THANKS to everyone who entered the April Challenge - Furry Friends. We enjoy looking at the variety of entries and are pleased to announce the winners for this month.

Please head to the Gallery to check out the fabulous entries and leave comments to encourage the crafters. We all love positive feedback. And check the blog tomorrow to see what the new challenge will be for May.

1) Overall Challenge Winner

Congratulations to Fiona Angus. We love the way you've used the photo of Tigger and coordinated it so well with papers, twine and stamps. Great job! You've won one of each of the Honey Chai papers.

 2) Sketch winner

 

 

 

 

 

  
For her second sketch, Leigh has turned it sideways. She writes, "Pics of my girls using Kaisercraft Violet Crush, clear embossing and glimmer mist." 
We love the effect.

 3) New entrant winner

Congratulations to Marina for entering for the first time. You've won a packet of Honey Chai Collectables. Marina entered 2 layouts this month. The first layout is one of her daughter Ella and her furry friend. Marina says, "This is Ella (aged 2) with her fuzzy friend Tiggy. He goes everywhere with her, now he is less orange, does not have stripes and not a lot of stuffing. Here she is exploring outdoors with her faithful friend. I put the main photo on a lean because the way she carries Tiggy means he only ever sees the world on a lean." 



Of her second layout Marina says, "This is my daughter Ella in a rare quiet moment, captured without her realising I was taking her photo. The sketch provided the inspiration for the layout. I liked the simplicity of the sketch which allows the image to be the feature.
 

to show you a couple of little creations I have been working on for Artfull Crafts
Pippa has kindly come along to help me show you this first layout (actually she wouldn't get off the sheet and then lay down on it in the sun!....I have been told never work with Husbands and Animals...well that's my version of it!!!)

I have used the latest "Storyteller" collection from Kaisercraft and I absolutely love the flowers/roses and colours, I am thinking most of it is really following the lines of Graphic 45 and is made to be cut out, but for those of us that like fussy cutting its all good....for those of us that don't ...conn someone into it or have a go yourself  - the worst you are going to do is have to run a sponge with vintage photo or sepia on it around your edges and hide the roughness of your cutting, however some of the rough edges are warranted and remember scrapping isn't always straight lines and nice neat edges.

It's fun looking at all the challenge entries for April. Furry Friends is a really easy theme to find a piccie for. We don't have pets - well not house ones! We have friendly chickens (and they would come in the house if we let them), and we have some sheep and a couple of cows.

Meet Porter and Chuck: 
This photo was taken the frist day we got them (thanks Christine for doing the weaning!). They didn't want to stand and have their photo taken but they are much more friendly now (some silverbeet in hand does the trick)! They are much larger too. It's amazing how by gobbling grass each day they grow and grow (and one day we will gobble them and grow and grow...)

This layout was completed using Kaisercraft's Honey Chai collection - available now at Artfull Crafts.

We look forward to seeing what you submit for the April challenge - and if you don't have a Furry Friend, then how about using the Sketch as the inspiration for the month.

Hi there  - Christine here today with a card set I have made using Kaisercraft's Kaleidoscope Collection....



From the paper pad I chose different patterned papers to make the sunburst pattern to have for my base of each card. I really like to make these and love how they each look different. Here is a Youtube video to watch if you are not familiar with how to do this.
 For these 2 cards I cut out butterflies with my Memory Box Butterfly dies, used some collectables to join up the sunburst pattern to the base card and of course added some Bling!

 The squares on these cards have been diecut using Spellbinders Decorative Labels 1.  The butterfly is from the Butterflies sticker sheet.
 These 2 cards look quite different colour wise but just show the colour groupings you can get from this Collection. The black bird silhouette has been cut out with my Cameo.

For something to put my set of 6 cards in to give to a friend I have made this paper bag using the bag punch board. I have made it wider by cutting a separate panel from kraft card for the front. The back, sides and front strips were from the 12x12 paper and use the whole width of the 12" . This was easy to do and gives a bigger bag which will hold 6 cards and their envelopes.

TFL

Happy Creating!

Christine

A few years ago my brother got married on Koh Samui, Thailand. Him and his wife live in London, but her family was from Australia and we were from NZ, so Thailand was the perfect mid-way point! This island didn't disappoint and we spent a wonderful week with the happy couple.

I couldn't resist using the May sketch to create a kit with Kaiser's Tropicana Papers. (Details below on how to purchase it.)




I love the way the transparency/overlay creates an effect when the light shines on it. It's a bit like the sun shining on water.

 The floral papers in the Tropicana range are perfet for cutting out, scrunching up in your hand, and putting together with a flower and brad in the centre.


This was simple scrapbooking - less than half an hour! That's how fabulous sketches are. Why don't you use the sketch provided for the month of April and give it a go! Make a card or a layout using it for inspiration. Alternatively, why not create something using the theme of the month - Furry Friends. Click here for all the details and to see what's available to win!


Did you know that you can purchase this kit (and loads of others) from Artfull Crafts for only $20. That includes the product and the sketch and a copy of the completed project (no full instructions included). Click here to see what's available.