Express Yourself - Make It Personal

Hi Everybody,

A little while ago I was sent a variety of handmade stickers by a small paper crafting company asking me to try out their products and see what I think. 

So this week I have been busy making up some samples of clean and simple cards that will show off the stickers and how easy they are to use.

There is a vast selection for you to choose from for every occasion and the company is called  .... Express Yourself - Make It Personal

Here are a few of the cards that I have made quite quickly using the stickers

These have just been added to a script layer on my white base card

This is using the Macaroons and Teacups for my Birthday card 

For this next card I have simply used the  Summer Flowers 

I have added them to my embossed panel  and used one of the Especially For You  stickers from another pack

Add in some enamel dots and add the whole topper to the base card for a quick and easy card.

The butterfly is one I cut from the pack that is shown in the next card.

There are three sets of 3 Butterflies in this multi pack and on this card I have used two complete stickers for the front of the card.

The third set I have cut up and one single one is placed on the edge of the sentiment and  another is used on the card above

Quick easy and very effective cards and the stickers will work really well on scrapbook pages too.

The Happy Birthday is part of the Mini Captions 

This multi pack is Cake With Candles  and the Numbers are glitter stickers and the ones I used are silver

So I hope you have enjoyed the few ideas for cards that I have shown you here

The links to the products I have used have also been added.

They are an inexpensive way to add that extra touch to any of your projects and I hope you will pop over to their website and see for your self.

And while you are there have a look at their blog post in which they have added me as one of their top five favorites   Express Yourself MIP  and I am very honoured to be featured

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

FF Card Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Today I have another winner to announce and this is for the Friday Freebie card from yesterday. The draw has been done good and early today so that I have a free afternoon. I have lots to do and it is raining here so not quite so nice to take Ruby to the beach 

The name chosen at random for this first card of 2017 is you ...

Riekie

if you could send me your postal address please to

christina@card-making-magic.com

the card will be on its way to you.

You have 72 hours in which to claim it and I hope you will like it when it arrives with you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Seasons Giving Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

The Seasons Giving Blog Hop is a really big hop and it is very successful each year that we do it.   It is my way of saying "Thank You" to all my readers and to welcome new ones gained from the hop.

And there have been quite a few this year that have joined the merry band of lovely followers who visit me almost every day.

 If you are new then I hope you will pop back regularly as each week we have a blog most every day which includes the ...Tuesday Tutorial ... Water Colour Wednesday ... and a Friday Freebie 

So the winner of the prize offered in the SG Blog Hop  is YOU ...

CHRIS HANDY

and if you would kindly email me please

christina@card-making-magic.com

the prize will be on its way to you straight away

The picture will refresh your memory as to what was offered ... and there maybe a little extra in there too !!

If you are looking for the  Friday Freebie  it is still running and this is just an extra post to tell you the name of the winner of the Seasons Giving Blog Hop 

Come back tomorrow for the FF winner

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 001/17

Hi Everybody,

Here is the first Friday Freebie of the year and we start with this really pretty pink card.

The flowers on the front are roses, rosebuds. Sweetheart blossom and Gypsophilia and all have been sparkled with glitter.

If you are new to my blog then this is what you need to do to be in with a chance to win this card.

Leave me a comment at the end of this post and from those comments one name will be drawn and announced in tomorrows blog post.

You have 72 hours in which to claim the card and YOU will need to come back and check if it is your name that is shown.

I cannot chase you up to collect it so if you dont check then you will lose it after that time and it will be offered to someone else.

I will send the card to you wherever you live and you don't need to have your own blog to enter. And even if you have won a card last year you can still try again asd some of my readers have actually won two or even three cards from the FF

Good luck everybody.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Magazine Freebie ...

Hi Everybody,

Today over on YouTube I have a new video that gives you a sneaky peak at the magazine freebie with Papercraft Essentials 142.

Meet the Perfect Pandas  and this really cute stamp set can be used to create cards for many different occasions.

There is a 5x5 embossing folder with it too.

Here I have made a shaker card but in the video I create a really simple Wedding Card

With a little lace and some faux stitching this has been turned into an anniversary card and all I have used is the rose stamp

So I hope you will enjoy the free gift with Papercraft Essentials and it will be on sale on the 12th January

You can get the magazine from supermarkets and craft shops as well as WHSmiths.

Or direct from  Moremags where you can also take out a subscription to your favorite one

 With your imagination there are many other ways that you can put this gift to work

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday - Colour Wash Alphas

Hi Everybody,

This was a really easy and quick card to make and I have used a large Alphabet Stamp to make the letters.

I simply colour washed a piece of card in pale blue paint and then stamped over the top of it with a script stamp.

Using the alphabet I stamped the words that I needed in black ink and heat embossed them with clear powder

I cut them out with scissors and added foam pads to the back and then added them to a panel of dotty card created with a stencil and embossing paste

After the paste is dry it leaves a raised effect and I layered this with turquoise card and once the letters are in place I added in some sequins

The "Wishes" is from the stamp and matching die set called That Is All by W+9

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Floral Trellis

Hi Everybody,

This is the first tutorial to start off the New Year and I thought we would make this one in lilac and add those beautiful flowers to it.  I even used the same die to create the box and I have many tutorials on boxes of different shapes and sizes on Card Making Magic

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S4-643 Floral Trellis
• PL-001 Platinum Die Cutting Machine

Other Supplies:

• Dotty Card from AnnaMarie Designs
• Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts
• Diamante/Pearl strip from Want2Scrap
• Ribbon from Mei  Flower
• Glitter from Glitter Magic
• Best Wishes Sentiment from Tonic Studios
• Glitter Card from Craft Stash

Instructions:

With white card create top folded base card measuring 41/4 x 6"

With the Dotty card create another mat slightly smaller to leave a thin border around the edges

With both oarts to the Trellis die cut one panel in white and add small pieces of foam tape around the edges and onto the floral parts 

Add this to the Dotty card and trim around the edges

Wrap these panels with ribbon and add to the base card with foam pads

With the sentiment die cut twice in white and once in silver glitter card and layer them together with the silver glitter card on the top 

Add this to the  trellis just above the ribbon 

Tie a neat bow and add to the ribbon

Dress with flowers as you like and sprinkle them with glitter.

Use the inner portion of the Trellis die to make the panel in the top of the box and line with acetate

Use the Dotty card for the lid and white card for the box base

Dress with flowers to match the card if desired.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs

To Start the year ...

Hi Everybody,

The first card of the New Year is created with Tonic Studios Toy Plane and this is perfect for the small boys who have a Birthday coming up.

It is part of the Rococo ranges and these are a delight to design with.

Over the coming weeks I will show you some of the others that are in this collection and how they can be adapted to suit any age group or occasion

For this one I cut the plane out twice once in Blue the other in Yellow and paper pieced them together to make the two tone plane. I removed the top section of it and added in Glossy Accents to represent the cockpit.

The propellers are cut from Silver card and added in to the space and the sentiment is stamped and embossed onto the card.

The clouds are created by hand with Distress Inks and the little flying birds are simply drawn in at the end

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Seasons Giving Blog Hop ...

Hi Everybody,

Happy New Year to each and every one of you and to start this off to a really good year I am taking part in the Seasons Giving Blog Hop. This is the fifth year and I have taken part in this for the last three.

It is my way to say a big "Thank You" to everyone who visits my blog and leaves me a lovely comment  ... and then returns time after time.

So I am giving away some pretty "Goodies" of things that I like to use regularly on my own designs.

In this pack there are 2 packs of flowers, with 5 assorted packs of white pearl bling.

I have also added some Guipure lace so that you can create a lovely card for that special someone.

And all you need to do is join the group of followers and then leave me a comment to let me know that you have visited

A winner will be chosen from the comments and announced on Friday 6th January and I am happy to send the gift wherever you are

Enjoy the hop and many of them are also having a "Give Away" and they would love for you to leave them a comment too.  There are some really talented bloggers for you to visit and thanks again for being one of my lovely followers. 

Lawn Fawn

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

Reverse Confetti

Taylored Expressions

Paper Smooches

Neat & Tangled

Technique Tuesday

Clear & Simple Stamps

Richard Garay

My Sweet Petunia

JustNick

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store

Sunny Studio Stamps

Inchie Arts llc

Scrapbook Update

Buttons Galore

 Latisha Yoast

Julia Stainton

ChariMoss

Cristina Nunez

Wanda Guess

Vera Yates

Amy Tsuruta

Mary-Ann Maldonado

Lori Craig

Lydia Fiedler

Jenn Shurkus

Lisa Henke

Dina Kowal

Libby Hickson

Emily Leiphart

Cindy Lawrence

Kelly Klapstein

Erica Houtghton

Elise Constable

Julee Tillman

Lee Murphy

Lisa Arana

Giovana Smith

Karen Baker

Lindsay Amrhein

Dana Joy

Marcie Sharp

Megan Hoeppner

Alicia Thelin

Asia King

Debbie Seyer

Yvonne Van De Grijp

Tenia Nelson

Michelle Woerner

                         Christina Griffiths  You are here ...

Lori McAree

Barbara Anders

Jill Hawkins

Veronica Zalis

Leigh Penner

Margie Higuchi

Amy Coose

Melody Rupple

Karen Letchworth

Heidi Ramsey Blankenship

Jennie Harper

Jodi Collins

Jessica Frost-Ballas

Gracie Chavez

Stephanie Klauck

Savannah O’Gwynn

Terre Fry

Neva Cole

Maria Levine

Misti Oblander

Ceal Pritchett

I hope you enjoy your trip around the blogs and I will see you again tomorrow ....

Hugs xx

New car ....

Hi Everybody,

No card post today but I have been busy just the same. Since we have Ruby it is difficult trying to get her into the back of a two door car. And so we decided it was time to change it for one that was a little more dog friendly.

Griff  has been looking for a few weeks now for something to exchange for our Peugeot 307 CC and has eventually found a Ford Focus that fits the bill. Today we have been to Liverpool to collect it and I had to say a fond farewell to my lovely blue convertible. I have had that car for ten years and it was much loved for the excellent service it has given me.

The new car is silver and if it is as good as the other then I will be happy. We took Ruby with us and she settled better in the Ford than she did in the Peugeot. And for being so good all morning we took her on the beach this afternoon and let her off the lead to run free.

She loves it and there was no one else out there but us. It was very cold but Ruby ran up and down the beach chasing her ball .... ears flapping in the wind. She has now run out of steam and is conked out on the sofa having a snooze.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

DCE - Build A Rose Die Set

Hi Everybody,

Here we are again with another sneaky peak at next weeks Die Cutting Essentials magazine and the freebie that will be with it. 

This will be issue 19 and the free die is called Build A Rose.

In the video I have tried to show some of my ideas for this die set 

It will be "Live" on my YouTubeChannel today for you to view and I hope that you enjoy it.  I have tried to keep the ideas easy to follow

The magazine will be on sale 5th January in selected supermarkets and craft stores and also at WHSmiths.

You can order it direct or take out a magazine subscription at MoreMags.com

There are some fabulous free gifts coming in the future with all the magazines that I cover.

So why not choose your favorite and settle down when it comes through the letterbox for a good read each month... and always be sure to get the gift that goes with it

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday-Mother-To-Be

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is for  the ladies in waiting in your group of friends and it is from the pen of Mo's Digital Pencil 

You can chose to make this image with any shade of skin that you like as there is an Ethnic image also and it is a quick and easy one to colour

Add in a caption to suit your recipient and you have a really appropriate card

The backing paper I have used is from a paper pad that I bought from the Poundland shop and there are some really pretty patterns in the pad

Well worth a pound of anybodies money.

I have coloured this image with Spectrum Noir pens so strictly speaking not really a water colour but I am allowed to cheat once in a while ....

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Botanical Flutters+Tag

Hi Everybody,

Just a quick and easy card for todays tutorial as I am sure that many of you are not in cardmaking mode over the holiday season.... too many others things to be doing.  So this is using just two sets of dies and one embossing folder to create this pretty card for any occasion

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S$-640 Botanical Flutters
• S4-642 Twisted Floral Tags
• SEL-007 Blistered Embossing Folder
• PL-001 Platinum Die cutting machine

Other Supplies:

• Cream/ Turquoise card from Papermill Direct
• Silver Mirror Card from Craft Stash 
• Hummingbird stamp set free with SC&P 153

Instructions:

To create the card base simply fold an A4 sheet of  cream card in half along the short side and then cut in half to give you two cards.

Cut a smaller panel in turquoise to leave a small border around the edge.

Cut another slightly smaller panel in cream and emboss this

Cut the parts of the die that you wish to add to your card.

I used the two butterfly pieces and the bird

Add small foam pads in strategic places to the back of these pieces

Using the loops on the butterfly pieces link them together

Stamp and heat emboss your sentiment and cut one of the tags

Add foam pads to the back of this for dimension

Add the tag to the embossed panel and add in the looped butterfly pieces along the bottom edge.

Place the bird at the top of the tag

Add all this to the turquoise panel and then add to the base card

It creates a card with just a little dimension that will fit into a standard envelope

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Video Collaboration ...

Hi Everybody,

Today I have a new video on YouTube and this one is done in collaboration with Christine Smith of  Crafti Potential.

Christina and I are on the design team for Craft Stash and so we had some of the same products to work with.

We chose Spellbinders Tranquil Moments and the stamps from the magazine freebie Winter Wonderland that I featured in a video last month.

Christines style is modern and quirky and I love some of the cards she produces. My style is flowers, ribbons and pearls and we couldn't be further apart if we tried

So I hope you will pop over to her blog and have a look around ... tell her Christina sent you and she will be delighted to have you visit.

Here are the videos for you to view ....

If you would like to subscribe to our channels then you will be sure never to miss a new video that we add regularly and please let us know if you enjoyed this collaboration and maybe we can do some more in the New Year

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Merry Christmas ...

Hi Everyone,

It's me Ruby just popping in to wish everyone a really Merry Christmas and an extra good New Year. This is my first Christmas and my mum has some lovely things wrapped up for me to open later

Yesterday I went to the groomers and had my hair done and my nails clipped and don't I look pretty in my Angel Wings. I have never been to a groomers before and it was really good fun especially when my friend Dougal came in too.

Dougal came to my house to play too for Christmas Eve and then later we were both tired after all that running around so I settled down for a sleep.

I may have big Spaniel ears but you know they do come in handy sometimes when a girl needs forty winks  in all those fluffy cushions



So I will catch up with you again in the New Year and tell you more of my adventures as I grow up in my new and happy home

Bye for now

Hugs xx

Shabby Chic Tags Winners ...

Hi Everybody,

Sorry for the delay in posting but it has been a bit of a hectic day.  But now everything is sorted and I am ready to relax for a couple of days. I hope you are all ready for the holidays and looking forward to special times with family and friends.

The draw for the tags has been done and the three winners are ...

Pearl Hudson

Jennie the Crafty Wife

Ann Lauzon

Please email me your postal addresses to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the tags will be on their way to you

I hope you will all like them and please let me know when they arrive with you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 150

Hi Everybody,

So this is the last Friday Freebie for this year and as a special gift I am giving away all of these floral tags to three lucky winners 

I cannot guarantee which colour you will get but they are all really lovely and I don't think you will be disappointed with any of them  

They are all created using the same ingredients !!

So if you would like to win ONE of these then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post and from those comments three names will be chosen and tomorrow they will be in the blog post.

You may not get them in time for Christmas especially if you are outside the UK  but they will fit a summer theme later in the New Year.

If you add your name then you need to come back and check if yours is  one of those listed and then email me your postal address within 72 hours.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Magazine Freebies ...

Hi Everybody,

This months magazines are about to reach the shelves and here is a sneaky peak of two that will be available to buy on the 29th December.

Simply Cards and Papercrafts has a really useful embossing folder and stamp set for you to use and this one is called Birds Of A Feather

The images on the stamp sheet can be coloured any way you prefer and the combinations you can come up with will ring the changes for many occasions.

I have water coloured mine with Gansai Tambi and added it to a Spellbinders Scalloped circle.

The second magazine is Creative Stamping 38 with an A4 stamp sheet that is fabulous.

It will keep you going all year round and on the back of the packet there are more ideas for you to copy.


Whatever The Weather is the name of the stamp sheet and the video and there are more ideas for you there too

I am sorry about the sound of my voice but as you know I have recently had a chest infection and my voice is very croaky

Never the less I hope you enjoy my offerings and will look forward to getting the free gifts with your own  magazines

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday-Tantrum !!

Hi Everybody,

This little girl having a tantrum always reminds me of my Grand Daughter.

I love the way she kicks the parcel in temper and the look on her face is priceless.

It would suit so many stroppy kids that you will always be able to find a use for this image with a different caption underneath 

It is from Lily of the Valley and I have had it a ling long time and I have coloured it many times in other mediums, but this one is done with water colours.

I kept the colours soft with just a hint of shadow around the character

The finished card is only A2 so it will fit into a standard sized envelope and there is no depth to it either

Apart from the time taken to colour it, it is ready quickly and one I am sure you will enjoy playing with

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Botanical Medallion

Hi Everybody,

This die is part of the large 6" square set called Botanical Medallion but I have used just die #2 to get my card. We sometimes forget that the smaller dies can be used individually and still create a really good focal point.

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S6-025 6x6 Matting Basics A
• S6-026 6x6 Matting Basics B
• S6-090 Botanical Medallion
• Garden Lattice A4 folder (Retired)

Other Supplies:

• Cream / Pink / Black card from Papermill Direct
• Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts
• Pearl Strings also from WOC
• Glitter from Glitter Magic
• Victorian Velvet Distress Ink 

Instructions:

With die #8 from Matting Basics A cut two panels in cream and create the base card.

With die #8 from Matting Basics B cut another panel in pink

(Die #1 is always the smallest)

Add texture to the pink layer by embossing in any folder that you have.

With die #2 from Botanical Medallion cut it four times in cream and ink through the die with pink ink before removing the card from the die

Add small pieces of foam pads to the floral part of each piece

Add these evenly spaced to the embossed layer and wrap the middle with pink ribbon.

Use foam tape to add this to the base card with the fold at the top

Stamp with Versamark and heat emboss in white a sentiment of your choice

Cut to size and trim one end into a banner shape

Glue the bow in place and add the flowers twined with pearl string to the centre

Tuck the sentiment into the flowers and sprinkle them with glitter

A card for any occasion just alter the sentiment and the colours.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Cassandras Garden from Tonic

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is created with the Tonic Studios die set called Cassandras Garden  and it is one of the Flip Flop Easel Frame collection

It produces a really good size die cut for the front of your cards and the six dies in the set can be used in various ways as the title would suggest

Here I have teamed it with pink and white and used some beautiful Guipure Lace from Wild Orchid Crafts lace along the bottom

The sentiment is also from Tonic and is the Best Wishes  which fits the front panel perfectly

 I have cut in silver glitter card which is available in assorted packs of ten sheets from Craft Stash

The die does all the work for you and the card is really quick and easy to put together.

Have a play and use it in some of the other ways it is intended for.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ruby Update ...

Hello Everyone,

S'me Ruby again today and I am now four months old and growing all the time

Here I am with my lead on ready to go for a walk

I love to go for walks especially on the beach but when I get home again my mum has to wash me when  my feet get really dirty ... coz I like to dig.

This is the bowl that I am still big enough to fit into and this is good to practise digging in and it makes a lovely sound too

When I get out of the water I like to have a good shake and get everybody else wet too and my mum has a big fluffy towel that she wraps me in to get me dry and cosy again

But if I hang onto one corner of the towel while my mum tries to dry me I get all tangled up in it and it is so much fun trying to get out again.

I can roll around and make my mum and dad laugh as I growl at the towel

I like to go shopping too and I always make sure that my mum has all the shopping bags she needs

I get inside and count them for her and 

"Yes Mum there are three in here .... "

Then I drag them all over the hall so that she has to collect them all up again.

I love being a puppy and I have so much fun 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Winner and more shares ...

Hi Everybody,

It's that time of the week again to announce the Friday Freebie winner and the draw has been done good and early-ish this week. The name pulled from the hat is yours ...

Margaret Rogers

and if you could let me have your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

I can get the card in the post to you straight away.

I hope you will like it and please let me know that you have got it safely.

Interview 

Sometime ago I was asked by a young lady if she could do an interview with me for a blog post. She asked me questions of how I started crafting and for photos to go with the blog post and  I was happy to oblige.

Well that blog post has now gone live and it is in Slovak as well as English. I am adding the link in case you wanted to take a look.

You will need to scroll through the article to read it in  English.  Scrapper SK Scrapbooking  & Cardmaking   and  I would like to say Thank you to Jarka for asking me to be part of this post.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Jamie's Now Open ...

Hi Everybody,

The biggest thing I want to share with you this week is the opening of the restaurant

  Jamie's at 90 Highfield Road 
Tel. No:  01253 407202
to book a table ...

It is in Blackpool and I wish him all the very best with his new adventure. He deserves it.

A lot of work has gone into getting this ready and it is now clean and modern for you to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Jamie

He has been a chef now for over ten years and has catered for all kinds of venues and occasions large and small

He has also worked on the oil rigs for the past few years but now is his time to settle down and have a place of his own.

I am so proud of him and of course he is doing this to give his daughter Isabella a good future too

This kitchen is all laid out to Jamie's specific plans and it is spotlessly clean and new.

There are going to be some wonderful menus prepared in this space and he has some amazing ideas that he wants to try.

This is the main area for the restaurant and the seating is deep purple with some really unusual light fittings.

So if you are in the Blackpool area and would like to try soothing a little difference then pop into for a meal.

Make it known that CHRISTINA  has sent you and I will buy you a drink

This is the piece that my Griff is really proud of as he has built this bar from scratch and it is lovely.

It is the main focal point as you walk into the room and the top is covered with toughened glass.

It looks really good and tonight will find us in there dining for the first time and toasting Jamie's success for the future

If you are looking for the Friday Freebie it is still active for today here ....

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx