Friday Freebie - Perfect Poinsettia

Hi Everybody,

Another chance to win one of the Perfect Poinsettia die and stamps sets from Card Making Magic.

This comes with Die Cutting Essentials which is full of ideas and an extra magazine that covers lots of different projects that you may like to try.

All you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME to be in with the chance of winning.

Then be sure to come back over the weekend to see if it is your name that is shown in the blog post. 

I am happy to send the pack to you wherever you are and it doesn't matter if you have won before.
 Give it a try you may be the lucky one this week.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

Hi Everybody,

First of all I would like to wish you all a really Happy Christmas and all that you desire for the coming New Year. Thank you for staying with me throughout the past year and please stay with me for this new one. The Friday Freebies are my way of saying thanks and I am glad that you are enjoying them. They go all over the world to you my readers so thanks again for joining in.

This weeks winner has been chosen at random and the name is ....

Carole Eaton

Please let me know that you have it safely, and that may take some time with the holidays being here and of course the Royal Mail strikes. But once you have it I am sure you will enjoy playing with it.

Now if you haven't been a winner then please take a look at the way you leave your comments.  If you don't add your name and the comment is Anonymous,  then how am I supposed to know who you are ???

So as I always ask please leave me your FULL NAME to be entered into the draw. I can say no more

Have a good time and see you again soon

Big Hugs

Christina xx

Friday Freebie - Floral Kit

Hi Everybody,

Here we are just a few days before Christmas and I don't know where this year has gone.  And this weeks offering is a bumper gift that is very heavy. 

This will be my Christmas gift to one lucky person as this one is so special

There are two magazines in this pack and a really beautiful foiled paper pack that has everything in it.

You will be able to make some gorgeous cards with this pack that will see you through the year for lots of different occasions.

If you would like to have this pack then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME.

Be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown as I have no way to chase you up if you don't. Should the gift not be claimed then it will be offered again at a later date.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Spikey Pink Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

These are the spikey pink flowers that I had in the box on Monday, and here I have now added them to a card. It is a 5x7 size and has layers in pink and blue.

The top pink layer has been run through the machine in the Perfect Roses embossing folder to add some more texture to the design.

The silver circle frames have been cut in two different sizes with the flowers, and a mixture of different coloured leaves, added randomly to the front. 

The circle dies are a new addition to the Card Making Magic range and they are an Alternate Stitched Nesting set and they will be with you in January.

The sentiment is from my stash but this card could be for any occasion you wishes. 

It will of course need a box to give it in as the depth is far too much for an envelope. But it is a pretty card that is sure to please someone in the future when it is given.

I am having fun creating these flowers and it is easy to sit in front of the TV in the evening and die cut them out. I can colour them and make them up whenever I am ready to add some more to my creations. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Blog Hop Video

 HI Everybody,

The Blog Hop is still LIVE and so there is still the chance for you to win one of the £25 vouchers that are being offered by Craft Stash. 

The winners will be announced next week and I will add the names to a blog post and on Facebook.

In the meantime here is the video for you to watch if you missed the hop last Friday, and you can still leave your comment, like and subscribe to the channel to be in with that chance

                       

Under the video in the description box you can find all the links to the other participants in the hop with some wonderful ideas and inspiration that they have shared with you.

We are hoping to plan another one and we hope you will be able to join us again for that. I will let you know when that is going to be. Thank you for joining in with the last one

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Yellow Roses

 Hi Everybody,

These yellow roses are made from Foamiran and I used the largest die from the Layered Flowers die set to create them in many layers. 

The foam I have used is from Craft Stash and there is a good choice of both foam and the stamens to go in the centre of any type of flower that you make.

The edges of these roses have been inked in orange, dabbed with glue and then sprinkled with glitter for  lovely sparkly effect. 

I have used a left over die cut that I found on my desk and added it to the background for a little extra effect.

The leaves are a mixture of foam and card and I have used the branch from the Beautiful Baubles set.

It is a pretty card but will not fit into an envelope so a box will need to be made to send it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Flower Making

 Hi Everybody,

I hope you all enjoyed the Blog Hop on Friday and looked at all the videos that were done to entertain you. There where some really pretty projects created in them and they are sure to give you some ideas.

Yesterday I was making flowers with a mixture of foamiran, fabric and paper and here are some that I have done.

Over the next few cards you are sure to see some of theses as additions to the design and I am really pleased with the way they have turned out.

The pink spiky ones at the top left are made from some pink card and I have inked the centres to look darker. The white stamens are added to give a soft look.

The larger pink one below is made from copy paper that I spritzed with water to soften the paper and scrunch it up. I inked just the edges to this flower.

The three pink ones at the bottom right are some kind of fabric but I don't know what it is. They don't tear and they are quite difficult to curl up so I doubt I will buy that again. On these I inked the edges and I used a black fine liner to hand draw some veins into the fabric to alter the look  on them.

The rest of the flowers are made from Foamiran and I have used different shaped dies and different colours of ink to alter the petals. Some have spiky edges and others are rounded but all are really pretty once done.

I am looking forward to adding these to cards and boxes and I will be sure to share with you once they are done.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Craft Stash & Family YouTube Blog Hop

 Hi Everybody,

So this week there is no Give Away, instead I am really excited to be joining in with the 

Craft Stash & Family Blog Hop over on YouTube.

We have all got together and chosen some of our favourite products to use and hopefully inspire you to try them out too.

 You will be in with the chance to win a £25 voucher to spend at Craft Stash and all you need to do is comment, like and subscribe to the channel of the video you have watched. 

Each of the designers will be offering the prize so there will be lots of chance for you to win.

 In the description box below each video you will find a list of all the hop participants and who to watch next. You can follow the blog hop in order, or start from the beginning.

If you make an order be assured that you will get your purchases quickly as  Craft Stash  do not use Royal Mail.

Happy Blog Hoping everybody

Hugs xx

Yellow Handmade Flowers

Hi Everybody,

Yellow is not a colour I use often but today I thought I would have a change from pink .... and I have to say that I really like this card.

The shading of the flowers, and the shape, have all turned out well and I am more than happy with the card design and it is an A5 size.

I have used a mixture of Foamiran and some Card Making Magic dies for the flowers and leaves.

The other flowers are some that are pre-cut from another type of paper, but I am not sure what it is, but they made the smaller flowers that I have tucked in around the foamiran ones 

The leaves are created from two shades of green, white and gold card and they are all tucked into the display.

The background has been embossed and then lightly inked and the wreath has been cut from brown card. That is a really old Spellbinders die that I have had for years.

I covered the flowers with tissue and then as a final touch I have splattered the background in black ink.

The sentiment was a long one and I have just attached it to the card at each end and arched it over the flowers.

This picture is to show you the depth of the finished card and it is going to need a box to put it in ready to give to my recipient.

Don't forget that tomorrow is the Craft Stash Family YouTube Blog Hop. 

I will add all the links to their channel tomorrow and you can join the blog hop wherever you like, just be sure to leave your comment,  like and subscribe to be in with the chance to win a £25 voucher from Craft Stash

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Non Traditional Christmas Card

Hi Everybody,

Here is the other card with handmade flowers attached and these are made from Foamiran with large stamens in the centre.

They are so much better in the hand and this one is my favourite. I have also added some silver twine to this card and two lace flowers. on either side of the foamiran ones.

The leaves are a mixture of foamiran, card and lace and they are added to an embossed background. 

I have added glue and glitter to the petals. Once again I have added the sentiment verse to the inside and the orientation of this card means it will stand on its own no problem at all.

I like coloured cards for Christmas, just to be different from the normal red and green. 

What's your choice ??

More tomorrow ... 

Hugs xx

Making Flowers

Hi Everybody,  

Over the weekend I have ben making some flowers with paper, card and foamiran. Just to see what I come up with and to practice making them for my cards.

This Poinsettia is created from card and I have used a little frame behind it for  shabby chic look. There is also some gold twine and tiny little snowballs that I got from AnnaMarie Designs a long time ago. 

I have added the Christmas Greeting to the inside of this card for a change and I have had to line the inside also to counter balance the front and stop it falling over.

This is one of the reasons I prefer to have my fold at the top of the card as that prevents it from constantly falling flat.

I have another tone to add tomorrow and that is also a Christmas card but not in traditional colours. I hope you like them both but I must admit to liking tomorrows card the best.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Lacey Octagon Mandala

Hi Everybody,

I have been getting out older dies to play with and making sure I put them to good creative use in my designs

This one is the Lacey Octagon Mandala but it is no longer available. It was designed to work with the Octagon Box, but as with all things,  new designs come out and older ones are removed.

But here I have shown the versatility of this die set and added it to a 6x6 card base with the beautiful shade of Marine Blue from Papermill Direct.

The parchment flowers are left over from another project I did a while ago and for those I silver embossed the stamped image and used the
  Clever Cuts Collection.

The sentiment strips are from the craft show from a few weeks ago and so far have come in very handy.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Here we are at the end of another week and not long to go before Christmas. I have been invited to my grandsons for dinner on that day and Ruby can go with me. We will also be with Vickie and Dougal so I am quite looking forward to it. I have done my share of Christmas Day Dinners for all the family in the past ... it's now my turn to be pampered. 

In the meantime the draw has been done for the beautiful stencil set on offer yesterday and the name this week is ....

Doris Shawcross

would you email me please with your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it sent to your straight away.

Please let me know that you have it safely and I hope you enjoy playing with it. 

Blog Hop

There will be no Friday Freebie next week as the Craft Stash team are organising a YouTube Blog Hop and you are cordially invited to join in.

On offer for you to win is a £25 gift voucher, to spend at Craft Stash, that each participant is offering at the end of their video.

All you need to do is like, comment and subscribe to the channel of the video maker. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Mega Stencil Set

Hi Everybody,

Todays gift is not one ... but three beautiful stencils for you to use.

They come complete with the stencil brush for you to add the colours of your choice.

There is also a little ring clip for you to bind your stencils together so that you will not lose them.

The designs on the stencils can be used for Christmas and winter birthdays and the stencil brush will be so handy to help you colour neatly.

So if you would like to have this in your home then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME.

From those comments one will be chosen as the winner and that is why your full name is needed

Good Luck everybody 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Birthday cards ...

Hi Everybody,

I have been looking back at some of the cards that I have made over the years and there are many that are my favourite ones.

As we are coming to the end of another year I thought it an ideal opportunity to re visit some of them here.

They are all cards that I enjoyed making, and as you can see most of them are pink and floral as that is my style of card making. 

Making this style gives me an immense amount of pleasure and many of these cards have been given away to family and friends either for the occasion shown or for them to  give to someone else.

Some of them have been sent to my readers, both here in the UK and abroad, and some have gone to the Charity shops I support.

I love adding all the embellishments to them. The flowers, ribbons and pearls.

Some of the flowers are bought and Mulberry ones like those to the left, and others , like the ones here above are handmade by me.

But all add that certain grace to a design that I cannot resist.

I know that my style is not for everybody as to them it is too fussy. 

But it is something I enjoy doing and will continue to do in the future.

I used to give away one of my cards each week on a Friday before I started to give away the magazines.

Many people who got them wrote to me to say that they had framed the card to keep it safe, and that was always a wonderful compliment to me and my cards.

And finally, here is one with lots of  Mulberry flowers that is not pink !!

But it does feature the beautiful a rectangle die  from the Perfect Panels & Lovely Layer Collection that was out a few years ago and which at present is no longer available.

I hope you enjoyed this little look back in time and there is of course a lot more to come in the future.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Perfectly Matched

Hi Everybody,

Today I am sharing the short video that was on Facebook Live a few weeks ago. It uses the Perfectly Matched die sets.

There are four designs in this collection and all are really pretty for the card front. 

You can turn these into gatefold Cards if you prefer or simply trim them down as I have done for these designs.

Whichever way you decide to use them the cards will be really pretty once completed.

In this video I have used inks to vary the look and the cards are quick and easy to copy.

                    

I hope you enjoy the short video and will give this inking technique a try, with whatever dies you have in your crafty stash.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pink Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

This card is an A5 size and I really like this one. The card is a new Blush colour from Papermill Direct and I coloured the centre of each layer with pale pink ink to accentuate the shade.

The blush pink has also been used for the layers to the white embossed panel and I have rounded the corners to each layer.

The pink goes really well with the super pale green for the leaves that has also been shaded with inks.

There is a lot of dimension to these flowers and so the card will need a box to give it in. But so well worth it as the finished card is so pretty.

The added diamond shapes are some that came from another project and this is the waste that was left.  So rather than tossing it in the bin I decided to make use of it on this design. 

I am always a push over for flowers on any of my projects and they always add that little bit extra to anything.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Altenew Layered Daffodils

 Hi Everybody,

These flowers are created from a really old die set that was with a magazine a long time ago.  It creates beautiful layered Daffodils and these I have covered with Glossy Accents.

I have been using these Glossy Accents quite a lot lately as they bring out the colours in the card once they are applied and I really do like the look of the flowers once they gloss has dried.

For the background to this card I added some pale ink and then simply added the birds  in the distance by hand.

The grass in the front is from another old die and I can't remember where I got that from but I am sure they are everywhere.

I added the sequins as an after thought because .... I have a mucky fingerprint under one of them and it needed to be hidden.

And although the flowers look pretty this is not a card I would give to someone because of the fingerprint. No I am afraid this one is destined for the trash can and I will have to make it again !!!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody, 

The weekend is here again and with it all the chores that I need to complete before I can chill. But once they are done and the house is clean and shiny again I can please myself for the rest of the time. Ruby will be walked later and this may be a good day to go to the beach. 

The draw for the fabulous Triangles set has been done and the name today is

Michelle Coffey

Would you email me please with your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the pack will be on its way to you straight away.

Be sure to let me know that you have it safely and I hope you will enjoy playing with it. 

More tomorrow…

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Terrific Triangles

Hi Everybody,

Todays offering is the Terrific Triangles die set that comes complete with sentiments for all occasions.

And as a special treat you will also get the double sided paper pack, from Sentimentally Yours, that is printed onto quality paper and not the shiny stuff some magazines have.

It also has the Die Cutting Essentials magazine with it that is full of ideas that you may like to try. 

Would you like this to play with ?? Then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME to be in with the chance. from those comments one name will be chosen at random as the winner and added to a blog post over the weekend. so be sure to come back and check if it is you.

This is well worth entering for and it doesn't matter if you have won before, or where you live I am happy to send the pack to you.

More tomorrow  ...

Hugs xx

Die Storage Holder

 Hi Everybody,

This is not a card but a large cardboard holder that I have covered to store some of my floral dies in. 

I wanted to keep them all close to hand so that I can easily grab them to make flowers I may wish to add to my cards.

The woodgrain is from the Craft Show I went to last weekend and the flowers are from an old Altenew die set.

I have used the Glossy Accents on these as it brought the colour out in the inked card used for the flowers and the leaves.

In this I have pockets with magnetic sheets in them and on these I have stored the dies I like to use for flowers. 

They are from different companies that I have collected over the years, some are big and others are small, but all will be used to make a full floral display for any project that I am working on.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spiky Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

These large and pretty flowers have been die cut from pink Vellum,  that was bought at a craft show, and I have had it for a long time, and I have shaped them with a ball tool to add curve to the petals.

On the end of each petal I added some glue and then sprinkled it with the fine glitter and allowed it to dry before layering them up.

I used two of each size petal to create a full flower and then used the silver mirror card to make the centre portion and the leaves

The butterfly is again one left over from another project and the card is some I got at last weeks craft show.

This one has the addition of some glitter card leaves but the flower has been cut and curled in the same way.

This landscape card is an A5 so you can judge for your self how large the flower is. 

It makes a real statement on the card and is not for the faint hearted. I love it.

The inside of this card has the same pink card as the front and the base card is black.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Roses everywhere ...

Hi Everybody,

The cards I am showing you today have all been cut with the Layered Christmas Rose die set from the original Christina Collection.

I have covered all the flowers and leaves with Glossy Accents to give them the appearance of enamel and they do look very pretty.

I have added in leaves, as fillers, from other die that I have and that makes the display look better. I have also dotted small pearls around the flower for effect.

They have been added to a mirror card heart that has been cut from the Landmark Collection, which is another older die set, and the result can look completely different depending on the colours you use

These roses have also been covered in Glossy Accents but while it was still wet I sprinkled in some fine glitter.

The background to this one is a vellum overlay that has ben embossed in a folder then added to some pale pink card.

It also has the addition of leaves from other sets and some of them are cut in silver.

Again small gemstones have been dotted around and all the sentiments are from a set of pre printed ones that I bought at the Craft Show last weekend.

This card is one I showed you a few days ago but it was a little too plain for me.

So I added in more leaves cut in glitter card and used another of the butterflies left over from another project to the centre of the card.

I added some ink to the wings before adding it in and the simple glued it to the card along the body line only. 

I am much happier with the look now that all these changes have ben made, but for me the middle card is the favourite as I love the vintage look of it.

I am pleased with all the cards and so if you have this die set in your collection then maybe it is time to get it out and play with it again.

And sadly it is not available any more. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Black Friday Deals

 Hi Everybody,

So we are coming to the end of an amazing week of special offers in the Craft Stash website and today sees the die sets of Decoupage Delight being offered with 40% off.

The featured flower here is one of the flowers in the Hellebore set and I have covered this with Glossy Accents to add the shine.

This makes a really large flower that create a real statement on your projects. There ere three flowers in the set and this is the largest of them

I have also cut the butterflies from the Perfectly Matched panel that I had on my desk left over from another project.

Both the flower and the butterflies have been inked up and added to the Trellis background die.

This one uses the Polyanthus die set and this has four different flowers in it. I have used coloured card to make these in varying shade of yellow but they would look just as pretty in any colour

It can be added to any of the background dies in the collection, but here I have just used an embossing folder to create the texture.

These flowers are not as large as the previous one but equally as effective and can be added to anything you are making.

And last but not least is the large flower from the Camelia die set. Those leaves are amazing and would look good tucked into any other floral display.

I have stamped the sentiment onto vellum and heat embossed it in gold then wrapped it around the Trellis background before adding it to the card.

Altogether some really good deals have been offered this week, for anything that takes your eye in the Black Friday Event, but it finishes tomorrow at midnight so there is not much time left to grab yourself a bargain.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Are you all ready for Christmas ? It's not long now, just four weeks and already the trees are up in some homes. It is not my favourite time of year and I try to avoid it as much as possible. Once children have grown up the excitement seems to disappear as they are the ones that make it fun.

But life goes on and the draw has been done for this weeks Japanese Dreams set. It is a lovely set from Paper Discovery and it comes with stamps, an embossing folder as well as the magazine for you to browse in your own time and is full if good ideas. 

The name this week is 

Tina Zapusek 

so if you would email me please with your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
then I will get the pack in the post to you straight away.

I hope you enjoy playing with it and please be sure to let me know that you have it safely.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Japanese Dreams

HI Everybody,

This week sees a really pretty stamps set on offer that has a lovely embossing folder with it.

It is from Paper Discovery and it comes with the magazine Creative Stamping. 

As always there are lots of ideas and inspiration in the pages that you may like to try for your self and it is a really good magazine to browse through.

So if this is something that you think you would like to have then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME.

 You need to add your full name .... not initials or nick names ... so that you can be properly identified as the winner and then I will send the pack to you just as soon as I can.  No FULL NAME then no entry to the draw.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Black Friday Deals

Hi Everybody,

I hope you have been enjoying the week long Black Friday Event with Craft Stash

There has been some amazing deals and now is the perfect time for you to stock up on any essentials that you may need.

Today the Perfectly Matched Die sets are being offered at 50% off so choose your favourite design and get it while you can

The Black Friday Event runs until Sunday so you still have time to browse the store.

Craft Stash have a short video that will show you this card and I added some Sunflowers ( shown below) made from another die set in the collection a few days ago.

You can use the panels as they are once cut or you can do as I have and trim them down even more to make the two cards in the video.

The designs are really pretty and can be used in several ways and once you start to play you will find many more.

Happy shopping and crafting.

More tomorrow

Hugs xx

 

Perfect Roses

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is another of the cards with the split front and I did a video on making this style of Panel Card  a little while ago.

It uses the Layered Rose from the original Christina Collection but is no longer on the Craft Stash website.

The one that I have substituted in the links below is a very close match and will make lovely flowers for your designs.

The flowers have had Glossy Accents added to them to give the shine and they have been coloured with inks and a blending brush.

It is a very easy card to create, but yet looks so impressive and although I have used a circle die for the front you can make this with out any dies at all.

Here you can see the panels a little better but the video will show you how I made this lovely card.

The sentiment strips I have added are some that I bought half price at the Craft Show last Sunday and they will come in very handy when I don't want to stamp something. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Write A Review ...

 Hi Everybody,

When you purchase a product from Craft Stash they are  interested in how you find that product fits and works in your own personal crafting day.

They are now giving you the incentive to write a review saying why you bought the product , what you like or don't like about it and how it fits into your daily work.

 In fact anything you want to say about what you have bought, especially brands like Card Making Magic, Made to Surprise, Simply Made Crafts or Creative Cardmaking Products.

Then each month one published review will be chosen, and will be entered into a Prize Draw, to be the winner of a £50 voucher that you can spend in the Craft Stash Store.

You can browse their website to your hearts content and choose any items to that value you would like. 
That has to be something worth writing a review about your purchase.
It also lets other people know what is good to add to their own crafting stash. 

And at this time of Black Friday Deals then it would especially worth doing if you are taking advantage of the  items on offer

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Craft Show Purchases

Hi Everybody,

Yesterday at the Craft Show was a really good day out, despite the fact that it poured down most of the time.

I went with Pauline Hickey and we had so much to talk about. We saw lots of things that we liked and we bought some beautiful card from AnnaMarie Designs.

They were in packs of ten, so Pauline and I bought five packs each of different colours and then we split them, having five sheets each from the ten packs.

That gave both of us a good selection to play with in the next few weeks. I also got the new Distress Oxide Ink and a refill for the pad to. Plus some re-inkers for black ink pads that I have. 

The little glue bottles I need coz no matter how hard I try I always get them clogged and so I need a regular supply of new ones with the pins. I also lose the pins regularly too!!

The ribbons where only 50p a roll so I bought six of them and a very large bottle of Collall Glue ... for the little glue bottles. I also bought some really thick Acetate.

 I am very happy with my buys and I can remember years when I used to save up for months and spend loads at the shows that Griff and I went too. This is the first show I have been to since he died.

Pauline and I enjoyed it and we went for a meal at the near set pub afterwards and another natter.

Good day all round ...

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Black Friday ....

Hi Everybody,

I am off to the first Craft Show in Leigh today that I have been to in four years, but I just wanted to pop in and tell you about the fun and frolics at Craft Stash this next week.

Starting tomorrow sees some fantastic deals on Craft Stash as they are running a Black Friday offer that will last the whole week. There will be some really good offers across hundreds of their own brand products that are featured on their website, and especially from the Co Brands.

So if you are looking for a super bargain then make sure you are signed up for their emails and if you aren't then get over there and do so now or you will miss out on the week long sale.

Here is the link to get on the email list and it will open a new window for you 
Craft Stash Newsletter 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx