Flourish Trim ...

Etsy Shop

Hi Everybody,

This is a pink version of the card I added yesterday ... and that card sold almost immediately from my Etsy shop.

This one has also been added to the shop.

But the tutorial will show you how I made the card and I have used the small die from Spellbinders called Flourish Trim.

I have used a really smooth pink silk card from  Hunkydory  and mixed it with the Dotty card from  AnnaMarie Designs. 

This and the one yesterday are such  lovely cards and I was really pleased with them once  they were finished.

The flowers are a mixture of Tulips, Carnations and Roses from Wild Orchid Crafts   and they have been sparkled with Glamour Dust.

As always my beautiful  Diamante "Bling" is from Want2Scrap and I just love using this stuff as it adds such a touch of luxury to my cards and corsages.  A little goes a long way as they say and I can stretch Bling  a lonnnnng way !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

*S5-189 Spellbinders MAJESTIC LABELS TWENTY-FIVE Nestabilities Dies

*s5-031 Spellbinders FANCY TAGS THREE 3 Shapeabilities

*S2-005 Spellbinders FLOURISH TRIM Shapeabilities Die D-lites Dies New 2012

InLinkz.com

Dotty Blue ...

Etsy Shop

Hi Everybody,

This is a really pretty card and such a lovely shade of blue .. and is much better in real life than the photo shows.

It is another Hinged Card  made from an A4 piece of white card  and it is lined inside.

Somebody asked me the other day what was the benefit of making this style of  card as opposed to simply  folding it in half

Well the simple answer is I add a lot of weight to the front of my cards and they won't free stand if I  have the fold on the side ... but they will display beautifully with the fold at the top.

And adding the hinge means I lose nothing off the size of the area on which to add everything.

The ribbon is a lovely soft Grosgrain and it ties easily into a double bow.

I have added a pale blue embellishment to the knot .

The flowers are a selection from Wild Orchid Crafts

The pearly swirl is called  Frilly Flourish and it is from Want2Scrap

It is a large flourish but I cut it up and use portions of it on several cards.

The website is well worth a visit at present as they are having a half price sale on everything.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

*PREORDER S5-161 Spellbinders RADIANT RECTANGLES Nestabilities Majestic Elements Dies NEW 2013

*s5-031 Spellbinders FANCY TAGS THREE 3 Shapeabilities

*Heartfelt Creations DECORATIVE BLOSSOM CORNER Spellbinders Die Cut HCD729 New 2013

*S2-005 Spellbinders FLOURISH TRIM Shapeabilities Die D-lites Dies New 2012

InLinkz.com

Yellow Rose

Hi Everybody,

This image has been coloured with Spectrum Noir and I really took my time with this one.

The image is from "The Next Big Thing" by  Just Inklined and this is a disc I turn to time and time again for the lovely and varied images on it.

The colors used ...
CT4 GB5 OR1 OR3 DG2 DG4 CG2 IG1

The CD covers a multitude of subjects and it such a pity that it has been discontinued.

But if you are lucky enough to have one then take a fresh look at it all and you are sure to find something that you would enjoy coloring.

Just a thought ....

As an accredited instructor with Spectrum Noir and as a member of the design team .... I do regularly create video tutorials for the Spectrum Noir website.  I also add tutorials to Card Making Magic and I teach with The Art Studio.

But I was thinking of starting something on a more personal level and inviting people in the Blackpool area to join a color class with Spectrum Noir pens.

There would be about 6/8 places and the day and time would be decided if I get any response from this post.

So if you live in the area and would be interested in coming to a coloring class ... where we can learn and share ideas then please email me ...

 christina@card-making-magic.com 

I have many digital images and stamps for you to choose ... so I would provide the images on quality card for you to color and give the tuition.

I will provide tea/ coffee and maybe a biscuit or two .... but you will need to bring your own pens.   The class could run for a couple of hours with a break in the middle.

Now I shall cross my fingers and hope that maybe someone would like to join the class ...

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Parchment Card ...

Hi Everybody,

A few weeks ago I added a card with a parchment front to it and I had several emails asking me how I did it.

So guess what ..... here's a video tutorial to show you the steps I took to create the card.

The original card is the lilac one that you can see in the film but this is another color way and I have used Centura Pearl card for the background.

The card and the large A4 embossing folder are both  from Crafters Companion  and the embossing folder is called Ornate Butterflies




The parchment is from AnnaMarie Designs and it is quite thick and it cut really well.

But when you are folding if to create the butterflies to decoupage be careful as it will split on the embossed lines if you are too rough with it.

I have shown you how different it can look using a colored and a white background to it ... but both are really pretty

All self respecting butterflies need a trail and these are provided by pearl flourishes from Want2Scrap

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

*LF-132 Spellbinders GRAND RECTANGLES Nestabilities Calibur Dies New 2011

*LF-347 Spellbinders GRAND LABELS 23 Twenty Three Nestabilities Calibur Dies New 2011

*S5-187 Spellbinders LABELS THIRTY-THREE Nestabilities Dies

*S5-034 Spellbinders PARISIAN ACCENTS Shapeabilities

*PREORDER S5-166 Spellbinders ORNATE SQUARE Shapeabilities Dies NEW 2013

InLinkz.com

Little Shoes

Hi Everybody,

This is a fun card that the children will enjoy making  .... if you let them use your Spellbinders that is

It only takes one set and that is Labels Eight but you could adapt this for any similar shape that you have in your collection.

Your children could use it for party invitations or just to wish their friends a Merry Christmas .. but they will enjoy making it I promise.

It is a good one for using up all the bits of left over card that you may have lying around and it is quick and easy to do.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tattered Lace Mask ...

Etsy

Hi Everybody,

This beautiful mask is another delicate die from  Tattered Lace

They can be purchased from  Crafting.co.uk     and they have most of them in stock.

The card is a 6" square ... just to give you some idea of the size of the mask.

I have added silver edged ribbon through each side.

 The black pearls on the sentiment and the  Diamante are  from Want2Scrap 


The sentiment itself is from the Sentimentals collection from Crafters Companion   and I have embossed it in silver.

Quite a dramatic effect

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

*LF-126 Spellbinders GRAND SQUARES Nestabilities Calibur Dies

*s5-031 Spellbinders FANCY TAGS THREE 3 Shapeabilities

InLinkz.com

Pale Yellow ...

Added to Etsy ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is created from a pale yellow Centura Pearl  from Crafters Companion

It has been layered with the Grateful Lattice behind the sentiment

It is much prettier in real life than the photo and I have to say that yellow is not my first choice to make a card.

The Carnation is from Wild Orchid Crafts and it has been sparkled with Glamour Dust.

The layered bow has been created with my bow maker.

And there is a glimpse of the inside of the card with the same ribbon around the panel.



The sentiment is from the Sheena Douglass range and there are many lovely words to choose from and they are the kind of verses that make a statement on your cards and they can all be bought from Crafters Companion.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

*LF-126 Spellbinders GRAND SQUARES Nestabilities Calibur Dies

*PREORDER S5-164 Spellbinders GRATEFUL LATTICE Shapeabilities Expandable Patterns Dies NEW 2013

*S4-246 Spellbinders LABELS ELEVEN 11 Nestabilities

*Spellbinders NESTABLING LABELS ELEVEN BLACK 11145

InLinkz.com

Winners Announced ...

Hi Everybody,

Here I am again and the winners of  the £25 vouchers from Crafters Companion  have now been chosen at random by InLinkz.

They are .....Ta Dah !!

Wendy Thompson 

 and 

 Jill Figley 

I need you to contact me .... 

christina@card-making-magic.com

with your addresses please so that I can send the gift vouchers to you both.

I hope you will enjoy spending the vouchers and will let us know what it is you decide to buy.  There are lots of amazing items on the Crafters Companion website.

I don't know where you are based in this big wide world but CC has a website in the USA  and so here are both links for you to browse around ...

Crafters Companion UK                      Crafters Companion USA

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Happy Snowmen... Hic !

Hi Everybody,

Here's me and Griff feeling merry over Christmas ....

It's a Just Inklined Image from the CD The Next Big Thing and it is colored with Spectrum Noir...
Colors used ...
IB1, IB2, BT1, OR1, OR3, DR1, DR3, DR7, IG2, IG4, IG8

And three of the same colors have been used to create the dotty background.

The card was made around the size of the image and the only Spellbinder used is the Asian Accents Border.

The flowers are created from white glitter card with a pearl centre and the trialing Ivy is from Crafters Companion 

This is a scheduled post from yesterday and I will be back later to tell you the winner of the Crafters Companion 

£25 vouchers.

More  later ...

Hugs xx

*PREORDER S5-123 Spellbinders ASIAN ACCENTS Shapeabilities Dies NEW 2012

InLinkz.com

Tattered Lace Bow ...

Hi Everybody,

Now this is more me ... and here is the Tattered Lace  bow that everybody wants to buy.

I have cut the bow twice and then cut the tails off one of them and layered them together with ribbon running through the knot.

Then I have added the smaller bow on top and placed a pearl in the middle.

I have used Spellbinders Grand Rectangles to create the base and added in the Chantilly Lace around the edges.

Mixing and matching dies from other companies ensures you get your monies worth from any of our purchases ... coz we all know they aren't cheap to buy.

The sentiment is one from the collection called Sentimentals from Crafters Companion  and I have embossed it in silver.

Click the picture to enlarge the card and then you can read the verse. The dies combined with the white and pink makes a very pretty card.

Today is your last chance to enter the draw to win one of the £25 vouchers from Crafters Companion.  The selection will be done by InLinkz and the winners notified in the morning.  So if you still haven't added your name then you will need to be quick.  ... Here is the link ....  Good Luck

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

*LF-132 Spellbinders GRAND RECTANGLES Nestabilities Calibur Dies New 2011

*PREORDER S4-389 Spellbinders ADORNING SQUARES Nestabilities Majestic Elements Dies NEW 2013

*S4-308 Nestabilities LABELS ONE Small 1 Spellbinders New 2011

InLinkz.com

Sea Scape ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is a million miles away from my usual style ...  No Bling ... and not a ribbon or a flower in sight.

This is one of the new Sheena Douglass    "Little Bit Sketchy" stamps and is called Sea Scape

I have stamped it onto water color card with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.

I moved the ink around with a little water and a fine brush to give the appearance of water coloring.

The boat was stamped separately and then decoupaged onto the front.   It is a very masculine card and would suit a number of occasions and although out of my comfort zone I do like the card.

All Sheenas' stamps are available from Crafters Companion  ... and what a good way to spend the £25 voucher if you should win one of them.     Add your name to the list   to be in with a chance

But guess what I have done ..... Don't ask me how or why but for some reason I ordered the same stamp set .... twice !!   Now how stupid is that  ...   and it's not the first time I have done that either.  It must be my age

I can't be bothered sending them back so they will be added to a future "Give Away" for one lucky person to win them.  So watch this space in the coming months

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

I'm Late ...

Hi Everybody,

This is a late post for me as I usually have them done way before this ... no excuses and better late than never.

Yesterday was very busy and my "Film Crew" and I did three videos for The Art Studio with Spellbinders.

This will be the fourth class I have done for TAS and it will be with you by the end of the month.

If you have been waiting for the Spectrum Noir class then I must apologise for it's lateness ... but I have been waiting for the new pens to come onto the market.

I now have them and the next class will be with you in December.

Once the filming was done I had a quick play with the new Tattered Lace  dies and made this lacey butterfly from one of  the corner dies and added some pearly swirl  from Want2Scrap  for the trail

Then we went off to the cinema for the afternoon to see "Gravity" with Sandra Bullock and then out for Roast Beef ... so altogether a good day really.

The "Give Away" is still on going until Saturday so if you haven't added your name yet then what are you waiting for ???  ....  Here is the link    but please only add your name once as any duplication will be removed to keep it fair for everybody.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

The Origami Box Tutorials ...

Hi Everybody,

Last Christmas I added  the tutorials  for this decorated box and it was very well received.

 It is quite a big box if you make it from 12" Square card  and last year I filled mine with bathroom goodies  like soaps and bath salts and my family loved them.

Because the video was long I did it in two parts.

I completed the base in one and then made the top to fit the base in the next stage.

I used a study double sided card and then added all the pearls and flowers to make them pretty to give.



So here  are both parts of the tutorial  and I hope you will have a go at making them for your self and I hope you will enjoy them

More tomorrow ...

More Flowers and Twigs ...

Hi Everybody,

Well the card with the twigs on seemed to go down very well and many of you liked it ... so here is another one I did.

Thank you for letting me know what you thought of it.

I am not adding a list of the dies as they the same as  for the other card ... the only difference on this is the trellis  and that is pre-cut from AnnaMarie Designs

It is A4 in size which means you can cut the trellis to whatever size you need for your project


 The background to the card is embossed with the Clouds embossing folder from Crafters Companion 

They have very kindly donated the prize for this months " Give Away"  and so if you haven't added your name yet to win a voucher for £25 to spend with Crafters Companion ...   then here is the link


I have embossed some Color Core card and then sanded it back to reveal the clouds and it is very subtle and much prettier in real life.

My flowers are a selection from  Wild Orchid Crafts  and are a mixture of Chrysanthemums, Roses, Sweetheart Blossoms and Cherry Blossoms.
All the petals have the addition of Glamour Dust.

The inside of the card is lined and it is made to the Hinged Card Style  which is very easy to do.

I am amazed once more at how many names have been added to the list for the "Give Away"

Thank you to those of you who are new to my Blog and have become followers.  If you are new then you may not know about my website   Card Making Magic  Please pop over there to visit too.

There are video tutorials on here but you will find many many more on the website along with written tutorials, projects and ideas that are just waiting for you to try.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Twigs not leaves ...

Hi Everybody,

I thought that for this card I would use twigs to surround the flowers instead of leaves and I think it looks really pretty.

I used some light brown card stock that I already had and it is quite a strong card at 300 gsm.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and I have added some sparkle to the petals.

The wide satin ribbon is from Mei Flower and is tied in a single bow.

The pearl and Diamante centre is from The Hobby House

I have added just a small strip of   Diamante along the side of the sentiment as it lacked a little something for me.

The sentiment has been heat embossed in silver and the card is in the Hinged Card style




Have you added your name to the  November Give Away  ???  You could win a voucher for £25 to spend with Crafters Companion.

Click the link to go to the page but only add your name once please as duplicates will be removed.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx.

*PREORDER S6-001 Spellbinders 5 X 7 MATTING BASICS A Nestabilities Card Creator Dies NEW 2013

*PREORDER S6-002 Spellbinders 5 X 7 MATTING BASICS B Nestabilities Card Creator Dies NEW 2013

*PREORDER S5-154 Spellbinders BOTANICAL SWIRLS Shapeabilities Expandable Pattern Dies NEW 2012

*PREORDER S5-129 Spellbinders FOLIAGE 2 Two Shapeabilities Dies NEW 2012

*PREORDER S4-378 Spellbinders CHERRY BLOSSOMS Shapeabilities Dies NEW 2012

InLinkz.com

November "Give Away" ....

Hi Everybody,

Here is what I have for this month and the prize has been very generously donated by Crafters Companion   ... and there are TWO vouchers on offer.

Long before I started this Blog I have regularly used their products and I have always given you the links to their website.

It is a UK company and has a wonderful supply of all kinds of craft goodies.

But there is also a US branch  ... Crafters Companion USA

So now here is your chance to get some of the beautiful items that are on offer  for your self.   Have a good mooch around their website  ... wherever you are  ... and imagine that you have the £25 to spend.

And then add your name at the bottom of the page for the chance to win one of TWO vouchers .... Yep TWO people will be able to spend £25 on items of their choice.

You have one week to join in until the 23rd November and the two names will be drawn at random by InLinkz.    You will need to be a follower to be in the draw and if you leave me a comment that would be nice.

If you are the winner you will have a few days to send me your address to get your prize.  If I don't here from you the draw will be done again for someone else to have the voucher.

You don't need a blog to be able to enter .... leave the URL box blank.  The red cross at the side of your name just means that you can delete if you wish .... and only add your name once as duplicate will be removed to keep it fair for everybody.

And last but not least it doesn't matter where you live ... you can enter any of the "Give Aways"  and I will be happy to send you the prize on offer.