Weaving Again ...

Hi Everybody,

Here is another of the woven cards using the new Sue Wilson die sets.

For this card I have cut each one of them   Classic  together with the Striped  just once to create the stripy background

The panels has been wrapped with ribbon before adding it to the base and a double bow sits on the top with a turquoise dazzler over the knot

The stain ribbon is from Mei Flower and comes in many colors and it ties in a soft bow every time

The sentiments is a rubber stamp and I have heat embossed it in clear then add pieces of pearls flourish from Want2Scrap  around it

The beautiful flowers are from  Wild Orchid Crafts  

I have arranged the display around the sentiment in a half circle and then added pearl swirls around them

The whole striped panel has then been  layered with teal and white and then added to a larger card base with an embossed layer underneath.

It is a very striking card and I am happy with the result.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Heirloom Oval

Hi Everybody,

Todays tutorial is using the Heirloom Oval from my all time favorite Victorian Collection. This is the most beautiful set of dies and I love using these often on my designs.  This particular set comes with an outer oval shape that can be used to cut the base and this is the foundation for my card

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S4-447  Heirloom Oval
• S4-395  Les Papillions Two
• GC-200 Grand Calibur

From white card I have created my base using die  #4

Take one piece fold over the top by about 1" and glue together

(Please remember that die #1 is always the smallest in any set)

To create the frame use #4 and #2 and cut two ovals one from white and the other from your chosen color

My card is a 255gsm and because these dies are not intricate I was able to cut both pieces together 

You may have to do them one at a time if your card is thicker 

Then with die #3 I lined it up onto my colored card and cut the pattern into the card

Once this is done I glued these two pieces together to create a colored frame that is now backed with white

I stamped and embossed my sentiment onto a piece of card that was larger then the aperture in my frame

Adding foam pads to the back of the frame will raise it up from the sentiment which makes the card more interesting

Add the frame in place carefully over the sentiment and  trim around the edge to remove the surplus card

Angle the scissors just under the edge and cut around ... that way the sentiment will fit under the frame with no card showing through.

I placed my sentiment on the  finished card off centre and added  flowers from  Wild Orchid Crafts  around one side.

I also added foam tape to the back of this panel before adding it to the base

From Les Papillions Two I cut the solid layer in peach and the lacy layer in white and glued the two together at the body line.

Bending the wings up a little gives some dimension and I glued it to the frame work just along the body part

I used La Creme Pearls from  Want2Scrap to highlight the flowers and along the butterflies body line

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Forever ....

Hi Everybody,

I really like this card and it is a 6x8" created in silver and white

The background is another one that is embossed only with Grate Effect 

I covered the technique in a video tutorial  last month

You will find that one and several more in the Tuesday Tutorials in the side bar to your right

The beautiful flower corsage is a mixture of Gypsophilia, Cherry Blossoms and Roses

But the large grey one is from a bracelet that I bought in Primark and cut up.

The diamante is from Want2Scrap and I have added it to some ribbon.  I have used tear drop diamante around the flowers for added luxury.

The    Forever Sentiment   is from the Celebrations Collection by Spellbinders and is one of three words.  I have cut the word five times from silver card and glued them all together.

It gives a raised and thick effect to any words and is a really pretty way to add them ... try it for your self and tell me what you think

The little Dove is from Wild Orchid Crafts  and is a really simple but effective addition

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Special Card

Hi Everybody,

This is a special card I was asked to make and it is going all the way to a convent in Rome

I spent a lot of time thinking about this and planning my design around The Lords Prayer

I had several things that I was asked to incorporate but I didn't want it looking too fussy

I am very happy with the result and I hope that the lady it is intended for is happy with it too.

I have used Cream and white for the card and box and added in beautiful flowers.  The flowers, lace and the doves are  all from   Wild Orchid Crafts

The  Cross  is from a set of five by Spellbinders and I have cut my chosen one  five times and glued the layers together to make it stand proud from the card

The verse is The Lords Prayer and I have  printed it off my computer then cut it out with   Labels Eight

It has then been added with foam tape to   Decorative Labels Eight   and surrounded with the flowers

The box is made to match and I have used Acetate to produce the window.  The card inside is covered with tissue paper to keep it clean

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Todays Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

First I would like to say "Thank You" to all of you who add your names to my Friday Freebie list to win one of my cards.   It is very humbling to know that so many of you would like one. And those who have own one and then written to say how much you like the one you have.

So once again the draw has been done by my "Film Crew" to choose the winner for this weeks pale blue card.  The name chosen is you ...

Lyn Nash

can you email me please 

christina@card-making-magic.com

with your postal address and the card will be on it's way to you

A Little Story ...

Made For Me

This card is not on offer as a freebie because it is one that was  Made For Me by a lady called Margaret.

I met Margaret at the GNPE craft show in Harrogate

Margaret told me that the previous year she had walked all around looking at the stall holders because she knew I was there and she thought I would have a stall.

Eventually she realised that I didn't and so this year she wandered around looking at the visitors and was delighted when she found me.  It was a lovely moment and I was so happy to meet her and several other ladies who recognised me

Margaret made the card and put a lovely note inside it to thank me for the things she has learned from the blog and my website.  She also told me that after she had spotted me she went round again and this time she bought things she needed 

Can I just say that it is my pleasure to share and you are all so very welcome ... you ALL simply make my day.

And one last note I will be on Create and Craft next Saturday at 4 pm and Sunday at 12 noon so I hope you will come and join me then

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 055

Hi Everybody,

The card on offer today is in a lovely shade of blue and white

For this I have used the Spellbinders Victorian Collection and this die is the Mary Border Strip

It is a die in two parts and is a useful addition to your collection.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the small pearls in baby blue are from Want2Scrap

If this is a card that you would like to win then all you have to do is become a regular follower and then leave me a comment at the end of the post

A name will be drawn and the winner announced in tomorrows blog post so please come back to check if your name is there.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Weave Effect ...

Hi Everybody,

This pretty design is using both of the new Weaving dies from Sue Wilson and they give a really unusual effect to your cards

The titles of them are  Weaving Dies Classic  and Weaving Dies Striped   and both are available from Joanna Sheen

They can be used separately or together and the look will be different each time

For this card I have used both together to create the pink and white weaves  and then added a large rose from Spellbinders   Crafty Flower Four

The vine behind the flower is  Foliage Flourish  and the sentiment is  Sentiments Three 

The base card is created from Grand Large Labels but this has been retired from Spellbinders website.

How ever you may still be able to find retired dies if you visit other companies that deal with "Close Out"  dies.

Have a browse around  Save On Hobbies  and the price will be reduced too but once they are gone there will not be any more

The turquoise card has used both dies again but I have added in the color just once and it gives another look to the design

The flowers are from  Wild Orchid Crafts  and I have added diamante into each corner from   Want2Scrap

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley  and there are many for all occasions for you to choose from

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

International Ambassadors Blog Hop ...

Hi Everybody,

It's time for another informal blog hop with the International Ambassadors and this time we are going with the theme of "Spring".  I hope you will join in and pop along to the others as it is a way to get to know each one of us a little more and to see our different styles

We are Linda Lucas from Australia,  Yvonne Van De Grijp from the Netherlands and Christine Emberson and myself from the UK.   I will add the links to their blogs a little later so please leave each of  them a comment to let them know you have been  ... and they will be so pleased if you do.

For my card I have chosen the   Pretty Petals   and used sets A and B

I have cut the flowers from pale pink and white Craft foam and it really is a fun product to play around with and you can use it in many different ways.

The leaves have been handcut from green foam and I have used brads to hold the parts of the flowers together.

I have embossed all the layers to the card with both sides of the Patchwork Embossing Folder

These are the components of my card and the sentiment has been cut from pink foam three times and then layered together

It really is an easy card to make and I think it fits the "Spring" theme beautifully

And now is your chance to visit the other designers and be inspired by their lovely work ...


Christina Griffiths (You are here)
Linda Lucas 
Yvonne van de Grijp  
Christine Emberson

I hope you enjoy your visit to the others and will pop back regularly to see what we are all doing.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Swirl Bliss

Hi Everybody,

This is a die set called Swirl Bliss that has been designed for Spellbinders by Becca Feeken and it is such a pretty set to work with.  There are lots of things that you can do with it and this is just one simple idea that you may like to try.

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S4-506  Swirl Bliss
• S2-153  Sentiments 6
• EG-003 Garden Lattice Embossing Folder
• Grand Calibur

Create a six inch square base card from cream and cut a  slightly smaller mat in gold.

Cut another still slightly smaller mat in cream and emboss this layer.

Glue the embossed cream and gold layers together

From the outside edge of the rectangle die cut three solid shapes in gold

Add the filigree die to the solid die and cut together three shapes from cream 

Layer these together to make the lacy panels and add foam tape to the back

 With the sentiment die press it face down into some Versamark and then cut and emboss it

Then sprinkle it with some gold embossing powder and heat emboss

Add the panels equally spaced to the layers you created

The foam tape will raise them up from the base

Wrap some ribbon around them all before adding to your base 

Add the sentiment with foam pads and add in a matching bow.

Use a sparkly centre for the bow to hide the knot.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

My Ladies Cards...

Hi Everybody,

The picture does not do these cards the justice they deserve

Both are from my two ladies in the Card Class last week and in the class we used Acetate to create the front of the cards

I like to try something different each week and it seems to work for all of us.

This week Mary has gone for the more subdued option and Brenda has chosen the lovely blue for hers.

There is a Video Tutorial to show you how the card is made and it is not long ... Acetate Front Card Tutorial   It will take you through the steps we did and there are only slight differences even though the video was made a few years ago

On these cards we have used Wild Orchid Crafts  flowers  and some swirly diamante flourishes from Want2Scrap and both ladies went away happy with their makes

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx