Changes to CHNC weekly challenges

Before I announce changes, I wish to thank all sponsors for their tremendous support in providing prizes for my CHNC challenges. This has been much appreciated by me and by the winners.

After six years of running the challenges and much thought, I've decided that from now on I will run my CHNC challenges without sponsors, with me giving a prize for a randomly chosen winner.

This has mainly been brought about by trying to cut down a bit on the time taken to run the challenges. Much as I appreciate the support of sponsors, it does generate more work for me and my husband is needing more of my care, so I feel that something has got to go.

Perhaps one day in the future I will be going back to sponsors to ask them  to give prizes for some challenges, but for now I'll see how things go with just me providing a prize.

And from now on, every week will be 'anything goes as long as it's Christmas', with an optional theme ... which is just that, optional!

One more minor change is the closing time of each challenge. Each week the linky will close at 20:00 UK time, instead of the later time of 22:00 ... this will give me a bit more 'breathing space'. Challenges will start start at 09:00 UK time every Saturday morning.

I'm hoping that these changes won't prevent crafters from entering their Christmas creations. When I started the challenge blog it was to help me to make Christmas designs throughout the year and to encourage others to do the same. I'm hoping that making every challenge 'anything goes' it will make it easier for crafters to take part, going with the optional theme if they so wish.