CHNC challenge 220: use some black

Thanks for your 'button it up' entries for last week. I hope that you will find this week's challenge a bit easier ... all you have to do is make sure there is a bit of black on your Christmas design ... just a little will do, or more if you wish.

Please note that I publish the prize winners here and on our facebook page, but don't notify winners individually - it is up to you all to check to see if you have won and email me as requested. There are one or two unclaimed prizes, so it's worth having a look back to see if you were a winner.

Before I get on to today's challenge, I need to let you know the winners of challenge 219 - there were four opportunities to win a prize.

The first winner: 

Number 2: Melissa SunshineHoneyBee, who shared this lovely tag:

Congratulations, Melissa. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com with your full name and address so I can arrange for you to receive your £10 of goods from Craftybren's Embroidered Embellishments.

The second winner:

Number 2: Marieke, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Marieke.  Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange for you to receive your three digis from Crafty Sentiments.

The third winner:

Number 11: Nelleke, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Nelleke. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange to send your two single images from Cute as a button.

The fourth winner:

Number 10: Jessi, who shared this lovely card:

Congratulations, Jessi. Please email me at hazelharris@ntlworld.com so I can arrange to send your two digi images from All Dressed Up Etsy store,

Now on to:

Challenge 220

For today's challenge I'd like you to use some black on your Christmas creation - a little or a lot

Once again this week there are four opportunities to win a prize - as usual, winners will be chosen randomly.

The first sponsor is Foil Play:

'Foil Play has an enormous selection of crafting staples from classic tried and tested brands for all occasions at great prices. Speedy despatch is always a priority, UK p&p is free on all orders over £10 and you'll get free Kanban die cut toppers if you spend over £20.'

The randomly chosen winner will receive a lucky dip pack of Kanban products.

The second sponsor is new to CHNC: StitchyBear's DIgi Outlet:

'StitchyBear’s Digi Outlet is proud to have been in business, serving our customers since April 1st 2010. With such a great store Stitchy was no Fool!

We currently have a very talented group of 20 Creators and can offer a vast array of digital images, papers and sets in many different styles.

We really have a one stop shop for an amazing collection of creative digital products with prices to suit every budget.'

StitchyBear's DIgi Outlet are offering any images or digi papers of the winner’s choice up to a value of $10.

The third sponsor is 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.

The fourth sponsor is Ooh la la Creations:

A randomly chosen winner will be able to choose a CD-rom of their choice - and there are so many wonderful ones to choose from.

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

you will be spoiled for choice!

Please look down the sidebar on the right to see all of the sponsors that I have waiting in the wings to give out prizes during this year. I am so thankful for everyone that is so generously coming on board to support me. When buying your crafting goodies, please click on the links to see what's on offer in their online stores and support them as much as you can with your orders.

I have a big apology to make - an admission that I haven't yet made a new card for this challenge. I actually got in a muddle and thought I had an image on my computer that I could use and I found that I hadn't ... and time has run out (as of Friday evening). It's been a difficult time recently with extra support needed for John and also for my mum, so I hope that I'll be forgiven.

The image for this card is Stitchy Bear's Santa sleigh silhouette (Stitchy Bear Stamps Outlet are one of this week's sponsors) and  papers are  from Teresa Collins Christmas Home pad..It was originally shown here. I thought that using a silhouette image was a good way of using some black.

For this second card I've used a Stitchy Bear digital image 'winter trees', - another silhouette to show some black - perfect to use with the brayer and Big & Juicy Happy Birthday (toned down by rolling on to rough paper a few times first. I put a post-it note circle for the moon before brayering and masked off the bottom for snow. In real life, the lower bit at the base of the tree looks far more pink than it does here.The card was originally shown here.

UPDATE: Here is my new card for this challenge. I created the background by brushing Spectrum AquaTint inks over a piece of card.I used Stitchy Bear's 'winter trees, printing it on to acetate. I was really silly because I should have also included the Santa sleigh silhouette (supplied by one of the sponsors) at the same time, but didn't. So I had to get the right position for it, printing a few times on paper and then run the acetate through again. If I did this again I would reverse the Santa sleigh image so that I could have the smooth side of the acetate uppermost when putting it on to the background rather than the rough side that the print is on - a learning curve! Just the addition of the four black brads and the card was completed. This is an 8 x 8 card. I'm also going to show this on the mid month inspiration for CHNC challenge extra for March. This is also on my own blog, My Crafty Outlook, here:

Now it's over to you. As usual, you can use any materials, any techniques - and this week please use some black on your Christmas creation - a little or much more, it's up to you. Using a sillhouette is a good way of showing some black, but you can use black in so many other ways, even if it's just to ink up a stamp!

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 20 March 2015. Please include a link to this blogpost within the post for your creation.

You can enter as many times as you wish  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 21 March 2015 when there will be four 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. Also it would be great if you would consider becoming a follower - lovely to welcome recent new followers and 'likers' on facebook.

Please also consider going to CHNC Facebook page and clicking 'like' if you haven't done so already and encourage your friends to do the same. We now have over 300 'likes' , but there's plenty of room for more! 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 March is here.

Last year I started up a new challenge called Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - anything goes as long as you cover your card with patterned paper - a randomly chosen prize winner every month. Please click on the link to find out more. If you have used patterned paper to cover your card blank for your Christmas card, why not enter it there too. And please be aware that the  Patterned Paper Challenge is not restricted to Christmas - it is for any occasions.

Thank you for your support

I look forward to seeing your entries

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