Friday Freebie - Peony Perfect

Hi Everybody, 

Today I have a beautiful large Peony Perfect die set, that comes in two parts, for you to play with, plus the opportunity for you to download some paper and sentiments to go with it.

There is so much inspiration in the Die Cutting Essentials magazine  that you will be spoilt for choice.

So grab your cuppa and relax for a while as you browse the pages of this wonderful magazine.

If you think you would like to have this set to join your personal stash then please leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME

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

I don't think you will be disappointed with this offer and your cards will be beautiful once you have added your own magic touch to the design. 

I have several of these same magazine and die sets to give away so try again next time if you miss out this time

Please don’t forget to add your email address to the box on the left to continue being notified of all new posts. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Another Half Teardrop Vase

 Hi Everybody,

So here is another of the vases I created with the Half Teardrop  die cuts but this time I have made the top of the vase taller.

I followed the same process as I did for the silver coloured vase using the Plaster Of Paris bandages. 

Once everything was dry I painted it in a Denim Blue, by mixing some white and blue Arteza Acrylic Paint together, to the shade I wanted and allowed it to dry again

I have used DAS air dry clay to create the leaves for the side of the vase and they have just been formed by hand

I added them to the vase, with wood glue, while they are still soft so that they can mould to the curve in the side of the vase and not fall off.

Don't wait until they are dry or the leaves will simply crack 

I rolled some of the clay into small balls and added them to the sides and top of the vase too. 

I painted them all with white acrylic paint to make them stand out from the blue base.

Once I placed some faux flowers into the vase it took on a whole new life, and this now sits on a shelf unit in my hall way.

I got all my flowers from Dunelm or Amazon and they both have a really good selection for you to choose from

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pretty in Pink

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is one I made many moons ago and I have just found it in some old stash that I found in my craft room. 

It is amazing what you find when you are rummaging around.

I quite liked this card when it was made and the little flowers just finish it off..

 I can't remember what they are from but the card was made in 2016 so it's understandable

The gingham background is some card that I bought at a craft show and I haven't been to one of those since Griff died.

It is good to look back on cards that you made years ago if only to see how your style has evolved over that time, and hopefully improved as you have learned different techniques

Do you ever look back at older stuff you made and if you do how does it make you feel.?? I would completely dis own some of the cards  I made when I first started.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Rose Decorative Corner

Hi Everybody,

This very simple card was created with the Rose Decorative Corner that was introduced a short time ago. 

I have used some of the paper that I have had for a long time ... in  fact I think I brought this back from Phoenix with me when I went over there as a Spellbinders Ambassador. Many moons ago !!

I have added the filigree die to the patterned paper and cut it out and this piece stays in the card unless you add the outer frame to it 

It has been added to the top of some Rose Gold  metallic card, with foam tape in strategic areas, and that gives a very subtle shadow to the effect.

The other flowers from the pack have been cut with black card and added to the front, but rather than paper piece the drops outs back in, I have simply coloured the spaces with a black pen.

It gives a very dramatic look to the card and the black glossy sentiment finishes it off. There is no other embellishment to this 5x7 top folded card. 

x Thank You x

A few days ago I sent out a newsletter from Card Making Magic, and I haven't done one of those for a long time. I thought it was only right that I explain my long absence to my readers of what has been happening to me over the past year.

I asked my readers there, as well as on here to add their email addresses again to the new  box I have added if they wished to keep on following my posts.

I can tell you that the response has been over whelming and I have had some wonderful emails from all over the world from my lovely readers saying how they have missed me and that they do wish to stay with me in the future.

THANK YOU so much to everybody who has now re signed their email addresses and I promise i will be more regular with newsletters and blog posts both here on this blog and on Card Making Magic.

The Biggest of Hugs  

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

I hope you are all well on this lovely Saturday morning. 

Ruby and I have already been for our morning walk along the promenade and there wasn't a soul around just us

It was lovely and sunny and fresh and we really enjoyed it. 

There are many good walks nearby but this one is more or less at the end of my road. Just a five minute walk and we are there.

So now I have done the draw for yesterdays offering and the winner this week is ....

Kathryn Olsen

would you email me please your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic,com
and the pack will be on its way to straight away.

Now if this was something that you really fancied winning then do not despair as I have several more of the same magazine and gift to give away.
Be sure to enter again and who knows you could win the next one.
To those who are still not doing it please be aware that you must add your
  FULL NAME
to be in with the chance.

Friday Freebie - Fabulous Foliage

 Hi Everybody,

This week I have a beautiful Stamp and Stencil set on offer this week that was created by 

Chloe Endean.

 There are two different stamp sets in this offer.

It comes with the Simply Cards & Papercraft  magazine and will make excellent cards for all occasions for you all year round

The magazine is full of lovely ideas for you to copy and I am sure that you will come up with many more for yourself once you start to play.

If this is something that you would like to have to boost your own collections then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your
FULL NAME.

Then you need to be sure to come back over the weekend and check that it is your name that is shown as the winner and then email me at
christina@card-making-magic.com

If you are not the winner this week then you will get another chance to win the same item as I have several of these to give away over the next few weeks 

So be sure to add your email address to subscribe to  my blog and be notified of each new blog post

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

New Way to "Follow"

 Hi Everybody,

I am adding this blog post to give you a new way to follow me.

I mentioned earlier in the week that Google are removing their button as an option to follow this Blog by email notifications and I have had to find a new way to offer this service to you, my regular readers, and any new subscribers in the future, that wish to read my pages when they are published.

I have decided to go with  Follow It and I have added the new green button in the left hand side bar 

To be Notified by Email of new posts

Please would you add your email address to this button to subscribe, and then you will always be notified of new pages. I know it is a pain to ask this of you when you are already subscribed, but if you have add my emails dropping into your inbox in the past then you will miss them in the future once these changes come into force.

I don't want to lose any of my followers and there is so much from the Card Making Magic Collections for the coming months and I don't want you to miss out.

 Plus there is always the Friday Freebie to come back for each week and the chance to win a fabulous prize.

Thank you in advance

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Alphabet Dies

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is created as a 5x7 base and I have added in the  Upper Case Alphabet Dies to the top.

I have added in the Overlays in gold glitter card to add extra dimension to the word, and they are designed to match perfectly the Alphabet 

The glitter card has been create with a double sided sticky sheet and the glitter burnished into the sticky part, and the word cut out. 

Tip the rest of the glitter back into your pot for the next time you need it. 

The word has then ben raised up onto some foam pads to give height and make them stand out a little more.

The flowers are cut from the Landmark Collection Ultimate Number & Overlays Set and I have done them in black and just intertwined them with the letters.

The card base is pink but the background paper I have had for years and I don't know where it is from

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

   

Desktop finds

 Hi Everybody,

I am sure that there are many of you out there that have the same faults as me and the biggest one is not using up my left over pieces. I cut up some paper to use with a die cut and then put the rest of it on one side. And then when I need something else I get another piece of card/paper instead of using the piece that was left earlier. I also have lots of left over die cuts that I didn't use at the time I cut them.

So I set my self the challenge of using up some of the bits that are sitting around my desk or in boxes just waiting to be used. 

For this card I have  used some paper and die cuts and some backing paper that I created by smooshing water colours in red and gold onto my card 

This one is a 6" square twisted easel card and I added some mulberry flowers to the front and bottom of the easel. 

I also found some gold twine that I wrapped several times around my hand and then glued it in place around the flower

I added it to both cards and it goes with the gold in the red card backing paper I made and then die cut.

I have also added in some pearls as extra decoration to the cards

I have listed some of the dies and items that I have used but most of the things on these cards have been sat on my desk for a few weeks, and had to be used up.

But even though I have all these pieces and ends of paper I do not waste anything as m step daughter teaches at a special needs school and she takes all my bit box for them to use in their projects.

Waste Not, Want Not 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Perfect Christmas Rose Die & Stamps

Hi Everybody,

This 5x7 card is created with one of the beautiful die and stamps sets that was part of the Easels Collection released a while ago 

I have stamped my roses onto water colour card and after colouring them with Arteza Real Brush Water Colour Markers I cut them out with the matching dies

The background is some patterned paper that I already had in my cupboards and I have layered the flowers and leaves to the top with foam pads to give varying heights 

The sentiment has also been layered to the top with parchment underneath to make it more obvious

The butterfly is from the Layered Butterflies matching die and stamp set.

I finished the look with pink pearls added to the flower centres and some fine pink pearl circles under the flowers. Add in any sentiment that suits your occasion for a quick and easy card

Follow Me ...

At the top of the left hand side bar you may notice that I have added in a new button for you to continue to follow my blog by email. Google are removing their "Follow platform" and this is new one that will enable you to be notified of all new blog posts that I add. 

I hope you will decide to add your email to the list and continue to follow me  THANK YOU !

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

What a beautiful day it is and before it gets too hot Ruby and I have been out for our walk. We went into Witch Wood in Lytham and it is always cool in there with lots of lovely smells for Ruby to sniff at. We meander through there slowly and say hello to lots of other dog walkers and then come home for breakfast. She loves it in there and so do I.

And now it is time for the draw winner to be announced and the name this week is 

Donna Walls

Would you email me your postal address please to

christina@card-making-magic.com 

and I will get it posted off to you as soon as I can. Please let me know that you have it safely and I really hope you enjoy playing with it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Stained Glass Noel

Hi Everybody,

Another offer based around the Christmas theme and this one is from Die Cutting Essentials. 

The video that accompanies this set is

Stained Glass Noel

and there are several samples of how I used the set.

So if this is something that you would like then why not leave me a comment at the end of the post to be in with the chance of winning it

Just add your comment with your FULL NAME  and then come back to check if your name is shown as the winner. And that's all you need to do ... Easy Peasy !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Another video ...

Hi Everybody,

Today I am adding another video for you and this one is using the Circular Box Die Set,  and I still have the croaky voice.

The end result is very pretty though and so I hope my voice doesn't spoil it to much. I had to edit out every coughing spasm as I went along.

 

The box is big enough to hold items such as candles, tealights, bath bombs or soaps. You could even add cup cakes to it if you where so inclined. And there would still be room to add the card to send your greeting.

A lovely scarf would fit in there too or maybe some handkerchiefs. I can remember sending people gift packs of handkerchiefs when I was younger but they seem to have died out now. 

Maybe I could restart the trend !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tapis Builder Card & Envelope

 Hi Everybody,

Here is a new video featuring the Tapis Builder Die Set and another way to use them.

I have also created an envelope for the card from the 5x7 Card & Box die set that would be sturdy enough to send through the post if needed.

I apologise for the sound of my voice on the video but I have an awful cough at present that is keeping me awake at nights.

Cough medicines don't seem to make any difference and it is much worse when I lie down. And I cannot for the life of me sleep sitting up. Ruby gets off the bed in disgust when I start coughing as I keep her awake too. 

Any way here is the video and I hope you enjoy it all the same.

I have used some gold card that I got from Craft Stash for the card envelope and the decoration on the card front. The champagne coloured card is from Tonic and it was with a kit that was on sale years ago.

The finished result is very pretty and it could be for any occasion that you needed. And you could always make up a batch of envelopes ready to send whenever you make this flat type of card.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Too Hot For Ruby ....

 Hi Everybody,

Ruby and I did our early morning walk today in the sunshine and once again it was quite busy with like minded dog walkers  

When we got home we had a long cold drink and some toast sat out on the patio.

 This at the moment is Ruby's favourite place, at the bottom of the shower, as it's cool and shaded. 

And if ever she is missing I know where she will be.

She spreads herself out and goes off to sleep, and even late in the day the sun doesn't get round to the bathroom, and so it stays cool in that room all the time for her.

There are doggy water fountains on every level in my house for her to drink from and so she is well catered for.

 And once it goes cooler later in the day she will be ready for another short walk around the park for a sniff about..... not sure I will be though.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx