New Hexagonal Box

 Hi Everybody,

This is the new Hexagonal Box Collection and this one has an extra die set that will extend the sides of the box for you to make it taller, as this picture shows

There are also extra dies and stamps to enable you to decorate the box to suit your recipient.

The video will show you how I created my box in one style and that doesn't use the extending sides, but there are lots of options especially if you do  have the extra dies.

So there you have a brand new collection that will give you a new shape to add your gift too, and this is just one way to create the box

This collection is now available at Craft Stash and today I will be with Lou Collins doing a show at 12.30 on the Craft Stash channel and there I will show you another way to put the box together and how to extend the sides for a taller box.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Yupo Paper & Alcohol Inks

Hi Everybody,

I have ben playing with Yupo Paper and Alcohol Inks and then adding in some gold leaf as it dries. 

It gives a lovely rich look to your design and the Yupo Paper die cuts really easily. 

I did three sheets of the paper and coloured one in reds, the other in oranges and the third one in a teal colour for the leaves

If you have never used Yupo paper then I have a couple of videos that you may find interesting and I will add them to this blog post.

Yupo is a synthetic paper that will not tear and it is perfect for Alcohol Inks.  

For this card I have used the Layered Christmas Rose, the leaves from the Rose Flourish set, and smaller flowers from the Layered Florals.

I made five cards in total each with different background and they will go into my charity box ready to donate

For this card I splattered the background in gold and teal and used the Layered Florals to die cut my flowers.

All the sentiments are from a new set from Craft Stash and there are many to choose from. 

They are all die and stamp sets that will cut the sentiment out ready to add to your cards.

I hope you enjoy the videos and will give Yupo a try for yourself. There are two thicknesses and I used the thinner one for my flowers.

There is a good selection of Alcohol Inks at Craft Stash too.

It is not a difficult process but if you are anything like me your fingers will be full if ink ... for days, as it doesn't wash off. 

It is well worth the mess to get lovely results that look so rich 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

It’s lovely here today. Windy but it”s  not cold. Ruby and I have been for a walk in Witch Wood and there are daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses everywhere. It looks beautiful. 

So now the draw for yesterdays offering has been done and the name today is

Pam McKenzie

So well done and if you would send your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

I will get the pack in the post to you straight away. Please let me know that you have received it safely and I hope you enjoy playing with it.

More tomorrow…

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Spring Florals

Hi Everybody,

Spring is on the way and to celebrate the fact I have a bumper give away for you. 

There are two stamp sets in this pack called Slimline Spring Florals, with beautiful flowers and leaves for you to build up the scene on your own design.

Colour them in your favourite medium and add the sentiment of your choice, and they are ready to go for any occasion.

The stamps come complete with the magazine Simply Cards & Papercraft which is full of ideas and inspiration for you to try, so time to relax as you browse the pages.

If this is something that you would like to have in your personal stash then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post.

As always I ask that you add your full name to make it easier to locate the correct winner.
No FULL NAME ... no entry !!

You don't need to have your own blog, or worry about where you live I am happy to send the pack to you wherever you are. And it doesn't matter if you have won before. 

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

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Floral Card

Hi Everybody,

I have been relatively quiet this week and that is because Ruby has not been to playschool.
(Doggy Day Care)  The owners are on holiday and so I have been taking her out on long walks to the woods and the beach weather permitting. We have spent some quality bonding time together but that means not a lot of work gets done !!

It is no secret that I love floral cards, be it one, two or three flowers or a whole bouquet of them. For me they make a card something special and I don't know any ladies that do not like flowers.

These are from Altenew and they are coloured with Arteza Water colours for a soft and gentle look

I have added a gold splatter to the background, which is a very popular technique at present, and I have used one of my large die cuts to add to the background. 

The edges of the card have also been edged in gold and the finished card is a 5x7 with the fold at the top.

This is my favourite way to make a card and I find they stand a lot better this way. It will fit inside an standard sized envelope so no extra postage there. 

And of course you can swap out the sentiment to make the card suit any occasion that you like.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Spiky Flowers & Arteza

Hi Everybody,

This card is quite large and the flower on it it is created from the Spiky Flower die from Card Making Magic. 

I have cut lots of layers to the flower and used water coloured card and paints to give it the lovely pink tone that it has

The completed card is an A5 size and I thought that one large flower would make the perfect focal point for it. 

The background has also been done with water colours and splatters and the sentiment is one of the new ones from the Creative Craft Products available at Craft Stash 

All you need to do with these is stamp the sentiment of your choice and cut it out with the matching die. I have added mine with foam pads underneath.

 There are many to choose from so be sure to take a look around, there is sure to be be something that catches your eye.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Ukraine

 Hi Everybody,

The news from the Ukraine does not get any better and I feel so sad for their people. I have been enjoying a lovely sunny day here but what have they been through in these last few hours. And all because of one mans greed.  Homes bombed and  innocent people killed.

I am not politically minded but it is clear to see that this man is deranged and needs stopping.
What satisfaction can this be giving him. Thousands of people with no where to go, no homes, no money, no food, no water and many with young children.

  He may have politicians around him doing his bidding but it is not because they like him or even agree with him .... it's more from fear of him and what he will do to them and their families if they don't comply.

I don't know what the answer is but if he is not stopped at the Ukraine it will only be a matter of time before he targets the other countries on the Ukraine border ... and then what ??? The rest of the world and the possibility of World War 3

The way he talks and warns the rest of the world to keep out of the conflict is frightening.
The stopping of his own country seeing what is going on by blocking the news and the internet, stopping them from expressing their own anger at his actions is atrocious.

These are not the actions of a great man but a mouse. A monster that has no conscience but like other monsters in the past he will face his comeuppance in the end.  And I for one hope it is sooner rather than later

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

I am so saddened by the events unfolding over the past week that I cannot think of things to say.
But I hope you are all well and safe in your own homes.

 I have done the draw for yesterdays offering and the name today is ...

Gloria Lamb

Please email me your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will get the pack in the post to your straight away 
Please let me know when you have it safely and I hope you enjoy playing with it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Build A Flower

 Hi Everybody,

This weeks gift moves over to a flower theme and this is the Build A Flower die set , that also has foam sheets and stamens with it to help you create beautiful blooms.

Inside the pages of Die Cutting Essentials you will find instructions on how to make the flowers for your self, and if you have never used foam then you will be pleasantly surprised.

So why not enter your comment with your FULL NAME at the end of the post to be in with a chance of winning this gift.

One name will be selected from those comments and added to a blog post over the weekend. You will need to come back and check if your name is shown and then you will have 72 hours in which to claim the prize.

I am happy to send this to you wherever you live and it doesn't matter if you have been a winner in the past. Good Luck  

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

2fer1 with Alphabets

Hi Everybody,

I love getting two cards for the time spent making one and with Alphabets it is so easy to do. Just a little extra embellishments and these cards are perfect.

I started off by creating my background with Brusho powders and sprinkled with a little water to make the colours burst.

Then with the large Alphabet I cut the word MISS from the panel and layered it onto the letters cut three more times in white to make them stand out. 

Add these letter to an embossed DL size card in Landscape and use any YOU die that you have in your collection. 

I cut and coloured the flowers and leaves from the Landmark Occasions Collection and weaved them through the letters. Black sequins have been added to blend with the word YOU which is cut from glossy black card

The second card uses the waste from the panel that I cut the word MISS from.

This has been added to some brown card with a small border around the edge, and placed on the base card with foam tape to raise it up 

I used the Inlay Alphabet letters and glued them into the openings, and then weaved the leaves from the same Landmark set as before to weave through the letters.

This card has been finished with orange sequins and there you have two bright and cheerful cards that are ready to give.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Gold Embossed Perfect Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

Today I have a video for you and I hope you will like the result. I have used Gold embossing powder to make these simple flowers look really special.

The water colouring is not hard to do and you will be surprised at just how easy it is. and so I really hope you will give this technique a try for your next cards

The combination of the coloured flowers and the gold leaves makes it look beautiful and of course your flowers can be any colour that you prefer.

In the video I made four cards that are all different and these are two of them for you to see. 

I really enjoyed playing with this idea and I want to try the gold embossing on some black card next to see what that will look like

I will of course film it to share with you and hope that you will like that idea as well as this one.

Moe tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Foamiran Flowers

Hi Everybody,

It's still wet and windy here but this card gives a hint of spring/summer and the warmer days to come. These flowers are made with foamiran and they are really big and fluffy. 

They certainly fill a card up and of course they will need a box to send them. 

I have used heart dies to create my flowers but you could use any flowers dies that you have in your own personal collections with great effect.

The embossed back panel just sets the flowers off to perfection and looks much nicer than just a plain one.

This card could be for any occasion if you swapped out the sentiment and is sure to suit all the ladies that need a card.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Altenew Flowers & Arteza Colours

Hi Everybody,

Today I am sharing a card from Altenew and this is using one of their fabulous monthly Craft Your Life Kits.

In truth I have used two different flowers for this design and they paly together really well.

The pink flowers are from the Hello Beautiful kit for September 21. and I have embossed them in gold and then water coloured them with Arteza.

The pink stripe in the background is using the stencil from the Garden Rose kit which came out in October 21.

The yellow flowers are from a very old  Stamp and die set called Vintage Roses and that is a layering stamp to give the beautiful shading on the flowers.

Altogether a really pretty card that would be ideal for many occasions. You can change the look of this card by altering the colours and arranging the flowers in another way.  But whichever way you do yours it is sure to lock good.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Another weekend is with us and for some of us it will be a lovely time. But for others it will be hell.

I am thinking specifically of my friends in the Ukraine.
 One is Olga Direkterenko. Olga is one of the co-brands with Craft Stash and she has a YouTube channel with beautiful designs to share. 
The other is Yana Smakula. Yana and I were on the Spellbinders design team and we spent some time together in Phoenix on the Spellbinders retreat 

My thoughts and prayers are with you all everyday.

  I hope that this is resolved quickly for you and you can enjoy life again in peace.

In the meantime, on a more mundane note, I have done the draw for Fridays offering and the name this week is 

Lin Duke

please can you email me your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and it will be on its way to your straight away. 

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

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Sophisticated Snowflake

Hi Everybody,

Today the beautiful Sophisticated Snowflake from Chloe Endean makes another appearance and it comes with Dimply Cards & Papercraft magazine. 

This 4 piece die set has 20 stamps with it that will help you to create some really pretty scenes on your cards.

Inside the magazine you will find lots of idea that you may like to try and lots of articles and information that is sure to inspire you.

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

From those names one will be chosen at random as the winner so be sure to come and check if it is you. You will have 72 hours in which to claim your prize, and if it goes unclaimed then it will be offered again at a later date.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Perfect Flowers Die & Stamp Set

 Hi Everybody,

The die and stamp set that are new with the Flower Box Collection are the perfect way to make flowers for your cards too.

The can be used all together or divided into the type of flower that you wish to use.

Here I have coloured an assortment in pink and added them on various levels to an inked background.

In the video I show you how to get the look for yourself and it couldn't be easier with just a bit of ink to colour the leaves. They dry mottled and lighter and look really good on your cards

The dies do all the work and all you need to do is add them as you like. 

For this card I used just the Daffodils and this would be perfect for an Easter themed card. 

For this background I simply swiped the pad over the card and that's it. I have used a little grass die cut at the bottom of the flowers as an added touch.

Quick and easy cards that you can either send or replenish your card store for future occasions.  Always handy to have some spare ones for those unexpected times.

Make your self a cuppa and relax as you watch the video to create some really pretty cards. 

And please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel, click the notification bell and you will always know when there is a new video that I am sharing with you .

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

6x6 Flower Box with Perfect Flowers Stamp Set

 Hi Everybody,

The other day I added a photo of the 6x6 Flower Box but in that one I added some silk flowers and of course the box would not then fold flat.

But for this one I have used the Perfect Flowers Die & Stamp Combo that were designed to work with this new collection.

And this of course works as it should and folds flat, and it will fit into a standard sized envelope for you to post to your recipient

This colour scheme is pink and lilac and it looks so soft and gentle together, and I have coloured the flowers to blend in with the box too.

This is the box with the silk flowers and it is very pretty. I even added in some pink feathers as well.

The video will show you how to put this 6x6 size together and I will be bringing you the A5 one soon.

I also plan on doing a video using just the flower stamps and dies and showing the making of a card instead of adding them to the box

So I hope you will join me for that and I hope you enjoy this latest video with the new Flower Box Collection.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

Hi Everybody,

I hope you are all having a good weekend. I was out early this morning with Ruby and just as we got back home it started to snow. Not a sight we see very often in Blackpool as it doesn't stick around in the sea air. But we had the high winds and very rough sea yesterday and we stayed in all day out of harms way.

So today the draw for the Bauble dies has been done and the winner today is ... 

Maureen Wood

Please would you email me your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it in the post to your straight away.
Please ley me know that you have it safely and I really hope yo enjoy playing with it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Nativity Baubles

 Hi Everybody,

Here is another chance for you to win this beautiful large Bauble die set from Die Cutting Essentials.

It makes quite a large ornament that can be added to cards, scrapbook pages or other projects that you are making.

The magazine is an excellent read that is full of inspiration on using this gift and other ideas that you may like to try.

If you missed out the last time another of these gifts was offered then why not try again for this one. 

Leave me a comment with your FULL NAME and be sure to check over the weekend if your name is shown as the winner.

I don't think you will be disappointed with this gift

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Facebook Live

 Hi Everybody,

I hope you will be able to join me tomorrow with Lou Collins as we have a Facebook Live going out at 12-30. using the new Flower Box Dies.

 I have added a video on how to put together the 6x6 box and I have another one for you on Monday when I make  one in delicate pink and lilac colours.

But in tomorrows show I will be showing you how I put this one together and the colours of this make it look totally different.

There are sure to be some good prizes for you to win and lots of information that you may find useful so please pop along and watch and leave your comments as you do.

You will be able to watch on YouTube as well as Facebook, and also I think you can catch it on Craft World too.

So we look forward to seeing you  and hope you enjoy it

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Altenew Feathered Lilies

Hi Everybody.

I have been bust doing videos today and completely lost my self in the process. It is only now that I have looked at the clock and realised just how late in the day it is getting.

Ruby will be in later from playschool (Doggy Day Care) and then it will be feed me time.

So I will quickly add this post showing a card that I create with the Feathered Lilies from Altenew.  This was the Craft Your Life Kit for January and I love the size of this die.

This is an A5 card and so you can get some idea of how large the die is as it fills the front of this card perfectly.  I love big statement dies.

This is the same floral stamp set just different colours.

The flowers are raised on foam tape for dimension and the water colouring on both cards is done with Arteza Water Colour paints and paper.

Each in their own way is a very pretty card and I really enjoyed making them 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Perfect Flowers Stamp and Die Combo

Hi Everybody,

This pretty set is a complete die and stamp set in one box and it is the perfect accompaniment to any of the new Flower Box dies.

But it can be used as a stand alone set as this card shows you. 

For this one I have stamped the background with the Altenew Whimsical Herringbone and coloured in portions of it with alcohol markers,

The flowers have ben water coloured and then cut out with the dies and added to the card front. Some have foam pads underneath to give varying heights.

The sentiment across the bottom simply grounds all the flowers together  for a neater look and the finished card is a small A2.

Very quick, very easy and yet very effective.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Happy Valentines Day

Hi Everybody,

Here are some of the cards that I made and they were shown on The Craft Store last week and they are from the new Flower Box Collection.

This is the 6x6 Flower Box and there are lots of dies in the set.

I have added silk flowers to both of my displays but if you are creative enough and can add  flower oasis and something to contain the water then you could add real ones.

I will be adding some videos showing how to construct both sizes and they will be with you soon.

There is a larger sized die set in the form of an
 A5 Flower Box and that has a different shape altogether. 

Adding these silk flowers creates a lot of bulk and the card will not fold flat.

But if you use the Perfect Flowers stamp and die set, also in the collection, then you can stamp and colour exactly what you need and add them to the box instead, and that way it will fold flat and fit in a large envelope to post.

But whichever way you use them they are sure to create a really special card for you to give for any occasion throughout the year. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Thanks for joining me again today and thank you for leaving your comments. And also for adding your full names. If your full name is not there then maybe that's why you didn't win !!  And remember that until your comments have been moderated by myself then they will not show up so please don't add them two or three times. Surplus comments are deleted 

 Its still wet and windy here and forecast to be like this all weekend.  It will be time to chill inside in that case and hope it gets better next week.  

Ruby and I went for a walk in Witch Wood the other day and there are lots of Snowdrops in bloom in there and it looked lovely as we walked though. But it was very muddy.

The draw for the beautiful Peace on Earth die and stamp set has been done  and the name this week is ...

Ethne Gloss
would you email me your postal address please to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will post it to your straight away.

I hope you enjoy playing with the set and having a good old browse through the magazine too. 

Please let me know that you have it safely.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx