February Challenge - Week 2

Our challenge this month is a colour challenge and this month I've gone with my personal "go to schemes"   As I'm sure you've guessed - teals and turquoise feature in lots of my makes along with lime greens (just like the logo) but one of my favourite options for card making is greys and yellows so hopefully you will find something that you can work with too.

You must use at least 3 shades from one of the options above AND use at least one product from the range we sell in store to be eligible for the £15 prize.  New projects only - no back linking.

Here's the inspiring projects this week from our fabulous DT

Anni

I totally love the colors of the image on the right and used the stamp sets Friends For All Seasons - Winter by W Plus 9, So Happy by Avery Elle for the sentiment and the dies set Meadow Border by Lawn Fawn.

Jill
I went for the first option and used Neat and Tangled's Parquet stencil, Sugar Pea Designs Celebrate die, and Lawn Fawn's Speech Bubble Border.

Lydia
I went for the last colour combo, as it's watercolour it soften the colours down but I still think it fits in ;). I used Mama Elephant 'Organic Blooms' for the images coloured with Zig Clean Colour Pens and Altenew 'Label Love' for the sentiment.

You have until 10pm on Saturday 25th February to play along this month.  Link up to the challenges page here

February Challenge - Week 1

Hi Guys

Sorry we're running a day late on the challenge - the end of January is always a busy time but we'll make sure we add on time at the end so you still have the same time to play this month.   Our challenge this month is a colour challenge and this month I've gone with my personal "go to schemes"   As I'm sure you've guessed - teals and turquoise feature in lots of my makes along with lime greens (just like the logo) but one of my favourite options for card making is greys and yellows so hopefully you will find something that you can work with too.

You must use at least 3 shades from one of the options above AND use at least one product from the range we sell in store to be eligible for the £15 prize.  New projects only - no back linking.

Jenny
I decided to use the right hand palette and ink up the Kitschy Kitchen set from MFT and add my own sentiment using Mama Elephants Bella letters.

Kate
I used the Flamingo together stamp set from Lawn Fawn. with puffy cloud borders to make my background.

Tara
I went with the greys and yellows and used Bedside Comfort dies and Deepest Sympathy stamps with some scraps from my ever growing paper scraps box! [I should have put the tray at a different angle but lets just ignore the fact that everything is falling off it!   Didn't spot it til I finished with the sentiment lol!]

You have until 10pm on Saturday 25th February to play along this month.  Link up to the challenges page here

January 2017 Challenge Week 3

I'm starting with the challenge post again this week - I'm working on adding stock before I make my post live so that will be ready this afternoon.

In the meantime we have our last reminder for the month to play along with out fun sketch challenge.  You just have to follow this sketch and use at least one product we sell (make sure your blog or image post lists what you use) to be able to win our £15 prize to spend in store.

Here's what the rest of the design team did with the sketch to give you some more inspiration.

Esther 

using Avery Elle Pierced Clouds Die, My Favorite Things Layered Umbrella, My Favorite Things Lots of Dots Background Stamp (pattern on the umbrella), My Favorite Things Blueprints 29 (sentiment tab) and My Favorite Things Make Yourself at Home (sentiment).

Lydia
using Altenew 'Vintage Teacup'. I used the lines of the sentiment to act as the lines on the sketch.

When you have your project completed, jump over to our challenge page and link it up but do make sure you've followed the rules!   (no linking previous posts, follow the sketch and make sure you use at least one product from the range we sell in store)

November Challenge Week 1

Hello and welcome to our FINAL CHALLENGE for 2016!   We always take December off from the challenges to give the DT a little more time to get all the extra household stuff done that Christmas always seems to generate, so this is your last chance to win a prize this year!

This month our challenge is Christmas related - we'd like you to be inspired by your favourite Christmas song, Christmas movie or Chistmas Carol to create your project this month.  That's a pretty wide scope to go with so we hope you'll have lots of fun with it like we have!   Just remember you MUST USE AT LEAST ONE PRODUCT FROM THOSE WE SELL IN STORE TO ENTER.

Here's how the DT were inspired

Jenny

inspired by the brilliant film Elf

using Santa Add On dies and Alpine Carolers.
 More details can be found on my blog post here

Lydia

inspired by 'Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer'.

using Mama Elephant 'Reindeer Games' and Wplus9 'Heartfelt Holidays' for the sentiment.

Tara

inspired by my all time favourite Christmas song "A Fairytale of New York" to create a generic celebration card.  Just because your inspired by a Christmas theme doesn't necessarily mean you need to make a Christmas card!

using MFT's New York Skyline Dienamic and Avery Elle's Pixie Dust and Retro Ornaments
 

As we're not running a challenge in December we're giving you an extra week to play in this one so the challenge will close at 10pm on 30th November.  Link up your entries to the challenge page.

October Colour Challenge - Week 1

This month we're back to a colour challenge and this time around our theme is tone on tone colours - it may look daunting at first, but sticking to one tone of colour on a card can produce stunning results!

Pick at least 3 shades from one of the 3 options above and then get your stash out!  Remember you must use products we sell to be considered for the prize.

Here's the first of our projects to kick start your creative thinking.

Jenny....
using Wplus9 Under the Mistletoe Dies and Hand Lettered Holiday for the sentiment
More details on my blog here

Lydia
Using Altenew 'Vintage Roses' and 'Super Script 2'

Tara
using Undying Love from SugarPea Designs with pencil shading

The deadline is 10pm on Tuesday 25th October so you have plenty of time to play and you can play as often as you like and combine us with other challenges where it fits.  Link up your project to the Challenge Page when you're ready.

September Sketch Challenge - Week 1

It's time for a brand new challenge and this month we have a fabulous fun sketch for you to play with!

You can choose to interpret the sketch in any way you like, as long as we see that it was the jumping point for your inspiration.  You can rotate it, make a card, a scrapbook or anything you like.  You must however use at least one product we sell in Seven Hills Crafts to be eligible to receive comments and for the chance to win the £15 prize.

Here's the DT with some ideas to get you going.

Jenny
I've used those circles in the sketch as plump little birds from Birdie Banners and turned them into robins with loose watercolour.... the sentiment is from Winter Greetings

Lydia
I used the light-bulbs and sentiment from 'Turn Me On' to show the sketch. For the little
hearts I used 'Love You Tons'.

The deadline is 10pm on Sunday 25th September.   Link up to our challenge page when you're ready to play. 

August Challenge Week 1

The 1st of the month means a brand new challenge around these parts and this month we have a theme for you inspired by a window display I spotted on a recent trip to Liverpool.

So our theme this month is GEOMETRY - its time to start playing with pattern - you can stamp it, die cut it, emboss it, score it or even draw it with a ruler - we just want to see some geometric pattern on your project somewhere.  Don't forget though - you have to use at least one product from Seven Hill's Crafts to be eligible for the £15 prize.  With over 5500 items to choose from we don't think this is too hard a rule!   Entrants that don't follow this rule may be deleted.

Here's the first of the Design Team with their interpretation of the theme - we'll be back with more inspiration over the next couple of weeks to remind you to play along with us.

Jenny

using the diamond shapes from Spare Me and a die cut sentiment from Accent it Celebrate dies

Lydia

using Altenew 'Dodecagram' in the background and Altenew 'Label Love' for the sentiment.

Tara

Using Tribal Chic from Lil' Inker Designs, MFT inks and Copper Embossing Powder

You can link up your project on our dedicated Challenge Page once you're ready to play.  The deadline is 10pm on Friday 26th August.   So get your geometry thinking caps and and get busy!

July Challenge Week 1

We're back onto colours for this months' challenge and this month our colours are all based on fruit!  You don't have to use fruit in your project - although you can if you like - you just have to use a minimum of 3 colours from one of the 3 options and YOU MUST USE PRODUCTS WE SELL IN STORE somewhere on the card.   We have had lots of entries recently which do not follow this basic rule and from now as well as not being eligible for the prize, entrants who do not use products we sell will not receive comments from the Design Team and may find their entries deleted.

 Here are the first lot of makes from the Design Team to get you in the mood for a colour challenge.

Jenny

I've gone for the left hand colour palette and used Beautiful You by Altenew
and Delicious Birthday by MFT

Lydia

I went for the first colour combo. I used Wplus9 'Watercolored Anenomes' for the
floral images and Altenew 'Super Script' for the sentiment.

Tara

Using Succulents from WaffleFlower Crafts

So, pick your fruit and get creating - you can win £15 if you do and you have until 10 pm on Wednesday 27th July to play along.  Link up your finished project on our challenges page.

June Sketch Challenge Week 1

It seems everyone really loved our embossing theme last month and we had a record number of players.  I do hope you're all coming back this month to play with our sketch.   You can flip it, rotate it, make a picture, a card, a scrapbook page - anything you like as long as we see the sketch was the jumping off point for your make.   You must also use at least one item we sell in store to be eligible for the £15 prize.

As always the DT will be here with a weekly inspirational reminder to play along and here are our first makes:

Lydia

using Altenew 'Peony Bouquet' and 'Painted Greetings' for my sentiment.
Instead of using the strips in the sketch I stamped my images in the same positions
 and used a sentiment strip for the large stripe at the bottom.

Jenny

using Paper Smooches Think Fast and a sentiment from Lawn Fawn Let's BBQ

Tara

using Avery Elle's Wild Birthday stamp set
My take on the sketch shows you can adapt it to suit your needs as my banner had to attach to the top for it to make sense but the overall feel of the sketch is still evident.

You have until 10pm on Sunday 26th June to play along and link up your makes on our challenge page when you're done.

May Theme Challenge - Week 1

It's the first of the month which means time for a new challenge and this month it is super-duper-easy-peasy!   This month we are just looking for you to feature EMBOSSING on your project.   This can be heat embossing, embossing with folders or old fashioned scoring embossing with a ball tool!

If you want to be in with a chance of winning the £15 prize you must use at least one product that we sell in store.

You will have 3 weeks to play along and we will select our favourites at the end of the month.   As usual the DT are playing along to help get your creative juices flowing and this week its the turn of Lydia, Jenny and I to inspire you.

Jenny
I've used the Rocks stencil from Echo Park to emboss my green card panel.. a perfect background for  this dinosaur from Prehistoric Fun. Embossing with a stencil also means you can sponge colour through onto the raised areas as I have done here with green ink to give the illusion of reptile skin.

Lydia

using Concord & 9th Wildflower, heat embossed in white and then watercoloured over. Once the piece was dry I added some clear heat embossing over the flowers and added a sentiment from Hero Arts Acts Of Kindness.

Tara

using felt embossed with a WRMemory Keepers 3D folder (coming soon to store), Wplus9 Outline Rose Die and Altenew Painted Greetings.   I will have a post next week showing you how to emboss with felt - its a little messy but lots of fun and adds loads of lovely tactile texture to your projects.

You have until 10pm on Wednesday 25th May to link your project to our challenge page. 

April Colour Challenge Week 1

Hello and welcome back to a new month long challenge.  This month we're playing with colours and we're feeling a little "blue" so all of our schemes this month feature blue and we'd like to see you use blue whichever of the schemes you choose.

So to play along - pick one of the palletes below and use at least 3 colours (including a blue) to make your entry.   Remember to use at least one product from the vast range we sell at Seven Hills Crafts to be eligible for the £15 prize.

As usual, our DT will play along to inspire you and remind you for the next couple of weeks too.

Julia
I picked the central scheme and used Paper Smooches Blossoming Buds with some colored pencils.

Lydia
I choose the first colour combo.
I have used Altenew 'Painted Flowers' and sentiment is from 'Thinking Of You'.

Tara

I went for the first colour scheme and used the new Happy Hues Cards and Bouquet Die from Concord & 9th with Lawn Fawn's Blue Jay card stock and white card inked with Sno Cone to cut the With Sympathy Sentiment from Lil Inker Designs.

Link up to our challenges page by the deadline of 10pm on Sunday 24th April for a chance to win.

March Sketch Challenge - Week 1

It's been SUCH a busy month with all the CHA products arriving that I haven't yet managed to sort out the winner from last months challenge but I will catch up this week so watch this space for a winners post.  In the meantime though I wanted to kick off our new challenge on the right day and this month we have a lovely sketch for you to play with.

You can flip the orientation, go layered or one layer, card or layout - whatever you fancy - just show that the sketch was the kick off point and make sure you use at least one product from the vast range we stock to be eligible for the £15 prize.

We have some very different interpretations from the DT so can see just how far you can take the sketch - we can't wait to see what you do with it!

Jenny
I have used Balloon String Background as the sea for my Walrus and Seal to swim in.
The Hello is from this Paper Smooches  die set

Lydia
I have used Fall Florals for the bouquet, the sentiment is from Be A Unicorn.
The frame was cut with the large scalloped die from Basic Set.

Tara

I used the Hello Gorgeous Paper Pad and Journal Cards to get the shapes on the sketch (the glittered heart is in the journal card pack).  I used the Happy Mother's Day Banner for the lines in the sketch.

Once you've completed your project - link it up to our 

monthly challenge page by 10pm on Sunday 27th March 

for a chance to win!

February Challenge - Fancy Folds - Week 1

We're back with a new challenge for you today, and this time we have a theme of "fancy folds".   We want to see more than one fold on your card - so you need to something more than just have the standard fold down the middle.    It's quite hard to explain in words, but hopefully our examples will make it a little clearer!

Jenny 

I have used a Waffleflower die to make a cut in my card front which could
 be folded over to make the penguins icy pond. More details on my blog :)

Lydia

My fold is a tri-fold card. I scored my card twice to create three panels, I have used Concord &9th
'Let's Chat' for the image and sentiment inside the fold.

If you're struggling to understand what we mean, then this board on pinterest has some amazing cards featuring fancy folds that should point you in the right direction  https://uk.pinterest.com/candycreations/card-instructions-fancy-folds/

Once you've made your card, link it up to our challenge page - you have 3 weeks to play so the challenge will close on Wednesday 24th February at 10pm.  The winner will get £15 to spend in store!