Special Birthday ..

Hi Everybody,

Click this link 

Seasons Giving Blog Hop  

if you would like to participate ... and wins some fabulous prizes too The Hop is open until the 5th January and then a winner will be announced later in the day

In the meantime I am showing you a card that I was asked to make for a special birthday and I was given a lovely verse to add to the inside

I used a  Debbie Moore  CD for the image and although I have added the link to her website I cannot find the CD.

It is from the Glitter and Glitz Magic Moments CD if you are looking it

But I have had it for a long time and so maybe it is not now  available to purchase.

The die  is the   French Collection - Background    and it is one of my favorites from Sue Wilson

The flowers are from  Wild Orchid Crafts  and are a lovely selection of Daisies, Roses, Tulips, Chrysanthemums and Sweetheart Blossoms ... with white leaves added to the mix.

I have added fine glitter from  Glitter Magic   to strategic areas on the ladies dress and that gives added sparkle to the design.

So tomorrow is the end of the big Blog Hop for me and so I hope you will be back later in the day to  check to see if you are the winner of my prize

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Oh dear me ... It's pink !!

Hi Everybody,

After the drama of yesterdays card I thought I would return to ...  a nice gentle Pink !!

For this card I have used the  Tied Together  die for the background and this is also an extendable pattern.  I got mine from   JGD Crafts  and the link above will take you to the actual die on their website.

To extend these  patterns,  on this or any other extendable die ... either lengthways or widthways ... all you need to do is line it up with the previous pattern and cut it again.

The beautiful assortment of  flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts

The ribbon is some that I brought back from Phoenix and I know that some of you don't like big bows,  but this ribbon ties so easily that I couldn't resist.

The lacy piece at the bottom of the card is created with the Flourish Trim   and is one of the Die D-Lites from Spellbinders.

A really pretty die and although small is very versatile for adding that extra touch to your designs.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 033

Hi Everybody,

Todays card in the Friday Freebie range is one using the Striplet dies from Sue Wilson.

I got my set from JGD Crafts  and there are many of Sues' dies for you to choose from

I have teamed the teal color with white and a touch of yellow for effect.

The beautiful flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and into them I have added one of my   pearl sprays   (video tutorial)

The ribbon is from Mei Flower  and I have tied it in a double bow.

The sentiment is from Crafters Companion    Sentimental range

So if you would like to win this card then all you have to do is become a follower and then leave me a comment

From the comments  a name will be drawn from the hat and the winner will be notified in tomorrows post.

Then you have to send me your postal address and I will send the card to you wherever you live

More tomorrow ...  

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 032

Hi Everybody,

Todays Friday Freebie is a deviation from pink but I couldn't resist the flowers

This one is  the French Collection - Background by Sue Wilson  and I got mine from JGD Crafts

It is a beautiful intricate die and I have teamed it with the Labels Twenty   from Spellbinders.

I have used the pearly "Bling"  from Want2Scrap

I have been asked which card do I use to create my designs and I always use ...  for every aspect of cardmaking ... the White Hammered 255 gsm from the Papermill Direct

Now this is a UK based company and so you would need to check with them if they will ship to your country as card is very heavy to send

The verse is from Lili of the Valley  and is one of several on the same stamp sheet

The flowers and the bow sparkler are from Wild Orchid Crafts   and the beautiful satin ribbon is from Mei Flower

So if you would like to win this card then all you need to do is become a follower ... if you are not already .. and leave me a comment on the bottom of the post.  Then pop back tomorrow and see if your name is on the blog post.

If it is then you will have 48hours to let me know who you are so that I can send the card to you ... and it doesn't matter where you live I will send it anywhere for you.

I have started to leave the draw open until Saturday morning to give people in other countries the chance to enter ... I know when we are wide awake in the UK there are those of you in the land of Nod !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Wednesday Card Class

Hi Everybody,

Just a quick post to show you what my ladies made yesterday to compliment the card they created a couple of weeks ago.

Neither of them had made boxes before and so this was quite a change for us.

But they have both produced something to be proud of  that matches their cards beautifully.

We used the same die for the box lid that we had used to create the card and it is  Seville from Sue Wilson  Spanish Collection .. available from JGD Crafts

The flowers are a selection from Wild Orchid Crafts and both ladies love these flowers as much as I do

And of course by now they are also used to adding sparkle to their blooms with Glitter Magic

At the end of the class we had a little spare time and so we played with some shaving foam in preparation for the next class when we will make a card using the unique paper that they have produced.

Watch this space

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Keeping you posted ...

Hi Everybody,

Here I am with an update on my adventure so far.

We arrived in Sutton in Ashfield to stay with some friends ... Kim ( on the left)  and Mick (not shown)

We had a lovely night out and went for a really tasty meal

After a good nights sleep Kim and I went off to play with some Spectrum Noir at JGD Crafts

I was a little nervous to start but soon settled down  once we got started.

I feel that the day went well and everybody seemed to go away happy.

We started at about 10am and I tried to cover as much as I could with both pens and pencils

But both are subjects that have so much that can be covered for some wonderful effects and of course we could have gone on for a lot longer

The class wrapped up about 4pm and everybody went away with  images that they had colored and more that they can practise with in the next few weeks.

Thank you everybody for your very warm welcome ... you all made the day very pleasurable.

Janet at JGD Crafts runs regular  monthly events such as todays and has a variety of guest for you to enjoy ... and the lunch she prepares for her class is second to none.

For more information about the "Events" or to join  the weekly classes for card making or coloring then  visit the website at JGD Crafts

Kim and I left to go back to her house and then Griff and I headed back to Peterborough ready for tomorrows Create and Craft show at 12 noon ... hope to see you there

And tonight back at the hotel I have put my computer on and the Friday Freebie card has been claimed too ... so thank you Janice the card will be on its way to you as soon as I get home

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 025

Hi Everybody,

I will be on 

Create & Craft today

 at 9am and 1pm 

and you can view the shows either via your TV or on your PC. 

Click the link ... Create and Craft TV  and go to the TV Schedule button and click.

In the drop down box it will give you a list of dates and show titles.  

You are looking for ...  Grand Calibur Crafting  at the times listed and then you can click the Watch "Live" TV  now  when the show is on

The shows are available for some days after they have gone out live so you may be able to catch some of them later

I have not forgotten to add in my usual Friday Freebie card and so here it is for this week 

This is in a vibrant shade of pink and sure to please all you pink lovers ... but for those who don't like the big bows ... sorrreee this one is huge !!

The organza ribbon tied in a double bow is from Mei Flower

The background is the Tied Together die from JGD Crafts  and it is layered over flowery pink paper

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and into the corsage I have added some of my pearl sprays

The pearls around the frame are from Want2Scrap   and the glitter on the flowers is from Glitter Magic

Now if this is a card you would like to own then leave me a comment at the end of the post and once the names have been drawn the winner will be announced in a blog post.

You will have to give me time to post the card to the winner though as I will be on C&C ... but I am happy to send it to you wherever you.

In the previous days post I have used some of the very newest dies from the Spellbinders 2014 catalog and I have now been back into those pages  and edited them to include links for each of the dies to the Spellbinders website

It will show you what the die sets look like and the intricate detail in each of the templates.  You will need to shop around for availability in your country and for the best price.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 024 ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is a beautiful shade of blue and has a lovely collection of flowers along the side that have the sparkle effect.

The flowers are from   Wild Orchid Crafts   and they are now doing smaller starter packs for those that like the flowers but don't need as many.

They are an excellent choice and a very reasonable price and the little dazzlers that sit on my bows are also in the same packs.

The fine glitter on the flowers is from  Glitter Magic   and it is something I love to do to my flowers.

The  background is Tied Together Die from  JGD Crafts   and it makes the most beautiful backdrop to your designs and is one that I use a lot of.

The little sentiment is for a Happy Birthday and is one  of a set of eight from   Lili of the Valley 

The ribbon is from   Mei Flower   and is the soft gingham that looks so fresh ... and don't forget that all these colored words are links to the websites for you to see the products and buy them if you wish

Now if you would like to own this card then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the bottom of the post and if your name is pulled out of the hat by my "Film Crew" then the card will be on its way to you.

Pop back tomorrow to see if it is YOU and then you will have 48 hours to claim it.   Good Luck

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Butterflies ...

Hi Everybody,

This card is created in a a beautiful shade of pink from the Adorable Scorable range by Hunkydory.   The link will take you to their selection of colors

This one is Candy Floss and it really is a delicate shade ... just perfect for all your girly cards.

The top layer is from the Sue Wilson French Collection and this is the background die from JGD Crafts   I love this die as it is so delicate.

Once I have cut the card I sprayed it with adhesive and then sprinkled it all with glitter from Glitter Magic and the effect is gorgeous.

I wrapped organza ribbon from Mei Flower around the layers  and topped it with a Chocolate Box Bow  The little dazzler in the centre of the bow is from Wild Orchid Crafts

The sentiment is  one from the stamp sheet by Sheena Douglass  and they are available from   Crafters Companion     I really like this card and it so much better in real life

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Dreamer ...

Hi Everybody,

The sentiment on this beautiful card is from the stamp range by  Sheena Douglass and there are many quite large sentiments on the sheet ... and some gorgeous butterflies too

This was a card I was asked to make and it comes complete with matching box.

The die I have used is the Tied Together and it is from JGD Crafts  It matches the Tied Together embossing folder also from the same craft shop

It is such a lovely design and will enhance any of your cards and I use it to create the aperture in the box lid. Always a really good way to showcase the card inside.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and sparkled up with fine glitter from Glitter Magic

The buckle for the bow is also from WOC and I have added it to satin ribbon from Mei Flower

The diamanté around the edge of the card and the ow is from Want2Scrap  and adds a really elegant touch for such a special card and the addition of organza butterflies to both card and box makes it even better.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Remember the Coloring ...

Click to enlarge

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is created using a digital image from Just Inklined  ... it is one of the many images on the CD "The Next Big Thing"

I have colored it with Spectrum Noir pens and pencils and the colors I have  used are ...

Pens      -TB1 TB2 TB4 DG2 DG4 IG2
Pencils  - 069, 070, 076, 045, 048, 049 and 001 was used to highlight the petals and  leaves

Sets of both pens and pencils are available from JGD Crafts   and I have to say that the pencils are fabulous to work with and enhance your coloring immensely

The pointillism background is using the pens in the same colors I use to color the flower and I have gone around the whole flower with a grey shadow using IG2

The ribbon ...  which just happened to match ... is from my "Stash" and the centre of the bow is from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The large pearls are part of  Want2Scrap  Bulk Buy Bling and is a real bargain

Just a reminder that there is a "Give Away" running until next Sunday and so if you would like to win the goodies on offer then add your name to the list ..... Bank Holiday Give Away 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pretty Bows

Hi Everybody,

This week the ladies in my Card Class added some pretty bows to their cards and we used a 250 gsm card from the Papermill Direct  throughout

We used the  Sue Wilson Classic and Lattice 3-D bows and layered the two together

There is a whole selection of Sues' designs  available to you from   JGD Crafts

Both of these cards are lovely but once again they have gone for completely different color schemes

This time Mary has gone for the darker colors and Brenda has gone for the pale ones ... it's usually the other way round.

Mary has chosen the flowers that match the dots in the background paper and Brenda has gone for those that match the tiny bees on her paper.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts ... and don't forget that WOC have very kindly put together some starter packs which have flowers of  different sizes in them at a  really good price.

The flowers have been sparkled with Glitter Magic  to give an extra special look.

I think both cards look good and my ladies are doing really well with what they achieve each week.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spellbinders Shapeabilities Dies-Twisted Metal Tags/Accents

Spellbinders S6-001 Nestabilities Matting Basics A Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders S6-002 Nestabilities Matting Basics B Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

InLinkz.com

More Royal Blue

Hi Everybody,

Here is another card in the Royal Blue that some of you have said is too bright  

I have used the new  French Collection background by  Sue Wilson and it makes a really lovely addition to the card

It is made in the  Hinged Card Style   and it is my  favourite way of creating my base

The new collection of dies are available from  JGD Crafts  along with many other items for your crafting "Stash"

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and this is a collection of   Chrysanthemums, Roses, Sweetheart Blossoms, and Rosebuds

They have all been sparkled with  Glitter Magic    The satin ribbon is from  Mei Flower   that has been tied in a double bow  The pearl flourish is from  Want2Scrap 

It is a very pretty card and the blue is not quite as bright as you think in real life.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Yellow and Pink ...

Hi Everybody,

Now I now that not everybody will like yellow and pink but it really is a winning combination if you get the shades right.

The photograph is not a very good one but the Spectrum Noir colors used are ...

Skin FS2 FS3 FS4
Hair GB2 GB8 GB9
Clothes  PL1 BP2 BP6
Boots  GB2 GB8 GB9

The background  and the ribbon have been colored with Isopropyl and  CT3 and sprayed onto the card through a mask and the technique with the ribbon  is shown in this tutorial ... Coloring Ribbon and Flowers

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and the image is from Saturated Canary and it is pretty ... it's just a rubbish photo (Note to self ... Must Do Better)

The Spectrum Noir pens and pencils are available from JGD Crafts  and I love the pencils they are so smooth to work with

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Italian Background

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is created using the Italian Background by Sue Wilson from JGD Crafts

I have cut the pattern twice and one of them is silver,  and layered them together with a slight offset to the one below so that the silver just shows through.

The Faux Quilled Blooms and Leaves are also designed by Sue and they have been inked with Distress Inks to add some color

The Bow and ribbon strip have also been used to finish the card and I have used some turquoise pearls to add to the centre of each flower.

Then I was extremely lazy and added in a printed sentiment that is silver foiled.

And that's it quick and easy card that looks better in the hand than it does on a photo.

More on the WOC flowers and Paul has agreed to put together Starter Packs of flowers in various sizes and styles for you to try and there will be several color ways for you to choose from.

So pop over to   Wild Orchid Crafts   later today  and have a good look and see if there is something that takes your fancy .. I am sure you are going to love them and the price too.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ragged Santa

Hi everybody,

I know it's only July but I wanted to show you this lovely Santa from Mo's Digital Pencil  and colored with Spectrum Noir

Pen Colors used ...

Skin         FS3 FS6
Clothes     DR3 DR5 DR7 EB1
Boots/Belt IG2 IG5 IG7
Holly    DG2
Shadow TB1

The full range of Spectrum Noir pens and pencils can be purchased from JGD Crafts

The paper was a free paper stack and the satin  ribbon is from Mei Flower

The sparkler in the centre of the bow is from Wild Orchid Crafts

I noticed the other day some comments that you would like a sort of introductory pack of flowers

You would like them in  a mixture of sizes, styles and colors for you to try them out first 

And so I have made the suggestion to Paul at  WOC  and he is going to see if he can put something together

I will be sure to let you know if he does and give you the link to take a look.    I  am sure that you will not be disappointed.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

The winner of the card ...

Hi Everybody,

So once again this is an early morning post to announce the winner of the card offered yesterday.  It is a very pretty peach card with lots of embellishments and it looks much better in real life.

The draw has been done and the card is going to go to you ...

Diana Lawton

Please email me ... christina@card-making-magic.com  ...  and send me your postal address and the card will be in the post immediately.  You have 48 hours to claim the card and I hope you will like it and please let me know when it arrives

I have had several questions this week such as ... where I get my verses/ flowers/glitter  from  or how do you make a particular item 

When there is a paragraph on the page and it has PINK colored words in it they are the links to those items ... all you need to do is click the link.

Here is an example ...  the die used in the  Friday Freebie card was the Chantilly Heart from Tattered Lace and the link took you to where I got my die from which was JGD Crafts.  I add the links  to either  the actual product or the website

So go on click the link  ...  Chantilly Heart  ... did you get there OK ? Oh good .. so now if there is a similar thing in future posts  all you need to do is click and find the answer.

I will add links as often as I can to show you what the item looks like  and where you can get it from ... and I only buy quality items from  reliable sources.  But you can shop around for them if that is your choice.

There will be another post later today so I hope you will pop back to take a look and try clicking some of the links if the item interests you.

More later ...

Hugs xx

Pearl Flower Sprays

Hi Everybody,

It is such a compliment to me to see the pearls sprays popping up on many cards and I am so glad that you liked them enough to add them to your own designs

Well this little video takes it one step further and shows you how to create flowers from the pearls that you are finding if difficult to otherwise  make use of

Here  I have tucked them into my flowers to add that extra touch to the corsage and the size of the flowers will depend on the size of the beads that you use.

But it is an excellent way to use up all those that are sitting there and that you are thinking of simple throwing away.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and they have new flowers coming in all the time.

The pearls around the edge of the frame are self adhesive strips from Want2Scrap

This is a mixture of Carnations, Roses, Tulips and the pearl flowers and I have used Glitter Magic to add more sparkle

The background to this card is the Tied Together die from JGDCrafts

And if you don't want to add them to your flowers then simply add them to a bow to cover the knot.

The organza ribbon for this bow is from Mei Flower  and it has been tied in a double bow using a bow maker 

Another pretty idea to add to some of your "Girly" cards

And here is handy tip from Margaret Bowe who wrote to tell me that if you glue a piece of velvet to an 8" paper plate it stops your beads rolling all over the place ... and it is cheaper than a shop bought bead tray .... YaaaaY !!  Thank you Margaret

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Same Image ... four looks

Hi Everybody,

I wanted to show you the different looks that can be achieved with different color combinations for hair and clothes but using just one image to illustrate the point.

The image is called  Baby Bow and it is from Mos Digital Pencil.

I have used a mixture of   Spectrum Noir  pens and pencils to achieve the look.

The full  selection  of pens and pencils  can be bought from  JGD Crafts

The cards have  all been made  to the same  Hinged Style  and they  all have been  matted and  layered with color  coordinating card and papers to compliment  the image.

Each one has had the Tutus, headbands  and ballet shoes  of the baby glittered  and I have added matching ribbon to each one also.

Each of the cards has the addition of a matching pearlised Rose and they are from Samaflora 

All of Sams' flowers are hand made and she creates new ones regularly.

They are in beuatiful colors so please pop over there and take a look ... and tell her I sent you.

I hope the addition of the watermark does not spoil your view of the card but it is becoming increasingly  important for a watermark to be added to any cards that you color in.

It is apparent that the colored images are being stolen and then re used as someone elses work on cards that they claim as their own and so the watermark helps to stop this theft  ... and  protects not  only  my/your  work  but the artists work as well.

The colors I have used for the pink image have been pens only and they are ...
Skin   FS2   FS4  FS5
Hair   TN2  TN7  TN8 with brush nibs
Tutu   PP1  PP3  PP4

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Faux Quilled Blooms and Leaves

Hi Everybody,

Another in blue and I promise I will use another color after this one.

But this blue card has caused many emails as a lot of you seem to like this shade as well.

It is from Limetree Crafts.  I buy their card from the craft shows and it is always good value for money...but the link to their website is not working at present

So there are more new dies used on this card and they are all from the Finishing Touches by Sue Wilson.

I have used  Faux  Quilled  Leaves,  Faux  Quilled Blooms  and  the  Fern  Trio and   I got all of these dies from   JGD Crafts

The ribbon is from   Mei Flower   and I have added ribbon loops with a large pearl and diamante centre which is from Wild Orchid Crafts

The pearls in the centre of each bloom are from Want2Scrap  and it makes for a very pretty card.

Book a Workshop 

Now  something I want to share with you ...  and that  is that  I have had  two  invitations  to run workshops using the  Spectrum Noir  Coloring System.

One is 13th September for JGD Crafts and they are based in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottingham  and that class is already fully booked.

The other is 4th October for Crafting 4pleasure and they are based in Bristol ... so if you live in the area and would like to attend the workshop then email  Bev at  craftypleasures@hotmail.co.uk   

There are some places still available so email now  to secure your place, bring your pens along  and I'll see you there

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx