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.



Monday 30 December 2013

To Comment or Not!

After much deliberation and consultation if you do not follow the Guidelines we will not be leaving a comment - as much as it hurts us not to.  It takes us quite a while to comment on blogs and we want to leave more than a cursory comment plus we have to check if you are eligible for the prize or not, so please make sure you have followed all the requirements or we will not be leaving a comment in the future.

Friday 20 December 2013

Challenge 45 My Favourite Christmas Card (sent or received)

Well, I was just welcoming Von back this week and I got an email from Chrissie who is going to join us on on this side of the challenge.  So a big welcome to Chrissie who most of you will know from her blog and from her challenge blog.

First of all, thank you to those of you who entered the last challenge which was, sadly, where we said goodbye to Sam.  I'd like to thank Sam again for all the help she gave me and the patience she showed to me whenever I "mucked up".

This week I thought you might be like me, behind with all the Christmas prep so I dreamed up a quick and easy challenge and not one where you would necessarily have to make something - like me you could use a card you had received, if you so wanted.  My card was one I received last year from my friend in America.  I just loved it and fully intended to make all my Christmas cards just like this one this year.  Mary even bought me the die to make the feet so I was all prepared - until .....  I finally got around to starting my cards and whoops!  I could not find any red card with white spots on.  So out came the diecuts and I started making different cards but I still fully intend making this one next year - "Mary, have you some spotted card I can buy?"

Here it is - and I hope you like it as much as I did (and still do).


I did have one of those nights where I was not sleeping well so I got up with 'C' Cards on my mind and set to and made these:

for Chloe


for Andy & Sam


Both using the Sizzix die but with Labels One from Spellbinders for the centre.  Various images and H2O's for colour.  I love these cards but I do not enjoy making them - do any of you feel the same?

And now one from Chrissie - a fabric card and a lovely card to share for her first visit to Artful Times "on the other side" as you might say.


and by the skin of  her teeth a CAS card and some masking from Von

 Now a quick and heartfelt message to you all:

A Happy, Peaceful Christmas and all My Best Wishes for 2014.

 The monthly winner will be announced next week but this current challenge will not count towards another token - instead we will begin afresh with the first challenge of 2014.  I hope you will join in though.

Friday 6 December 2013

Challenge 44 - Diecuts or Punches

Great to see all your fantastic creations from the last couple of weeks.  We realise it's getting close to the big day and everyone will be busy bees getting things sorted, but if you do find you have some time to yourself, we'd love to see what you can do with die cuts and/or punches.


Neet stuck with a Christmas theme using the lovely poinsettias, flourishes and a die cut background.


I, Sam, used the Sizzix cabinet die with corrugated card and LP images.

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone and say goodbye as this is my last week helping Neet out on the AT's challenge blog.

ps and I would like to say a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Sam for stepping in and helping me out when I was finding it a struggle to keep going.   Watch out for some interesting news next time.  (Neet)