Christmas Bauble

Hi Everybody,

Today I am using the Christmas Bauble from my new collection and this card is really pretty in the hand

It is quite quick and simple to make and yet the result is lovely.

It is popped up with foam pads but it is flat enough to fit into an ordinary envelope and so save money on postage

Line the inside to compliment the front to make it extra special.

The Traditional red and green card is from Papermill Direct and it is a 255 gsm. The white base card is 300 gsm and really smooth. Quite my favourite card at present

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Snowflake Panel

Hi Everybody,

Another video for you today and for this one I have used the really pretty  Snowflake Panel  to create luxury looking card

I have used a shiny gold mirror card and a dull gold teamed with white and the end result is lovely. Both are available at Craft Stash

Perfect for special family and friends

So dig out that gold glitter you have had sitting around in small tubs for months and get busy re-creating this design for your self.

The video will show you how I made the card and you can of course use any colour glitter that you have in your own stash. Experiment with combinations of card and glitter and see which you like the best ... Blue and silver, Turquoise and pearl, red and gold ... so many for you to try

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Seasons Greetings Card

Hi Everybody,

Today's card has used the Christmas Tree from the new additions to my Christmas Collection in a way other than a tree.

And I quite like the result in pink. Change out the colour and the sentiment and it could be for any occasion ... male or female

I am so pleased with the new additions and I have had a lot of fun playing with them. I really hope you will enjoy the videos that will be coming up

2018 is my first ever Christmas Range but there is so much more to come in the next few months with all kinds of "Goodies" and I can't wait to tell you about all of them. 

 More tomorrow ... 

 Hugs xx

Christmas Additions from Card Making Magic ...

Hi Everybody,

No Friday Freebie this week as I have an announcement to make with regards some new dies from me.

Today is a special day as it is the launch of the second wave of  my Christmas Collection which of course compliments the first wave a few weeks ago

They are going to be featured on the

 Craft Stash Facebook Live page today at 1pm and as always the girls will be having fun

There are twelve new sets of dies for you to play with and I will adding lots of videos to show you my makes with all of them.  For this one I have used the parcels die and one of the sentiments and added them all to the 6x6 card and box maker die set.

As the collection grows more you will see that all the dies are made to mix and match to play nicely with each other.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have and I would like to sincerely thank you ALL for ALL your support

The Friday Freebie will be back next week with a beautiful Tonic Die

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 41 A Tree For All Seasons

Hi Everybody,

This pretty die set it useful all year round. 

It can be used to create cards on it's own or add it to others that you have to scene build

I had a lot of fun playing with it,  but in the video I have tried to get you  to look outside the box and use it in other ways.

And it is not instantly recognised as a tree once I had finished.

The magazine will be on sale tomorrow so keep your eye open if you would like to have this.
And as always I will be offering it as Friday Freebie ... but that wont be until much later in the year

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Yupo Paper

Hi Everybody,

This is the first time I have tried YUPO Paper and what a strange material it is. 

It is called paper but it doesn't go soggy, or tear, warp, split or pill no matter what you do to it and it is a fun product to play with

You can die cut it easily which means you can create stencils form your own dies

For this card I have used Alcohol Inks and Gilding Flakes along with some gold card for the sentiment.

I allowed the inks to flow wherever they wanted to on the Yupo paper, and it dries very quickly.  I cut around the edge to leave an uneven shape

On another part of the design I have hand  drawn some flowers and then cut around them. I tried to add some gold gilding flakes around this edge with a glue pen but it came out very patchy.

 So I will have to try that part again to see what I did wrong

I backed the centre flowers onto some gold card, leaving a narrow border around the edge and then added this with foam tape underneath to raise it up from the main card.

The tiny hearts and the Best Wishes are cut from the same gold card.

The background is done with an embossing folder and the single flower at the top is added with glue.

I quite like the effect though and once I have practised a little bit more with the technique I will video it to show you what I have done

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Two for One ....

Hi Everybody,

Whenever you make a card with a technique on the background and then you die cut that piece ... always be aware that you can re use this die cut on another card.

In the video for shaving foam I made the background with green/turquoise inks and then cut out the centre part with an oval. 

It turned out really pretty and the cut out oval too good to just throw away.

And so I made it into another card that turned out just as good as the first one.

For both cards I have used an embossed panel to show them off even more and I was pleased with the result

I also have all the other panels I made in that video and I am sure they will pop up in various places in the future

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card and Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

What a bright and beautiful day. Griff and I are going to get ready shortly to take Ruby out for the day along with Dougal and Vickie. Somewhere where Ruby can have a swim if she feels in the mood.

The draw has been done for the winner of yesterdays offer and the name is ....  

Katie Baird

would you email me please with your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the prize will be on it's way to straight away.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Sparkling Snowflake Die set

Hi Everybody,

Before I add any more new Cards and Gifts to the Friday Freebie I am re offering the ones that have not been claimed in the last few weeks

This first one is the
Sparkling  Snowflake 
2 piece die set and it will help you to make some  really pretty cards

It is ideal to use all year round  and not just for Christmas.

If you add your name then PLEASE come back and check if it is your name that is shown on the Saturday post. 

And if you can't make it back on the Saturday then don't forget to scroll back though the pages to see if your name is listed. You will have 72 hours in which to claim it so that will give you plenty of time to check 

So if this a set that you would like to have then leave me a comment at the end of the post and from those comments one name will be chosen at random as the winner.  

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Shaving Foam & Gilding Flakes

Hi Everybody,

As promised here is the video to show you how I did the shaving foam and gilding flakes technique on the cards I showed you last week.

This one has gold flakes on it and I have cut the panel into heart shapes to add to the embossed front.

The tiny gemstones make it sparkle and it is a really pretty card

There are several examples that you can try in the video and the colours are really vibrant on my cards.

For this card I used the Happy Birthday sentiment from Card Making Magic and added it to some vellum

The colours you use can make the card for any occasion or gender 

Use blues to create a sky or sea scene.

Or browns,tans and black for a tortoise shell look.

The world is your oyster with ideas and you just need to turn them into cards once you have the panels made.

Always a good stand by for those last minute makes that you may be asked to come up.

More tomorrow ...

Hugsxx

Papercraft Essentials 163 - Meadow Flowers

Hi Everybody,

This month the free gift with Papercraft Essentials is a versatile stamp set, a cute bee die and an embossing folder.

For the card shown I have used all the elements to the set and then added Glossy Accents to the bees to make them shine.

The video will show you how I made two more using the same items and colour scheme but they look totally different when finished

The gift is a really useful addition to your crafting goodies and the magazine will keep you busy while you read through the pages for all the tips and instructions for your gift and other card ideas.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Traditional Poinsettia

Hi Everybody,

Today's card and box has stayed with traditional Christmas colours using some of my new collection.

The video will show you how I create this card and it is much nicer in the hand.

The box matches the card completely and the stand is the perfect addition for the card to be displayed.

There is nothing to stop changing the colours of the flowers to make them look more summery, or even using this as a Birthday card.

All of the new collection is versatile enough to be used all year round and will mix beautifully with any of the other elements I have introduced.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Rose

Hi Everybody,

For today's card I have used the Christmas Rose stamp set from my new Christmas Collection.

I used the Rosebud and three leaf stamps to show the versatility of the set.

Change the sentiment on this card and it could just as easily be a birthday card for any time of the year.

The stamp set has dies that will cut out some of the elements for you 

This card to the left has used the dies to cut out the beautiful rose 

There are sneaky peaks of two new dies that are coming in the next wave of the Christmas Collection due on the 17th August.

I will show you lots more in videos once they have been launched so I hope you will come back and visit to see what I have for you then

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card and Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

Lovely here in Blackpool today and everywhere is quite busy. Lots of people coming to visit and I think there is a Classic car show on this weekend. I have lots planned including some videos for you to view in the coming weeks

The draw for the card and gift on offer yesterday has been done and the name chosen at random is ...

Sue Cockerham 

would you email me please with your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the prize will be on it's way to you straight away

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

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Butterfly Dreams

Hi Everybody,

The gift on offer today was one of my favourite sets when it was offered as free gift with Simply Cards & Papercraft way back in January

It made me think of warm sunny days and I really enjoyed playing with it.

There are 6 dies, 2 stamps and a lovely embossing folder for you to create some really pretty cards.

Butterfly Dreams will show you some of my ideas and I know you will enjoy this as much as I did. So would you like to win this one??

Then all you need to do is leave me a comment to be in with the chance. But please leave me your FULL real name so that there is no confusion over the winner.

Be sure to come back on Saturday morning to see if it is your name that is shown and then you will have 72 hours in which to email me to claim the prize

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Creative Stamping 60 - Autumnal Treasures

Hi Everybody,

It's time for the Creative Stamping Magazine and this months issue 60 has some lovely stamps in it for you to create cards with an Autumn feel

It is a full A4 size and the featured designer this month is Hot Off The Press

I had some fun playing with it and I am sure that you will too.

It will be in the shops tomorrow the 2nd August so keep a look out if it one that you would like to have

The video will give you some ideas and there are lots more inside the pages for you to browse through as you have a cuppa and a biscuit or three !

 So I hope you enjoy the video, the magazine, the stamps and your brew.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Making Magic Christmas Collection.

Hi Everybody,

Today I have been playing with the Layered Christmas Poinsettia that is part of my new collection which is available at

Craft Stash

I have shown you a variety of ways in which these sets can be used either separately or together and there are lots of ways to vary the flowers.

They can be used all year round if you use pastel colours for the summer. And I have used felt for some of them too.

I added some of the pearl stamens to mine and they looked so pretty.

I have added the links at the bottom to the products I have used but the card is 300 gsm and from Papermill Direct and it is such good quality

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Shaving Foam Background

Hi Everybody,

I have been messing about with some really cheap shaving foam again and the backgrounds I have made will turn into some really pretty cards.

This Birthday card has the addition of Gilding Flakes to it and I really like the look of this.

The Gilding Flakes come in several different colours from Craft Stash

I then split the panel in two and added it to an embossed panel with foam tape.

The New Home one has been shaped at the top with a die that was free with a magazine and again added to an embossed panel 

I am really pleased with both and will show you the others as I make them.

I used Alcohol re-inkers for mine but  you would get a result just as good using any other re-inker that you have and there is a vast range of colours at 

Craft Stash

But would you like me to video the making of some more and how to add the gilding flakes or glitter to them??

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card and Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for joining me on the Craft Stash Facebook Live yesterday.

 I had a lovely time and my new Christmas Collection was officially launched and is already doing well.

 I am going to be busy making lots of videos with it all and I am really excited about these as there are some lovely dies and embossing folders in them.

The draw for yesterdays gift has been done and the winner today is ....

Vicki L Phillips

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 when you have them safely and I hope you will like them. 

You will have no excuse now about making the card for your grand daughter !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Cherry Tree Die Set

Hi Everybody,

The gift on offer today is this two piece die set that can create borders of varying sizes. 

The video will show you how I used it and some other ideas that you may like to try. 

It is a really pretty Cherry Tree Die Set and I am sure that you will have fun playing with it and coming up with more ideas for yourself 

Is this a gift that you would like to have ?? Then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with you FULL name

Then be sure to come back tomorrow to see if it is your name that is shown. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Introducing Christmas Collection 2018

Hi Everybody,

The launch of my new Christmas dies is with us and I really hope you are going to like them. This extends the ranges of Dies, Stamps and Folders for both 5x7 and 6x6 and will build an overall collection to suit all ages and genders. All of my collections are available at Craft Stash

I am going to be adding lost of videos to share with you my makes using these sets and combining them with other portions of the collections.

Don't forget to join me on Craft Stash Facebook Live at 1 pm tomorrow for the chance to win the whole collection

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Simply Cards & Papercraft 180 - Songbird Blossoms

Hi Everybody,

Today's card is created with the free gift with this months SC&P 180.

I have done a video to show you how I used the gift and it makes some really pretty cards.

I have used the same colour scheme for all the cards as I think it shows just how different you can make the cards look.

The gift itself is an Embossing Folder, stamps and three small dies for you to create your own arrangement. Make sure you don't lose the small dies by adding them to a piece of magnetic sheet and store everything together in one larger plastic pocket

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Sneaky Peek ...

Hi Everybody,

Here is just a little sneaky peak of my Christmas Collection that will be launched this week on Craft Stash.

I will be showing it all to you this coming Friday at 1 pm on Craft Stash Facebook Live 

We will be giving away a complete set of Christmas Dies, Stamps and Folders to one lucky winner so I hope you can join me then 

I am really excited to be sharing this collection with you and there are some lovely items in it that will mix and match with all the other dies in both the 6x6 and the 5x7 collections

I am going to make some really pretty cards in plenty of time for the Christmas Season and I will be adding lots of videos to share with you

The 5x7 and the 6x6 complete card and box sets are designed to be built up and each die that comes out will be usable with everything else to give you all the things that you could need to make cards boxes and decorations to enhance your designs

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Cards for Girls

Hi Everybody,

The other day I spent a very pleasant couple of hours simply colouring and I was really pleased with the images.

I made them all into cards and they will be sent to a charity when I have enough to fill the box.

I used Copics and just enjoyed the time it took me to complete them all.

The images are all from Lily of the Valley

I do find it very relaxing to colour and then I alter things around a bit with a white gel pen.

On the top one I added white ribbon through her skirt and for this one I added spots to the skirt to make it look a little different.

You can make any of your designs personal to you with the addition of a bit of white if only to highlight some areas on their clothing or shoes.

And sometimes adding a tiny white spot to the cheeks or eyes can bring them to life.

Hope you like them all but I am sure that some little girl will be delighted with any of them on her birthday.

Take a look at the Craft Stash website for the products that I have used

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ruby Update ...

Hello Everyone,

It's me Ruby and this is me and my best friend Dougal playing in the sea.

We have a lovely time when we go to the beach and it's really cool in the water when it is hot.

Today I wanted to show you a little video of when we went to Lytham and how clever I am at walking on a log with  Dougal.

All I wanted was the treat that Vickie had in her hand and I got it in the end. We had such fun jumping over the log.

When we got home I had time for a snooze before it was tea time and I had some delicious chicken for mine.

And tomorrow I can play all over again

See you again later ...

Hugs Ruby xx

Card & Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

I would like to thank all of you who made it to the Craft Stash Facebook Live yesterday and congratulations to the three people who won the "Give Away"  prizes of my box and card sets that were offered on the show.

That was surely an awesome prize to win and I hope you enjoy playing with them when they arrive.

My Christmas Collection will launch next week and I will be showing you some cards that I have made using the sets. So I hope you can join me at the same place .. same time ... next Friday to be in with the chance to win the whole collection from Craft Stash

Now today's winner of the Fairy die from yesterday is ...

Sabine Matagne ...

please email me your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and they will be on their way to you straight away

The prize on offer last week was not claimed and so will be offered again at a later date

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Fairy Die Set

Hi Everybody,

Do you like fairies? Then you will enjoy adding this one to your cards.

It is from the Signature Dies buy Joanna Sheen and was featured in the video Fairy Die 

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

One name will be drawn at random and then announced in tomorrows blog post.

Please leave your FULL name and be sure to come back and check if it yours that is shown and you will have 72 hours in which to claim the gift

Remember ...

To join me on Craft Stash Facebook Live at 1 pm today

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

6x6 Floral Trellis See Through Card

Hi Everybody,

Today's card is a lovely see through lace effect created with the Floral trellis die set.

It is free standing but I decided to make the stand for added impact when it is displayed

In the video I have given you several options on how you can use the die cuts and each one will give a different look to your designs

The Christina Collection is only available at
Craft Stash 

It is not difficult to do but looks as if it is and is sure to please the person you decide to send it too.

The card I have used throughout is a 300 gsm super smooth card from Papermill Direct and is my go to card at present. I use it for everything ... cards, layers, boxes and the card stand and I have never been disappointed with it

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 40 - Scenic Swallow

Hi Everybody,

The next issue of Die Cutting Essentials will be on sale tomorrow the 19th July and it is a two piece die set

You can also get the stamp set on offer for just the cost of the P&P and the sentiments will compliment the die set

The card on the right is one of those shown in the video but I made one that is much more intricate and I hope you will give it a try.

There is such a lot that you can do with this set and the magazine will show you many more ideas that you ma like to try.

Please don't forget that I am on Craft Stash Facebook Live this coming Friday and I hope you can join me

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Some News ....

Hi Everybody,

I have some news for you regarding the new Christmas Collection from Card Making Magic.

I will be on the Craft Stash Facebook Live this coming Friday 20th July

 and also the week after 27th July too. It will start at 1pm 

The link I am adding is so that you can register your interest if you would like to join us on those dates.

Craft Stash Facebook Event

The new collection will be with you really soon and I am busy making samples to show you 

I hope you can join Janette and myself on either ... or both ... of those dates so see you soon

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Fleur de Lis

Hi Everybody,

This card has a mixture of techniques on it and the Fleur de Lis die is from Crafti Potential and is the Stitched Rectangle set

I added some Stick It sheet to my card and die cut the word and then removed the "S" from thanks and added Gilding Flakes to it.

The "YOU" is from another set and all I did with that was stamp and emboss it in gold powder.

So the background has been ink blended with dark colours and then splattered with clean water and dry with a paper towel to prooduce the blotchy look.

I used a stencil and bronze Nuvo wax to get the pattern down the sides of the panel and then cut out the Fleur de Lis.
 I added the panel with foam tape to raise it up onto a white base card.
Dotted it with some green sequins and there is the card finished and ready to send .

Quick and easy and looks much better in the hand 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Here's my kitchen ...

Hi Everybody,

Well at long last the kitchen is completely finished and here is the video to show you the result.

I am really pleased with everything and it is a lovely fresh room to be in. 

Griff has worked hard from stripping out the old one and then transforming it into this beautiful space and it surely is a credit to him.

The further differences in the above photo are the doors at each end of the room are now white and we had some blinds fitted yesterday. 

Now we can sit back and enjoy it 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Today's Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Another beautiful day here and I have lots of things to do over the weekend.

 One of the things I want to do is film my kitchen now that it is completely finished. 

I had new window blinds fitted yesterday and so now it is ready to show you. 

I love it and it is completely different to how it used to be. Well and truly up to date 

The draw for yesterdays card and gift has been done and the name this week is ...

Luz Berenguer

would you email me please with your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

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

I hope you will enjoy playing with the set and please let me know when it arrives safely with you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx