Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy

March 31, 2016

Aperture card

Hi Everybody,

Here is the second card to be on YouTube this week and I hope you will enjoy this simple idea using circle dies.

This is the Circle Cut Out Card  and if you click the link it will take you to the video

I have used  two dies from the  Standard Circles   to create the frame

The sentiment is from Sevenhills Crafts and  is Painted Inspirations  from Altenew. There are lots of quotes on the stamp sheet.

The ribbon is from Mei Flower and the dotty card in dark blue is from AnnaMarie Designs

The buckle to the ribbon is from a selection at Wild Orchid Crafts

This is a quick and easy card to make and one that you could keep on one side as a stand by for those unexpected request for cards

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 30, 2016

Water Color Wednesday - Sketched Elephant

Hi Everybody,

This delightful stamp is called Sketched Elephants and it is from Whimsy Stamps  It is a matching die and stamp set and I fell in love with it the minute I saw it.  Here I have just stamped the image and water colored it for a soft and pastel look to my card.
I have added in lace and  flowers ...  kindly donated to me  from  Wild Orchid Crafts  ... The flowers are pale pink, yellow and lilac and I have made them even paler with the Gesso that has been brushed onto the petals. Then they have been glittered up with Glitter Magic

I distressed the edges of the card with my scissors and I love the look. Adding in the pearl spray and the Pink  twine was the finishing touch. I dotted in small pearls in the same colors to blend with the card and they are from Want2Scrap

I partially cut the around the balloon with  Pierced Hearts  from Spellbinders and then raised the balloon with foam tape underneath it.  I added some Wink Of Stella clear glitter pen to make the balloon  glisten

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 29, 2016

Tuesday Tutorial - Victorian Bow

Hi Everybody,

Todays pretty card is a Gatefold card with the addition of the Victorian Bow and some beautiful flowers. It is a bit photo heavy but it will give you all the steps you need to make the card. 
Get yourself a cuppa and enjoy the tutorial.
Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies:
For my card I have chosen A4 blue and white to create a fresh looking card. 
Using a score board I have scored along the A4 Gate fold lines on the short side of the card and then turned it round to score the other side on the same mark
Fold them into the centre and press neatly with your bone folder.
Line the inside of the card with mats and layers 
I have chosen a dark blue to leave a small border around the Happy Birthday Card
Flat Glue in place
Make mats and layers to fit each of the front panels on your Gatefold with the same blue card but use the spotty card for the top.  Leave small border around the edges again and make sure that each of these front panels is equal
Cut the largest Victorian Bow four times in white and glue them all together and cut the smallest one once to hold the sentiment
Cut the sentiment from the same dark blue card several times and layer them together.
Cut the Flowing Floral six times and layer two of them together in twos for strength and leave the other two as cut.
  Add these two single ones to the inside of the back panel and add small pearls to each of the flowers
With layered Victorian Bow add foam tape to one side and added it to the left panels on the front of the card. Take care not to add the adhesive too far over or you will glue the card front shut 
.... Not a good Idea !!
Add the small die cut with the sentiment attached to the front panel with foam tape in between the layers 
Add the Flowing Floral to the side panels so that it will sit under the flowers. I have cut mine apart so that I can add them above and below the floral display.  I have added small blue pearls to the flower part of the die cut.
I have arranged the flowers on either side of the large focal point taking care that the flowers on the right of the card do not interfere with the opening of the Gate Fold and sprinkle them with glitter

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx















March 28, 2016

Making Shaker Cards

Hi Everybody,

So todays video that is "Live" on YouTube is this pretty shaker card made using the Classic Hearts and Scalloped Hearts from Spellbinders and the Curved Borders to create the shape along the bottom.

I have also used some Acetate and craft foam to help make the shaker element

If you have these dies in your personal collection then it is time to get them out again and play.

The spotty card is from  AnnaMarie Designs  and it is really good quality card.

The sequins are some that I have had in my "Stash" for some time. The pearls and the chipboard word are from Want2Scrap

The embossing at the bottom of the cards is with a new folder called  Ripple  and is one of several that have been added to Spellbinders shop

The video is titled   Heart Shaker Card   and I hope that you will enjoy it


Friday Freebies & Give Aways

In the side bar to your left I have added in a "Winners Page" and each time I do a Friday freebie or a Give Away I will add the winning names to that page. You will always be able to come back and find it to see if your name is there ... simply click the photo to go to the page


 I have also extended the time in which to claim the card to 72 hours simply because I don't want these cards sitting around waiting to be claimed.  If the card is not claimed then it will be offered again at a later date.
The winners name will still be posted in the next days (Saturday) blog post so you will need to come back and check if it is you

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 26, 2016

Card Winner today ...

Hi Everybody,

Yesterday when I said it was a nice day and spring was on the way I spoke too soon because today it is throwing it down and blowing a gale.  Still I am tucked up at home nice and warm and going to settle down with the latest Slimming World magazine bought this morning at SW Club.

I have lost another pound this week and after the club I went to buy myself the next size down for trousers as the ones I was wearing have become so baggy they look awful. I am so pleased with myself.

I know that some of you have been encouraged by my little stories to go and join your local own local Slimming World groups and I really wish you all the very best with your own journey. It is an excellent way to eat and you WILL lose weight if you follow the plan (and it is not hard to do) ...guaranteed. Thank you for writing to tell me of your weight losses, I am really happy for you.

The draw has been done for the winner and the name this week is ...

Yvonne Nicholson
please email me with your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the cards will be on their way to you straight away.
I hope you will like them and please let me know when they arrive with you.

No post tomorrow but I hope you all have a really good Easter.
Two new videos next week on YouTube and a lovely Tuesday Tutorial and Water Colour Wednesday

Hugs xx


March 25, 2016

Friday freebie 111 - Two Orange Roses .

Hi Everybody,

These two cards are on offer today and each one has a different verse. The back ground and roses are coloured with Brush Crystal colours but are not finished on the insides so you can use them however you wish
They are about an A2 size so will fit into a standard envelope. They are created in the same way that the blue pair from last week and the video tutorial is Brusho Crystals Background  

If you would like to win these two than all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post and from those comments a name will be drawn and announced in tomorrows blog post.

I urge you to come back and check if you are the winner as you will have 48 hours in which to claim them.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 24, 2016

Distress Ink Stripes

Hi Everybody,

The featured card is the one that is going "Live" on the YouTube today so I hope you will pop across and take a look.

It is titled Ink Stripes and shows you how to get this pretty look for your self with Distress Inks and some masking tape

I have used the Classic Bracket edgeabilities die to create the heart pattern in the card but sadly this die is now retired See what you have in your collection to recreate the effect.

It needs to be a die that keeps the pattern in the card and not cut it out completely.

It is a very simple and easy card to make and I am sure that you will make it your own with the embellishments that you add to it.

I stamped and heat embossed  my sentiment onto parchment and wrapped it around the panel then added in some enamel dots .

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 23, 2016

Water Colour Wednesday - Birthday Bears

Hi Everybody,

Today I have a few water colour cards to show you using the Birthday Bears from My Favorite Things

For the first two I have used the stamp as it is to create a one layer card.

The grass was hand drawn in the first card
The sentiment stamp for the first one is  That is All   from WPLUS9

The second one has used the words from "Blessed" by Mama Elephant and there are many ways to create the verse or saying that you want

The reason I am showing you these first two is because apart from colouring them I have done nothing else to them

But for the third card I have used the Birthday Bears matching die set to cut them out and add them to the front of my card.
I have also added clothes to them with a fine liner pen and then coloured them in

Just a fun effect that is easy to do and can help you to get even more from your stamps

You can see how different the Bear with the parcels looks once I added in a pretty top for Mama Bear

I bought all my stamps and the die from Sevenhills Crafts  for excellent service and a good price

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 22, 2016

Tuesday Tutorial - Decorative Labels Eight

Hi Everybody,

Todays tutorial is a really quick and easy card to make and uses one matting basics and one Decorative labels to complete the look.  The thing that makes the card look interesting is the layers, and the height to each of those layers gives depth to the card.
Spellbinders Supplies:
Other Supplies:
Instructions:

With #8 from Matting basics B cut two panels in white and create a hinged card
With #3 and #4 dies from Decorative Labels Eight cut one of each in white
(Die #1 is always the smallest)
Hand cut another layer for each of the fancy ones in the color of your choice
I have used pink Polka Dot card
Add foam tape to the back of each of these layers and wrap them with ribbon before adding them to the base card
I stamped my sentiment  in silver onto some yellow parchment and added the glue so that it will be hidden by the ribbon
Adding in the foam tape raises each of the layers up and gives depth to the design, so if you haven't tried adding in foam tape/pads or sheets then give it a try and see what a vast difference it makes.
I buy mine from the £££ shop and get three rolls for my £1
I added in a mix of pink and yellow flowers and doted them with glue and sprinkled with glitter 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 21, 2016

Believe ...

Hi Everybody,

Thanks you for all the lovely comments for yesterdays Pink Romance Card. 
Here is another in the same vein and this time in lilac.  It is a 5x7 sized card in a soft and gentle color and the flowers all blend in with the scheme. 
The flowers, lace and pearl embellishments are all from Wild Orchid Crafts  and they have the added sparkle from Glitter Magic

The die I have used is a sneaky peek from the new Contour collection from Spellbinders being launched later this month. This is Bye Bye Birdie and it creates a good sized bird cage. It is not on the SB website yet but I will link to it once it is

 I have cut it out six times,  and the top layer is in white glitter card,  and then glued them altogether to make a really solid bird cage

I have added in Guipure lace and cut leaves from the Foliage set also from Spellbinders. 

This is another card that I have enjoyed making and adding all my pretty bits to it.  I feel like a Magpie collecting all these sparkly "Blingy" pieces.

I will be adding a new video to the Inspirations page today and I hope you like this selection for you to view 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 20, 2016

Pink Romance ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is a real romantic one and I thoroughly enjoyed making this one.  It has all the elements that I like to add and some more as well.  I have used several different dies to create my look and the finished card is 5x7.
Th centre piece has been cut with the Decorative  Fancy Diamonds  from Spellbinders and is one of the Victorian Garden Collection that was launched last year. I cut this out five times and then glued them all together to create a really solid piece for my card.

I have used some of the leaves  from the  Stack and Fan Flowers  and the Flourishes from the  Cinch and Go  Flowers

The beautiful flowers and the green leaves are a mixture from Wild Orchid Crafts The floral lace and the silver corners are also from WOC  The silver leaves I have had in my "Stash" for a long time and I can't remember where I got them from.

I used the edge of my scissors to roughen up the edges of the paper for a shabby chic look and then once the card was completed I added some white Gesso and glitter to those edges.

I am pleased with the result and this is definitely on the same street as me ...

Don't forget to check out YouTube this week as I have two videos going "Live" one tomorrow and the other on Thursday.
More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx




March 19, 2016

Card Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Hope you are all having a good weekend so far. It's grey here today but at least it is fine. I went to my Slimming World weigh in this morning and I have lost another pound. Not a lot but at least it is better off than on.

To anybody thinking of joining Slimming World I would really encourage you to do it. It is a way of changing your life style and the weight will come off quite quickly if you stick to the eating plan.  I have lost 32lbs since I joined them last year and not once have I felt hungry or deprived.

Onto the card draw for the two rose cards from yesterday.  The name chosen this week is you. ...

Margaret Rogers 
please email me your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the cards will be on their way to you.

Please let me know when they arrive and I hope you will like them when they do.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 18, 2016

Friday Freebie 110

Hi Everybody,

Two more cards on offer this week and these have a beautiful Rose added to the front. They both have the Brusho background and they are "Thank you" cards.  They are not finished on the inside so you will be able to customize them as you wish.
If you would like to win BOTH of these cards then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post.  The name will be announced in tomorrows blog post and then you have 48 hours in which to claim it before it is offered to someone else.

Please come back to check if it is your name that is shown

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 17, 2016

Art Deco - Fairmont Collection

Hi Everybody,

This pretty in pink card is using another new die from Staceys Art Deco Collection and this one is named Fairmont.  There are some beautiful dies in this collection and it is well worth you taking a look as there is sure to be something that catches your eye. There are some really large dies that can create the whole card base and then you can decorate it from there.
There are three sets in the Fairmont dies that can be used as stand alone dies or they will all work together to give you a beautiful look.

Art Deco Fairmont Labels  is the plain label shape that has been used to create this base card in pink and it has been hinged together with the fold at the top.

The white layers have been cut with Art Deco Fairmont Decorative Accents  and added to the card with foam pads.

I haven't used the other set but it is  Art Deco Fairmont Decorative Element but it is just as stunning as the others and I love to work with these large and distinctive dies.

The flowers, pearl string and flower centre are all from Wild Orchid Crafts and they have been sparkled with Glitter Magic. I have added in some white enamel dots from Want2Scrap as an extra highlight

There is also a new video over on YouTube with more of the dies from the Art Deco Collections  ... and for the next two weeks there will be two videos each week on Monday and Thursday covering various techniques. I really hope you enjoy them

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 16, 2016

Water Colour Wednesday - Bon Voyage !!

Hi Everybody,

For todays water coloured card I thought I would have a little fun and dress these birds up in ways other than their intended.

And so out came the black fine liner and I added swimwear to both of them

I have turned one into a tall lady in a bikini and the other her short chubby companion.

Both have been coloured with suntans and both of them are carrying  a rolled up beach towel under their wings. Each one is sporting sun glasses. I created the sea and sky scene behind them with Distress Inks and added a flowery hat onto her head.

This card isn't going anywhere it was simply a little bit of playtime for me and I thoroughly enjoyed myself making this imaginary scene.

The stamps are Bird Crazy from Tim Holtz and they are a whole lot of fun to play with.  I hope they made you smile

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 15, 2016

Tuesday Tutorial - Astoria Collection

Hi Everybody,

For todays tutorial I have moved to some of the newest dies from Spellbinders and these are from Stacey Caron Designs. They are part of her Art Deco Collection and these are Astoria  

Everyone of these dies is completely up my street as I simply love large and intricate dies that you can really get your imagination working with and I have enjoyed playing with them
Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies:
Instructions:
With die # 7 cut two white panels to make the base card
With #5 and #3 cut one of each in white
(Die #1 is always the smallest)
With the two largest panels score one of them along the long side about half an inch down
Keeping both pieces flat add glue along this scored part and attach the other card to the strip making sure that the shape of the card is level. Set aside as this is the base
With each of the dies to the Decorative Elements cut one of each in your chosen color.
Add the largest colored piece to the base card with foam tape in between, being careful to match the shapes together
Layer each of the colored panels onto the  corresponding white one with foam tape in between the layers
Wrap some white ribbon around the middle sized panel looping it through the fancy edges
Build up the layers now onto the base card and stamp and heat emboss your sentiment
Add in a small bow and glue a diamante embellishment over the knot.
Arrange the floral display in a pleasing way.
Sprinkle the flower with glitter for added sparkle

Thursdays YouTube Tutorial will feature another card made with this Art Deco Collection

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx




















March 14, 2016

International Ambassadors Informal Blog Hop


 Hi Everybody,

Here we are with another Informal Blog Hop and for this month we chose the  beautiful new Art Deco dies that have been designed by Stacey Caron. This is the Astoria Collection and I have linked to all three sets for you to view the shapes
The card shows the Astoria Decorative Accents  for the base card.  I have used  the Decorative Elements to go with it for the centre panel. The plain Astoria  creates the label for the sentiment and the mats underneath from gold mirror card. The tassel under the flowers is also cut from gold.

I have had emails asking for some ideas for the Art Deco Collection  dies and so tomorrows Tuesday Tutorial will feature them. They are also the subject of Thursdays YouTube video tutorial so I hope you will come back to see both of them

My flowers are as always from Wild Orchid Crafts and I have kept them all white to compliment the card.  They have been sprinkled with glitter from Glitter Magic and the tiny pearls are from  Want2Scrap 

We started these hops as a way for you to get to know our indivdual styles and to say "Thank You" to all our loyal supporters. so now it's time to pop over and visit the other ambassadors and see what they have to show you.

Linda Lucas  Australia
Yvonne van de Grijp  Netherlands
Christine Emberson  UK
Christina Griffiths ... You are here

Click the links to go to the next one and have fun as you skim round the world.  Please leave us a comment to say that you have been and we will see you all again next month

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


March 13, 2016

Lily & Rose from Craft Stash

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is one that I made for Craft Stash and the die is from their Apple Blossom Collection. Click the link to see more cards from me with this pretty little dies set

I have been asked by Craft Stash to make two videos per month and this card is featured in one of them,  So far I have done five for them and once they have it all up and running I will add the link to their video section so that you can take a look at all the Design Teams work
In the meantime this card is using the  Lily and Rose  die and their are two flower dies in the pack. I have added the white flowers to an embossed a panel for more interest and you can use any that you already have in your "Stash"   The top flower has been water coloured and then glazed and added with foam pads

The video will show you what I did and some other ways that you can use this die and it is a useful one to keep on hand to create those floral toppers for your cards

The verse is from  Clarity Stamp   and it will need to be  mounted on an acrylic block to use

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx




March 12, 2016

Card Winner is ...

Hi Everybody,

Bit of a change with the weather today and although not too cold it is dull.   We really need some sunshine now to brighten up the days and some warmth here in the UK.  Still I hope you all have a good weekend wherever you are in the world.

The draw for the card was done this morning and a name has been chosen to win both of the yellow cards from yesterday.  The winner is ...

Sue MacFall 
please would you email me
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the cards will be on their way to to you straight away.
Could you let me know when they arrive with you and I hope you will like them  both

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


March 11, 2016

Friday Freebie 109

Hi Everybody,

Two more cards on offer today still with the Brusho Theme from the last few weeks.

These two are using the yellow crystals and I have used both negative and positive pieces for the cards.

The effect is quite vibrant but the cards can be used for any occasion.


If you would like to win BOTH of these then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the bottom of the page.

The winner will be given in tomorrows blog post so please come back and check if it is you if you add your name.

I have used the Classic Heart and Scalloped Classic Heart from Spellbinders for these cards as they are designed to play nicely together

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx


March 10, 2016

Creating A Stencil from die cuts ...

Hi Every body,

Over on my  YouTube  channel today you will find the latest video from me and this one shows you how to use your die cuts as stencils with some embossing paste

The card to the right is the one I go on and complete in the video and add in the lovely Wild Orchid Crafts flowers around the oval shape

I love to make cards like these and I enjoy adding in all the finery to make it truly feminine with ribbons and pearls

I bought the embossing paste from the Craft show a few weeks ago but you can buy it in most craft shops or even on line if you don't have shops close by

It was not expensive and a little goes a long way.

I also made a second background but did not complete the full card so I thought I would show it to you here so that you can see how it looks.

I used Distress Inks to colour the paste and it is really bright and shiny

I have wrapped white ribbon around the layers and then added my water colored topper onto a  Scalloped Oval  from Spellbinders

I like both of these cards but they are for completely different generations.

I had fun making them and I hope you like the results.

Please join my YouTube channel to be sure you never miss a video from me and if you enjoyed the tutorial then please give it the thumbs up to let YT know that you like this type of video


Just a Reminder of  new links to click  ...

  • New Cards to Inspire  (Part 6)  video added ... top left of the page. 
  • A new tutorial added to the Tuesday Tutorial page each week  
  • A tutorial is added to Spellbinders Blog  - latest one yesterday - Emojis Hello Card 
  • New Resource Page for you to access all the pretty things I use on my cards
  • New video tutorial added every Thursday  to YouTube

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx





March 09, 2016

Water Color Wednesday - Splodge background

Hi Everybody,

Nothing could be more simple than this card which is just water splodges with paint added in and allowed to run

I used craft foam at the back which helped to flatten the card out again and then backed it onto some deep red card.

The stars are cut from the same card and added to the front with foam pads beneath.

I used two of the Pierced Stars  together to create the frame

The sentiment is from the   Many Words    stamp set from Spellbinders  and I finished it off with  the shiny chrome dots from Want2Scrap

Simple, easy and would suit the birthday of a young man ... just leave out the pink !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

March 08, 2016

Tuesday Tutorial - Fleur de Elegance with Diamond Essence

Hi Everybody,

Todays card uses several sets of dies that will all play well together and all are still available to purchase. To make this card a little different I have offset the main focal point and add in my floral display along the other side.

The sunny yellow color is there to remind us that spring is on the way and we can look forward to warmer days and being outside more.
 Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies:
Using die #7 from Matting Baiscs A cut two panels and  create a hinged card  and lay to one side
Using die 7 from Matting Basics B cut another panel in yellow
With die #6 from Matting Basics A cut another white panel and emboss using one side of the folder.
(Please member that die #1 is always the smallest)
Glue the white embossed panel flat onto the yellow one
With die  #3 from Fleur de Elegance cut one panel in yellow
With die #2 cut one panel in white 
Add foam tape to the back of each of these shapes
Place the yellow panel onto the embossed layer from the previous step
Offset them over to the left and then trim the left edge flush with the side of the card
Wrap the ribbon and lace around these layers
With die #4 from Diamond Essence cut one panel in white and emboss it with the other pattern in the folder and add foam tape to the back
Layer this onto the shapes and lace from the previous step
Cut the chosen words from yellow craft foam
Leave the top white shape in tact and add the words to the top of it
Dress the card with beautiful flowers and sprinkle them with glitter
Add little yellow pearls along the top and bottom right hand edges.
The foam tape raises the layers to add interest to the card

Pretty Card for any occasion

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx








March 07, 2016

Coloring colored card

Hi Everybody,

The card for today is  Neenah Desert Storm  and I was really happy with the way this one turned out and this was also a try to see what it would look like using colored card

The stamp I used is Peony Scrolls  from Altenew and there is a matching die   set that you can buy also.

I buy mine from Sevenhills Crafts  Leave your name on their website to be notified when the stamp is back in stock if it is out when you visit
The little sentiment is one of many on the sheet called Sentiments and Quotes  also from Sevenhills Crafts

The Spectrum Noir pencils are lovely to work with and I was really happy with the way they worked on this card and I will be trying more with different stamps in the future

This card was colored in the same way as I did the Black card from a few days ago that was featured in my YouTube video on the 3 rd March

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 05, 2016

Card Winner today ...

Hi Everybody,

Yesterday we had a little snow here in Blackpool but an hour later it was all gone and today the sun is shining.  It's cold but really quite pleasant.

The weekly trip to Slimming World has been done and this week I have maintained my weight loss.  I am quite happy with that when I think of the food we had while in a lovely hotel in Edinburgh. I thought I would have gained some ... so I consider myself lucky to have stayed the same.

I will try to stay on track again but tomorrow is Mothers Day here in the UK plus it is also my Birthday so who knows what may happen !!



The draw has been done for the cards on offer this week which is the two orange ones in the picture.   They are going to live with you

Anne Owens

===========================



The black Brusho cards from last week have not been claimed and I have been back to the comments and re drawn another name
They are yours 
Cathie Weary


=============================
please email me ladies
christina@card-making-magic.com 
with your postal addresses and the cards will be on their way to you

March 04, 2016

Friday Freebie 108

Hi Everybody,

Both of these cards are up for grabs to one winner and both are done with the Brusho Crystal Colours.

They are created from one coloured piece and added to black card with the feathers to decorate the front.

The orange is very bright and it makes for a really cheerful card that could be used for any occasion.

The vidoe on how they were created is here ... One Background - Two Cards

They can be on their way to you if you leave me a comment at the end of the post.  Then my "Film Crew" will draw a name from the hat and the winner announced in tomorrows blog post

You will need to come back and check if it you who has won and then oyu will have 48 hours in which to claim the card.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx