Simon Says Stamp Set - Easter Greetings

Hi Everybody,

I was lucky enough to be asked if I would like to try one of the new stamps from Simon Says Stamps and this one is called Easter greetings 

There are some really cute characters on the sheet and here I have added the sheep to an inked background.

I coloured them with Promarkers and gave them rosy pink cheeks. 

The little birds in the sky are simply hand drawn and it is technique I use quite often 

Here we have the bunny and the chick peeping through some windows and the background is also created from the stamp set

Quick and simple cards to make but perfect to wish some one a Happy Easter

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Well this weekend the Formula One starts again for the season and that means that Griff will be glued to the telly on Sundays. 

Aaaaand you know what that means ??? I will have the afternoon to play in the craft room while he is occupied. YaaaY !!

So the draw for the card and gift from yesterday has been done and the name this week is YOU ...

Toni

would you email me please with your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and they will be on their way to you straight away.

Please let me know that you have them safely.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Happy days

Hi Everybody,

This tropical coloured card was made with the free die and stamp set called Happy Days

The die is quite a good size to make a lovely focal point on your cards 

The making of this card is shown in the video  Happy Days  

If you would like to have this set as part of your own collection then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post.

One name will be drawn at random from those comments and announced in tomorrows blog so be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is there. You have 72 hours ion which to claim it and then it's gone 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 35 - Enjoy Today

Hi Everybody,

This months Die Cutting Essentials is giving away a lovely Tonic Studios Flip Flop Die called Enjoy Today.

It's a quick and easy way to make cards with movement but it will help you to create other styles as well.

In the video I have shown you a few of the ways in which I have used it and how to make an easel card 

The magazine will be on sale today the 22nd March and it is sure to go quickly for the quality die that is being given away free

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Simply Cards & Papercraft 175 Home Sweet Home

Hi Everybody,

The free gift with this months Simply Cards & Papercraft is a cute house that can be adapted to make so many other styles

In the video I show you ways in which to turn this into bungalows, town houses, add extensions and so much more.

There are lots of ideas within the pages of the magazine too for you to create some fabulous cards for your self.

For the card in the video I have kept it super simple with just an ink blending technique and I am really enjoying the ink blending at present.

I have been asked what is the difference between Distress Inks and Distress Oxides.  They are both made by the same company and they both react to water.  But Distress Inks are a dye based ink and the Distress Oxides are a blend of dye and pigment inks.

They blend really well and so much easier than Distress Inks and they dry to a lovely chalky appearance. They also have the ability to layer well on top of each other which Distress Inks don't do.

So really it depends on the look that you want as to which you prefer.
But for me it is the Oxides mostly for the way I like to work.
The whole collection of  Distress Oxide colours are available at Craft Stash

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Butterfly Rainbow

Hi Everybody,

Here again today with more beautiful butterflies done in rainbow colours.

I have used Distress Oxides because they are so vibrant and they dry to a lovely chalky finish.

This is another easy to make card with the "Christina Collection"  and one that I hope you will try for yourself.

I love the look of it against the white card and the base and stitched mat are done with a 300 gsm super smooth card 

The butterflies are created with 160 gsm card both from Papermill Direct, and I have used my bargain brushes from Aldi

Most of my supplies are from Craft Stash and the links are at the bottom of the page for you to see.

You could make this card for any occasion simply by swapping out the sentiment and the verse inside.

I hope you enjoy the video and like the new style introduction that I have done to show you what it is we are making 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pretty in Pink ...

Hi Everybody,

This card is another of the ones created with the Water Bleaching Technique  

I added a video on the process last week in different colours and they are really lovely cards and oh so easy to do. Click the link to refresh your memory 

For this one I used Fired Brick, Picked Raspberry and Worn Lipstick and blended them well together.

Then with Wilted Violet I painted in the bleached butterflies again

I used clean water to splatter the front to the card and blotted it off with kitchen towel.

This card has used a Spellbinders stamp and Mermaid Lagoon, Blue Print Sketch, and Broken China.

Then the flowers painted back with Twisted Citron

Both are lovely vibrant cards and well worth adding the technique to your repertoire of card making skills

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Crafti Potential with Card Making Magic

Hi Everybody,

Today Card Making Magic has come out to play with Crafti Potential to create a really pretty card for any occasion

Once again I have used Distress Oxides and they are so easy to blend together

For this card I have used the 

Damask A6 Background Stamp

 from Crafti Potential and the link will take you to Christine's Blog 

There are seven other background stamps in the collection and they are all available at Craft Stash

The video will show you how I made this card and I hope you enjoy it ...

Keep blending with Distress Oxides to get the look you want and where the two colours meet it will create a third that will diminish any harsh lines.

The sentiment is from Tonic Studios and there are 12 different ones for you to choose from.
Each one is in two parts so that you can create a coloured backdrop to your words and they look really special with a vellum layer

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

I hope you are all having a good weekend and have lots of good things to keep you busy. 

 Here is Ruby with her new haircut sat in my craft room waiting for me to finish what I am doing and take her out. Doesn't she look cute ? 

At present we are having a new kitchen fitted and every room in the house is messed up so I don't need visitors just now.  

This is why the Craft Room sale was postponed ... but I will re schedule it once I get straight again.

In the meantime the draw for the Card & Gift has been done and the name this week is you ...

Nana-Jane

please email me with your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and they will be on their way to you straight away

Please let me know that you have them safely

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday freebie - Winter Warmers

Hi Everybody,

I know the title of this A4 stamp set is Winter warmers ... but this truly a set that can be used all year round.

It is soooo cute !! and a lot of fun to play with.

Use it for male or female cards and all age groups. Kids are sure to love the cards you make using this

The video showcasing the stamps is here ... Winter Warmers  and the card being given away is one of the ones in the tutorial .

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

From those comments one name will be drawn at random and announced in tomorrows blog post so be sure to come back and check if it is you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Stencilled Rainbow Butterflies

Hi Everybody,

Today I have another really pretty card for you using the "Christina Collection"

This one is using the stencil to create some rainbow coloured butterflies.

I have used other elements from the collection too and I am really pleased with the result

The video will take you through the steps to create this card for your self and it's not too long.

I have used Distress Oxides as I like the chalky look they give once they are dry and they dry lighter than you think.

I hope you enjoy this technique and will give it a try 

Because the card is relatively flat I have stencilled onto an envelope to bring them together.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Bleaching ...

Hi Everybody,

This fabulous card is created with a Water Bleaching Technique that is very easy to do.

For the blue card I have used the Layered Florals from the
"Christina Collection" 

For this one I used the Layered Butterflies stamps and I decorated an envelope to go with it

The technique needs lots of ink and I find that Distress Oxides give me a better result than the regular inks

Try different colour blends and see which you prefer.

 And write them down in a notebook so that you can always refer back to your favourites 

The trick with this is to use lots of ink and to keep blending to get a really smooth look with no harsh lines, and remember that it will dry lighter.

The Video will show you step by step how to make the card and I love both of these.
It is a technique I have used many times in the past and will use over and over again in the future.

Don't forget that there is a special offer until the 17th March at Craft Stash with the
  Christina Collection 
and if you add the code CMM15 at the checkout you will get a 15% discount

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

See Through Trellis Card & Envelope

Hi Everybody,

Today I am using the "Christina Collection" to create this really pretty card that is just the right depth to fit into an envelope.

It is very easy to make but you will need some sturdy card so that it will stand by itself

I used  a Super Smooth 300 gsm white card from Papermill Direct and it is really good for all your base cards

But because of the thickness of the card you may need to pass it through your machine more than once to cut it ... but well worth it once you have done so

I also decorated the envelope with butterflies to match and the card fits in perfectly so saving postage costs for you.  

I added the Birthday Verse from the Verses Stamp Set to the inside of the card as I know that some people prefer that.

I hope you will give this style a try as it's not hard to do and the card is so pretty once you have it in the hand

Craft Stash are having a really good sale of my "Christina Collection" 
at present and it will run until the 17th March.

Quote the code CMM15 at the checkout and you will get 15% off items that you buy even if they are on Pre Order ... bargain!! 

More tomorrow ..

Hugs xx

Spectrum Noir Pens ...

Hi Everybody,

I am so sorry to postpone the Craft Room Sale until a later date but with the new kitchen going in this week it would not be feasible to have it with all the mess.

However I do have some things that I can let you know about and the first one is Spectrum Noir Pens.

I have the full set of 168 pens and some of them have the brush nibs attached for a beautiful blend

They will be sold with the refill for each pen and most of them are unused.

Plus I will also add in some spare nibs too.

I am selling them complete with the storage unit that you see them in so all you need to do is add them to your desktop or a shelf as I have done here.

They are an absolute bargain at £250 for the whole collection of 168 pens ... 168 refills ... storage unit and spare nibs

That's less than £1 per item with storage and nibs free.

 But please don't ask me to split them ... they are going as the complete lot. 

So if you would like to buy these then email me christina@card-making-magic.com to let me now

I am happy to pack them up and send them anywhere but you will need to pay the postage and packing your self

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card and Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

I hope you have all had a good week ... I have had birthday celebrations that have lasted the whole week but it's not everyday you get to be 70 so I have made the most of it.

But now it's time to get on with some work so over the weekend I have some filming to do.

Next week Griff is going to be fitting us a new kitchen so he will have his work cut out.

But because of this I am going to postpone the Craft Room Sale until a later date.  Once the kitchen is sorted then I will advertise it again and hope that you will still want to come

Any way the draw for the card and gift from yesterday has been done and the name this week is YOU...

Susan Manning 

could you email me please your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and they will be in the post to you straight away

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie -Enchantment Collection

Hi Everybody,

Now this is stamp set that I was truly enchanted with and there is such a lot that you can do with it

Perfect for male and female cards, young and old it is sure to delight you

  Here again is the video on using this set 

Enchantment 

Would you like to win this A4 set of stamps ???   

Then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post to be in with the chance.

Don't forget to come back in the morning to see if it is your name that is announced. Good Luck !

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Up to Date ...

Hi Everybody,

What a week this has been and I have lots to be grateful for.

On Tuesday it was my birthday and last Sunday my Daughter and Grandson arranged a Sunday lunch for the family at a really lovely restaurant.

I had flowers and gifts and lots of gift cards to spend as I want. 

My Granddaughters bought me Pandora charm and so I went to town and got the bracelet and more charms to add to it. 

It is in the new Rose colour and it is sparkly and beautiful and I shall wear it a lot. Especially today when I go to my Grandsons restaurant this evening.

I used all of the vouchers and gift cards that I had been given and got lots of goodies. Perfume ... New shirts ... New sun glasses ... and lots more. Then we went to lunch and that was a lovely meal too.

Today my YouTube followers are  way over 52,000 and this week they have rolled over to 10 million views ... can you believe those figures. I am amazed but so very very happy about it.

And to top it all I have a brand new collection of 6x6 Card & Box die sets coming out so watch this space. This is a size that many of you have asked for and it will be with us soon. And it too is a beautiful collection

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Papercraft Essentials 157 (PE157)

Hi Everybody,

Kinetic Cards have been around for years but this months Papercraft Essentials is giving you the dies to make them really simply.

When I made these years ago there was measuring to do and that spinner part was created with pennies.

But in this video I show you how to create these kinetic element easily with card.

The stamp set with the gift will give you other images that you can use to personalise the card for your self.

The magazine will be in the shops on the 8th March so be sure to get your copy.

And then have some fun playing with this concept and creating your own design from items that you may already have in your own crafting stash

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Lace Background- Crafti Potential

Hi Everybody,

This beautiful Lace Background is created with one of the new stamps from Crafti Potential 

(aka Christine Smith)

It so feminine I loved adding it to my cards along with the flowers, ribbons and pearls.

And although it is an A6 stamp it can be used very easily to produce a larger pattern for your background

The video will show you how I made this card and give you ideas for several more too.

But with a change of colour it can be made to look more masculine or even be used as a Sympathy card.

 So lots of occasions can be covered with any of the new stamp sets from Crafti Potential.

They are only available at Craft Stash so pop over to their website and take a look for your self

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Crafti Potential - Layering Stamps

Hi Everybody,

I have been playing with the new stamps from Crafti Potential again today and I love the designs that Christine has come up with

For today's video I have shown you how two of the collection play really nicely together, each knowing where to fit on the other.

They are the Fleur de Lis and the Quatrefoil.

Used independently they will give you lovely backgrounds ... but use them together and the effect is gorgeous.

There are eight designs in this collection and each one is special for the type of background you may want to have.   I have used them with dies from the "Christina Collection" as well as sentiment dies from Tonic and Creative Expressions

They will suit male and female and work really well with any other stamps and dies that you may have. So pop over to Craft Stash and take a look at this brand new addition to their website

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Crafti Potential - Stamp Collection - Hearts

Hi Everybody,

This week has seen the exciting addition of some new stamps from my lovely friend Christine Smith.

Many of you will know of her from our YouTube collaborations and her blog is

Crafti Potential 

She makes the most amazing cards and we have completely different styles.

But working with her stamps has been really good and they can fit my style very easily.

There are eight new A6 stamps and there is sure to be something that you like.

Here I have used the hearts and the video will show you how I created this card.

It's not long but I hope you enjoy it all the same 

I have more videos to add using some of the other stamps from Christine's collection and we are also planning another collaboration video where we will use both of our collections together and see what we come up with.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

For the last few Saturdays I have told you that it was raining here in Blackpool. Well today when the rest of the country is struggling with the snow .... we haven't got one flake of the stuff. Apart from waking up Tuesday morning to see everything covered white, we have escaped the worst. And the snow on Tuesday soon went and we have had nothing since.

Living by the coast helps to keep it away as the salt air does something to snow and it very rarely sticks for long here.  So when it rains I am merely passing on what the weather is doing .... it's not a complaint and I am very happy that the snow has left us in peace. 

Now having said that it will be six foot deep next week !!

The draw for the card and gift from yesterday has been done from the comfort of my warm and cosy house and the name this week is YOU ....

Margaret Wilson

so if you could email me your postal address please to

christina@card-making-magic.com

they will be on their way to you straight away

Please let me know when you have them safe and sound

Next week I have some lovely vidoes coming up for you to view introducing the brand new collection at Craft Stash from Crafti Potential and next Fridays "Give Away" is a large fun stamp set from Creative Stamping. So I hope you will come back and join me to see whats going on 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - All Occasions Stamps

Hi Everybody,

On offer today is another A4 stamp set and this it the  All Occasions Stamps

There are some beautiful stamps and sentiments here to grace any of your designs and you are sure to have fun playing with it.

The video to show this set is All Occasions Stamps  and it is not long so I hope you will take a look to remind you of the tutorial.

Now if you would like to win this ever useful set then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post.

 From those comments one name will be drawn and the winner announced to tomorrows blog. Be sure to come back tomorrow to check if you are the winner.

  Craft Room Sale Day 
and the date is going to be the 18th March 2018
If you emailed me about this then I will send you the address and for others that are interested then please email me 
christina@card-making-magic.com

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Altenew Layering Dies

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for the response to my

  Craft Room Sale Day 

and the date is going to be the 18th March 2018

If you emailed me about this then I will send you the address and for others that are interested then please email me 

christina@card-making-magic.com

Here is another of the layering dies from Altenew and I have really enjoyed playing with these.

They have quite a hefty price tag on them so they wont be every bodies cup of tea but I thought they looked so versatile and can make a card very quickly.

I chose a pale blue and mint green for this card but it would look really special with glitter card added to one of the layers

The addition of a few sequins dotted around are my finishing touch

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx