Sunday, October 17, 2010

10 Week Christmas Countdown begins!!

PRIZES TO BE WON!
Who can believe it's only 10 weeks until Christmas!! Artfull Crafts wants to celebrate the lead up to Christmas on the blog and so we've got our Design Team on board and want to invite you all to join in the fun! We know that people often take the opportunity at Christmas to make gifts, cards and create special touches for the house and dinner table. So we've put together a useful set of 10 weekly themes to inspire you!

Each week's theme will be announced on this blog on Sunday night and each day throughout the week the Design Team will be blogging their creations. That means you'll want to pop back each day to see what they've been up to. You are also invited to send us your submissions throughout the week and we'll load them up in our Competition Gallery. Each week there will be a prize pack up for grabs. To be in the draw you just have to email us your project that matches the weekly theme. We'll do a random draw and announce the winner on the next Sunday night's blog.

This week's competition prize is a set of Teresa Collins Noel papers (9 in the collection), chipboard and ribbon (see below):



So the theme for this week is CHRISTMAS CARDS! Any style is welcome - big, small, colourful, plain, flat, bumpy - there are no rules - except it needs to be made by you. There are so many styles to think about. Vintage seems to be a big trend this year and have you looked at the Kaisercraft blog lately? They've done some great Christmas cards with the fabulous 6x6 pads. They have 4 pages of die cuts in the back - along with all the specialty papers.

What can you use? Anything!! Have you noticed all the little scraps you've got sitting around? Why don't you go on a little "treasure hunt" around the home this week. Look for buttons, scraps, bits in the bottom of drawers and see what you come up with? Why not pull some old cards apart and make a remodelled version. How about getting a 3D decoupage sheet and make a card that pops off the page.

Why not get your kids involved in the weekly challenges?! In fact, I think that's a great idea. I'm going to put up an EXTRA weekly prize for the under 18 years age group. Let me know when you email if you are in this age group. Remember the prize is randomly drawn - and you've got to be in to win!!

So, now we've set the guidelines and given you some ideas. We'll give you daily inspiration throughout the week and all we want from you are your submissions!!

We can't wait to see your cards throughout this week. Please make sure your submission gets to us by 6pm Sunday next week (24th October) - so we can do the prize draw before the next blog.

We also want to give a prize away tomorrow (Monday 18th October). So if you want to win a $25 prize to get you started on this 10-week countdown, then just leave a comment on this blog by Monday midnight!

All the Design Team have been sent parcels filled with different brands and styles of Christmas themed products. They will use these as the basis of their Countdown projects - although they are also welcome to use any other products they choose. Here's a few photos of the packs we sent out:

Janine has been given a set of Websters Waiting for Santa papers and a mix of delicate products and projects.
Lowri has been given the Imaginisce range of papers (Cottage Christmas)

Tina has got Graphic 45 Vintage papers (Christmas Past)

Shirley's parcel had lots of the Be Merry Kaisercraft Collection

Joanne will get to play with Echo Park's Merry Christmas Colletion

Tanya has been sent Teresa Collins' Noel products and Clarissa choose a random selection of goodies. Betsy has been playing with Kaisercraft's Tis the Season products to create a card kit that will be available in November.

In summary there are two things you need to do... put a comment on the blog to go in the draw to win a $25 pack by Monday midnight 18th October and then send us a Christmas Card picture by Sunday 24th October 6pm to go in the draw to win the Teresa Collins products shown above.

The final part of the blog post each week will be portions of Scripture that outline the Birth of Jesus Christ - a reminder of why we celebrate Christmas. Even I can get all caught up in the crafts, gifts and busy nature of the end of the year, and forget that there is meaning to the celebration. This God-man Jesus split history and is still changing lives today. We start with a passage in Luke. 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."

38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Next week we'll look at Joseph's response to the news of the impending birth.

Have a great week and let the fun begin!
:-) Liz

12 comments:

  1. Only 10 weeks till Christmas that is very scary where has the year gone, but iM happy to say im pretty much sorted as far as presents go the home made presents side of things I havent started yet and they will wait for the end of November start of December. Cards...not my favourite thing to create but Im up for the challenge looking forward to seeing all the inspiration over the next 10 weeks

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  2. Thanks for the countdown. Looking forward to seeing what the design team come up with. I started making my Christmas cards at the weekend so have some to submit already.

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  3. 10 weeks Im sooo excited :) we are going all out this year decorating the inside and outside of the house and making gingerbread houses and all I cant wait :) Have totally lost my scrapping mojo but thats ok I have been busy making all my christmas cards. I cant wait to see all these submissions I dont think I will be moving far from the computer

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  4. I know all about 10 weeks until Christmas, hubby has already put a countdown on our google page aghhhhhhhhhh I shall now go and bury head in sand or would that be in christmas cake mix hehehehe

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  5. 10 weeks is a bit scary if you break it down into paydays but love this time of year. Looking forward to seeing the weekly countdown. I don't normally "do" cards but will give it a go. LOL

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  6. Eek - 10 weeks is a tad daunting!!! Look forward to seeing the DT's projects!!

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  7. yes 10 weeks till christmas is rather too scary to think about. it means i'll have to think about dragging out all the decorations from the places all the house that ive put them. and thats not even thinking about 'cards' lol.

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  8. O Boy - only 10 weeks left till Christmas? I don't normally do Christmas cards because I fear that once you send them one year (handmade), it will be expected every year.

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  9. 10wks = 5 paydays! yikes!! hopefully we'll be spared any seismic activity that day!

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  10. looks like a great way to count down till christmas! Im not much of a card maker - Ive never liked the results lol

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  11. yippee!!!!! and so the countdown begins! Had a great time on Friday night, thanks for all the inspiration, :)
    God bless you all
    Viv

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  12. the big countdown is on ... not long to go now ... woo hoo, that big man in red will be putting in an appearance, and he knows whether you have been naughty or nice. Gotta love Christmas ... oops, that's right ... I do!!!

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