We are Neet and Wendy and we would like to welcome you to our fortnightly challenge, ‘Artful Times’, where we are offering a variety of challenges to inspire you to create in whichever style or medium of crafting you enjoy. You never know, we might even inspire you to create something out of your comfort zone and try out something new.

Yes like all challenge sites we have rules and guidelines. We hope you will read and follow them, we have Oyster Stamps as our sponsor, and of course, a winner and runner up will be chosen each month. We may also have the occasional guest designer.



Friday, 29 June 2012

Winner and Runner Up Announced

Well thank you for all your wonderful contributions to challenges 5 & 6, ribbon and lace and men.  Again you made it difficult for us to choose an overall winner from both the challenges, but in true form we've come to a decision, so the winner is ..............








Ann B with her wonderful vintage deco book pages

         


Well done Ann, please contact Neet within the next 7 days for the code to redeem your £10 voucher to spend at Oyster Stamps and you will also be given the winners blinky which we hope you will display on your blog.  Please be sure to read the above page entitled 'sponsor' so you are aware of the terms and conditions of the prize.  If the prize is not claimed in 7 days it will be withdrawn.




And the runner up is .....................








WendyK's ribbon and lace tag





Again please contact Neet for your runners up blinky which we hope you will display on your blog.

To contact Neet by email, just click on her name in this post.

Don't forget, to be a winner you have to keep within the rules!!!


Friday, 22 June 2012

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

You all sure turned up trumps for Neet's Men's challenge making such a variety of masculine cards and things that we all find hard to make.

Now on to the the new challenge for the next two weeks "Oh I do like to be Beside the Seaside" is the prompt for you to create something sunny and bright and make us believe that it really is summer and please visit our individual blogs if you would like to know how each was made.

I (Von) still had men on my mind and a day on the beach



Neet was enjoying the view



Sam went all out for a paddle



So come and join us and bring out the summer in your craft room and if you follow the rules you could be in with a chance to win £10 to spend from our sponsors at Oyster Stamps

Friday, 8 June 2012

Men

Wow, what a lot of lovely entries we have had for the Ribbon and Lace - Sam certainly chose a winner with her theme for the last challenge we had.  I know I enjoy making things using ribbons and lace and it sure showed us that you like using them in your creations too.  Thanks everyone!  Now to the new Challenge.

Whether said softly or with an exclamation mark behind it Men feature strongly in our lives and coming up is Father's Day. Father's Day was inaugurated to complement Mother's Day and the first one was on the 19th June, 1910 (although it did not really take off until much later).  Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday in June but it is celebrated at other times in other countries - Russia celebrate it in February whilst Thailand celebrate it in December.

Even if you don't send Father's Day Cards there are still men that we can send a card to for birthdays and other special occasions and I think it is a card that quite often we stop and have to really think about which is why I chose the theme "Men" for our challenge today.  Lots of stamp companies have stamps relating to men and therefore suitable for masculine cards, there are sporty ones, steampunky ones to name but two - don't forget a lovely verse on a masculine colour always serves the purpose too.  

But, you don't have to make a card, maybe you would like to make a bookmark for someone special, just to say "I love you" or "I appreciate you" or "Glad you are my Brother/Son/Nephew" or what about that special male friend you have who might appreciate an atc?

Whatever it is I would like you to get your thinking caps on and come up with a piece of artwork suitable to give to a man.  That way, if we get lots of entries, there will be a wealth of ideas for us to draw on when faced with that "Man" card that is needed next time.  Be sure if you do copy one that someone else has done you give them credit for it though.

Want to see what the DT came up with?  Here they are:

Sam's Canvas




Neet's Card

Now please let us see what you come up with - see you soon!


Friday, 1 June 2012

Winner & Runner Up Announced


We have had some outstanding entries for both challenges 3 & 4 making it a very difficult decision to choose a winner and a runner up.  But we've done it, so without further ado the winner is.......












 Julia the creator of this wonderful bookmark



Well done Julia, please contact Neet within the next 7 days for the code to redeem your £10 voucher to spend at Oyster Stamps and you will also be given the winners blinky which we hope you will display on your blog.  Please be sure to read the above page entitled 'sponsor' so you are aware of the terms and conditions of the prize.  If the prize is not claimed in 7 days it will be withdrawn.


The runner up was just as difficult to pick so well done to Sandra for her time piece.



Again please contact Neet for your runners up blinky which we hope you will display on your blog.


To contact Neet by email, just click on her name in this post.


Don't forget, to be a winner you have to keep within the rules!!!