Two Winners ....

Hi Everybody,

Today is the draw fro the TWO prizes on offer and this is one of them.

They are basically the same it's just that the CD and alphabet  in each one is  different

And the winners are  ......

Mary W  and  Melanie Carter 

so if you can email me your land addresses please ladies I will pop the parcels in the post to you straight away.

I hope you will enjoy the prize and add your cards to the Gallery Page on the website.

But you don't have to be a winner to do that ... any card or project that you would like to show case can be added so please feel free to do so. 

You can add four photos at any one time but you need to tell us a little about YOU and how you made the card please. 

Card Making Gallery   is there just for you ... and you can comment on the cards from others.  And the Gallery is growing all the time with beautiful cards that you are making and they are a delight to see.

 More tomorrow ...

Hugs cc

Promotion for me ....

Hi Everybody,

It will be two years in November since I gave up going out to work.

I have since then devoted my time to building the website Card Making Magic and making it even  even better ...  and of course I started this Blog.

It was the best move I ever did and I have no regrets at all ... in fact I wish I had one it sooner.

I also joined a group on the web many years ago that allowed me to add my work and videos to her pages.  And over the years we have become friends.

Adeles'  aim is to help  designers  to host their own mini communities and become  "Experts" in their own field.  To build up their own  group of  fans and interact  via emails, lessons and  "Live" chat sessions.

And I have just been invited to become the  regular "Spellbinders Expert" on the website with a page dedicated to my group.  

So please pop over and take a look and maybe join the group and take advantage of the offers that are in the shop.   Click this link ...   "Spellbinders Expert"  ... it maybe something that you want to join in with if you are as addicted to these dies as I am.

 More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Zentangle Baby ...

Hi Everybody,

Some time ago I added this lovely baby from   Mo's Digital Pencil that I had colored .... and not  quite made into a card ...  yet !

But just for a change I thought I would do something a little different with Baby  Fairy Kiki

So yesterday I got out the fine liner pens that I have and I just sat and played.

It took me about two hours to do this Zentangle pattern ... but what a relaxing way to spend some time.

I started by adding the outline of some clothes to the body and then broke it up into sections to make it easier.

I stayed with the same pattern for the little outfit but I tried some different ones for the wings and her hat.

And I have to say that I was quite pleased with my self at the end ... because this is the first time I have tried Zentangle on a digital image.

It won't be the last time as I really enjoyed myself doing this and finishing it into a card.


Once the pattern was added I used my Spectrum Noir pens to color it in and I added the shadows to the clothes just as I would with the original image.

Then once the skin was colored the whole picture was magic.  Hope you like ...

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

University Guest Speaker ...

Hi Everybody,

I have no card for you today but I wanted to share this piece of news that dropped into my inbox earlier this week.

This is  from a lady called Melinda  and I have given it some consideration.... a whole two minutes ....

Here is part of the email I got ....

I have been following your blogs for a long time now and just love them! I am always so excited to see what you have come up with each day for your crafting audience.

Not only do I love to craft, but I also teach journalism at Mid America Nazarene University in suburban Kansas City, USA. 

This semester I am teaching Reporting & Writing and requiring my students to create and maintain a blog for the duration of the class. I admire your work so much that I'd love for you to tell my students about your blogging experiences.

Would you be able to join us via Skype on Tuesday, Sept. 3? 

I know you are incredibly busy and I have not given you much lead time, but I couldn't resist at least trying to make this happen.

If you agree, then you would be addressing a small (not more than 10 students), upper-division, multimedia class.  The students are juniors and seniors, and the atmosphere is conversational.

The students also would have questions prepared to ask you and would have explored both the Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls and the Card Making Magic sites.

You are absolutely one of the best and most thorough bloggers I've encountered so would love to give my students the opportunity to pick your brain.

Now I ask you ... what would you say to an offer like that ????   My answer was Yes Yes Yes ...   I would be delighted and honored to do so and of course I wrote back to accept the offer.

The reply back from Melinda was ...

Thanks so much for agreeing to speak to my students.

You will love them; they are wonderful people, who I've had in classes since they were freshmen and sophomores. 

And I know they will love you, too!

And so I am preparing for this and  I am nervous about it.   The time scale is different and  we need to set it  up with Melindas'  computer technicians to make sure we get it right.... otherwise I will be sat here talking to myself !!

But what an honor to be asked in the first place ... and didn't I say that 2013 has been an amazing year for me so far ... and it's only August 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spectrum Noir ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is using Spectrum Noir to color the image,   and this is Nevaeh from   Saturated Canary

Colors used ...
Skin            FS2, FS3, CR1,
Hair            GB1, GB8, GB11
Dress          CR1, CR5, CR6, CR7  with Gliter highlights
Frill/socks/shoes     IG1, IG5, IG7

The new Spectrum Noir class with The Art Studio is due to be added soon and I will let you know exactly when it is available.

The background panel is embossed with the A4 folder Interlocking Circles  from  Creative-Studios

The image has been curled with my fingers and added to the card with Pinflair Glue Gel to raise her up.

This is the glue that comes with a syringe to help you position it accurately.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and are a mixture of Roses, Carnations, lilies and Daisies.

I thought I would use the Venetian Accents and Motifs dies a little differently for this card and I added the mask to the images face ... adds an air of mystery to her. What do you think ??

If you are looking to add your name to the Give Away you will find it   HERE  and it is open until Saturday.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Another Frame Tutorial ...

Hi Everybody,

Yesterday I added the tutorial   Creating a Frame with Spellbinders  ... but I promised that I would do another tutorial making the same style card without the use of dies at all.

And so here is Making a Frame Tutorial  and although it takes some work to get the frame I still think that the end result is worth the effort.

I have shown you just two ways to add the strips in the video ... as these photos show ... but you can make whatever pattern you prefer.

Make it look like a window or simply add them in squares, but I am sure you will agree that it looks pretty either way.

The background is created with the 8x8 Embossing folder Regency Swirls from Crafters Companion

If you did the diamond pattern you could add pearls into each of the crossed sections.    My pearls are from Want2Scrap

And please, please don't be a perfectionist about the space between the diamonds ... you will drive your self crazy trying to get them exact.

It is after all a hand made card  ... and no body will know ... if you don't tell them !!

All they will see is the lovely card that you have taken the time to create with love  ... JUST for them

I have been asked where you can get the Quatrefoil Pattern die  ... here are the links for you

 ....   In the UK  .....  In the USA   

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

A Requested Video ...

Hi Everybody,

When I added the tutorial for Adding Flowers to Cards I had many emails asking me about the centre panel made with the Quatrefoil Pattern die.

The link above is to the UK supplier and if you are in USA then this link will take you to your supplier

So another video has been filmed and it is now there for you to see ... so get your cuppa and settle down to watch and I know you are going to love this card.

 Creating a frame with Spellbinders    shows how the featured card is made and takes you step by step through  the whole process.

The blue card used in the making of this card is Centura Pearl from Crafters Companiuon

This photos hows you the depth involved in the card .... but please be aware that it takes a lot of matching card to get the layers.

It also needs patience to cut all the layers but once you have finished it is so well worth effort.

As I say to you on the video ...  be aware of all this extra  work and the material you are using when you are pricing your cards to sell.

You are going to need to replace your stocks and YOUR time needs to be paid for too

Another request I have had is to include more videos for those who don't have Spellbinders.

So later today ... once my "Film Crew" has watched his Formula 1 ...  I am going to create the same card again and not a Spellbinder will be used throughout. I will add the video for that later in the week.

If you still haven't entered the "Give Away" the link is still here .... August Give Away   ... it's open until Saturday

More tomorrow ...

Hugsxx

Robyns' Gift...

Hi Everybody,

My Grand-daughter  Robyn  is going to be Godmother to Gracie Mae and  she wanted something to give as a gift that no body else would have.

I have made these frames in the past and  Robyn likes them so much she asked if I would make one for her to give.

Here is the finished frame which is quite large and the characters inside are pre-colored from the Pretty Sweet CD  from  PolkaDoodles

The frame itself is from Dunelm Mill  and I have added silver Gilding flakes to the edge.  The name is  cut from the Spellbinders alphabet set that I have and  the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts

The other elements are items that I have in my "Stash"

 Robyns' response when  she came to pick it up was .... "WOW" and that is good enough for me and today is Christening Day and the gift will be given ....hope they like it

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Time for a "Give Away" ...

Hi Everybody,

Are you all ready for this Bank Holiday weekend ?   I am hoping that the weather will be kind to us here in the UK.

So as it is the last Bank Holiday for this year I thought I would have a "Give Away" and not just one prize but ... two.

Each set has similar ingredients to it which is ... an Alphabet set from SeeD's ...  a CD collection of Klever Konstruction Cards from My Craft Studio ...   6mtrs of ribbon ...  mixed brads ... a character stamp set ... some peel offs ...  and some fabric self adhesive flowers.

I am also adding in a little bow maker to each pack.... and I must stress that these are not the ones that Griff makes that I sell in  My Shop

The photo shows the difference in each pack but you will have to take pot luck as to which you get if you should win.

So add your name to the list by clicking   ... "Add Your Link" ... and if you don't have a blog leave the URL box blank.

The red cross at the side of your name just means that you can delete it if you wish.

If you add your name more than once then please delete one of them as duplicate entries will be removed to keep things fair for every one.

Leave me a comment to let me know that you have visited ... and you will need to be a follower to be in with a chance of winning.

The "Give Away" will be open for one week until Saturday the 31st August and you will need to check back to see if you have won and you will need to email me your address so that I can send the prize to you.

You will get an email telling you of your win and you will have one week to claim the prize before it is offered to someone else.  Good Luck

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Just white ...

Hi Everybody,

Terminology for  the new card maker  can be very confusing and so I like to keep things easy to understand.

If you are a seasoned card maker then please bear with me as I never mean to talk down to you..

But new people  are visiting Card Making Magic everyday and I get all sorts of questions in my inbox.

When I first started  with this lovely hobby it took me ages to find out what was meant by matting and layering.

So one of the questions I have been asked lately is to explain what is meant by CAS cards.

And this is one of those acronyms that will make you say ..... "Doh ! of course it is .... "

All it means is  ... Clean and Simple  ... and today I have some examples of what   CAS  looks like  to me.

I have kept the style, color and embellishments to a minimum ... and I have to admit that it is a real strain to keep the flowers, ribbons and pearls to a minimum for me !!

If you have been visiting my blog for a while you will know that my style is definitely  .... "More is More .... "

All these cards are white and silver and will be added to my stock  for sending at the correct time of year.

I have combined the Spellbinders with some of those from Tattered Lace  and all the little words are cut from their Christmas Sentiment die.

Now I need to go and lie down in a darkened room to get over the lack of a  "Bling"  on these cards ... Sigh !

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Extending the use of Spellbinders ...

Hi Everybody,

I have had few emails lately asking me to explain what demonstrators mean by Faux Nesties. 

I think it is better explained in a video and so   Faux Nesties  was made over the weekend.

It is not long but shows the technique that you can use to increase the use of all the labels dies that you may have in your collection.

And the more we can extend the use of these dies the better ... gives you more value for your money and that has to be a good thing.

So I hope you will enjoy my labors over Sunday and I hope the rain pouring down on my loft window doesn't spoil the tutorial too much.

This image  from  Lili of the Valley  was colored with Spectrum Noir ... but it was done some time ago and so I cannot add the list of colors used ... because I can't remember them ... soreee !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Using old Zips ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays cards is making use of any broken zips that you have in your sewing box.

They can  very easily be adapted into flowers that can adorn your cards or scrapbook pages.

It was the subject of another video that I did over the last weekend and is another that I hope you will enjoy.

Zipper Roses   can be expensive to buy and you get maybe four in a pack.

But you can pick up zips ... if you don't have any in your box ... very cheaply from the market stalls.

Don't worry about the length of them as they can adapted to suit your every need.

Once the zip is open and separated the long ones will make two flowers from each side ... so from one 20 inch zip you could end up with four flowers for about 90p  ... cheap as chips

The shorter zips can be made more full by using both sides and rolling them together.

You  can either sew them together or use some of the really sticky super strong double sided tape, or you can glue them with a hot glue gun ... but mind your fingers if you do because it burns ... ask me how do I know this ????

Play and enjoy and see what you come up with

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

New Video...

Hi Everybody,

Some time ago I was asked if I would show how I add the flowers to my cards ... and so I thought ... this calls for a video.

I made three cards all the same style and the same elements on them like ribbon and lace.

All had an embossed background and all had the lattice panel on the front  made with  Quatrefoil Pattern die

 The only difference in them was the color and the embossing was different on each one ... just to ring the changes.

Then I added in the flowers and made it a different display on each and used a different sentiment and tag shape on each one too

I decorated the inside to match the front ... and you will be able to see all three and the differences in the video ... which I hope you will enjoy.

Adding Flowers to Cards  was one of the tutorials I added over the weekend ... and I apologise about the rain but it was really throwing it down when we started.

But we only had a small slot of time and so we pressed on with it.

Hope fully the music will help to drown out some of the noise ... and the music is better than me singing !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pink Peacock

Hi Everybody,

Here is the Peacock die from  Tattered Lace  and  I have kept the design very simple for this one.

The card is quite large at about 7 1/2 " square and has been layered with pink and white.

The White layer has been embossed with the Elegance 8" folder from  Crafters Companion  and the ribbon has been added to the central strip.

I have added the Swirls from the Gold Elements One with foam pads to sit under the flower

The sentiment is from Keepsake and is a box of  wood mounted stamps that I have had for a long time.  It has been heat embossed in silver

The large pearls are from Want2Scrap  and I have added them onto the embossed  inside of the card also.

 The ribbon  was wrapped around a new pair of Pajamas that I bought at Christmas ... I knew it would come in handy someday

With the peacock I added it to pink Centura Pearl card and cut around it.

I have used a Quickie glue pen and  filled each open area, sprinkled some Glamour Dust on to it and allowed it to dry.

Then added it to the front of the card with foam tape to raise it off the panel.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pale Turquoise

Hi Everybody,

As I am writing this post the rain is pouring down and I can hear the pattering of the drops on the window that is above me in my craft room.

We were going to do a video but at the moment the noise is too much so hence I write this post instead.

Todays card is a lovely pale shade and it is much prettier in real life.  It is made into a Hinged Card and this is my favorite way to make cards at the moment

It creates a card that is neither  too big nor too small and because I used Spellbinders matting basics I know the lines will be perfect every time.

The filigree panel has been added with foam pads to make it stand out from the background and that gives depth to the card.

The little sentiment is from  JustRite Stampers  and it has been heat embossed in silver.

The ribbons is from Mei  Flower and is some I bought at the last craft show... and the next GNPE in Harogate is in October ... will you be going ? I will

I have wrapped the ribbon around the panel and glued a Dazzler  from Creative Studios  over the knot.

The beautiful flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and the card is finished with some strips of self adhesive pearls from Want2Scrap

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx