Friday Freebie - Life is Sweet

 Hi Everybody,

This pretty set was one I really enjoyed playing with when I demonstrated the design to you. in the video

Life is Sweet 

In the pack there are lots of small stamps that can create a lovely background for you and to be sure that none of them got lost I have put them into a little plastic bag inside the main envelope.

There is also a corner die in the offer as well as the magazine for you to read.

The video will show you lots of ways in which I have used the stamp and die set for many different occasions too.

So if you would like this set to join your collection then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME and be sure to come back and see if you have won over the weekend

It really is a lovely set and one well worth winning

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Commissioned Art Work

Hi Everybody,

I haven't shown any of my paintings with Acrylic Pouring  for a while, but this is the latest one I have done.

This one is a very big canvas, about 3 foot  square.

I was asked by my neighbour to create a picture in red, black, white with silver leaf  to match the décor in their lounge and that is white I have done.

The pieces in it that look like a brighter white are actually silver leaf and it looks wonderful in the sunshine.

The place where it will be hung is all ready and waiting for it and once I have finished the edges neatly I will take it to my neighbour.

They liked the one that I did shown here on the left.

That one was for my daughter last year and  she wanted Lilac, white and Green with gold leaf and that is what I did for her. 

It has taken me some time to do the new painting though, because of the problems I have had with knees and then my operation.

But I have promised that it will be ready for them by the weekend.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Half Teardrop Card

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is using the Half Teardrop Die Set to show you another way to use this set, and this is a Gatefold card

On the way is the Vase that I am creating from the same set  and at present I am waiting for the Plaster Of Paris to set.

But this card is so easy to make and I have layered several of the die cuts to add interest to the design

I have decorated the inside of the card with the Trellis to compliment the front and added a stamped greeting in there too.

The flowers are from the same set and I again have layered them up and scattered the ;eaves underneath each one.

It is created with two shades of pink and a pale lemon that go really well with the white

The Belly Band holds everything closed and is created from the long border die in the set.

The flowers can be spiked up after they have been layered and you could always add more decoration to the card with adhesive pearls if you wished.

I have added one flower to the Belly Band and the other three to the bottom of the card.

That way the Belly Band can be slid off to the top of the card so reveal the inside.

 

Change the colour scheme to suit your recipient and dress it even more for a wedding card

And you could always add in a card stand and a box to make it even more special.

When you discover the delights of die cutting the world is your oyster so they say 

More tomorrow …

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Sorry for my lateness with the winner but it’s just been a busy weekend.
 At long last I am here with the name of the winner for the beautiful Dragonfly Stamp and die set that was on offer last Friday.

The winner this week is ...

Thelma Welch

so if you could email me your postal address please to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
I will get it into the post for you as soon as I can and I hope you will enjoy playing with your win once you get it.

Please let me know when it arrives with you.

Now you may have noticed that I have removed the button form the left side bar that says
 "Follow by Email"
and that is because this service has been removed by Google as from this year. 
You can still follow me on Facebook but the notifications of new pages that are added will cease to drop into your inbox from Google.
The only other alternative is just to come to the blog daily and see what is happening.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Friday Freebie - Dragonfly Dreams

Hi Everybody,

Todays offering is a beautiful Dragonfly stamp and matching die. and that comes with the excellent Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine for you to read.

There is also a video to accompany this

 Dragonfly Dreams

that will show you several ways in which I have used this little decorative set.

Now if you would like this to join your own collections then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post.

From those comments one will be chosen as the winner and the name announced in a blog post over the weekend so be sure to come and see if it is your name that is shown.

You will have 72 hours in which to claim the set, and then it is removed and offered again at a later date.

You can enter wherever you live and even if you have won before. So what are you waiting for ???

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Trial and error

Hi Everybody,

Here is another card where I have tried out the layout before sticking everything in place. This card can be used in either Portrait or Landscape depending on your mood .

It was ordered by the same lady who bought the other one  I shoed you earlier this week  … so I must be doing something right as she seems to like my designs..

The colour scheme is pale lemon and lilac and this is one that I really think is very feminine.

Now in the background this week I have been making up the vase that I promised you using the Half Teardrop die set that has just been released.

The process needs to dry and it is all the time needed that slows things up. But the video will be with you  just as soon as one step is dry and I can move onto the next..

Apart from the die set you will need some Plaster Of Paris Bandage Wrap , some really cheap glue to mix with water and some form of tissue,  magazines OR newspaper to cut up into strips.

All will become clear once the video is posted so please be patient as I wait for things to dry at each stage. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Old Images

Hi Everybody,

So over the weekend I have been doing some spring cleaning of my computer  and I found lots of old images that I bought or downloaded for free years ago … and I mean absolute years ago. 

I used them at the time of purchase and then, as you do with everything, I forgot all about them.

But is this not something that we are all guilty of doing and then when you have a clean up it comes as a nice  surprise to find things again.

This first one is called Bath tub and I bought this image, and many many others, from the wonderful childrens author and illustrator Maurie Manning 

Her images are delightful and available from the website ...  Mo's Digital Pencil  and of course once you have them they are yours forever. And should you forget about them over the years,  then it will be a lovely surprise for you to when you rediscover them on your PC.

This second image is called Tug Of War and this was a freebie from Kenny K again many years ago.  

His website has developed so much that I don't know if he still does digital images, and many of them are now under license. 

So just in case I am breaking some rule that I am not aware of I will not add any more KennK images to my pages.

The words on both of these cards are from different sets from Card Making Magic and I have mixed and matched them to suit the designs.

Both images have been coloured with Arteza Coloured Pencils 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Layout

Hi Everybody,

So this is a card layout that I was trying before going ahead and making it completely.

I had tried the flowers in various positions to see how I liked them and this is something I always advise you to do before gluing.

A dry run will save you any remorse if you don't like the look because you can always move things around  until you are happy and then glue them in place 

This was a card I was asked to make for a special occasion and the buyer was very happy with it.

It also had a matching box to go with it and I wrapped the finished card in pink tissue paper before adding  it to the box.

I usually add any of my embellishments with a hot glue gun, which makes it even more important to try the look out first.

Because once they are fixed with hot glue there's not much chance of moving them again without causing damage to the rest of the card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spikey Flowers & Stencils

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is created suing the new Spikey Flowers stamp and die set and I have teamed this with texture paste and a stencilled background.

I though I would try something a little different by combining the texture paste with some Gilding wax and I am happy to say that the technique turned out ok. 

The flowers can be done in two sizes if you wished but I have simply made one large one for the front of my card.

The effect is lovely and once it is completed you cannot see the mistake I caused by smudging the texture paste. So I hope you will give this a try and experiment with mixing other things into your texture paste for a different kind of look to your designs.

More tomorrow …

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,                   

Having got all my chores done for the morning I was settling down to do the draw for yesterdays Freebie Offering

But just as I got started I got the "Guilt Trip" from Ruby.

Now the guilt trip consists of her looking at me from a distance, non stop, and if that doesn't elicit the necessary response she wants then she will jump onto the sofa and put her paws onto my chest and look me straight in the eye.

The look says "Get your shoes on Mum and take me out" …  So what can I do but take her out for a walk. We set off to walk down the promenade and it started to rain and then there is another look that says

"Are you mad bringing me out in this ?????

By the time we got home again both of us are wet and once she is dried off with her towel I put her Ruff & Tumble jacket on and then she settles down for a sleep. 

She is now snoring in her bed at the side of my desk and I have peace to carry on with the draw

Ever onward and upward … the draw has been done and the name today is 

Elly Booij

Would you email me please with your postal address and the pack will be in the post to you straight away. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Hydrangea Set

Hi Everybody,

This pretty flower can grace any of your projects and you can colour it any way you wish.

I love Hydrangeas and I have them in tubs on either side of my front door. They are now starting to form Lace cap flowers on them and I an few weeks they will be in full bloom.

The video The Hydrangea Set  will give you an idea using the stencil in the pack and there are stamps and a little embossing folder in there too.

So if this is a combination that you would like to have then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post. with your FULL NAME

From those comments one will be chosen as the winner and named over the weekend, so be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown in the Blog Post.

It doesn't matter if you have won before or where you live I am happy to send the pack to you anywhere but I would be pleased if you are the winner that you could let me know you have it safely.

It is a lovely set and I don't think that you will be disappointed with it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Designer Card Front - Inverted Triangle

 Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is created with one of the new Designer Card Front Sets from Card Making Magic..

This whole collection is such a versatile set to have to create all kinds of projects and there is a beautiful paper pack that can be used with it.

For this card I have used the Inverted Triangle in the Landscape view and added in the flowers from the set too.

I love the flowers that are in the set, they make the prettiest spiky petals that you can layer to be as thick and fluffy as you would like.

I have added a small yellow gemstone to the centre of each flower and arranged the leaves around them. The verse is also from the new collection and there are many to suit all occasions .

I have used two shades of blue and Neenah Classic Desert Storm card to create the layers for a more masculine colour scheme although the flowers do soften the look for the ladies.

I have used the long border die from the set to finish the back off neatly so this card looks good from any angle

Take a look at the new collection there is sure to be something in there that please you.

And if you were lucky enough to win the whole bundle at Fridays Birthday Launch with Craft Stash then you are very lucky indeed.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Designer Card Front - Half Scallop

 Hi Everybody,

If you watched  last Fridays 6th Birthday Party for Craft Stash then you would have seen this video from me where I made this lovely Gatefold Card.

And if you missed it then here is the video for you to see.

For this card I have added in the card stand so that the finished result can be displayed by your recipient and both card and stand will fit neatly into the box.

It makes a very impressive card and one that is sure to be appreciated and saved for a long time and it is not difficult to make.

So why not give this a try and see what you can create. Change the colours to suit the occasion you are sending it for and as lots of people have suggested it would make a beautiful Wedding Card.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Thank you if you managed to join us on Friday for the 6th Birthday Celebration with Craft Stash. It’s amazing how quickly those years have gone by and I have been with them right from the start. It’s been a wonderful journey and I hope to be with them for many more birthdays yet.

There was a lot of brilliant prizes won during the show so if you won then congratulations to,you. I am sure you are going to enjoy your prizes.

So the draw has been done for the offering that I had on my blog on Friday for the Time for Tea set and the name picked at random is 

Sharon Casey

Would you please email me your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the prize will be on its way to you. Be sure to let me know that you receive it safely and I really hope  you enjoy playing with it.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Time for Tea

Hi Everybody,

This weeks offering is a really cute stamps and die set that would make you some really lovely cards or even invitations for afternoon tea.

There is a video to accompany this set that you may find interesting and help you see if you would like this to join your collection at home.

Time For Tea  

 If you would like this then all you have to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME

From those comments one name will be chosen at random and announced in a blog post over the weekend so be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown.

Now I hope you will join me tomorrow on Craft Stash Facebook Live as I show you some of the new dies that are in the latest collection. I have a little demo to show you also, and Pauline Hickey will be with Lou Collins and myself at 12.30 See you then

Friday 7th May @ 12.30 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx