Negative Effect ...

Click to enlarge

Hi Everybody,

When we make cards there is such a lot of card that we discard.

But with just a little thought and some planning ahead we can put it to good use and make some pretty cards.

I needed some butterflies for another card that I was making and I used the Spellbinders Les Papillions Two 

I used the solid base to the die and rather than just cut it out randomly I carefully positioned one on some card that I would use for my top layer

Once cut and embossed this negative piece was the piece I used for this card.  I also cut another piece in pink and used it underneath as a shadow but the butterflies have been kept safely for the next card

The pink card in the negative space says "Happy Birthday"  and is from  AnnaMarie Designs

The embossing folder is from Crafters Companion

I used a large flourish from Want2Scrap for the butterfly trail

And there is my free sentiment again  from  Simply Cards and Papercrafts   Magazine stamped and embossed at the bottom of the card.

It really was that simple to make this card and yet the result is very pretty

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pretty in Green

Click to Enlarge

Hi Everybody,

Now this is a color I don't use very often but I was asked the other day to give some ideas for cards  using green

The card I have used here is from the Celebrations Range with Spellbinders and this shade is called Pixie Play

There are lots of items in this range from the card to embossing folders,  stamps and dies that match them

The floral paper underneath was very bright and so I have subdued it with Parchment and added it with eyelets in each corner.

I used an embossing folder on the parchment before adding it to the card

The diamante around the edge  and the flourish are from Want2Scrap

The white and green flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and they have been sparkled with Glitter Magic  Chameleon glitter.  The little white dove is also from WOC

The ribbon was in my "Stash" and the dazzler over the knot is part of a Primark bracelet that I took apart.  I am happy with the result and as the card I used is 12 x 12 I have managed to get two cards from the one sheet

This sentiment was free with   Simply Cards and Papercrafts   and it is one of the most useful phrases in my collection and it is one I have used often since I got it.  I love the script it's in too

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner is ...

Hi Everybody,

Isn't this a beautiful day .... I know it's on the cold side but the sun is shining and it feels really pleasant.

After a lovely relaxing morning I now have a winner for the yellow card that was offered yesterday and the name drawn from the hat is ...

Bill Ali 

would you email me your postal address please to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will get the card in the post to you straight away.

I hope that you will like it and please let me know when it arrives with you.

So now I have a lovely casserole cooking in the slow cooker and I am off to have coffee with my youngest daughter 

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 051

Hi Everybody,

This pretty yellow card is the one up for grabs today and this uses the Quatrefoil Background

It is one of those dies that I don't know where you will get it from now. I have tried to find it for you but no luck.

But obviously as new items come onto the market the old ones are replaced and then it becomes difficult to find the dies you want

If this is a card that you would like to win then all you need to do is join the group of followers.

Just leave your name in the "Join This Site" box to your left and then leave me a comment

A name will be chosen in the morning and the winner announced during the day.

Then you have 48 hours to claim the card by sending me your postal address to 

 christina@card-making-magic.com

The flowers on this card are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and the satin ribbon is from Mei Flower  making a really pretty card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Class Ladies

Hi Everybody,

In last weeks card class my two ladies made these very pretty cards and as  usual they went for completely different color schemes

Mary chose the pink and Brenda went for the more demure coffee and cream

Both cards are made in the Hinged Card Style   and both have flowers, ribbons and pearls to dress them up.

Both have used dies from Spellbinders  Laced with Love Collection

Mary has chosen  Lonely Hearts  for her card with the Sentiments One  added to the bottom. She has done it in pink and white and added flowers of the same color.

Brenda has chosen   Interlocking Love for her card with Sentiments Three   added to the panels and she has chosen cream with Kraft card for hers.

The flowers and the bows dazzlers  are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and the  ribbons are from Mei Flower

I think ladies have made really lovely cards and they went home happy after another successful class

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friendship Card in Turquoise ...

Hi Everybody,

Here is the last of the group of Friendship Cards I made for Vickie to give to her friends

This was a special request from my daughter so that she can show her friends that she appreciates them.

Over the last few weeks I have shown you each one.

Although they are all the same  Hinged style with flowers, ribbons and pearls on them I have used different dies so that they are not the same.

For this one I have used Gold Labels Four  and I like the effect of the layering on this card

It just goes to show that not many dies are needed to create a lovely card.

This is just one die but the result is one that you can be really pleased with.

And just to remind you of the boxes each card was in here they are.

They all make a good gift and not just a card and the boxes make them extra special.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Medallions Three - More Ideas

Hi Everybody,

Since the tutorial last week I have had many emails telling me how much you love the  Victorian Collection from Spellbinders

And many of you have also said that you have the Medallions Three and enjoy working with it.

So for todays tutorial I am staying with this lovely die and showing you a couple of ideas that you can do with it to ring the changes

I created my base card from Matting Basics A #7 (#1 is always the smallest)  in white

From some petty blue card I cut another mat from Matting Basics B  #7

The other white layer is cut from #4 Matting Basics A

Select  #2 and #3 from Medallions Three  and cut one layer in blue and then cut this piece in half neatly down the middle of the card.

Take the smaller white piece that you cut  and the two blue filigree halves  and place the outside patterned edges into the centre of the card and trim to fit.

I added my panels to the white with foam pads to give depth to the design

The next thing we are going to do is create a double frame to sit around this panel

From Matting Basics A take three dies ... #3 #5 and #6 and lay them all together on your white card

Tape them in place so that they don't move and with the EMBOSSING sandwich run them through the machine

This will push the impression of the dies into the card but won't cut it ... you are just embossing

Once you have embossed the card very carefully remove the centre die #5 without disturbing the other two dies

And this time you are going to use the  CUTTING sandwich for your machine

Once you have done this,  again carefully remove the tape and the dies from the card ...

... and this is what the card should look like with a double frame impression around the edge

To the back of this frame we can now attach the foam pads we need to raise it up

It can now fitted over the filigree panel that you created earlier and then mount all these layers to your base card.

Dress it up any way you wish and you will have a really pretty card to give to someone special.

I have added satin ribbon from Mei Flower to mine and tied it in a single bow

The blue and white flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts

Behind the flowers I have added some pieces of pearl flourish from Want2Scrap

And here is the exact same die used in another way to give you variation in your designs.

The base card and frame are created in the same way but I have added in the Medallions Three to the top and bottom of the frame and trimmed it to fit.

The sentiment is stamped and embossed and then cut with Labels One  and then mounted onto Luscious Labels One

There you have one die and two ways to use it as well as the variation I showed you in last weeks tutorial

Such a versatile die and such beautiful cards created from it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friendship Card in Rose...

Hi Everybody,

As promised here is another of the "Friendship" cards that I made for my daughter to give on her friends' Birthday.

If you remember I made four of them all complete with matching boxes and so far I have shown you two of them

This is the third one and it is a lovely deep shade of rose pink.

All the cards were made the same style, they all have flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts  in lovely displays on them

The wide Satin ribbon on them all is from Mei Flower  and I have tied it in a double bow.

I made  each one  a Hatpin  and I buy mine from the Sparkles Group complete with end protectors

But I used different dies on each one to ring the change

This one has 5x7 Reflective Moment  for the white layer and this is a really pretty die.

On top of that I hand cut another pink rectangle layer and then I added the verse to Labels Forty Four

My daughter was very pleased with the cards and so far the friends who have received them have been delighted too.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

International Ambassadors Blog Hop

Hi Everybody,

International Ambassadors Informal In'spire Blog Hop

Welcome to the third  International Ambassadors Informal In'spire Blog Hop - we have been having so much fun with these Blog Hops and we are all so pleased that you come and play along and leave us such lovely comments

I hope you are getting to know us and and seeing our different styles, each one of us is very unique in our creative styles - so there is something for everyone! 

For this hop we have decided to use the  In'spire  Dies 

They are such fun to create with - and can be used singularly or combined with others as you will see along the way!

My choice was the  KOI  and I tried to re-create an under water scene for my golden fish.

I have used  Alcohol markers in blue and green to color the background and cut two of the Koi and added them to the card.

I used Glossy Accents to produce some realistic bubbles around the fish and then added some of the  Ivy   stems ... minus the leaves for the sea grass.

Then over the top I have added in an Acetate dome and colored that with the same blue and green  and onto the acetate I added some more bubbles

I used orange card for my Koi and to make the fish swim opposite I simply used the die on the correct side of the card for one and the wrong side of the card for the other

The words I have cut in black and added to the acetate and I have used  Sentiments Three

Just a fun idea and makes a change from my usual style, but I hope you will like the idea and you will get more along the way.

The next stop is  Linda   and the list of International Ambassadors is below, in case you get lost along the way.

Linda Lucas 

Yvonne van de Grijp

Ursula Langhammer  *on a break

Christine Emberson

Christina Griffiths  (You are here)

Thanks so much for stopping by - we hope you enjoy your time with us - we will be back with more!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Winner

Hi Everybody,

Just a short post today as I will be on my way to the GNPE at Harogate and I hope to meet some of you there. Please come and say Hello if you see us ... It will be so nice to meet you

Well another card will be winging its way to the new owner and I cant believe it is card no 50 already

That's almost a full year of giving away cards and I really hope you have enjoyed them whatever it is you have used the card for. I know some of you have framed them and keep them in your craft rooms

So today's card winner is ...

Paula

Would you email me please

christina@card-making-magic.com

with your postal address and I will get the card in the post to you

I have been asked if this Friday Freebie is open to everyone around the world and the answer is YES!

I am happy to send you the card wherever you live and my cards have been sent to many places in the world in the last 50 weeks. So please add your name next time if you like the card and would be happy to win it. 

But don't forget to come back and look for your name and claim the card if it is your name that is shown

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx