CHNC challenge 140: let's get inky and/or painty

I loved seeing all your cute cards for last week's challenge - it was a popular theme.  By now some of you have built up quite a stock of Christmas cards. Some of you are just starting to realise that it would make sense to get out all that Christmas crafting stuff and get going on the cards. I hope you will be able to join in today's new challenge - after all, it's September tomorrow, so time to get serious in preparing for Christmas.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 139. There were, of course, three opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner:

Number 25: Helen, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Helen. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your two sheets from Linnie's Whoopsi Daisy.

The second winner:

Number 45: Di, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Di. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your £10 gift voucher to spend in The Ribbon Reel online shop.

The third winner:

Number 69: Fiona, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Fiona. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your 5 digital images from Eureka Stamps.

Now on to:

Challenge 140

For today's challenge I'd like you to get inky and/or painty when you make your Christmas cards - use ink or paint in any way you wish - as little or as much as you like

For today's challenge we have four sponsors instead of the usual three:

The first sponsor today  is The Artistic Stamper who will be giving £15.00 worth of stamps (the winner's choice) to the randomly selected winner.

:

The second sponsor is new to CHNC: My mum's craftshop:

'Bringing you the best in stamping products for Cardmaking & Papercrafting projects

We aim to bring you the best stamping products we can find. Along with stamps we also offer essential stamping products like inks, copics, papers, embellishments & more. We are always receiving lots of new deliveries every week so make sure you check back often so see what yummy new stash we have available! If there are any particular designs that you can't see on our website, please contact us & we will be happy to order them in for you.

Don't forget to visit our Shop Blog which has all the latest releases, info, inspiration & more!'

The randomly chosen winner will receive a £10 voucher to spend online at My mum's craftshop.

The third sponsor is new to CHNC:  Foil Play:

'Love the craft that you see on TV, but don't want a huge kit? Pick & mix the individual sheets of your choice at Foil Play. Huge range of Kanban & Hunkydory and many other brands. No minimum order, free UK p&p when you spend over £10.00 and fast despatch.'

The fourth sponsor is 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.'

The randomly chosen winner will receive three digis of their choice.

Please visit the websites of these generous sponsors and support them - you will be spoiled for choice!

I am so pleased to say that Nikki from Limited Runs Digital Stamps, one of our sponsors today, is joining me as a guest designer. For her card, Nikki has used watercolor pencils/paint and ink markers to help colour. It's using one of her newest Christmas digis called 'Winter Penguin'. You can read more about it on Nikki's blog here:

For my card I've used the lovely 'Santa this way cupcake' coloured image kindly supplied by Limited Runs - I admit that because I've had a difficult week and time has been limited, I went for the easy option of using a pre-coloured image, but have used acrylic paint and distress ink on the rest of the card - 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 please please use some ink and/or some paint - you could stamp using an ink pad, use alcohol ink pens, use paint in some way, as little or as much as you like  ... I'm sure you can think of some way to use ink or paint.

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 6 September. 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 7 September 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 197 'likes' - it would be great if we could increase this to 200 or more 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 September is here.

Thank you for your support

I look forward to seeing your entries

CHNC challenge 139: cute

Your gorgeous entries for last week's 'no sentiment' challenge proved that you don't need words to convey the warmth and joy of Christmas greeting. Thank you once again for such super support.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 138. There were, of course, three opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner:

Number 7: Wicked witch (Anne), who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Anne. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your prize from That Craft Place.

The second winner:

Number 34: Denise Goeldner, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Denise. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your 4 digital images from Delicious Doodles.

The third winner:

Number 1: Bren, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Bren. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so I can arrange for you to receive your £10 voucher from Crafter's Companion.

Now on to:

Challenge 139

For today's challenge I'd like you to show something cute on your Christmas card.

The first sponsor today is Whoopsi Daisy:

'Whoopsi Daisy Digi Stamps features all hand drawn images by the amazing Linnie and specialises in cute images of children. Whoopsi Daisy offers a great deal for your money. Take a look at the Whoopsi Daisy shop where you are certain to find awesome images which will fit all your creative needs.'

The randomly chosen winner will receive their choice of two sheets from Linnie's Whoopsi Daisy shop.

The second sponsor is The Ribbon Reel

The ribbon reel was established in August 2010 by Keilly Mulvihill to offer a range of quality, affordable, gorgeous ribbons, twine and embellishments. 

'A few years ago, I found it difficult to find a wide range of ribbons to suit my projects and pondered over setting up my own shop. Having a young family, I decided to put this idea on hold for a while and spend time with my children. Now that they are both at school, I decided I had the time and energy to set up my dream shop that I had wanted for so long. 

I absolutely love ribbons and am enthusiastic about increasing our range and searching for new products to share in the shop.'

The randomly chosen winner will receive a £10 gift voucher to spend in The Ribbon Reel online shop.

The third sponsor is new to CHNC:  Eureka Stamps:

Finally, The Stamps You've been Looking for! Eureka stamps offers a large variety of images and sentiments in many different categories for all of your stamping needs. Our Paper Sculpting stamps add an extra dimension to your creations. Or, Mix and match our Balloons and Balloon Holders to celebrate every occasion. Our Stamps are available as unmounted, deep etched, natural red rubber stamps OR as digital stamps. If Eureka Stamps aren't exactly what you are looking for, Don't miss out on the sister companies: QKR Stampede, Biblical Impressions Rubber Stamps, or the newest addition; Alluring Impressions.

The randomly chosen winner will receive 5 digital images of their choice from Eureka Stamps.

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

you will be spoiled for choice!

For my first card I've used the lovely cute 'caroling bunnies' digital image kindly supplied by Eureka Stamps - 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 please please make a cute 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 30 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 Saturday31 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 196 'likes' - it would be great if we could increase this to 200 or more 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 138: no sentiment

What a fabulous response to the picture inspiration for CHNC challenge 137 - so many lovely interpretations - all very creative and inspiring. Thank you so much for your support and help to make this blog a great place to be. It's lovely seeing new folk coming on board week by week and some of you who have been entering cards for most of the challenges - thank you.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 137. There were, of course, three opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner:

Number 9: Asha who shared this lovely card:

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

The second winner:

Number 20: Steph, who shared this lovely card:

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

The third winner:

Number 60: Marianne's Craftroom, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Marianne. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so I can arrange for you to receive your £10 voucher from Paper Creator.

Now on to:

Challenge 138

For today's challenge I'd like you to take make a Christmas card without a sentiment on the front

The first sponsor today is That Craft Place:

Lisa Horton, the owner, runs on online shop as well as a bricks and mortar one in Eastbourne:

'We are a UK based bricks and mortar craft shop, stocking craft and card making supplies. We are dedicated to providing quality craft items at great prices. We stock a huge range of stamps, inks, alterable materials, embellishments, tools and all you need to create fabulous projects.

We pride ourselves on being welcoming, helpful and honest when it comes to purchasing products. We always offer to show you how to use items before you buy them, and you can try out the latest products in stock.'

The prize: cotton ribbons, florals and a stamp.

I can say from personal experience that there is always a warm welcome from the owner, Lisa Horton, and the rest of her staff. It is a delight to visit the shop and find lots of temptation ... I've always come away with some delightful purchases. And it's just as tempting to browse the online shop and also on facebook.

The second 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 third sponsor is Crafter's Companion:

Crafter's Companion is a well known haven of crafting goodies of all descriptions. They are giving a £10 voucher to the randomly chosen winner.

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

you will be spoiled for choice!

For my first card I've followed a sketch - more info here on My Crafty Outlook:

For my second card I've used a shaped card blank and, once again, I've followed a sketch - you can read about it 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 please please make a card without a sentiment on the front.

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 23 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 Saturday24 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 190 'lies' - it would be great if we could increase this to 200 or more 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 137: picture inspiration

What a lovely lot of joy and love your spread with your entries for last week's challenge 136 - I so enjoyed looking at your lovely Christmas crafting. Thank you all for your support - it's good to see some new folk joining in as the year progresses, as well as lots of you entering the challenges week by week and building up a stock of Christmas cards. If you haven't started yet, this would be a good time.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 136. There were, of course, three opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner:

Number 3, Sandra H, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Sandra. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive the CD-rom of your choice from Ooh la la Creations.

The second winner:

Number 12: KT Fit Kitty, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Kitty. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive 3 digital stamps of your choice from Crafts 4 eternity.

The third winner:

Number 28: meg, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Meg. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so I can arrange for you to receive your polar white flower soft and glue  from Katy Sue Designs.

Now on to:

Challenge 137

For today's challenge I'd like you to take inspiration from this picture - use the colours, the shape, any of the items in the picture - interpret in the way you wish

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 another familiar one, 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 Paper Creator:

'Paper Creator is an online store selling card making downloads, printable crafts & Sassy Cheryl's coloured illustrations.

We also now stock Sassy Cheryl's brand new rubber stamp range which are exclusive to us here in the UK.'

Paper Creator are offering the randomly chosen winner a £10 voucher to be spent in their online store.

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

you will be spoiled for choice!

For my first card I've concentrated on the colours, also the trees, using a stamp supplied by Flonz craft - more info here on My Crafty Outlook:

For my second card I concentrated on the colours and included a reindeer - 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 please use this picture for inspiration:

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 16 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 Saturday17 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 189 likes - it would be great if we could increase this to 200 or more 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