CHNC challenge 135: snowmen or women

I wondered whether the theme for last week's challenge might put some people off (I speak as one who tends to shy away from stitching, although I used to do a lot of embroidery/sewing in the past) - so it was a lovely surprise to see so many lovely entries - thank you for making this challenge blog so worthwhile.

I know that many have been trying to keep cool by staying in the craft room and making Christmas cards - well, this week, perhaps the theme will help cool you down!

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 134. There were, of course, three opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner:

Number 7: Rachel Taylor, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Rachel. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so that I can arrange for you to receive your £20 of goods from Craftybren's Embroidered Embellishments.

The second winner:

Number 19:  Malin, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Malin. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your two digital images from Stamp n doodle.

The third winner:

Number 3: Ulla, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Ulla. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so that I can arrange for you to receive your two images from Floppy Latte Designs.

Now on to:

Challenge 135

For today's challenge I'd like to see snowmen or women on your Christmas cards

The first sponsor is Delicious Doodles:

'Delicious Doodles is a young company with myself, Teri, as the Sole Trader/Designer. 

I have doodled and sketched all of my life. I started making greetings cards when my last child was born, and used my doodles on them as I couldn't find what I wanted in the usual craft places. 

I only started selling my images in the Autumn of 2009. I design and hand/mouse-draw all of the images that are sold in the Delicious Doodles Shop. Some are cutsie animals, some are sketched flowers, there are a few men's images, fairies and also some 'darker' images featuring vampires, skulls and Gothic stuff, something for everyone! '

The randomly chosen winner will be able to choose 4 digital images.

The second sponsor is Crafty Sentiments:

'We are a small family fun online company that offers crafters fun and whimsical unmounted rubber stamps, digital stamps as well as cutting dies all from our very own exclusive range. Perfect for your cards and scrapbooks! Our stamps are made from deep etched grey rubber and our cutting dies are made from good quality metal from the USA and UK. We also stock essential craft products for your scrapbooking and card making needs.'

Crafty Sentiments are offering this lovely stamp for the randomly chosen winner:

The third sponsor is Sir Stampalot:

'Sir Stampalot is a retail shop and online website that specialises in stamps, die cutting and paper-crafting goodies. We try to offer exceptional delivery times on your orders as well as keeping our stock fresh, new and exciting! Our dedicated team of card makers means we have a wonderful, inspirational online card gallery with many more cards still to upload! Sir Stampalot ships internationally as well as domestic so why not check us out if you haven’t already – www.sirstampalot.co.uk. Happy Crafting!'

This is the wonderful prize that Sir Stampalot will be giving to the randomly chosen winner:

Please visit the websites of these generous sponsors and support them -

you will be spoiled for choice!

For my card I've used 'snowy postbox' image by Delicious Doodles, on to which I added a little printed out 'Frosty the snowman' - more info 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. - this week I'd like to see snowmen or women on your Christmas cards.

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 2 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 Saturday 3 August when there will once again be three chances to win a prize, thanks to generous sponsors.

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 also consider going to CHNC Facebook page and clicking 'like' - there are now over 170 likes - it would be great if we could increase this to 200 soon. I always show at least one of my cards for the next challenge in advance and it's a good place to catch up with any news, winners etc.

Don't forget

Don't forget that 'anything goes' monthly challenges are on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog - you can share any Christmas card you make throughout the whole month, including those that you link here - there is no restriction on the number of entries you can make throughout the month - the link for CHNC challenge extra for August is here.

Thank you for your support

I look forward to seeing your entries

CHNC challenge 134: stitching - real or faux

I'm amazed at how many of you are making Christmas cards in the UK in this hot weather (and in other hot parts of the world too). It is so lovely to know that I'm not the only crazy crafter making Christmas cards throughout the year ... well, it's not crazy at all, because it means that some of us are building up a good steady stock of supplies ahead of the festive season. If you haven't yet started your Christmas cards, why not start with this challenge? I'd love to see your entries.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 133. There were, of course, three opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner:

Number 6: Maudieroff, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Maudieroff. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your $21 of digital images from Bugaboo Stamps.

The second winner:

Number 4: Kim T, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Kim. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your $20 voucher from Flonz craft.

The third winner:

Number 10: Cathy R,who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Cathy. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so that I can arrange for you to receive your prize from Limited Runs Digital Stamps.

Now on to:

Challenge 134

For today's challenge I'd like to see some stitching on your Christmas card - this can be real or faux stitching of any kind

The first sponsor today is new to CHNC: Craftybren's Embroidered Embellishments (although Bren has been a keen supporter of my challenges and has often entered them):

'Hi my name is Bren, I have been crafting since the year dot. I like to have a few different things on the go at once, knitting, sewing, paper crafting etc, just so I can swap and change around a bit.
I made a few cards with my machine embroidery on, and was asked if I made embroidery to sell, that is how Craftybrens was born. Hope you like what you see.'

The randomly chosen winner will receive £20 of goods from Craftybren's Embroidered Embellishments - please note that if the winner lives outside the UK he/she will be expected to pay for the P & P.

The second sponsor is Stamp n doodle:

Stamp n doodle is one of the leading digital stamp and downloadable craft card making webstores. We also offer crafting instructions and card making challenges. 

'Stamp n doodle's uniqueness is the diversity of the Rubber Stamps and Digital Stamps we offer. In everything we do, we strive to be the complete resource for your stamping and card making needs. 

You will find useful tips, advice covered on our website. On our website we offer inspiration and new releases to weekly challenges on our Blog. 

We hope you find everything you need and enjoy trying our products and inspiration. Great images create great things 

About Stamp n doodle Rubber Stamps

Stamp n doodle exclusive Rubber Stamps come unmounted, which means you only receive the red rubber no cushion or wood block. These images work well on an Acrylic mount. 

About Stamp n doodle Digital Stamps Stamp n doodle's exclusive Digital Images come with free shipping and are sent to you within 24 hours of purchase.'

A randomlychosen winner will receive two digital images of their choice.

The third sponsor is Floppy Latte Designs:

'Floppy Latte's Digital Designs is a Digital Stamp/Paper/Die Cut shop. You will find all types of digital stamps, various papers and great digital die cut files for your cutting machines.'

Floppy Latte Designs are offering the randomly chosen winner 2 images of their choice (ie $6 coupon).

Please visit the websites of these generous sponsors and support them -

you will be spoiled for choice!

As Craftybren's Embroidered Embellishments is one of the kind sponsors for this challenge, I invited Bren to be a guest designer and she is sharing this beautiful card featuring candle stitching. Please visit Bren's blog here and leave her a comment.

For my first card I've used images kindly supplied by Floppy Latte Designs -' Christmas prayer silhouette' and 'Christmas 9'. The piece of stitched paper is some wrapping  paper that I bought some years ago - still quite a bit left - more details on My Crafty Outlook here:

For my second card I've used 'winter' digital papers supplied by Floppy Latte Designs, stamping with a favourite Inkadinkado angel stamp, with some faux stitching creating a border using a Sakura gelli roll pen  - more info 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. - this week I'd like to see some stitching on your Christmas card - real or faux of any kind.

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 26 July. 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 Saturday 27 July when there will once again be three chances to win a prize, thanks to generous sponsors.

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.

Don't forget

Don't forget that 'anything goes' monthly challenges are on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog - you can share any Christmas card you make throughout the whole month, including those that you link here - there is no restriction on the number of entries you can make throughout the month - the link for CHNC challenge extra for July is here.

Thank you for your support

I look forward to seeing your entries

CHNC challenge 133: trees, please!

We're away from home, so most of this was prepared ahead. However, I've tried to keep up with your entries for last week - thanks so much for all the beautiful cards for children. I apologise that some of my comments this week were brief, but I'm sure you will undestand.

I'm back home now (Wednesday 17 July) so I can now tell you the winners of CHNC challenge 132:

The first winner:

Number 9: Dee (Dee's cards), with this lovely card:

Congratulations, Dee. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so that I can arrange for you to receive your 5 digital stamps from Robyn'sFetish Digital Stamps And More.

The second winner:

Number 55: Rocky, with this lovely card:

Congratulations, Rocky. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so that I can arrange for you to receive your 50 assorted charms from Sharon.

The third winner:

Number 53: Cathy (KraftyKoolKat), with this lovely card:

Congratulations, Cathy. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so that I can arrange for you to receive your Winter Theatre Cards CD from Katy Sue Designs.

Once again, my apologies for being late with this notification about the winners.

Now on to:

Challenge 133

For today's challenge I'd like to see trees, please - at least one

The first sponsor today is a familiar one here at CHNC:

Bugaboo Stamps are proud to sponsor this challenge:

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. 

Bugaboo Stamps are offering $21 of digital stamps to the randomly chosen winner.

The second sponsor is Flonz craft:

Flonz craft is a New Zealand based company who are offering a $20 voucher to spend in their online store - and they will generously send to anywhere in the world with free p & p.They have an amazing range of stamps - the winner certainly will have fun choosing, including some lovely Christmas ones that you could then use for a future challenge.

The third sponsor is new to CHNC: Limited Runs Digital Stamps:

Nikki writes:

'Limited Runs has a LARGe calorie free sweet shoppe filled with over 120 different cupcakes, something for almost every occasion. It's not all cupcakes - there are tons of Christmas, Halloween, Backgrounds, Fairies, Critters and More to see. The store has gone thru a re-vamp with new digital stamps added in all the time and some going into retirement so pop in and take a look around things. Everyone knows you can't enjoy a cupcake without a coffee so there is a place to even pick up a cuppa. There's always a little something for everyone to enjoy.'

Please visit the websites of these generous sponsors and support them -

you will be spoiled for choice!

I am joined today by a guest designer, Nikki from Limited Runs Digital Stamps who made this gorgeous card using a new digi released for July.

For my first card I've used 'trees on a cupcake' a pre-coloured digi image kindly supplied by Limited Runs Digital Stamps - you can read more on My Crafty Outlook:


For my second card I've used the 'akv Christmas girl tree image' kindly supplied by Bugaboo Stamps - I coloured it digitally in Microsoft Paint - more info on My Crafty Outlook 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. - this week I'd like to see at least one tree on your card.

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 19 July. 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 Saturday 20 July when there will once again be three chances to win a prize, thanks to generous sponsors.

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.

Don't forget

Don't forget that 'anything goes' monthly challenges are on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog - you can share any Christmas card you make throughout the whole month, including those that you link here - there is no restriction on the number of entries you can make throughout the month - the link for CHNC challenge extra for July is here.

Thank you for your support

I look forward to seeing your entries

CHNC challenge 132: Christmas card suitable for a child

What a delightful lot of 'all wrapped up' entries there were for last week's challenge. It's great to see 'regulars' playing along with the challenges and also lovely to see one or two who are new to this blog - thanks for joining in and I hope you come back again for today's challenge.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 131. There were, of course, three opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner:

Number 1: Helen, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Helen. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so that I can arrange for you to receive your three packs of die cuts from Crimson Cloud.

The second winner:

Number 20: Margo S, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Margo. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your prize workshop class from My Creative Classroom.

The third winner:

Number 3: Kanda, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Kanda. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so that I can arrange for you to receive your $10 gift certificate from Cedar Chest Designs.

Now on to:

Challenge 132

For today's challenge I'd like to see a Christmas card suitable for a child

The first sponsor today is Robyn'sFetish Digital Stamps And More:

'Robyn'sFetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and is owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers, designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion.'

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is happy to award the randomly chosen winner the choice of 5 digital stamps.

The second sponsor is Sharon:

'Hi, my name is Sharon, and I am a 40+ crafting addict, with an understanding husband and two amazing sons. I am very lucky as I manage to earn a living teaching card making, scrap booking and jewellery making classes, along with a bit of curtain and blind making on the side. I joined the Stampin' Up community in October 2012, and hope it will allow me to meet and make new crafting friends, along with a bit of income to help pay for my crafty habit.'

Sharon is offering a prize of 50 assorted charms for the randomly chosen winner.

The third sponsor is Katy Sue Designs,:

'About - We design and manufacture many papercraft products including the Flower Soft® embellishment range used by crafters Worldwide.

Mission - To use our teams creativity to make craft products that are loved by crafters around the World.

Company Overview - We design and manufacture papercraft products such as stamps, decoupage, card making kits and papercraft CD Rom’s as well as the Flower Soft® craft embellishment range. We have our own graphic design team and also work with leading artists and illustrators under license. Our products are used by crafters around the world and regularly appear on craft shopping channels such as Create and Craft, HSN and HSE.'

For this competition we would like to giveaway this Winter Theatre Cards CD

As well as clicking on the link for the Winter Theatre Cards CD, please have a look here at the video showing how to make theatre cards.

Please visit the websites of these generous sponsors and support them -

you will be spoiled for choice!

For my card I've used 'jolly ole Santa' kindly supplied by Robyn'sFetish Digital Stamps And More - you can read more about the 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. - this week I'd like to see a Christmas card suitable to give to a child.

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 12 July. 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 Saturday 13 July when there will once again be three chances to win a prize, thanks to generous sponsors.

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.

Don't forget

Don't forget that 'anything goes' monthly challenges are on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog - you can share any Christmas card you make throughout the whole month, including those that you link here - there is no restriction on the number of entries you can make throughout the month - the link for CHNC challenge extra for July is here.

Thank you for your support

I look forward to seeing your entries