Glass Find ...

Hi Everybody,

So while out shopping a few weeks ago I just happened to spy some glass in the charity shop window and went in for a closer look.

They had some lovely pieces of cut glass that I had an idea that I could use.

It was really cheap and this little lot cost me £7 and because it was a charity shop I gave her £10 and that was a bargain

Each of these bowls cost me 10p and would make a lovely base for .... something !!

I had to buy some really strong epoxy glue to make sure that they stuck and I used it in a well ventilated place too.

Each of these was £1 for the pair and I already had two of the smaller ones at the front, so the ideas for these flowed.

They are going to make me some beautiful candle holders for my dining room table and I am going to dress them up to the hilt.

After playing and seeing which piece of glass goes with which other ....

 ... this is what I cam up with. All dressed up and in my dining room

I sprayed a wooden mirror silver and added the glass candle holders to it and it looks gorgeous.

I am so pleased with this and I will show you more as I complete them.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Simply Cards & Papercraft 199 - Clearly Besotted Snowdrop

Hi Everybody,

This months Simply Cards & Papercraft will be in the shops tomorrow and Clearly Besotted are featured in the pack. 

Their stamp and die set also has a little embossing folder with it and it is really pretty.

This is one of the cards I have made and you will find more in the video that I have made to show you.

Clearly Besotted Snowdrop  is not too long but there are some pleasing designs in the video that you may like to copy.

You will find many more in the pages of the magazine too and some of them are even from me !!

Make a cuppa and click the link to watch the video and I hope you enjoy it

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Making Magic Emerald Box - Tall version

Hi Everybody,

Yesterday I showed you the Emerald Box Die Set  as it is but I promised you that today I would show you how to create the version with the tall sides.

Well I have been true to my word and the video is below for you to view.

If you watch it on YouTube and leave a comment on there, then YT know that you like this kind of video and will promote it even more for me to let other viewers see it too.

And that is always a big bonus for me in getting my channel known even more. So I hope you do enjoy the video and that you will perhaps give this a try

I promise you it is not hard to do and all the measuring has now been done for you all you have to do is follow the steps that I show you and you to will produce beautiful tall boxes for any time of the year ... or even just for storage. Without all the flowers of course !!

Please let me know what you think of my boxes 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Emerald Box Die Set

Hi Everybody,

This beautiful box was added to the Card Making Magic Collection just a short while ago and it is a really lovely shape to create.

I showed how to make it when I was on the Craft Stash Facebook Live and it is very easy to.

So in this video I am showing you how I make the short version of the shape and it is perfect for adding the matching card to.

I have simply layered up all the panels to create this card and then repeated the process for the box lid.

But no other die set has been used just the Emerald Box  available from Craft Stash and the result is a lovely gift for your recipient.

I hope you enjoy the video below ...

Do you remember when the Octagon Box came out I  made a video to show you how I extended the smaller box into one with tall sides. 

 Octagon Box Short & Tall Versions  

When I was on Craft Stash Facebook Live I was asked if the same thing could be done to this new Emerald Box and I said I would make one and video it in the process.

So tomorrow I will be adding another video to show you how I did that and I really hope you will come back to view it and tell me what you think of it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

It's not so bright here today and Ruby and I have had a lazy start.

 I have had a fight with the king size quilt cover, to change the bed, and now I am bushed. 

I always get tangled up in because it is so big ... but I always win in the end !!

The rest of my house is clean and tidy apart from the kitchen which looks like a bomb has hit it with all the washing that has been chucked in there to put into the washer. Oh ! womans work .... 

The draw has been done to win yesterdays All Occasions set and the magazine and the name this week is ...

Diane Crowe

would you email me your postal address please to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the gift will be on its way to you straight away.

Please let me know that you have it safely and I hope you will enjoy playing with the set.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie -All Occasion

Hi Everybody,

Today's gift is from Simply Cards & Papercraft and is called All Occasion. 

It covers a few different ones for you to use such as Birthday  or Easter and there are some neat little phrases in the stamp set too

Sadly there is no video to go with this offer 

I am sure you would have fun creating some scenes with this gift and if you would like this in your collection then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post using your FULL NAME.

I write this about your full name every week but there are still some who don't 

. Your comment will not be added to the draw if I don't have it as it is the only way I can identify the winner.

There may be several Anne's or Sue's or Janet's and your nickname is not enough so if you want to be in with the chance of winning then leave your full name and cross your fingers !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 59 - All Wrapped Up

Hi Everybody,

This months Die Cutting Essentials will be on sale this week in the shops and it has a really useful die set named All Wrapped Up.

Here I have used it to add extra decoration to a box that can hold your recipients gift.

And that simple finishing touch can make all the difference to your gift.

I have used the Emerald Box Die Set  by Card making Magic and all my collections are available at Craft Stash.

If they are out of stock then leave your email address and you will be notified once they are back on their website.

This is only a short video to show how the bow can be used but inside the magazine there is a lot more inspiration for this die set and others ideas that you may like to try.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Another Artistic piece

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for the comments you are leaving about my little artsy pieces and I am enjoying making them, and I am happy that you seem to like them too.

Here is another, this time with gold spoons, flower mesh and a round mirror and of course the string lights behind to add the shine.

The spoons have been added in a different pattern this time and that is part of the fun of designing them to see what I can come up with.

They are very light to hang on the wall and they can go virtually anywhere.

 Each piece is more to be used as wall art rather than a usable mirror but I really like them. 

I am going to try my hand altering glass ware too and I will show you what I create with the junk shop pieces that I buy,

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Ruby and I had a very late rising this morning as we didn't get up until 10am and that was only because the postman knocked on the door.

She races to the door to bark at him and then sits there watching the mail come through the letter box.

I have done the draw for the winner of the Friday Freebie and the name this week is ...

Pauline Roberts

would you email me please your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the gift will be on its way to you.

I hope you will enjoy it and please let me know that you have it safely

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - English County Garden

Hi Everybody,

I have another complete kit to give away this week and this one is from Die Cutting Essentials Special Edition.

This will come with the magazine, embossing folder, stamps, a die set and a paper pack ready for you to make some lovely cards.

There are lots of ideas in the pages including some from myself, that will hopefully inspire you to get playing with your kit.

If you would like to win this one then all you need 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 and the name announced over the weekend. Be sure to come back and check to see if it is you.

You will have 72 hours to claim the gift so go ahead and comment and Good Luck everybody.

The mirror from yesterday was actually silver cup cake cases cut in half and it is very effective when they are glued onto foam board.
 So lots of you were correct in your guesses 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

More Strange Makes ...

Hi Everybody,

Here is a picture of the plates and spoons mirror with the string lights behind it and it looks lovely on the wall

The lights look blue but they are just bright white string lights and I got them from Amazon.

They are Olafus 16 pack LED String Lights for £16.99.  I love them and they make such a difference to any project and as long as you don't immerse the battery pack they can be used in water 

Now here is a challenge for you ... Can you tell me what this one is made from ??

I also added the lights behind this too and this is on my dining room wall.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Papercraft Society Box 2 - Helen Griffin

Hi Everybody,

This month is the launch of  Papercraft Society Box Two from Helen Griffin and this is what your box will look like.

Beautiful deep tones and the papers and card inside the box will match the theme.

There are more hybrid inks to add to your collection and a metallic pen in case you wanted to add words of your own.  If you prefer sentiments then you will have some foiled ones that you can add to your projects.

The dies will help you to create a really pretty gift bag and all the components that you need are bridged together. 

You will need to snip them apart and then store them on a magnetic sheet so that you don't lose the small ones in the kit.

You can make pretty backgrounds with the stamps or simply add a stamped sentiment.

For my gift bag I used the papers, card and ribbon from the kit and the bag is quite a good size for you to add your gift too.

I used the foiled sentiments and backed them onto some more of the pink card and added it to the gift bag with foam tape underneath the layers.

I threaded the ribbon though the top as handles for my bag and then added some pearl strings for a little extra.

My final embellishment was to snip the legs off some of the crystal brads that are in the kit and glue them to the front of the bag.

Line it with tissue paper and add your gift and it is then ready for you to give with love to your recipient.

Thanks Helen for a really pretty kit 

More tomorrow

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

I know I know I am late again and I am sorry but life just gets in the way sometimes. But today I am here to tell you the winner of last Fridays gift of the bumper Apple Blossom Collection.  The name chosen at random this week is ....

Anne Owens

so if you could email me your postal address please to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the pack will be on its way to you. I hope you enjoy playing with it and please let me know when it arrives with you.

Tomorrow I won't be adding a blog post. It is the first anniversary of Griffs death so I am sure you will understand why.

More Wednesday ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Apple Blossom Collection

Hi Everybody,

Today's prize is a complete package of dies, stamps, stencil, embossing folder, paper pack and the magazine.

There are lots of ideas within the magazine to show you how some of the designers have used it and it is a really good read with your cuppa

And the paper pack will match with the other items in the collection

The video Honey Bee Haven Collection will show you how I used it to make my designs and there are actually three more videos with this collection so lots for you to view

Honey Bee Haven - Bees

Honeycomb Aperture

Honey Bee Haven Hexi Effect

If you would like to win this pack then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME.  Some entries are disregarding this request and it will not be added to the count if there is no full name with it. 

It just saves confusion if there are a few entries with the same first name. 

Then of course you will need to come back over the weekend to check if your name is the one shown as the winner. 

You will have 72 hours in which to claim the prize and I am happy to send it wherever you live.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Plastic Plates and Spoons ....

Hi Everybody,

I am so pleased that you liked my spoon mirror and all those who laughed have now got to say that they do like it. 

And here it is with the string lights behind it and it looks amazing on the wall. I made this after watching videos on YouTube and it was a real inspiration.

And this one cost me about £4.20 to make and I have lots of products left over to make a lot more. 

But this one is my favourite and for this I have used a foam board as the base, five silver plastic plates, flower mesh wrap, Gorilla glue and plastic spoons all from Amazon.

Five silver glitter coasters and five x 3" mirrors from the £1 shop, white paper flowers from my stash.

A can of silver spray paint, Mod Podge and a large tub of glitter from the Range. 

It is about beautiful and much bigger than the  spoon mirror and once I add the lights to it it will look fantastic.

Have you spotted the spoon handles in there ??

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Silver Plastic Spoons ...

Hi Everybody,

So I said to friends that I was going to decorate a round mirror with plastic spoons. Apart from the odd giggle to the outright laugh I got very mixed reactions

But I went ahead and bought some spoons and silver mesh and the silver flowers from Amazon and made a start.

I watched a lot of videos on YouTube and the one that really inspired me to make this mirror was a lady called LuAnn Skaggs and I am adding her video here..... 

I followed her steps but I made mine bigger and a little more elaborate than Lu-Ann's and I used a round mirror instead,  but I am delighted with the result.

It is so pretty and mine is quite big and it is going to look amazing on my wall ... when I find one to add it too. !!

She has so many beautiful ideas and I am going to try some more when I have the time.

Here is a close up of the spoons and their decoration and I had a lot of fun making it. 

I used a really strong epoxy glue to hold everything in place but it smells strong so make sure you work in a well ventilated area

I want to add sparkle to some Christmas presents and I will show you those once I have given them as presents.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Winner

Hi Everybody,

After a busy week I am all packed and ready to go to Peterborough. I have made as many samples as I could and got my demonstrations ready in separate cellophane bags ready to show you. So I hope you will be able to join me at 6pm and 8pm this evening.  I will be back on Hochanda at 9am 1pm and 5pm tomorrow and then home again to my own comfy bed

  One last job to do is select the winner of the Joanna Sheen Collection from Friday. 

The name this week is ...

Ruth Scott

would you email me please your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will get them off to you straight away.

I hope you will like them and please let me know when they arrive with you.

See you later ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Joanna Sheen Signature Collection

Hi Everybody, 

This weeks winner will get the fabulous Joanna Sheen magazine along with the dies stamps and embossing folder that came with it

There is also a paper pack inside the pack too, but there is no card to go with it and no video either .... soreeeee!!

If this is a prize that you would like to win then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post using your full name.

I cannot stress this enough that you leave your FULL NAME so as to save any confusion is your name is pulled from the hat. There may be several Sue's or Mary's and the only way to distinguish between them it with the last name.

Come back over the weekend to see if your name is listed as the winner and then you have 72 hours in which to claim  it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Notebook and Box

Hi Everybody,

Today's offering is a little "To Do" notebook that I have made to fit inside the box and I have used the Emerald Box set.

At the moment this set is out of stock but if you leave your email address then Craft stash will notify you once it is back on their website.

To make the pattern on the front of the booklet I have used the stencil Bird and Bloom  and finger daubers to sponge the inks in place.

It gives a very light pastel effect and the alphabet was the stencil from Card Making Magic with a magazine a few weeks ago.

I don't have many cards to show you at this time as I am busy making samples for next weeks Hochanda shows. But once the shows are done I can show you some of the makes from them.

I will be back on Hochanda with the One Day Special this coming Sunday and Monday so I hope you can join me then. It's always nice to know that you are here.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Purple Bauble

Hi Everybody,

This little card for Christmas has used some Distress Oxide Inks for the background and I have used clean water to blur the look.

The bauble on this was from a stamp that came with a magazine some time ago and it was given away in a previous Friday Freebie.

I will continue with the FF in the coming new year, and there will be more lovely gifts coming your way, so please keep adding your names and comments each week.

I can't believe that Christmas is nearly here again and although this has been a tough year for me I have been trying to keep my mind occupied as best I can.

I have brought you lots of new dies and stamps to add to your Card Making Magic collection and there are lots more to come. 

Some will be on Hochanda again too in the very near future so I hope you can join me there.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Magazine & Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

So guess who forgot to alter her clock this morning ???  Yep that was me ...

I got up at 8.30 am to have coffee and breakfast and get ready to go walking with Ruby only to find that the clocks had gone back one hour and it was only 7.30.  

Now there is only one 7.30 on my clock on a Sunday morning and this one was at the wrong end of the day. I was really annoyed with myself but we then had lots of time to have some breakfast and start the day.

And eventually I have got round to  doing the draw for Fridays magazine and gift that was from Card Making Magic and I am so sorry to keep you all waiting.

 But at long last here I am and the name this week is ....

Gaynor Elder

so if you could email me your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

I will get the gift in the post to you as soon as I can.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Holly & Ivy from CMM

Hi Everybody,

Here is a fabulous gift from Card Making Magic that was with Die Cutting essentials not long ago.

I am offering it as my Friday Freebie this week complete with the magazine, which is always a good read.

The die is so useful all year round and the video will show you some of the ways that I have put it to good use Holly & Ivy  and if you would like to have this as part of your collection then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME

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

Good Luck everybody

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 58 - Exquisite Edges

Hi Everybody,

This months magazine from 

Die Cutting Essentials

 has a lovely 2 piece die set attached and this will create some really pretty borders for you.

They will suit any occasion and can be used all year round.

Make the colours applicable to the season for a really lovely look and don't forget the Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls that you can add to make it even more special.

The video is not a long one but may give you some ideas that you may like to try.

But playtime is the best option and see what you can come up with.

Make the die work with others in your collection too, to create frames for some of your coloured and stamped characters

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

My Design Team ....

Hi Everybody,

Last week I showed you on Hochanda some of the ways in which you can use the new dies from Card Making Magic.

Here are some of the ideas that I took with me and they are much prettier in the hand than a photograph shows.

This is mine with layered leaves to build the wreath, and bright gold on the top layer

This Emerald shaped pearly box is from Kim and she has used Centura Pearl to create it and the flowers, with the addition of bright gold

It is really lovely and quite a sturdy box to hold your gift. This one originally had chocolates inside ... but not when I got to the shows !!

This rich red card is from Joanna and she has used the embossing folder to create the design on mirror card.

It looks really elegant and the layers make it stand out even more.

I would be more than happy to get a card like this for Christmas.

It sounds so grand saying Design Team but they are really special and friends who have agreed to help me out whenever there are new dies,  to give you the best possible ideas of how you can make them work for you.

We all have totally different styles and maybe you have another that you like to use for your creations.  

But I hope you have enjoyed these cards and can maybe use some ideas to help you further.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx