Pinterest Inspired

 Hi Everybody,

Browsing in Pinterest the other night I spotted a card that I really liked.

 I didn't have the dies that were used for the card that I could see so I went to take a look at those that I have and see what I could substitute for my own card.

This is what I came up with and the background was created with just a scoreboard and a stylus but sadly it doesn't show up very well on the photograph.

The flowers are created from a paper pack that has foiling on the teal and lilac colours and that was what I decided to use.

I also used some gold glitter card to act as a mat for the panel to blend with the gold foiling in the paper.

I used the same glitter card to cut the flower centres, the sentiment, hearts and the flourish behind the flowers.

Each flower centre has a pearl in the middle and I added smaller pearls to two of the corners.

The butterfly is cut from the same foiled paper pack and adhered to the panel along the body line only to allow the wings some movement..

The finished card is a 5x7 and it is much prettier in the hand than the photo shows.

Hope you like 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Hand drawn flowers

 Hi Everybody,

Both of these cards have hand drawn flowers on them that I have found on my desktop. They have also been  water coloured.

Both have been added to a stencilled background and both are A6 size

I used water coloured card and they where part of larger panel but I fussy cut out the flowers to add in smaller sections to these cards

It made better use of them and I am much happier with the outcome. 

I also found some bits of diamante that I could add to the top card and one of the little butterflies that I have had for many years.

But there are so many on the roll that I still have loads left over for future cards.

For this bottom card I added a squiggly pen drawn line around the edges, and to the front of the display I glued in the yellow stamped flower with a large pearl to the centre of it.

The flowers for both have been added with foam pads to give varying heights to them and that adds more interest to the card

I like both cards and they have been created from bits and pieces I have on my work top.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Inked Cards

 Hi Everybody,

These are some more of the cards inspired by the 3-D Embossing Folder I mentioned yesterday. 

The pattern is much deeper on  3-D folders than it is on  ordinary ones as it gives you other layers to the embossing.

Burt if you don't have this type of folder then try it with others that you do have in your own collection and see what works for you. 

Floral folders always give a really pretty look and using coloured inks will make them even prettier. 

This one is created with white ink on the raised areas and then I used the gold wax to highlight them even more.

The panel was wrapped several times with gold twine before adding it to a gold layer to lave a small border around the edge and  then I added it to the brown card base. 

The sentiment is from another collection and I am using them up on other cards as there are so many in the pack.

This was added to the same gold card and  adhered with foam pads to the card front.

Try embossing parchment for another look or even acetate.

And if you make a mistake then why not fussy cut the flowers out and add them separately to another card base  so as not to waste them or your time.

This has been etched with the black ink and added to a black and white  Dottie card.

The sentiment is from yet another collection that has many in it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

3-D Inspiration

 Hi Everybody,

Using a 3-D embossing folders gives you a really deep impression on the card and it is lovely when inked over to bring out the detail.

This folder from Crafters Companion is called Dahlias and it is beautiful, and it inspired me to make some Sympathy Cards ... of all things.

So I thought I would have a play with it and film it at the same time and that will be added tomorrow to show you what I have done.

They all have the addition of a handmade envelope with them, and that was also filmed and has already been added to the blog.

These are all 5x7 and they have all been inked over.

The left hand card has been inked over with gold and the right hand one has had a white ink pad swiped over it. 

The middle one has been swiped in white and then had the gold added to the top.

The card shown with the folder has been swiped with a silver ink pad and they are all really pretty cards. The sentiments say "Thinking of You" or "Sending Comfort" so I suppose they could be for other occasions too.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Marilyn Coombs - Winner

Hi Everybody,

Before I go on and announce the winner I would like to clarify my position in the coming months/ years.

The blog is not going anywhere it stays right here and I will add posts most days. the Friday Freebie will still be here each week  so I hope you will continue to participate,

My YouTube channel will remain the same and all the videos are still there for you to view. I will be adding new ones as I go along. YouTube Channel

 The only thing that is different is the website Card Making Magic, as that I am closing down, and that I will not be designing for Practical Publishing any more. The brand will continue but the design will no longer be mine.  

But I am still here and posting on the blog so nothing for you really changes. People have said that they will miss me ...  but I am not going anywhere. 

Now for the draw for the Spellbinders die set on offer and the winner is 

Marilyn Coombs

would you email me please with your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get the pack in the post to you straight away.

I will also include a handmade Pokey tool for you to use in your craft room, and please let me know when you have them safely

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spellbinders Die & Stamps Set 4

 Hi Everybody,

Thank you so much for your understanding of my decision to "Retire" .
Although I will still be doing the blog, and the Friday Freebies will continue,  I will be doing  more of what I want to do and in my own time. 

   The pretty offering for this Friday is from Spellbinders and is a three piece die set and a three pie stamp set to match it. 

These can create the whole background for you or simply be added in portions which ever you prefer. 

Vary the colours for another look and use the designs with other sentiments that you may already have.

Spellbinders offer absolute quality to all their products and although these sets are quite old they are still the very best.

You can bring them bang up to date with whatever you team them with.

So if you would like to have this set then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post.

You will still need to add your  

FULL NAME
to help me identify the winner when the draw is done. 

Be sure to come back over the weekend and see if it is your name that is listed as the winner and you then have 72 hours in which to claim it as yours

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Old Spellbinders Dies

Hi Everybody,

Staying with the challenge to myself,  to use only older dies to make my cards these are dies that I have had for a long time from Spellbinders.

It is fact two dies, one was called Lovely Lilac and the larger one is Rosy Summer Flowers. I have had them for so long they are probably no longer available.

But I am going with the mantra of  .... "use what you have" !!

For both of these flowers I inked some white card with Distress Oxides making the centres of  flowers a little darker. 

I also added a little clear glue to these centres and sprinkled them with glitter. 

The top layer has been cut in gold mirror cards and added to the top of the white panel which has been dry embossed in a folder.

I cut an orange frame from my own Torn Edges Nesting Dies and added it with foam tape around the edge, then dotted it with orange Nuvo Drops in two different shades.

The sentiment is from Tonic and is another that I have had for many years.

The finished card is 5x7 with the fold at the top.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Some Important News ...

 Hi Everybody,

This is a really difficult blog post to write and I have been putting it off for a long time but here goes and I hope you will understand my position. I have just had another birthday making me well into my seventies, and I need to do something with my time that doesn't involve  concepts, deadlines and schedules, and there by remove the pressure.
I have decided to retire and so my time will be more my own,  rather than concentrating on work and the stress involved. 

I am making some big changes in my life at present and they will also reflect in my work load as the months go on. I have started to make some of these changes to the blog already. I have removed a lot of old videos from both the blog and YouTube as they are out of date, and the items that they refer to are probably no longer available.

At the end of April I will no longer have the website Card Making Magic. and as a result of this my email address will change ... should you wish to contact me.
It takes a lot of time to keep it going and I have other things that I want to do. 
I will no longer be designing for Practical Publishing. 
The brand will be still around but I will no longer be a part of it. 

I will be continuing to write my BLOG and be adding new cards and inspiration every day so I hope you will continue to visit me.
I will still be doing the Friday Freebie on the blog as I have lots of things to give way.
I will add my new email address so that you can still claim your prize in the Friday Freebie draw.
I will still be adding videos to YOUTUBE and hopefully replacing the older videos that I have removed with newer stuff. And this will be stuff that I want to do.
I will be using all the Card Making Magic dies that I have in my collection and showing you the cards that I make with them, though as time goes on they will be changed by newer stuff. 
 I can also use other items/brands too.
I will still link to Craft Stash as this is one of the best places to get any of your crafting supplies at a good price and the links will be at the end of the posts.
I will still be filling my charity box and taking it to the shop as it fills up with cards.

and most importantly

I will need some time to sort all these changes out on the blog.
 The Friday Freebie is scheduled for the next few weeks already and that will stay as it is but the blog posts may be a bit hit and miss for while as I get everything sorted out to help me work smarter and not harder.

So as things stand you will probably not  notice much difference in the running of the blog.
I do hope that you will continue to visit the blog and participate in what ever I have going on. 
Thank you for all your support in the past and here's to new beginnings ...

Big Hugs

Christina xx

Altenew Magnolia Blooms

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is created from another Altnew kit that I have collected a long time ago. This kit is the Magnolia Blooms kit from August 2022.

I have stamped and coloured the arrangement with the layered stencils and die cut it out using the matching die but then I have cut the flowers down even more to fit onto the front of my DL card.

It gives the display a totally different look and I am very happy with the finished card.

The sentiment is also from the stamp set and there are lots to choose from.

The flowers have been added to an embossed panel with foam pads underneath to give them height.

I have added some small black pearls to the front as a little extra embellishment,

These kits are beautiful but the cost of the postage has prevented me from continuing to collect them each month.

But I still have the ones I did collect to play with and I really enjoy them all very much.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Michele Coffey - Winner

 Hi  Everybody,

Another weekend is almost over with and they seem to come round very quickly.  They say it's a sign of age when time goes so quickly and at my age it fairly whizzes past.

 Still I got some gardening done yesterday, on my little postage stamp sized garden, and it didn't take me long. Most of my plants are in pots and that saves a lot of work ... no lawn to mow !!

The draw for the Spellbinders set has been done bright and early and the winner this week is 

Michele Coffey

So if you would like to email me please with your postal address to ...
christina@card-makig-magic.com
then I will get it in the post to you straight away..

I will also include a little Pokey tool for you in the hope that you will use it when you craft.

Please be sure to let me know that you have it safely.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spellbinders Die & Stamp Set 3

Hi Everybody,

Today is the third set of dies and stamps that has been offered in the Friday Freebie and this maybe one that you would like to have.

This one has a lovely border stamp in it that can enhance your cards and the die to cut it out so that you can make it longer if you need to.

Perfect for any cards that you want to make sure your recipient knows that it is homemade.

You could also add the "homemade" portion to any of your projects and then give them, or sell them , with pride.

If this is something that you would like then all you need to do is leave me a comment with your FULL NAME 

You will need to come back and see if it is your name that is listed as the winner and you will have 72 hours in which to claim it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

  

 

Altenew Card with Envelope

 Hi Everybody,

I have been playing with my Altenew Kits again and this one was the Never Stop Dreaming from February2022.

I used the layering stencil to colour the stamped flowers and they are a soft delicate pink.

I added them to a white embossed panel and for that I used a really old Spellbinders embossing folder.

I am determined to use older items and make sure I get my monies worth from them.

I have also challenged myself to use up any paper packs that I have and with these I have been making my envelopes. 

The one shown here is a pretty floral one that compliments the card well and it is from a pack that Helen Griffin brought out a while ago.

It is a 12x12 pack and I used this for many of my envelopes. 

It has been really enjoyable going through drawers and cupboards and finding older stuff and making it work for me again 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Making Your Own Envelopes

Hi Everybody,

With all the cards that I have made recently I needed envelopes to put them in and buying them was an option.

But I needed lots of different sizes and it would have been an expensive shop around to get them all.

So I decided to make my own and this little gadget from Creative Craft Products at Craft Stash made life so much more simple.

This is the envelope and box maker and with this I used lots of  the pretty 12x12 papers I have in my cupboards. 

This little video will show you just how easy it is to use this inexpensive tool, and then you too can make your own envelopes of lots of different sizes, and use up any of the papers that you may have lying around.
 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Birthday Pink

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card was created with the Perfect Panels and Lovely Layers Circular die set, and the stamp set from the sentiment.

The flowers are made from the Filigree Flowers and I have used Distress Oxides to edge the flowers with colour.

The leaves have also been inked in different shades of green and I added in a Dragon Fly cut in gold, which makes a change from the butterflies I usually add in to my designs.

For the card I have used a 5x7 top folded base and the pink layer has been embossed in a folder and then ink swiped over the top with a white ink pad.

This again is another attempt at re visiting all my collections and using a really old die set

Some of these dies are no longer available but as I already have them I need to use them more whenever I come to make a card.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Ella's Birthday

 HI Everybody,   

Today is the second birthday of this beautiful creature that is sat on my desk while I work.

This is Ella and she has appeared in some of my videos in the past.

She is a very small Tortoiseshell and at two years old she is not likely to grow any bigger. 

Although she is beautiful she is not very accepting of strangers and if any one visits me she makes a dash for the upstairs.

She loves to sit in the wardrobe and heads for that space whenever the door is open. And if she is missing then  that is always the first place to look for her.

She has free access to my back garden and it has high walls, but she has never made any attempt to get out and explore the world. So I don't worry about her going into the garden as I know she is safe.

Ruby tolerates her and they get along quite well unless Ella wants to get close and then Ruby will growl at her and chase her off. But they do sit on the settee togehter, even if there is a big space between them.

They both sleep on my bed at night, in their own areas and that is fine as they don't bother each other.

I tried to get Ella used to wearing a harness so that I could take her out with us but all she does is collapse onto her side when I put it on and she will not move. It's quite funny really and as soon as I take it off she is fine again.

Oh well it was worth a try !!!!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx