Here's the pretty box ...

I have been  making more of these boxes and it is surprising how  large they are.

You would be able  to get  lots of chocolates in there if that was the gift  you were giving,  and much prettier than  a shop bought box that they come in.

Here is the White  box that I made from  Centura Pearl card from  Crafters Companion

It is a quite a sturdy  card and as the card  was 16" square the finished   box is big... just think of the  chocolates that would go  in that one.

The only problem with  that is I would be  saying  "One for the box .. and one for me...." if you know what  I mean?????

The top to the  box has been decorated  with the  Poinsettia Flowers  and I added in some  white feathers  later.

This is  the box  that is created  on the video  and because of the time  limits with  YouTube  I have had to do it in two parts.

You can find  them both  here in this link... Origami Box Tutorial   and I hope you will  enjoy it. 

And I  wonder if  you will  spot the  deliberate  mistake  .... I forgot  to add the  tag that  I cut out for the box.

But you  can see it in the photo so  I remebered after the video was  complete.

I have  used a  double sided  good quality  paper for this so that it wouldn't  tear and the  "Bling" is from  Want2Scrap

I have  also done it in a  darker colour way as I have an  Aunt who loves  this look.

So guess  what her  Christmas prezzie  will be in this  year !!!

And it will be  filled with  scented soaps and  bath crystals as  well as a face cloth and other goodies for her to use.... coz I will have eaten the choccies !

Hugs xx

Un Frogetable ...

I have scheduled lots of posts to go out automatically for the next week as I will be having a short break in Scotland.

My film crew  (Griff)  and I are having a little holiday in Edinburgh as it is somewhere we have wanted to visit for quite some time.

So over the next few days I would like to share some cards that  all  have an element of fun in them.

They are just a few of the ones that are in the   Novelty Cards  section at Card Making Magic.

They are all made from  simple  punched or die cut shapes and children love them.

Why not show them how to make some for their friends and let them give them out for a party or trip somewhere that you have planned for them.

 Mr Frog   is created from oval and circle shapes,  and  has eyes that have been formed from some smaller  punched circles and he is sat in a pool  of water  that is created with Glossy Accents. The mouth is just hand drawn.

You could add any sentiment you have or computer generate some for your use and add them to the card. 

"Couldn't froget your Birthday" .... "Just Hopping by to wish you .... "  ..."Kiss me !"... are some ideas of things to add to bring a smile to the recpients face.... and then they won't   froget  you either !

And I am keeping my fingers crossed that these post all go out as planned ... Back on the 27th

Hugs xx

Enamelled Roses

A while ago I added a post and a tutorial to the website, on making Paper Roses for your cards, and it proved to be very popular.

I had many emails about them and lots of photos added to the Gallery  of  how others had made their flowers look.

The tutorial showed you how to create the flowers without any special punches.... just make your own template.

You  could then make them to any colour and paper that you have in your "Stash" and then they would always blend in with your design.

But the next step after this was to enamel them and make them look glossy... and so the video for the Enamelled Rose  came about. 

This process needed some Embossing powder and it needed to be heated until it melted... so not a good idea to use around children.

But the effect was to give the Roses a glass like appearance and they are very strudy once they have cooled.

And certainly made them look different from the paper roses that we started out with.

Hugs xx

Patchwork Card

I hate to throw away pretty paper and I always think if it is big enough to make a flower then I will keep it... and I do make lots of flowers.  But this is a little different.

Making a  Patchwork Card  is really easy and will utilise more of those scraps.

There have been several ideas over the last few days to make use of them all and this is another.

The squares on this card are not very big, about 5cms,  but once added together they can look really effective.

The papers are from a CD from Funky Hand and the centre of the flowers is a brad.

The butterfly is acetate and the trail, and the Faux Stitching are created with a Sakura pen.

Try mimicking a real quilt when you make the card for a really special look.

But this is the simple and easy variation if you are new to cardmaking.


Hugs Christina xx

Mini - Envelopes

This mini-envelope is a really cute addition to your cards and will use up those odd bits of paper that you have left over.

It is created from different folds so it is best not to use a paper that is too thick or you will find it hard to fold as it is so small.

I have inked all the edges with Distress Inks and added a small velvet brad to the opening.... it doesn't actually keep it closed but it looks pretty.

Use the same papers as the rest of the card for a coordinated look.

And if you wanted too you could add a small message to pop inside the envelope for the recipient.

The small Roses in the centre of the flat flowers are from  Wild Orchid Crafts  and they just add that extra touch.

Hugs Christina xx

Paper Weaving

This little technique will use up all your left over strips of paper and as long as the colours blend then you can use any patterns that you have in your "Can't throw away" box .... Yep I have one of those too.

And although it says Paper Weaving  this can also work well with ribbons for a really pretty effect.

These papers and the Owl are from the  Papercraft Factory CD from Funky Hand and I have added
some Googly eyes to the character.

There are several collections of papers on the CD and they are suitable for any kind of card that you want to make.

You will also find downloads available on their website ... so they are yours instantly you have gone through the checkout.

Hugs Christina xx

Paper Pleating

This lovely technique has been around for years and another I learned as a child. I really don't remember where I got it from it's that long ago.

Paper Pleating  is easy to do and yet can look so pretty on a card, especailly if flowers are added too.

The flower centres are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and they have been added to some silk ones that I had in my "Stash" and had forgotten about.

Amazing what you find when you have a clear out!!

The Trellis edge is a Martha Stewart punch and the butterflies are peel offs.

This a card I made quite some time ago ... long before the Spellbinder days!!

Hugs Christina xx

Paper Lace

Not to be confused with the Punched Lace I added a couple of days ago..... oh no! this one is going to use up any Doilys that you may have lurking around at the bottom of your kitchen drawers.

Paper Lace  is an easy technique to create and yet still adds a very delicate look for all your cards.

Here it has been pleated along the edge of the card and all the workings have been covered by the white ribbon for a neat finish.

The image is from  LIli of the Valley  and is very cute. I have coloured the bear in with Promarkers.

The additional flowers are from  Wild Orchid Crafts. 

Hugs Christina xx

Paper Folded Shirt

This is an excellent addition to all your male themed cards and is very easy to make.

You can jazz up the   Paper Shirt any way you want and use it for lots of occasion.

The card open up and any sentiment or invitation can be added to the centre

One of the things I did was to make it into an dress shirt and put a dinner party invitation inside it.

You will find lots more ways to make use of this and it is one of the things I was taught as a child and have never forgotten.

Little did I know I would ever be adding it to some cards in the future.

Make them into Father Christmas outfits and let the kids use them as their cards for their school chums... and teach them how to make them too... it will keep them quiet for a while !

Hugs Christina xx

Paper Roses

These beautiful flowers can save you a fortune ... if adding flowers to your cards is what you like to do ... and I most certainly do!!

You can use up all your scraps of paper and match them to the colour scheme of the card you are making.

They are very easy to make ... even if you don't have a punch to create the petals.

Paper Roses   are such a pleasure to make and I often spend the afternnon cutting some out and making them up and then I always have flowers on hand whenever I want to add them to a specific card.

There is a neat little trick with Organza Ribbon on this video too to give a vintage look to it.

The next step is to make the flowers look like glass and for that you will need some clear embossing powder to create Enamelled Roses

But if you are having a go at this one then mind your fingers as it gets very very hot....  Ask me how I know this .... Ouch!!


Hugs Christina xx

Paper Folded Butterfly

I thought that maybe this week I would add some little tricks that can be achieved with folding paper ... or Origami as the Japanese say.

There are many intricate designs, shapes and items that can be produced but here are some really easy ones that can be added to cards.

This pretty Dragon fly started out as a Butterfly but with the addition of the swirl it somehow changed the look.

So we'll call it a Dragonfly instead!!

The   Paper Folded Butterfly   is so easy to create and can look so pretty fluttering by to land on your cards

This is another one that I hope you will try and maybe think about adding your photos to the Gallery Page  on the website


Hugs Christina xx