Christmas Kickstart Challenge #41 - Festive Florals

Welcome to Challenge #41! Doesn't time fly? It'll soon be Christmas.

It's time to welcome a new elf, and I'm delighted that Arlene Rose is here to provide the inspiration for our challenge. Let's find out a little bit more about Arlene...

"From the age of two I have always had an instrument of art in my hand. It started with crayons and never stopped. I was signed up to art school after graduation from nursing school but met my hubby and that led me down a different path. I have been rubber stamping for over 45 years. 

Back then I was only able to find stamps and ink pads in the local drug store. I had my youngest, born with Down’s Syndrome, and stayed home where I began teaching online. After my boys were in school I started working in craft and stamp stores, sadly all now closed. I have been teaching card crafting as well as other crafts for 12 years in the library system. I love to share my “talents” that God gave me with others."

Here's our theme:

Challenge #41 is Festive Florals

Don't you just love Arlene's beautiful card?

You can find all the details of how she made it by visiting her blog.

Here's what I made:

You can find the details of my card here.

Rudolph has been shopping and has got a lovely prize for this challenge: 

Remember, everyone who enters goes 'into the hat' for Rudolph's Random Raffle.

Here's hoping you'll feel inspired by Arlene's beautiful card and come and join the fun!

Challenge Rules and Guidelines: 

• Like and/or follow this blog either via Blogger or Bloglovin, or Email. 
• Add the URL link from your project after it has been uploaded to your online craft gallery or blog to the Linky tool. 
• Please mention and link back to this post/blog to let people know about this fun challenge!
• I'd appreciate cards made especially for this challenge, but I understand that we all love challenges and the additional traffic they bring, so please link a card that fits NO MORE THAN 8 CHALLENGES including this. 
• New Challenges will commence fortnightly on a Tuesday. 
• Please enter a max of 3 cards per challenge.
• Preferably no back linking to older projects, please.
• Please remember to reference a fellow crafter's creations if your card has been inspired by their work.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Let's Trim the Tree for Challenge #39

It's time to trim that tree here at Christmas Kickstart and hey, guess what, in under seventy days we'll all have to make sure we've trimmed the tree for real! Christmas is coming, people!

Thank you so much to all of you who entered this challenge. Our elf was the wonderful Chrissie Stokes and it's been such a joy to partner with her over the last two weeks. Thanks so much, Chrissie.

We had twenty-two fabulous entries and thinking caps were needed for quite a long time before we came up with the following results:

Our Top Picks

Marina

We both loved this sweet and witty card!

Michele

A beautiful card with a gorgeous colour palette.

Leanne

A lovely layout and great colours, plus delicious looking cookies!

Marcia

Just look at Marcia's little gingerbread house - such attention to detail.

 Topping the Tree for this challenge is:

Linda

We both enjoyed a good chuckle at Linda's sweet card!

Congratulations to you all, please grab your badges and flaunt them with delight!

As always, Rudolph has chosen a Random Raffle winner and it's you 

#18 - Robyn

 

Robyn, I'd be grateful if you could please contact me with your address at dottypudding@aol.com.

Thanks again to Chrissie and to everyone who entered this challenge. Challenge #40 is already in progress and we have a new elf to inspire us with her creativity. Why not drop by and join the fun!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #40 - Pink Christmas

We've reached quite a milestone here at Christmas Kickstart: Challenge #40. I can't believe this little blog has reached forty challenges. Thank you so much to everyone who plays along and makes it so much fun.

It's time to say 'hi' to our new elf, so let's welcome a very talented cardmaker and cross-stitcher: Pops Moffat! 

"I am a stay at home mum, who started crafting to make a card for my daughter Shaleise, everyone of her friends had a card with their name on, so this is why I started crafting, I am happy to be joining Jo on this challenge."

Pop's is just recovering from a nasty chestion infection, so I'm sure you'll all join me in sending her some healing vibes and gentle hugs! Get well soon, sweetie.

Pop's and I decided to offer a picture challenge for our theme and would like you to use either or both photographs for your inspiration for:

Challenge #40 - Pink Christmas

Here's what Pop's made - told you she's talented!

And here's my card for the challenge:

I had way too much fun with this theme and you can see what else I made by heading here. 

We're all about PINK firstly, because we love it, but also because it's Breast Cancer Awareness month. Check those boobies, ladies, it's important.

Rudolph is In Dah House with another lovely Random Raffle prize:

Cute, huh?

Pops and I had loads of fun with this theme and we both hope you'll come and play along!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Let's Trim the Tree for Challenge #38

Hi there, Christmas Kickstarters, it's time to Trim the Tree for Challenge #38. Before I do, I'd like to say a very BIG thank you to my wonder-elf, Linda, for all her help, inspiration and additional card making! 

Thanks, Linda, it's been a blast!

Our theme was White on White, and you guys really seemed to enjoy this one. We had some beautiful entries and I have to admit that I'm more than a little bit 'hooked' on this style of card as a result of the challenge. 

Our Top Picks are:

Kailash

Such a lovely card, with the perfect addition of silver accents.

Darnell

We both loved the texture and dimension Darnell has achieved. 

Cindy C.

Just look at how Cindy has embossed the poinsettia vein onto the die cut vellum.

Our winner for this challenge, topping the tree is:

Jules

We love that glorious poinsettia on this sweet rocker card.

Congratulations to you all, please grab your blog badges to let the world know how talented you all are!

Rudolph had a rather lovely prize on offer for this challenge and he's here to announce that the winner of his 38th Random Raffle is: 

#4 - Gail!

Hi Gail, please can you get in touch to claim your prize.

I think that just about wraps things up for Challenge #38. Thanks again to Linda for being a great elf, and if YOU'D like to play along in the newest challenge please head here to meet our new elf and to find out the new, fun theme.