mention my blog and create a link within the post for your creation.

You can enter as many times as you wish (a good way to build up your stock of Christmas cards) and also link to any other challenges that allow you to do so, but new work only, please.

A new challenge will be set on 25 August, when I will be joined by a Guest Designer.

Please add your link to inlinkz. If by any chance it disappears, please leave a comment with the link to your blog post and I will make sure it is added.

If you haven't done so already, please become a follower and grab my bright pink button to post on your sidebar and help continue to spread the word about this challenge blog - thank you.

Please remember also to have a look at my CHNC page on facebook - if you do go there please join in by clicking 'like' so that I know that you've been there. During the week you'll find updates and hints of the next challenge - please feel free to chat there - I know that some of you do already - thank you.

CHNC challenge 85: festive food or drink

What an amazing selection of cards for last week's challenge - so much variety of styles and also favourite colours - and we had the most entries for any challenge so far this year - thanks, everyone, for your support.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winner of challenge 84. Unfortunately, there could only be one winner and this is the result of using random.org:

Number 1: Didos (Hazel)

who shared this lovely card

Congratulations, Hazel! Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to claim your prize from Crimson Cloud.

Challenge 85

For today's challenge I'm asking you to feature some festive food or drink on your Christmas card

Bugaboo Stamps are proud to sponsor this challenge - they are offering $21 of digital stamps to the randomly selected winner.

Everything That You Ever Wanted to Know About Bugaboo Stamps: A Short Essay

As if raising five children in the frozen land of the North was not enough of a challenge, Jodie Mackrell decided to dip her cold little Canadian toes into the world of papercrafting by opening an online store full of her illustrations. That was two years ago. Today Bugaboo Stamps is one of the leading companies in digital images, and we're still growing!  From seriously snarky to sugary sweet to sublimely soulful all the way over to the other side of the super sexy spectrum, you're bound to find all that you need and more to create your paper projects.  Jodie works very hard to provide New Releases and Freebies every week! 

 If your taste runs to rubber (and you know who you are), you can find Bugaboo Stamps   at Totally Stampalicious. And finally, join the Bugaboo Stamps DT   for weekly challenges at Catch the Bug. 

As the challenge is being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, one of their team, is joining us as a Guest Designer with this delightful card - please click on the link and go to Scrappy's blog and leave her a comment.

For this challenge I'm also very pleased to welcome Rose as a Guest Designer.

Rose writes:

'I am so thrilled that Hazel asked me to be her Guest Designer for this challenge. I love making Christmas cards all year long. My card making obsession began in 2009. I have been happily married to my best friend for 5 years now who supports my paper addiction. I look forward to seeing all your creations for this fun challenge.'

And this is the delightful card that Rose has made for the challenge using 'ginger girl candy cane' digital image kindly supplied by Bugaboo Stamps - you can read more about Rose's card here on her blog - please visit and leave her a comment. Thank you, Rose, for joining me for this challenge.

And one of Bugaboo Stamps team, Billie A, has kindly made this super fun card for the challenge:

Please visit Rose and Billie's blogs and leave them a comment.

For my first card I've used 'cupcake candycanes' digital stamp supplied by Bugaboo Stamps - you can read more about my card here on My Crafty Outlook:

And this is another card I've made for the challenge, this time using 'ginger bowl' digital image supplied by Bugaboo Stamps - more details here.

And another card that you can read about here:

And yet another one, this time made from a Hunkydory kit - more details here:

Now it's over to you. As usual, you can use any materials, any techniques, as long as the end result is a Christmas card - and this week please feature some festive food or drink. If you're stuck for a suitable image to use, why not go over to Bugaboo Stamps - they have plenty of Christmas food related images and until 15 August they have a half price sale, so a good opportunity to pick up some bargains.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with for this challenge - please add a link to your blog post (not your blog, but the actual post where your card can be found) by 22:00 UK time Friday 17 August.  Please mention my blog and create a link within the post for your creation.

You can enter as many times as you wish (a good way to build up your stock of Christmas cards) and also link to any other challenges that allow you to do so, but new work only, please.

A new challenge will be set on 18 August when I'll be joined by another Guest Designer.

Please add your link to inlinkz. If by any chance it disappears, please leave a comment with the link to your blog post and I will make sure it is added.

If you haven't done so already, please become a follower and grab my bright pink button to post on your sidebar and help continue to spread the word about this challenge blog - thank you.

Please remember also to have a look at my CHNC page on facebook - if you do go there please join in by clicking 'like' so that I know that you've been there. Some more new people have joined in during the past week - if you haven't done so yet, it would be good to see you there. During the week you'll find updates and hints of the next challenge - please feel free to chat there - I know that some of you do already - thank you.

CHNC challenge 84: favourite colour(s)

What a delight to see so many wonderful cards displaying ribbon in so many different ways for last week's challenge. It's lovely to see so many people playing along with the challenges. Some of you are building up a good stock of Christmas cards and I'm so grateful for your support and participation in the challenges because, without you, the blog would cease to function! It's good too to see new people joining in - so pleased to welcome you. If you haven't ventured into making this year's Christmas cards yet, why not start now with this new challenge - all you'll have to do is use your favourite colour(s) - what could be simpler?

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winner of challenge 83. Unfortunately, there could only be one winner and this is the result of using random.org:

Number 5: Meg

who shared this lovely card

Congratulations, Meg! Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to claim your prize from Creative Treasures.

Challenge 84

For today's challenge I'm asking you to use your favourite colour(s) on your Christmas card.

This challenge is being sponsored by Crimson Cloud, a new sponsor for CHNC. I am so grateful to all the new sponsors that are supporting my challenges, including Crimson Cloud:

'Crimson Cloud is a mother/daughter venture - a way to indulge our joint passion of cardmaking and crafting. We only sell products that we have tried, tested and love using. We have developed our own exclusive range of dies cuts, digital stamps, svg files and "Make Your Own Card" kits which reflect our styles of card making - and hopefully yours too!'

The randomly-chosen winner will receive three packs of die cuts of their choice from the wide selection at Crimson Cloud.

For this challenge I'm very pleased to welcome Helen (Ellie wee) as a Guest Designer.

Helen writes:

'My name is Helen Parrott. I live in a village in Lincolnshire, called Keelby, just outside Grimsby. I'm very happily married to Ted and have two lovely daughters called Rachel (20) and Nikki (18). We have a gorgeous yellow labrador called Lisa. I love card making, even more so since I was introduced to blogging earlier this year, and have lots of time to play in my craft room as I am a lady of leisure. I particularly love colouring both stamped and digital images and have just invested in a set of copic ciao pens.'

This is the delightful card that Helen has made for the challenge - you can read more about it on her blog here. Thank you, Helen, for such a gorgeous card.

When it comes to cardmaking I love using purples and lilacs, so here is my card - you can read more about it on My Crafty Outlook here.

I've added another purple card (more details here):

Now it's over to you. As usual, you can use any materials, any techniques, as long as the end result is a Christmas card - and this week please use your favourite colour(s).

I look forward to seeing what you come up with for this challenge - please add a link to your blog post (not your blog, but the actual post where your card can be found) by 22:00 UK time Friday 10 August.  Please mention my blog and create a link within the post for your creation.

You can enter as many times as you wish (a good way to build up your stock of Christmas cards) and also link to any other challenges that allow you to do so, but new work only, please.

A new challenge will be set on 11 August when I'll be joined by another Guest Designer.

Please add your link to inlinkz. If by any chance it disappears, please leave a comment with the link to your blog post and I will make sure it is added.

If you haven't done so already, please become a follower and grab my bright pink button to post on your sidebar and help continue to spread the word about this challenge blog - thank you.

Please remember also to have a look at my CHNC page on facebook - if you do go there please join in by clicking 'like' so that I know that you've been there. There have been a few new people joining recently - if you haven't done so yet, it would be good to see you there. During the week you'll find updates and hints of the next challenge - please feel free to chat there - I know that some of you do already - thank you.