Crafty Challenges

 Sometimes it's just nice to have to 'think outside the box' for the sake of it and to make something you may not otherwise make so I use challenges for this and sometimes even combining more then one for a specific project.  I do not nessarily enter the challenge as some of the challenges have rules I can not really bother to follow and it feels like the "papercrafting" polivce will come for you if you dare stray from there rules.  It can however be a great way to expand your stash if yous tick to all their stringent rules.

You have to remember a few things if you are going to enter challenges though like:
Linking to your actual creation, by this they mean the actual blog post with it in and not your entire blog. You can understand this rule as you may make a post a day and the challenge blog may not get round to viewing your creation for a week or two and have to scroll through looking for your entry which consumes a lot of time. It is also advisable to link back to them or at the very least a mention to the challenge name and challenge host.


Some challenge blogs will not even consider your entry if the links are not done correctly so have a quick read of all the rules and if you want to be considered for the prizes, do this correctly.  Most of the time there will be a tutorial or explanation on the challenge blog of how exactly they would like it done.

I will be updating the challenge regularly as I find new challenges because I think it is a great way to get you out of a crafting rut and challenge you imagination to make the most of all your craft stash.

Weekly Challenges:

Splitcoast Stampers

• MONDAY  Try a New Technique Clean and Simple Cards  Scrapbook Inspiration
• TUESDAY Color Challenges Teapot Challenges Digital Scrapbooking
• WEDNESDAY Card Sketches Scrapbook Variety
• THURSDAY Ways to Use It
• FRIDAY Free for All Mix-Ability Scrapbook Sketch
• SATURDAY Inspiration Challenge
• SUNDAY Featured Stamper
• MONTHLY Christmas Cards Scrapbook Goals Cards for a Cause
• ONGOING Virtual Stamp Night Virtual Scrapbooking Night
• ANNUAL Hope You Can Cling To Dare to Get Dirty

 Outlawz Challenges

• MONDAY Greeting Card Challenge
• TUESDAY Color Challenge
• WEDNESDAY Sketch Challenge
• THURSDAY Optional Twist
• FRIDAY Alcohol Markers
• SATURDAY Paper Ala Mode
• SUNDAY Clean and Simple

DailyDare4U

 The Daily Dare lists team challenges only as there are too many independent demonstrator challenges to include them all.  It is a ver comprehensive list though.  They also have a list of places you can find Card Sketches from.

Card and Craft Challenge list

Another stunning list with tons of challenges.

Monday

The Pink Elephant
Mojo Monday A card sketch challenge created by Julee Tilman in 2007 on Poetic Artistry before moving here in 2009.
Stamp with Fun!

Monthly Challenges:

Kaarten-maken-met-Tiets 

Here you can find a lovey card scketch as well as a Digistamp Challenge

Next time I will be telling you more about Design Teams and the criteria most Organizers would like you to meet, so till the next time practise your craft, enter challenges and send your creations into magazines to get published.

CREAlies

I really love the CREAlies dies and had a hard time finding these dies in the UK.  I already have 2 of their dies:  Set of 3 Butterflies no. 3 dies and  Creative Tags die no. 2 and have rececntly ordered Doily Elements die no. 2 and Doily Elements die no. 5 from Ebay but wanted to expand my collection.  

I gave up on finding in the UK and did a online search to find their webshop but was sceptical to order from the Netherlands due to the high International Shipping costs all other shops charge. Yesterday I however decided that their Crealies Create A Card will be worth what ever shipping I would have to pay so I ordered Crealies Create A Card die no. 5  and Crealies Create A Card die no. 4 and to my surprise  I only paid €3.53 P&P for the two dies.  I am so excited to get these and can not wait for the postman to knock.  One thing I have to say about CREAlies is that I am impressed with the Downloads section as  there are links to several PDFs with placement options of the Crealies Create A Card dies on cardstock so no guessing.  

I loved the Harmonica Template years ago and even have a Craft Special Book called Harmonica Folding by Annelies Karduks from CREAlies and must say I do hope that one day they will turn these into Cutting dies.  Here is just one of the first cards I made. 

 

Looking back now I can improve this in so many ways and hope that my creations will show you the real potentail of these new dies.  I think it is funny how after all these years of cardmaking it is still the same things that impress me and that I really love doing.

If you are into paperflower making you have to invest in CREAlies flower dies but do not trust me when I say this go look for youself at their Blog, Facebook page and website.  Or search Pinterest to see just a few CREAlies creations.

To be honest with you I think if you are new to cardmaking the CREAlies webshop is the only shop you will need for Dies, Stamps and Masks as you can make your own background papers using the stamps and masks, not to mention the embellishment and toppers you can make using combinations of dies and stamps together.  So whether you are looking for that special Flourish, Alphabet, Leaves, Flower, Tag, Label or Border die and lots more you can find it all at CREAlies.

You can expect a full review with photo's and a video as soon as I receive these as I am sure a lot of you are wondering just like me what the actual Create a Card die looks like.

I will also be making some Card Candy to share with you using these dies, more on this later.