Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy

March 20, 2020

Friday Freebie - Altenew Modern Anemone

Hi Everybody,

Today's offering is the beautiful Altenew Die and Stamp set called Modern Anemone and it will make these lovely blooms for you to add to your projects.

In the video I showed you how I made this pretty blue floral card as a birthday Card for someone.

Modern Anemone  is not a long video but I hope you enjoy it just as much.

Then you can decide if this is a set that you would like to win, and if it is then leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME 

From those comments one name will be chosen 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.

Please remember NO FULL NAME --- NO ENTRY

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 19, 2020

Beautiful Birdcage

Hi Everybody,

Next week will see the new Provence Collection on Hochanda and sadly I won't be there to show you. Because of the Corona-virus and being in one of the "At Risk" groups I am taking the precaution of staying at home.

However the lovely Lou Collins will be showing you my collection next Tuesday and I hope you enjoy the shows.

These are some of the items that will be on the show and this is the Beautiful Birdcage die along with the stamp set that matches it.

I used the outer die from the birdcage to cut the aperture in the card front and then I added all the branches and flowers from the set to decorate the edges.

I stamped some branches on the inside of the card too and then stamped, coloured and fussy cut the parrots.

I added faux clouds to the background and both parrots are sat on golden swings.
But this same die set can create the most beautiful 3-D Birdcage and I have filled mine with flowers, ribbons and pearls 

Such a romantic look and this would be a real eye catcher on some ones mantle for a special occasion.

So there you have two ways to use this die and stamp set.
But you can always add the birdcage to a card front if you needed a different look .

For this one I have inked the background in soft colours and the added the flowers in the same colours for a blended look to my card. Gemstones have been added to the flower centres

The birdcage has been cut in a vibrant turquoise and added to a white background.

Both birds are die cut from the set and one is sat on the swing while the other is waiting in the door way to enter the cage

I think all three projects are really special and I am sure that Lou will have many more to show you next week

Stay safe

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

March 18, 2020

Craft World launch

Hi Everybody,

Today is the day that Craft World launches and this is going to be such fun to join, and you can get involved right from the start. It is FREE to register and you will receive regular up dates to all the news and competitions that you may want to enter.

I have added a video that is exclusively for Craft World members, and I and my crafting friends will be adding more as we progress.

Add your own makes, join the groups that interest you or maybe even start one of your own. 
However you choose to join in there is sure to be something that will interest you.
Click the link to register for free   CRAFT WORLD

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 17, 2020

Great News !!

Hi Everybody,

I wanted to share with you some news about a new online group that is launching tomorrow. 

It's going to be a place for like minded people to share all their paper crafting ideas and inspiration with others. 

There will be groups for you to join that will cover your favourite paper crafting skill and you can add your own ideas to inspire others too.

There are also Forums for you to ask your questions, give and receive advice, share your knowledge and inspiration with others and best of all make new friends. 

It's called Craft World and it is FREE to join, and you will get regular emails to keep you up to date with all the news 

There will be special discounts for you to take advantage of and some fabulous competitions where you can win really good prizes.

Tomorrow I will be adding a video tutorial that will be exclusive to Craft World members only.
So if you want to join this free and exciting online group then all you need to do is click the link and sign up ... it's FREE 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 16, 2020

Landmark Collection Anniversary Card

Hi Everybody,

This Gold and White card is created with the Landmark Collection and the A5 Complete Card & Box Die Set

They are all available at Craft Stash and should they be out of stock then leave your email and you will be notified when they are back in.

For this card I have included a Wobble Action mechanism to the back of the heart and that just makes it interactive for the recipient.

They are great fun for childrens cards to and there are quite a lot in a pack for you to play with.

The video will show you how I made this one and it is very elegant and easy to do.


I hope you will give this one a try and it can be altered for any anniversary you need to cover ...
Ruby,  Sapphire,  Silver,  Emerald, Platinum 
thy are all there in the Landmark Set

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 15, 2020

More Artwork ...

Hi Everybody,

If you have been with me for sometime then you will know that my husband Griff died in November 2018, and since then this house has been just that ... a house.

But I am now ready to turn it back into a home for Ruby and me and start adding some colour into my safe place again. I have started doing things to it that I have neglected.

The last major job that Griff did was fitting a new kitchen and it is beautiful. I added a video about that after we had painted the long wall Lime Green

And we where both so happy with it once it was done

You may know that I have recently discovered acrylic paint pouring and this is giving me lots to learn and think about and it is something I am enjoying.  Griff would have loved this artwork as he was always so proud of the oil paintings I did at night school back in 1994.  And yes they where still on my walls all these years later.

But now, in one of my bedrooms, I have done a feature wall and added a group of my own paintings and this is what that room looks like now.


I liked it so much that I decided to do a similar thing in the other bedroom.

I tried some canvases on the wall to see what size I wanted.

And then I turned it from this boring cream wall
... to this, which is deep wine red and matches the bed cover and the curtains to perfection.

And as Griffs two daughters bought me a lot of canvases for my birthday last week I have plenty to keep me occupied.

I have lots of ideas and walls to fill yet so I will be showing you some more as I go along


More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 14, 2020

Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

It’s a lovely day here and I am wondering if spring is eventually going to arrive. I have been busy shampooing all my carpets and they have come up really well. That is a job that has been neglected for quite some time, but I have made a start so that is something.

The draw for yesterday’s gift has been done and the name today is ...
Vivien Hodge
would you email me your postal address please to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it in the post to you straight away.

I hope you will enjoy it and please let me know when it arrives with you.

There are still people adding their comments with out adding their FULL NAME and that is something I ask you to do each week. Leaving one name is not enough because if I have three people with the same first name then you will will not know which one has won. 

I also don’t want your nickname either. You may be called Twinkle Toes as a nickname, but the real name is Ann Smith,  and it is the real name that must be used, then we all know exactly where the prize is going..

So if you are not winning then ask yourself why and look at how you are leaving the comment, and you will be able to answer your own question.
 So NO FULL NAME .... NO ENTRY.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


March 13, 2020

Friday Freebie Country Diary ....

Hi Everybody,

I have another A4 stamp set to offer you this week and this is the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

There are 24 stamps on this set that would be a joy to colour in to suit any of your recipients.

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

From those comments one name will be drawn and notified in a blog post over the weekend so be sure to come back and check if it is your name shown.

This is the only way you will be notified ... so if you miss it you will miss out, as you only have 72 hours in which to claim the gift. Then you will need to email me with your postal address.

 Fingers crossed everybody ... get commenting

More tomorrow 

Hugs xx

March 12, 2020

Die Cutting Essentials 63 3-D Basket

Hi Everybody,


Die Cutting Essentials will be in the shops today the 12th march 2020 and the offer this month is for the dies to create this basket.

Fill it with all manner of goodies and it's just in time for Mothers day.  I chose to add flowers to mine as they are always a welcome gift.

But in the video I decided to make a card and show the versatility of this little die set.

It's not long so I hope you will enjoy it with a cuppa.

There is no magazine to show you this month as it has been very late getting to me and so I had to go ahead and create the video with out it.
 I hope it doesn't spoil your enjoyment and I am sure you will still be able to find it on the shelves of your local shops.

Have fun if you decide to get this one

More tomorrow ...

Hugs x

March 11, 2020

Simply Cards & Papercraft 203 Layered Peonies

Hi Everybody,

This months Issue of Simply Cards & Papercraft comes with a lovely Layered Peonies Stamp & Die Set to help you make some beautiful cards.

In the video I show you how I have used these layering dies to get the results I wanted.

You will be better with three shades of one colour in a light , medium and a dark to get the best look for your blooms, but they are easy to do once you get the hang of them.

Some of the things I have found on my desk and so I decided to add them onto my design ... 
waste not want not so they say !!
Keep a look out for this magazine in the shops if this is a die and stamp set that you would like to use.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 10, 2020

Good Friends ...

Hi Everybody,

This little card has been created with one of the corner edges from the Lacey Nested Circles die set to add pattern on two of them.

The circles with the verse are also from the set and the verse set is Sentiments Set #2

The flowers have been created in blue and yellow with the Daisy Flourish die set and I have added a blue gemstone into the centre of each flower.

I have added text to my background with a stamp that I have had in my stash now for years , but I like the look of text on cards ... don't ask me why !!

This is another easy card to make and one you can make in advance and keep in store until it is needed. Swap out the sentiment for something more appropriate to your recipient and to make it extra special create a box for it. This card is the A2 size.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

March 09, 2020

Nested Ovals

Hi Everybody,

Birthday Over, Back to work !!

So today's card is created with the Lacey Nested Ovals and I have done this is lime green and navy blue for a striking look

I created the card base with the shaped outline die and then layered the top with the detailed one. 

I have used Versamark and gold embossing powder to add pattern to the smaller oval and also embossed the sentiment from the Sentiments Stamp set #2

I have added flowers from the Card Making Magic Flowers and threaded white organza ribbon through the detailed edge.
 Pretty card and easy to do but very effective colour scheme.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 07, 2020

Winner

Hi Everybody,

This has been my Birthday week and I have been out and about with Ruby. Yesterday which was my actual Birthday we went to Cuerden Park and had a really good walk along with Ruby's best friend Dougal and my daughter , his mum.

It is a dogs' paradise in there as there is water to splash in, hills to climb and lots of trees to sniff about in. There may be even the odd squirrel lurking around to be barked at. It's lovely and especially when the weather is good as it was yesterday.

Now onto the draw for yesterdays prize and the name is 
Lyn Nash
if you would email me your postal address please to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
I will get it in the post to you straight away and I hope you have fun playing with this A4 stamp set.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 06, 2020

Friday Freebie -Pretty Pocket Die from Tonic

Hi Everybody,

Today's gift is this pretty die from Tonic called "Sent with Love" and with this one there is the card I made in the video

You will also have the magazine to browse through for an hour or more so what a lovely way to chill with your favourite brew.

If you think you can make use of this die set then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME

Then one name will be chosen 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.

Tonic Dies are always good ones and well worth building up into your own collection. And with a magazine each month it is surprising how quickly your collection can grow.

So try your hand at winning this one. Even if you have won one before you can still enter and you don't need to have a blog either.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 01, 2020

Paint Pouring

Hi Everybody,

Today I want to share with you the latest project I have completed with Paint Pouring and for this one I am so happy.  And what a difference it has made to the bedroom.
The result is absolutely stunning ... even if I do say so myself.

So here is a very short video of the journey although I haven't shown the actual pour itself.
The canvases where far to large to do in my craft room and I had to move to my garage to do them. There is no camera set up in there and so no filming. But I am working on it !!

The curtains and bedding in the room are new and the carpet is a very pale beige.
One wall has fitted white wardrobes and the other has a large window, the one wall left is cream

I hope you enjoy the little video and I hope you like the end result on the wall.


The paints I used are from various companies but because I needed such a lot to cover the canvases  the white base coat is 
 Dulux Brilliant White Silk Finish Paint 
and I have thinned it to the correct consistency with water.

It saved me a lot of money in White Acrylic Paint and I am more than happy with the finish.
The other colours are Pthalo Green, Orange, Payne's Grey, Coeruleum Blue, Ultramarine Blue.
 24K Gold from Decoart and a little touch of Black.
I did it as a Dutch pour and blew it out with my hairdryer.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 29, 2020

Winner

Hi Everybody,

Well it's cold and very windy here today and there is yet more rain forecast for this weekend. I doubt very much that Ruby will be getting her walk as it will blow her away.  So it's fire time and feet up.

 If you managed to catch Facebook Live yesterday then thank you for joining us and if you won one of the free sets of the new Provence Collection then I really hope you will enjoy playing with them once they arrive with you.

The draw has been done for yesterdays prize and the name today is 

Sue Cockerham

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

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

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 28, 2020

Friday Freebie Art Nouveau Collection

Hi Everybody,

If stamping is your thing then you are going to love this big stamp set.

It is an A4 size and the title is Art Nouveau and it will help you to make some really lovely cards for male and female. 

There is no video to show you with this stamp set but the magazine has lots of inspiration for you to see.

Would you like this set??  Then please leave me a comment with your FULL NAME at the end of the post. From those comments one name will be chosen and notified in a blog post over the weekend.

Can I remind you again that if there is not your full name then you will not be entered into the draw.
Thank you to most of you who are very obliging with this but there are the odd one or two that do not comply.

I am not being awkward about this it just ensures that the prize goes to the correct winner.
 I may have four Sues or three Maggies,  so if they all only added one name it would be very awkward trying to name the winner.

But with a full name then it is easier to get the correct person and send them their prize.

Good Luck everybody

Don’t forget to join me on Craft Stash Facebook Live at 1 pm

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 25, 2020

Lacey Circles 5x7 Card

Hi Everybody,



Today's card is using the Lacey Nested Circles on a 5x7 Card and it has lots of layers from all the different sized dies in the set. 

Both types of flowers are from my collections and I have added them with a hot glue gun to keep them in place.

There are lovely deep pink roses and some two tone pink tipped flowers. I have dotted glue on them and sprinkled glitter for a sparkly effect.

The sentiment is from the A5 Sentiments #1 and I have stamped it in black ink

The pearls and ribbon are from my stash but just add the finishing touch to my card.

I have also added the easel stand for this card to display it on and it makes a very pretty addition to any card

All my collections are available from Craft Stash and if something should be out of stock then leave your email to be notified when it is back.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 23, 2020

Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

How are you coping with the weather ? Although I live near the beach the sea has not encroached on my home at all and we are safe and warm. My heart goes out to all the people having a bad time with floods and the destruction that these storms have caused, as well as those in other parts of the world with fires and earthquakes. I hope it gets better for you soon

I was busy yesterday but have done the draw fro Fridays prize this morning and the winner this week is ...

Mona Beverly
Please would you email me your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and it will be on its way to you straight away.

On another note I will be on Facebook Live this coming Friday with Craft Stash and the lovely
 Lou Collins. Please join me as there are sure to be some good prizes to be won.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


February 21, 2020

Friday Freebie - Waterfall Card Dies

Hi Everybody,

Do you like Waterfall Cards? or are you not sure how to make them ? 

Either way this die set is sure to help with the making of them,  if only to save a little time measuring and cutting out

The video to show you how I made the featured card is here at Waterfall Card 

So as well as the dies this week you will also get some papers and the magazine to browse through  and that will give you more ideas on how to use the set

Now if this is something that you would like to expand your own collection 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 drawn and the winner notified in a blog post over the weekend. Please be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx




February 19, 2020

Simply Cards & Papercraft

Hi Everybody,

Are you looking out for this months Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine? Especially after the tip of what was going to be in it in the last video I did.

It is of course the lovely Fern Leaf Die and Stamp Set and it will match beautifully with this months Geo Panel Die that was in last weeks Die Cutting Essentials.

It is a really good way to build up your die sets especially if you're a Bright Rosa fan.

So in the video I have created some pretty cards, it is not a long one but I hope you enjoy it just the same



More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 16, 2020

Papercraft Society Box 6

Hi Everybody,

So it's my turn again to bring you the latest box from the Papercraft Society and this Box 6. It is on sale now at

I am really happy with this collection and the curved die is a beautiful addition to your designs.

The video will show you what is in the box and there will be exclusive videos for members of the monthly subscription.

But I hold my hand up to two mistakes in the video 
1. The ribbon is yellow polka dots and not white
2. There is a yellow polka dot card included too
So you can smack my hand now for being naughty !!

I hope you enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed the first box. 

You can take out a monthly sub to be sure of getting your box delivered to your door each month

Each month the designer is different and the contents of each box will be put together by them for your delight

It will help you to build up your own stash with quality items including inks, papers, card stock and embellishments.


Happy Crafting

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 15, 2020

Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

It is pouring down here in Blackpool so don't plan on walking on the prom today you will get blown away. Even Ruby doesn't want to go outside and looks at me with soulful eyes when I tell her to go out for necessities.  If you know what I mean  ... and I'm sure you do 

So it's light the fire time and stay in until all the wind and rain has gone. 
Do you know what I do ?? When I bought the fire I got really thick fire gloves with it as standard. Designed of course so that you don't burn your hand when adding logs to the fire.

So I put the glove on my right hand and open the fire door ... then load the logs in with my left ungloved hand. Now how stupid can you get ???? Don't answer that,  I know

The draw for yesterdays prize has been done and the name today is

Faith Anderson
please can you email me your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get the prize off to you straight away.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 14, 2020

Friday Freebie - 3-D Bow Set

Hi Everybody,

This pretty bow set is the crafty stuff on offer today and I have the magazine to go with it.

There is no card but the video is here ... All Wrapped Up  and will show you how I put the bow together.

It can be used in many others ways, to decorate your gifts or maybe add to your Christmas tree, or maybe even make windmills for your children to play with. You will lots of inspiration inside the pages of the magazine.

So if you would like to have this die set to add to your collection 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 announced in a blog post over the weekend. Then you will have 72 hours in which to claim the prize.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx