Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy

June 20, 2015

Ten Blue Winners ...

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for such a great response to the Friday Freebie yesterday. I am very flattered that you would want one of my cards.

The names for the ten blue cards have been drawn and I hope you won't be blue when you get them delivered. They are all pretty cards and each is in cellophane to keep it clean.

So here is the list of names ... look carefully to see if your name is on it and you have 48 hours in which to claim your card.

Marilyn Virella
Betty McAllister
Debbie Busst
Dani
Christi
Mary O'Leary
Pharmacy Michelle
Lucy Spence
Patricia
Lisa ...

Please email me 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the cards will be on their way to you.
I hope you like them when they arrive

More tomorrow ... 

Hugs xx

June 19, 2015

Ten Blue Cards - Ten Winners

Hi Everybody,

Last month in the Friday Freebie I gave away ten cards all in one go to ten individual winners.  They were all pink cards and this month I am giving away ten cards in BLUE  to ten more winners.  If you would like to win one of them then join the group of followers and leave me a comment


From those comments ten names will be picked at random and notified in tomorrows blog post.  The cards will be given at random so please don't select one ... it will be pot luck as to which one you will get. 

They are all different sizes and techniques and they are not finished on the insides. But they are all in cellophane bags to keep them clean and that it the reason that the picture is not clear ... soreee!!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

June 18, 2015

Magazine Freebie ...

Hi Everybody,

Yesterday my monthly subscription of 
fell through the letterbox and the free gift this month was a beautiful Roses embossing folder.

And so out came the Spectrum Noir Pencils  to see what I could do.

I embossed a piece of parchment ... layering the parchment between copy paper to stop it splitting. I use the quite thick parchment from   AnnaMarie Designs

I colored it in on the raised side and I used the pinks and yellows from the Floral set and the greens from Nature and blended them as I went along

The parchment was attached to the base with little dots of Cosmic Shimmer Dress Clear and then I covered over the spots with the pearls.

But to be honest the Cosmic Shimmer dries so very clear that they didn't show up anyway under the parchment.

The base card was created with white  255gsm Hammered card from the Papermill Direct and using the  A2 Matting Basics A&B from Spellbinders

The addition of a little sentiment and the card is finished.

I enjoyed the coloring as I haven't used the pencils for quite some time and I ended up with a soft and pretty card that I am quite happy with ...  and the folder was F.R.E.E.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

June 17, 2015

Another Watercolor Card ...

Hi Everybody,

So here I am again with another attempt at water coloring with  Spectrum Noir Aqua Tints

For this particular one I have used the Bright and Beautiful set and   Neena Classic Crest  and both products are from Crafters Companion

The stamps and sentiment are from Altenew and this is the Peony Scrolls.

It also has a matching   Peony Scrolls Die set  so cutting out the flowers is easy.

The sentiment is from many on one sheet of Sentiments and Quotes 

And while you are on their webpage have a look at some of the beautiful samples in the Gallery and you are sure to be inspired.

The card is created with  A2 Matting Basics A&B from Spellbinders as they gave me the size I wanted to use for my card and layers

I will be playing a lot more with these Aqua Tints and I really like the results.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

June 16, 2015

Tuesday Tutorial - Labels Forty Six

Hi Everybody,

When it comes to collecting Spellbinders I have always said that if you are buying Labels dies then also look for one of the fancy ones that will work with them.  That way you know that they will work together and you will have lots of choices in how you make the card. 

For this card I have used Labels Forty Six to create the base of my card and the Decorative Elements to give me the layers I need to build it up.  I always use foam tape or pads in between the layers as this will  create shadows and depth and add more interest to any of your designs. 


Spellbinders Supplies:

Bakers Twine
Flower Charm
Pink Pearls 

Instructions:


With the #3 die from Decorative Elements cut two pieces in white for the base card. Score and fold one of them over by about 1" and glue the two together.  Place to one side as you work on the layers first.    (Please remember that #1 is always the smallest die)  


From Labels Forty Six and your chosen color cut one piece from die #6 and another from die #3 giving you two layers of different sizes

 
Cut a decorative layer from #2 and carefully open up the petals in the flowers around the edge and into the centre of each flower add a small pearl. 

Alternate these three layers together with foam pads in between to give height and wrap all of them with Bakers twine.  I added in a small charm to my card


I chose the "You're Invited"  from Sentiments Eight as this could be used for a really pretty Wedding Invitation.  So I inked up the die with Distress Inks and cleaned of the edges of the die with a cotton bud. Once it was cut and embossed I added foam tape,  cut to fit the back. 

When you have all the layers in place you can add them to the base card .... I kept the hinge to the top of the card. Add the sentiment and there you are a neat little card for any occasion.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

June 15, 2015

International Ambassadors Informal Blog Hop

Hi Everybody,

Welcome to the sixth Informal Blog Hop from the International Ambassadors.

We have really been enjoying these Hops and it's lovely to see new people joining all the time.

For this one we decided to use the Victorian Garden Collection  and this is my card for this Hop

I chose to work with the Decorative Fancy Diamonds  and the matching plain set  Fancy Diamonds from Spellbinders as they are so pretty

I also dressed my card with flowers from the same collection and they are Flower Bundle which makes lots of pretty blooms for you to use.

Each of the other Ambassadors has made a card for you to see in our own individual styles ...  so why don't you pop along and visit each one of them.

Here are the links to the wonderful team for you to visit

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

We are so happy if you  leave us a comment so that we know you have been and please join us again the next time we go hopping  around the world !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx




June 14, 2015

Here's the Video ...

Hi Everybody,

The other day I showed you a pretty pink pearl card and I  promised you the video on the making of this card with   Oval Regalia.

We have bought a new lighting system and so hopefully the picture quality of the film will be better ...but I tell you it takes up so much room there won't be any space left for me

I am also including links in the description box under the video on my YouTube  channel for people to see the supplies I have used.

There are some slight differences in the card ... not in the way it is made but with the things I have added to it.

The blue one has lace on it and the flowers are a different arrangement on them but both are created the same way

But I think they are just as pretty as each other.

The video will take you through the steps I took to get the look and I hope you will enjoy it.

Make a cuppa, sit back, click the link, which will take you to a new page on my website Card Making Magic,and relax  Aaaahhhh !!


I am using the new Sapphire die cutting machine but unless you got yours from Create and Craft then you won't be able to get it any where else just yet as C&C have exclusivity  

It will be back on C&C as they sold out last time it was on.

If you managed to buy  one I am sure you will agree what a fantastic little machine it is and takes up next to no space on your work top.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


June 13, 2015

And the winner is ...

Hi Everybody,

It's a lovely day here in the North West and I will be going out into the sunshine later today ... after the housework has been done .. of course.

But the ironing, well that's another story and will probably be put off for another day, I hate ironing !!

The draw for the card was the first thing done today and a winner has been chosen from the comments.  And so the winner of the peach oval card is you ...

Pattyb ...
please email me 
christina@card-making-magic.com
with your postal address and the card will be on it's way to you

I don't mind where you live I am happy to send the card to you and you have 48hours in which to claim it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In tomorrows post there will be the link that I promised earlier this week to the tutorial with the
  Oval Regalia  from Spellbinders

And have I got a treat for you in next weeks Friday Freebie ... TEN BLUE cards for TEN winners so please come back and check that out next week. 

 You will need to be a follower and leave me a comment to be in with a chance to win one of the cards

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

June 12, 2015

Friday Freebie 063

Hi Everybody,

I love this shade of peach and the card is very pretty with all the flowers on it.

It is created with  Heirloom Oval from Spellbinders Victorian Collection and that is one of my favorite collections.

It is so feminine and frilly and I use it a lot in my designs.  The card it creates is not very big and so will fit into a standard sized envelope and so save on postage

The flowers are a collection of Camelias, Roses, Rosebuds and Apple Blossom and they are all from Wild Orchid Crafts

If you think that the packs are too large for your personal needs than please don't forget that there are  Flower Starter Packs  that contain mixed sizes of flowers and some centrepieces for your bows and they are a really good price.

Now if this is a card that you would like to have then join the group of followers and leave me a comment at the bottom of the page.  A name will be drawn at random and the winner announced in tomorrows Blog post.

Please come back and check if you are the winner as you only have 48 hours in which to claim the card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx




June 11, 2015

Water Colored Card

Hi Everybody,

Here is my latest purchase and it is Aqua Tints from Spectrum Noir and I have to say that I love them.

I have dabbled with oils and been a card maker for a good few years now but this is my latest foray into something new.

So the colors I have used on this card are from the Bright and Beautiful  Aqua Tints  and I bought them from Crafters Companion

I stamped and embossed my sentiment and then water colored over the top to give me the background.

I stamped and embossed the flowers in gold embossing powder and then used the same background colors to paint them.

The stamp and matching die set are from Heartfelt Creations and this is the Sunkissed Fleur  and I am very happy with the finished card.

It is bright and beautiful ... just as the paints I have used to create it ... and I will be playing with some of the other shades in the Aqua Tints again.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx