Sue Cockerham - Winner

Hi Everybody,

What a bad nights sleep I have just had. I don't think I managed to string two hours together and I really don't know why. It's not that hot and I have nothing on my mind that is bothering me ... I just couldn't sleep. Maybe I will have a nana nap later to see if that helps.

In the meantime the draw has ben done and the bane today is ..

Sue Cockerham

would you send me your postal address please to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it sent off to you straightaway.

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

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Paper Discovery

Hi Everybody,

Today I have another die and paper pack bundle to give away and this one is from Paper Discovery.

The die set is the Pyramid Set and there are twelve different dies inside the pack to help you create the design you would like.

 

This would look so pretty on a Christmas table with a battery candle inside to shine thought the shaped apertures.

Or you could use the paper pack to decorate this pyramid for a nursery, again with a battery light inside that would keep the child feeling safe in the soft glow of the light.

Is this something that you would like ??? Then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your 

FULL NAME

From those comments one name will be chosen at random as the winner and announced in a blog post  over the weekend so be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown as the winner.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Using Shapes

Hi Everybody,

I always have bits and pieces lying around on my desk after a crafting session and  don't like to throw them away. It pays to look at what you have left and see how you can make it work for another card you may want to make

These particular cards I have created with odd die cuts that are in shapes I may have used elsewhere and they have come in handy to create these two cards shown in the video.

The one to the right has been coloured with Chipped Sapphire and this is a gorgeous dark blue that goes really well with the gold.

It has taken over as my favourite blue from Blueprint Sketch as it is a much deeper shade and looks so rich.

The other colour I have used in the video is Shaded Lilac and of course different shapes to complete the card.

This is a good way to use up any scraps of white card that you may have lying around, and as long as the die fits on the top it can be any shape that you may like.

I have also used stencil and small stamps to add the pattern into the shapes and I am really pleased with the results. I hope you like too ....

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

More butterflies ...

Hi Everybody,

This pretty little die is one I got from Amazon some time ago and it was very inexpensive. 

It cuts the pattern into the card and I have backed the aperture with some ink blended card in red Candied Apple. 

The hearts that were cut out of the design I have also inked them in red and added them in different areas to the front.

The card is a 5x7 and I have used a smaller stitched edge die to give me the layer that I wanted for the top.

Thee sentiment is from an older stamp set and it has been stamped in black and cut into a banner shape and added with foam tape undeneath to give it height. 

This was a quick and easy card to make using items that I already have in my stash and nothing new has been added to make it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ancient Dies ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is created with dies and an embossing folder that must be at least ten years old and has been in my stash ...  for ever. 

The embossing folder is called Need A Rope and it is from Spellbinders and I have used cream card to make the layer and base card.

I have then ink smooshed a panel and added a  newer netting die to the top, again cut in cream. 

On the top of that I have used a flower from a Spellbinders set called Make A Wish and again this is ancient too and I don't know if they are still available.

But even though they are old the card is still really pretty and one I would be happy to send or receive.

Swap out the sentiment to fit your occasion. The one I have used is a sticker type that  I have added to some cream card and cut out. 

I must admit that I am am enjoying playing with my older stuff and it is fun finding things that I had forgotten about stuffed in drawers and cupboards. And I am not spending any money. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Creating an Aperture

Hi Everybody,

This die cuts an aperture into the card layer and I have ink smooshed the front of it to give some colour.

I have backed it onto some silver card and added a silver Birthday sentiment for a lovely effect.

I am sure that you also have many dies in your own collections that will cut  the aperture, leaving the pattern in the card ready for you to decorate.

The video will help you to identify those dies that will do this and once you know,  you can go through the ones you have and distinguish them from those that simply cut the pattern out of the card.

There are many sets of dies in the Card Making Magic collections that will do both with the use of an outer cutting die and if you already have them then you are onto a winner.

This little die in the photograph is from Amazon and was not expensive. and is called the
Vintage Flower Die

But look again at the dies that you have and experiment to see what it is they will do for you, that way you will get more bang for your buck without spending more money to expand your collections.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Barbara Youngs - Winner

 Hi Everybody,

What has happened to our summer? It’s damp and dull here today but I hope it will brighten up later. 

I am having a quiet day and Ruby is resting too. She had a lovely walk in the woods yesterday and had a good sniff around. She doesn’t do the full walk at present but we got halfway round and then I can tell she has had enough and it’s time to get back. 

But even this is better than not having her at all and that is something we came very close too when she was ill.

This morning I have done the draw for the lovely bundle of Sheena goodies and the name this week is 

Barbara Youngs

so if you would be kind enough to send your postal address please to
christina@card-making-magic.com
then I will get it in the post to you straight away.

I am also including the last of the Pokey Tools as I have used them all up now and won't be doing any more for a while.
I hope you will enjoy the goodies and please be sure to let me know when they arrive with you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Sheena Dies, Stamps & Paper Pack

Hi Everybody,

This week I have some dies, stamps and a paper pack to give away and these are designed by Sheena Douglas.

The die & stamps  will help you to create a scene for your cards and the matching stamps in the pack also help with that creation.

The paper is an 8x8 Christmas themed pack with six beautiful design inside giving you lots of choice for your makes.

So if you would like tis set then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME

Then be sure to come back and see if it is your name that is shown as the winner over the weekend.

I have no way to contact you so if it is not claimed within 72 hours, then it will be offered again at a later date.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Everyday Items - Rolling Marbles

 Hi Everybody,

Many years ago I did a video for YouTube on the Rolling Marble Technique and I thought it was time to bring it more up to date and show it again.

The background for this card has been created with that idea and the difference with this video is that I have used Distress Oxide Refills instead of alcohol inks.

They are easier to clean up as everything can be washed off in warm soapy water once you are finished. 

And the box you used can be kept for the next time you want to try this, or indeed for anything else you may want to have a go at.

I used Blueprint Sketch for the featured card and you can add in two or three colours if you wished.

 But be careful of the colours you choose  as you don't want a muddy effect on your cards. 

I used nesting labels dies to cut out the shapes, but again use anything that you already have  in your stash rather than going to buy even more. 

The heart dies in the second card are some are some from an older set, as are both of the 3-D embossing folders that I have used  ... in fact I think one of them was free with a magazine.

So sit back and relax while you view this short video and I hope you enjoy it and will give it a try.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Inlaid Leaves

Hi Everybody,

Here is another Inlaid Card and this time I have used the small leaves in my collections and added them randomly to the front panel.

This has then been layered over an ink smooshed panel that will show through the openings from the leaves.

 I used several green inks for this smooshing and splattered some gold around it as well.

I have added several taller leaf shapes clustered together and cut in white and silver as well as parchment  and they are added to two larger banner shapes cut in parchment.

They leaves sit under the sentiment banner which is offset with parchment and raised with foam pads on the front of the card. 

The finished size is DL and I have dotted tiny gemstones around the panel for effect.

The end result is very pretty and is another example of what you can do with those tiny fiddly dies that seem a bit useless.

 Try this idea with any small dies that you have as it is another way to create an aperture in your designs  and back it with pretty paper or make your own from Ink smooshing, Gelli plate papers or any technique that you may like to try.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Blue Background

 HI Everybody,  

This is another background that has been ink smooshed and this time I have used shades of blue to give a mottled effect to the card.

The cut out on the front is from another older die that I have in my collection and the heart is a frame that I found on my desktop.

The other hearts are cut from silver mirror card and dotted around the front and the leaves and flowers are old Spellbinders die sets that I have had for years.

I am enjoying going through my stuff and seeing what I have.

 I am making two piles  .... of stuff that I will use and stuff that I won't ever use and there is quite an accumulation of things.

Plus once it is all sorted I will have a lot more space in my craft room, not to gather more items but to give me some space in which to work.  

I also find it easier to get started if I don't have as much to choose from.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Make Your Own Stencils

 Hi Everybody,

Do you enjoy stencilling and sometimes wish that one of the dies you have also had a stencil to go with it ???

Well now you can make your own stencils from that die. 

You could simply make it out of card stock but that wouldn't last long if you used it a lot. 

You could also use laminating pouches that have been fused together and that would last you quite sometime.

But the stencils that you buy are made from Mylar and that is really inexpensive to buy.

I got mine from Amazon and I have made quite a few of my own stencils to add the decoration to my designs.

This Video is not long but will show you how I got the look for my cards. The one at the top is created with circles and the second one in the video is from octagons.

The overall look is very modern and would be perfect for a teenagers birthday, and you can of course use your favourite colours to produce it. You can also try other mediums too to get the the look.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Jacqueline Koendering - Winner

Hi Everybody,

Thanks for all your enquiries about Ruby  and I am happy to say she is progressing slowly. She still can't go for long walks but we have had little trips to the park before she gets tired. 
We will get there in the long run ... hopefully.

I have done the draw for the lovely bundle that is on offer and I am hoping that this time it goes.

And the winner this week is 

Jacqueline Koendering
would you send your postal address please to me at 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it sent off to your straight away.

I hope you enjoy all the goodies in the bundle and I will also include a handmade Pokey Tool for you to use whenever you craft.
Please be sure to let me know that you have everything safely.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Mixed Bundle

 Hi Everybody,

Today I am re offering the complete bundle from a few weeks ago that was unclaimed.

 So if you entered to win it and didn't come back to check for your name, then this is what you are missing.

There are six items in this bundle including stencils, dies and stamps and are sure to help swell out your own collection/

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

Then please be sure to come back and check if you are the winner. I have no way to contact you if you are and if it is not claimed again then it will be re offered at a later date.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

.

Inlaid Die Technique

 Hi Everybody,

I like the look of these inlaid dies but I didn't have any in my stash, and so I took another look at the dies that I have and picked out all the small ones that I never use.

Once I thought about it I decided to give this idea a try and see what I came up with, and I have to say that I quite like the end result.

For this card I used all the tiny butterflies I could find and arranged them on my panel to die cut.

Adding in the pierced dots was an extra step that blended them all together. You can add as many of these pierce  lines as you would like and if you keep the pencil lines feint then they can be erased afterwards.

For this one I picked out all the tiny hearts and arranged them on a landscape card base.

The card in the video is done with stars but look carefully at any dies that you have and see what would suit the idea.

Try leaves or small flowers, tiny envelopes, banners or tags, or any of the basic shapes like circles and ovals. 

There is just time for a relaxing cuppa as you watch the video and the be sure to let me know if you give this idea a try for your self.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ink Smooshed Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is another ink smooshed one with the background and flowers created with Distress Oxides.

For this I have used really old dies and they have made the coffee rings in gold, the butterfly in white and gold and the flowers and leaves in various sizes.

For the flowers I inked a while panel and then placed the cover die of flowers on too. It cuts out lots of flowers all in one pass through the machine and saves a whole lot of time.

I have had this die for years and used it many times and these have been layered with the different sizes to create the flowers for my card. 

Each one has a gold pearl added to the centre. These started off as white but I coloured them  with a gold alcohol marker pen.

If I where to make this card again I would tone down the background with some parchment over the top and that would allow the flowers to show up more ..... but it is what it is !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Flower Cards

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is full of flowers and pearls ...no ribbons on this one though.

I have used the cut out flourish die in top and bottom corners to give the design and the top layer has been ink smooshed in blues and purples then splattered with clean water.

It gives a very pretty mottled effect to the layer.

I added tiny foam pads to the back to raise it up from the white base card and thus castes a little shadow.

The Rose flourish die set is the leaves and  I have inked these with green, blue and purple. The sprigs have just been cut in white.

I have also added some grass like embellishment tucked under the flowers and glued it in place with hot glue.

I found some silver leaves on my desk to and they have been tucked into the display at random.

The flowers are roses in various shades of blue and purple and they have been  sprinkled with glitter.

I have used dark blue pearls and they have been dotted around the front.

This is a really pretty eye catching card and could be for any occasion.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Handmade Sentiments

 Hi Everybody,   

When we make card we mostly add a sentiment to the front of it as this conveys to the recipient what occasion is being celebrated.

I have a lot of word dies and also many dies of different shapes that will create a frame for me. So why not combine the two to make a sentiment that will stand out on your card.

For this card I have used silver mirror card to make the frame from a patterned circle and a plain one to cut the inner portion of the frame.

Then to this cetnre I have added the words I chose to make the while sentiment look like one.

You could also add parchment behind the word die cut.

It doesn't have to be silver or gold. Why not try a colour that blends with your creation. And alter the shape too.

The gold one that is shown here is created with a really old Seth Apter die  and I used it in black on one of my cards with a birthday greeting on the top.

The video is not long but will give you the basic idea of what I did to get the toppers I needed for my creations

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Kim Cranson - Winner

 Hi Everybody,

I hope you are al well and enjoying the weekend.  We are doing Ok here but a but disappointed with the weather.  What has happened to our summer it is actually very windy and chilly here today.

Ruby is still not allowed to go walking yet but she is recovering slowly. She has had such a very painful and serious illness that it is bound to have taken its toll . She is back to envying her food again but is not allowed any treats.

I have done the draw for the latest pack to be given away and the winner this week is 

Kim Cranson

would you please email me with your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it in the post to you.

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

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Pack 3

 Hi Everybody,

Here is another opportunity for you to have one of these super bundles filled with crafting goodies to swell your stash.

Each one has been different but there are six items that will give you a mixture of things to do. 

This is the last of these packs and so I will have to think of more to offer next week, and find some really special things to go in it.

Would you like t have this pack ????

Then leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME

From those comments one will be chosen as the winner and announced in a blog post over the weekend so be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is listed.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Half Circle Panel

 Hi Everybody, 

For this card I have used a really old embossing folder and a half circle die that is part of the Perfect Panels Collection that is no longer available.

I cut the pattern into the card and added it over the top of an ink smooshed background that has has a stamped image added to it.

The pattern is more visible in the hand and looks very pretty showing through the die cut.

I have cut a label in parchment and added some white and parchment leaves to the top of it.

The butterfly has been cut in silver and added to a parchment base and then layered onto the leaves and label.

I already had the sentiment in my bits jar and so I used that to add to the 5x7 sized card and then dotted the panel with some pearls 

I think the embossing on the panel adds something extra to what would otherwise be a plain piece of card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Bee Card

Hi Everybody,
 

This card has used an old die that was free with a magazine many years ago. I still have the set of dies, stamps and a folder and I have used elements from that.

The background has been ink smooshed  I added a light stamped circle pattern to the top. The pink flower was cut from the same splattered card.

The little bee die was in the set and I cut them in yellow and then added them to some brown card and fussy cut around the image.

The other flowers for this card are  cut in white and silver mirror card and cut with older Spellbinders dies.

The honey comb pattern is a die that cuts the pattern out of the card and for this I have simply stuck it back in place.

I have no idea where it is from as I have had it years.

Another pretty background that enhances the card itself and the finished size is a 5x7

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Thank You Cards

 Hi Everybody,

Ruby and I have sent these cards to the people who cared for her while she was very sick last weekend .

One will go to the emergency A&E Vet Hospital in Bispham who took her in straight away for treatment when I rushed her there .

 Without them my Ruby would have died of that I have no doubt.

Their quick treatment saved her life so that we will be able to go walking again together once she is fully recovered. 

The other is to the "Vets Now Hospital" in Manchester who took her in for specialised procedures and treated her for four days for severe pancreatitis.

To both of these I am eternally grateful for what they did and because of their intervention I still have my beautiful dog.

The butterflies signify new life and new beginnings and Ruby has a second chance now to enjoy her time.

She will never be a healthy dog due to the Cushing's Disease that she already was diagnosed with two years ago now.

But at least she can sniff about and bark at the postman and snore on my videos as she lies in her bed. 

Thanks to everybody for all your messages and your concern and I will be sure to keep you updated on her progress.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Smooshed Backgrounds

 Hi Everybody,   

For these two cards I took one sheet of A4 card and Ink Smooshed over the background. I tried to keep each side of it a little different .

I cut it into two separate pieces and and on  this one I splattered it with silver ink and cut a large die cut shape to fit over the top.

It is a really old Spellbinders die and probably not available any more but keeps in with me using up all the older stuff that I have in my craft room. 

The flowers are cut from the same piece of card and the leaves are from my Rose Flourish die set and cut in pale blue mirror card. Each flower has a pearl in the centre

The sentiment is from one of my own older stamp and die sets.

This card has been splattered with black and white and has some black text stamped over it also.

There is a die cut in the card from an old magazine freebie and I used silver mirror card to cut the other elements.

The butterfly is cut in parchment and splattered card and layered together. 

I cut the sentiment from mirror card, parchment and the white Happy Birthday and layered them all together, and dotted pearls around as a finishing touch.

Both are very pretty, vibrant  Birthday cards done with ink smooshing to produce a different kind of  look, and I hope you like them both.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Carole Eaton - Winner

 Hi Everybody,

It is a gorgeous day here. Ruby is out in the garden with Ella (the cat) sunning them selves while they can. We cant go walking so I will potter in the garden too later, though I only have a postage size garden to work in. Most of my plants are in pots and getting really large after being re potted earlier this year.

The draw has been done for the bundle on offer and the name this week is 

Carole Eaton

would you send me your postal address please to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it posted off to you straight away.

Be sure to let me know that you have it safely and I will include one of my Pokey Tools in the pack.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Ruby Update ….

 Hi Everybody,

Thank you for all the comments and concern for Ruby 

who has been one very sick little dog.

This time last week she was fighting for her life and diagnosed as having severe pancreatitis. She was in the Veterinary Hospital in Manchester for four days and had  all sorts of treatments.

They said she could come home on Monday and she has a feeding tube in her neck. Here she is lying on the sofa with the bandage around her neck and her tummy looks very swollen.

She has been on a specialist diet since I bought her home and will need to be on this for at least a year. 

I cannot exercise her as yet.  She has been back to see a new vet and they removed the tube from her neck last Friday. I changed vets as soon as I could and I have written to complain about the treatment she received with the old vet.

She needs to be watched carefully especially in what she eats and as they put it she is “dietary indiscreet” which basically means  ….. your dog is a dustbin and will eat any thing it can find.

And that is definitely my Ruby, she vacuums that area looking for food, you would think she is starved.

But for now she is home and starting the long road to complete recovery even if it is with life.long medication.

More tomorrow…

Hugs xx