Friday Freebie - Life's an Adventure

Hi Everybody,

A travel themed A4 stamp set is the gift this week and that was with Creative Stamping earlier this year.

I made lots of cards with this as it suits so many occasions and I am sure that you will enjoy it too.

I did a video to accompany the set and you will find it here  ...

Life's An Adventure

You can make cards for all occasions and male or female with this set and I love the camper van image. Perfect for those going travelling in one.

Now if you would like to win this one then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post and leave your FULL NAME to be in with the chance to win it.

Please come back tomorrow to see if your name is listed as the winner

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Creative Stamping 61 Fancy Foliage Summer

Hi Everybody,

Here is the second video using the stamp set from Creative Stamping 61

It is going to be on sale today so keep a look out for it if you would like this set.

It has so many possibilities from winter to summer and everything in between and I really enjoyed playing with it

I made floral backgrounds in different colours and I named in the video the Distress Oxides I used for each colour way.  My favourite is the pink one and I am going to sit and colour that one later.

But in the video I wanted a really soft look and went for the blues and greys to share with you ... and it turned out really pretty as it was so you don't have to colour it if you prefer not too.

Add any sentiment you wish to personalise your card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Creative Stamping 61 Fancy Foliage Winter

Hi Everybody,

The stamp set that comes free with this issue of Creative Stamping gave me so many ideas on how to use it.

And so I ended up making two video with the same stamps but varying the theme for each one.

This one is created as a Winter Card for Christmas 

I will add the second video tomorrow and that is for more of a Summer  Birthday card

I used the Flower Shaping Tool, which is one of the free gifts to add dimension to the flower, the pine comes and the Robin and I really liked the look of this card once it was done. 

It has lovely depth to it for added interest. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Collection - Present Die set

Hi Everybody,

Today I am using the Present Die Set from the Christmas Collection but I wanted to show you that you can use this die set all year round

And so I have created a Birthday Card using just one element form the set to form my background and it looks really pretty in the hand

I have coloured my bow with Alcohol Markers but you can use your favourite medium or simply use coloured card instead to save on time

The video is not long so you won't fall asleep but you will have time for a cuppa and put your feet up for a little while. I hope you enjoy it and the die too if you bought it. I have lots more ideas using this collection so please come back and join me again

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Alcohol Inks & Yupo Paper

Hi Everybody,

As promised here is the video using Yupo paper ... and what I hear you asking me is YUPO paper.

Well let me tell you it is amazing and it has probably been around for a long time .

But me ... well I only just found it and I love it.

It is synthetic paper that in non porous. Look at the new UK bank notes and you will get the idea straight away

 It will not warp, tear, pill and disintegrate in any way. 

And you can use alcohol inks, watercolours, Brushos and many other things on it too. 

But it is a plastic and so not bio degradable.

Never the less it is fun to play with and if you don't like the result then just wipe it away and start again.

 It die cuts easily to create different shapes for your card and it comes in several thicknesses and sizes.

Let the video show you how I added the gold foil to mine for a luxury look

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Storing your Dies ...

Hi Everybody,

I am always being asked where I get the plastic pockets from that I store my dies and stamps in.

I got loads of them from Amazon a few years ago but they came from the US and the company no longer ship to the UK 

So I started to search for a new supplier as they are really a handy way to keep all your dies together. 

The smaller ones are simply CD pockets and you can get them anywhere. But the bigger ones are really strong and a good size at 6x8.

Sadly I have not been able to find any ... BUT ... Sue Symons has been doing some research also and she has found this video on YouTube and sent me the link. I am so happy to be able to share this with you and so here is the video ...

I hope you enjoy this and give it a try for your own storage solutions. I will certainly be making some of these for my self and will let you know how I go on 

A big thank you to Sue for sending me the link and also to Ann Melvin the lady who did the video in the first place .... MWah !!!!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

Hello on this beautiful Saturday morning and I have only just realised that it is a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK.  I am hoping that the weather stays kind as this is the last one now until Christmas.

The draw for the Tonic Die from yesterday has been done and the name this week is...

Betty McAlister

please would you send your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the die and the card will be on their way to you straight away.

I hope you will enjoy both and please let me know hen they arrive safely with you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Flip Flop Die

Hi Everybody,

Today's gift is from Die Cutting Essentials and it is a beautiful die from Tonic.

With my die I decided to create an Easel card and the video will show you how I did it.

Enjoy Today - Flip Flop Die

There are lots of ways in which you can use this die and I am sure that you come up with some ideas of your own once you start to play with it.

So would you like to have this one ?  Then all you need to do is leave me a comment with your full name at the end of the post.

From those comments one name will be chosen at random and announced in tomorrows blog post. Please be sure to check if it is you and then email me to claim it within 72 hours.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Making Magic Christmas Tree

Hi Everybody,

Today I am featuring the Christmas Tree again in my card and this time I have used it as a tree and not a background

The video will show you how I made this and one other from the leftover piece giving you two cards for one.

The other card is a shaker card and it was really pretty once it was finished

I like to get two cards from one die if I can and it saves you time and money if you can use the waste instead of throwing it away.

The gold netting is some that I have had in my stash for absolute years and I only found it again on a clear up last week ... so it has come in useful after all.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Simply Cards & Papercraft 181 - Driving Home For Christmas

Hi Everybody,

I really enjoyed creating the cards with the free gift in this months Simply Cards & Papercraft 181 magazine

These trucks are all stuck in a traffic jam as they try to get home for their Christmas ... loaded with tress and presents.

It will be on sale 23 rd August and so keep a look out for it if this is what you would like.

With this months magazine there is a really thick paper pack of sentiments, banners, Christmas Scenes as well as lovely papers that you can use all year round and not just for Christmas.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Snowman

Hi Everybody,

I have had some fun creating these characters from my Snowman die to add to my Christmas cards

And I would like to encourage you to play and see what you come up with.

It doesn't matter that you can't draw ... neither can I ... but you can add some expressions to the snowman die cut to make it look different.

This crew are all singing a carol for you and it doesn't matter that they aren't prefect, that's half the fun of playing, and it will surely bring a smile to the recipients face when they get the card in the post.

Let the video show you how I made the cards and then try them for yourself and I am sure you will have some fun too just as I did when creating mine

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Bauble

Hi Everybody,

Today I am using the Christmas Bauble from my new collection and this card is really pretty in the hand

It is quite quick and simple to make and yet the result is lovely.

It is popped up with foam pads but it is flat enough to fit into an ordinary envelope and so save money on postage

Line the inside to compliment the front to make it extra special.

The Traditional red and green card is from Papermill Direct and it is a 255 gsm. The white base card is 300 gsm and really smooth. Quite my favourite card at present

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Snowflake Panel

Hi Everybody,

Another video for you today and for this one I have used the really pretty  Snowflake Panel  to create luxury looking card

I have used a shiny gold mirror card and a dull gold teamed with white and the end result is lovely. Both are available at Craft Stash

Perfect for special family and friends

So dig out that gold glitter you have had sitting around in small tubs for months and get busy re-creating this design for your self.

The video will show you how I made the card and you can of course use any colour glitter that you have in your own stash. Experiment with combinations of card and glitter and see which you like the best ... Blue and silver, Turquoise and pearl, red and gold ... so many for you to try

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Seasons Greetings Card

Hi Everybody,

Today's card has used the Christmas Tree from the new additions to my Christmas Collection in a way other than a tree.

And I quite like the result in pink. Change out the colour and the sentiment and it could be for any occasion ... male or female

I am so pleased with the new additions and I have had a lot of fun playing with them. I really hope you will enjoy the videos that will be coming up

2018 is my first ever Christmas Range but there is so much more to come in the next few months with all kinds of "Goodies" and I can't wait to tell you about all of them. 

 More tomorrow ... 

 Hugs xx

Christmas Additions from Card Making Magic ...

Hi Everybody,

No Friday Freebie this week as I have an announcement to make with regards some new dies from me.

Today is a special day as it is the launch of the second wave of  my Christmas Collection which of course compliments the first wave a few weeks ago

They are going to be featured on the

 Craft Stash Facebook Live page today at 1pm and as always the girls will be having fun

There are twelve new sets of dies for you to play with and I will adding lots of videos to show you my makes with all of them.  For this one I have used the parcels die and one of the sentiments and added them all to the 6x6 card and box maker die set.

As the collection grows more you will see that all the dies are made to mix and match to play nicely with each other.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have and I would like to sincerely thank you ALL for ALL your support

The Friday Freebie will be back next week with a beautiful Tonic Die

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 41 A Tree For All Seasons

Hi Everybody,

This pretty die set it useful all year round. 

It can be used to create cards on it's own or add it to others that you have to scene build

I had a lot of fun playing with it,  but in the video I have tried to get you  to look outside the box and use it in other ways.

And it is not instantly recognised as a tree once I had finished.

The magazine will be on sale tomorrow so keep your eye open if you would like to have this.
And as always I will be offering it as Friday Freebie ... but that wont be until much later in the year

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Yupo Paper

Hi Everybody,

This is the first time I have tried YUPO Paper and what a strange material it is. 

It is called paper but it doesn't go soggy, or tear, warp, split or pill no matter what you do to it and it is a fun product to play with

You can die cut it easily which means you can create stencils form your own dies

For this card I have used Alcohol Inks and Gilding Flakes along with some gold card for the sentiment.

I allowed the inks to flow wherever they wanted to on the Yupo paper, and it dries very quickly.  I cut around the edge to leave an uneven shape

On another part of the design I have hand  drawn some flowers and then cut around them. I tried to add some gold gilding flakes around this edge with a glue pen but it came out very patchy.

 So I will have to try that part again to see what I did wrong

I backed the centre flowers onto some gold card, leaving a narrow border around the edge and then added this with foam tape underneath to raise it up from the main card.

The tiny hearts and the Best Wishes are cut from the same gold card.

The background is done with an embossing folder and the single flower at the top is added with glue.

I quite like the effect though and once I have practised a little bit more with the technique I will video it to show you what I have done

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Two for One ....

Hi Everybody,

Whenever you make a card with a technique on the background and then you die cut that piece ... always be aware that you can re use this die cut on another card.

In the video for shaving foam I made the background with green/turquoise inks and then cut out the centre part with an oval. 

It turned out really pretty and the cut out oval too good to just throw away.

And so I made it into another card that turned out just as good as the first one.

For both cards I have used an embossed panel to show them off even more and I was pleased with the result

I also have all the other panels I made in that video and I am sure they will pop up in various places in the future

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card and Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

What a bright and beautiful day. Griff and I are going to get ready shortly to take Ruby out for the day along with Dougal and Vickie. Somewhere where Ruby can have a swim if she feels in the mood.

The draw has been done for the winner of yesterdays offer and the name is ....  

Katie Baird

would you email me please with your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the prize will be on it's way to straight away.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Sparkling Snowflake Die set

Hi Everybody,

Before I add any more new Cards and Gifts to the Friday Freebie I am re offering the ones that have not been claimed in the last few weeks

This first one is the
Sparkling  Snowflake 
2 piece die set and it will help you to make some  really pretty cards

It is ideal to use all year round  and not just for Christmas.

If you add your name then PLEASE come back and check if it is your name that is shown on the Saturday post. 

And if you can't make it back on the Saturday then don't forget to scroll back though the pages to see if your name is listed. You will have 72 hours in which to claim it so that will give you plenty of time to check 

So if this a set that you would like to have then leave me a comment at the end of the post and from those comments one name will be chosen at random as the winner.  

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Shaving Foam & Gilding Flakes

Hi Everybody,

As promised here is the video to show you how I did the shaving foam and gilding flakes technique on the cards I showed you last week.

This one has gold flakes on it and I have cut the panel into heart shapes to add to the embossed front.

The tiny gemstones make it sparkle and it is a really pretty card

There are several examples that you can try in the video and the colours are really vibrant on my cards.

For this card I used the Happy Birthday sentiment from Card Making Magic and added it to some vellum

The colours you use can make the card for any occasion or gender 

Use blues to create a sky or sea scene.

Or browns,tans and black for a tortoise shell look.

The world is your oyster with ideas and you just need to turn them into cards once you have the panels made.

Always a good stand by for those last minute makes that you may be asked to come up.

More tomorrow ...

Hugsxx

Papercraft Essentials 163 - Meadow Flowers

Hi Everybody,

This month the free gift with Papercraft Essentials is a versatile stamp set, a cute bee die and an embossing folder.

For the card shown I have used all the elements to the set and then added Glossy Accents to the bees to make them shine.

The video will show you how I made two more using the same items and colour scheme but they look totally different when finished

The gift is a really useful addition to your crafting goodies and the magazine will keep you busy while you read through the pages for all the tips and instructions for your gift and other card ideas.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Traditional Poinsettia

Hi Everybody,

Today's card and box has stayed with traditional Christmas colours using some of my new collection.

The video will show you how I create this card and it is much nicer in the hand.

The box matches the card completely and the stand is the perfect addition for the card to be displayed.

There is nothing to stop changing the colours of the flowers to make them look more summery, or even using this as a Birthday card.

All of the new collection is versatile enough to be used all year round and will mix beautifully with any of the other elements I have introduced.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Rose

Hi Everybody,

For today's card I have used the Christmas Rose stamp set from my new Christmas Collection.

I used the Rosebud and three leaf stamps to show the versatility of the set.

Change the sentiment on this card and it could just as easily be a birthday card for any time of the year.

The stamp set has dies that will cut out some of the elements for you 

This card to the left has used the dies to cut out the beautiful rose 

There are sneaky peaks of two new dies that are coming in the next wave of the Christmas Collection due on the 17th August.

I will show you lots more in videos once they have been launched so I hope you will come back and visit to see what I have for you then

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card and Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

Lovely here in Blackpool today and everywhere is quite busy. Lots of people coming to visit and I think there is a Classic car show on this weekend. I have lots planned including some videos for you to view in the coming weeks

The draw for the card and gift on offer yesterday has been done and the name chosen at random is ...

Sue Cockerham 

would you email me please with your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the prize will be on it's way to you straight away

I hope you enjoy it and please let me know that you have it safely.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Butterfly Dreams

Hi Everybody,

The gift on offer today was one of my favourite sets when it was offered as free gift with Simply Cards & Papercraft way back in January

It made me think of warm sunny days and I really enjoyed playing with it.

There are 6 dies, 2 stamps and a lovely embossing folder for you to create some really pretty cards.

Butterfly Dreams will show you some of my ideas and I know you will enjoy this as much as I did. So would you like to win this one??

Then all you need to do is leave me a comment to be in with the chance. But please leave me your FULL real name so that there is no confusion over the winner.

Be sure to come back on Saturday morning to see if it is your name that is shown and then you will have 72 hours in which to email me to claim the prize

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Creative Stamping 60 - Autumnal Treasures

Hi Everybody,

It's time for the Creative Stamping Magazine and this months issue 60 has some lovely stamps in it for you to create cards with an Autumn feel

It is a full A4 size and the featured designer this month is Hot Off The Press

I had some fun playing with it and I am sure that you will too.

It will be in the shops tomorrow the 2nd August so keep a look out if it one that you would like to have

The video will give you some ideas and there are lots more inside the pages for you to browse through as you have a cuppa and a biscuit or three !

 So I hope you enjoy the video, the magazine, the stamps and your brew.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx