Friday Freebie - Woodland Friends

Hi Everybody,

As Promised last week I have quite a lot to "Give Away" over the next few weeks and they are all good prizes to win. 

Starting this week I have two of these die sets and each will come with a card from the video

Woodland Friends

It is a really pretty die set that has some sentiment stamps  and it will be a useful addition to anybodies crafting stash.

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

Add your FULL name and come back tomorrow to check if  you are one of the two winners whose name is shown

I cannot chase you up and you will have 72 hours in which to claim it. 

If any winner does not claim the gift they will lose out on the prize and it will be offered again at a later date to some one else ... so don't let that be you because they are quality prizes.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Win A Workshop .... with me !!

Hi Everybody,

I am so excited to bring you the video here as it is offering eight of you the chance to win a work shop with me at the Craft Stash Headquarters in Stockport.  We will have some fun and make some really pretty things and decorate them to your hearts content. The video will give you details of how to enter

The entry form is in the description box under the video on YouTube but in case you can't watch it there I am adding it here as well. Good Luck to everyone and I will meet eight of you on the 17th October 

Win A Workshop entry form

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Papercraft Essentials 165 - Festive Friend

Hi Everybody,

Today I am sharing with you the Papercraft Essentials 165 magazine for this month and the exclusive gift that is with it.

The die and stamp set are called Festive Friend

and it is a really cute reindeer and some lovely stamps to help you create your own scenes

There is a bumper paper pack with this issue with some lovely designs and background scenes as well as tags and banners

There is also a special offer if you take out a subscription and here is the link  to get the
Six Card Making Magic Dies on offer

Papercraft Essentials Subscription Gift 

The video will show you some of the ways in which I have used this set and I make a shaker card using some packing from a Christmas gift to me last year ... Waste Not Want Not !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Papercraft Essentials 65 - Subscription Gift

Hi Everybody,

In this months Papercraft Essentials 165 there is the opportunity for you to receive six of the Christmas Collection dies from

 Card Making Magic

 if you take out a subscription to the magazine.

The benefits you will get are that you will save money on each issue and it will pop through your door each month.

There is an exclusive gift in each pack to help you build your own crafting stash, and here is the link should you wish to take advantage of the offer.

Papercraft Essential Subscription Gift

The dies will help you to create some lovely cards and in the pack this month are some beautiful papers too

So if you are looking for a subscription then maybe you would like to consider this one and bag some of my new dies into the bargain. 

Another video tomorrow showing you how I used the free gift in this months magazine pack 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pink & White Card

Hi Everybody,

Just before I went away for the week I was on Craft Stash Facebook Live.

I did a demo to show how a pretty card can be transformed into something really lovely with the addition of ....

Flowers, Ribbons & Pearls

The plain card  was created on the show and I had already lined the inside of the base

I pre-made the parchment flowers from the Layered Poinsettia Stamp and Die set

and added some pearl stamens

The background is cut with the  Snowflake Panel

and layered onto pink card.

The circle centre piece is with the Fancy Nesting Circles Die

The ribbon, Lace and gemstones are from the Decorative Collection

The card and leaves are from the original Card and Box  Die Set

The stand is made with the Easel Card Stand Die

The completed 5x7 card fits neatly into its box and is ready to send to your recipient

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ruby Update ...

Hello Everyone,

It's Ruby here and I wanted to tell you about my holiday.

My mum and dad took me to a little cottage in the Lakes and we had a lovely time.

Dougal and Vickie came with us and we had lots of long walks. 

I went swimming on three of the days but I have my lovely warm drying jacket to dry me off, and I love swimming

My dad bought me this lovely red jacket when we went into Ambleside and it is really warm.

I had to get a bigger size coz I am TWO now ...but still very beautiful don't you think ???

I took my cozy bed with me to sleep in, but it was nice to get back home to all the things I am used too.

I had such a good holiday with all the people I love especially Dougal.

But then Dougal and I can have a good time when we are together wherever we are 

See you soon 

Bye for now ...

Ruby xx

Card & Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Back to normal this week after a really good week away. The weather wasn't too kind to us but we all enjoyed it any way. We had to buy waterproof jackets but they will always come in for dog walking now we are back at home. I bought some walking boots as well, that are also waterproof.

Even the dogs had the luxury of  new waterproof jackets too and very smart they both looked.

We had a lovely cottage in the Lake District and each day we went somewhere different.

But my favourite walk has to be Tarn Hows and there you can walk all around the lake and see some beautiful scenery.

Dougal went paddling ... but Ruby ... well she was in there to swim and she had a lovely time.

So now back home and the draw for yesterdays offering of the New Home die and stamp set has been done and the winner is ...

Toni Seldon 

could you email me your postal address please to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the gift will be on it's way to you.

A big thank you to last weeks winner Sherry Hay for being patient with the delay in sending your prize. Now that I am back home both prizes will be posted promptly.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Home Sweet Home

Hi Everybody,

This cute little die and stamp set is perfect to send to any one moving house and I had a lot of fun creating different styled houses and bungalows with it.

The video will show you some of my ideas and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Home Sweet Home

This gift came with my favourite magazine Simply Cards & Papercraft  back in March and it can be yours if you leave me a comment with your full name 

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

I don't mind where you live and you can still enter even if you have won in the past. You don't need to have a blog of your own either.

And starting next week and for the whole of October I am going to be giving the free gifts away to two lucky winners so be sure to come back

 Good Luck 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Creative Stamping 62 Winter Woodland

Hi Everybody,

Today I am showing you Creative Stamping 62 which will be on sale tomorrow the 20th September.

The stamp set is Winter Woodland and the video is below to show you how I used it.

 I enjoyed using this stamp set to make my cards and there are lots of ways for you to vary the scenes.

There is also a reader offer to get the embossing folder for just the post and packing

The cards can be as elaborate as you wish to make them and add glitter onto the snow for more effect.

But they also make really pretty Birthday Cards and so this is another useful stamp set for all year round to add to your growing collection

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Card Making Magic Tags and Sentiments ...

Hi Everybody,

The Tags and Sentiments are some of the newest dies in the Christmas Collection from Card Making Magic and they are all available at Craft Stash

They are something that can be used all year round to add to parcels that you may give ...personalise them with the recipients name

But you can also ad them to cards to decorate the front and as this one shows I have added two and shadowed the top one

I threaded ribbon through both loops and then used foam pads to pop them up.

A very easy way to embellish any cards whatever the time of year

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials Subscription Offer

Hi Everybody,

I know that many of you like to buy and read the magazines about card making ... I do too.

 And I save mine in a folder to keep for reading again at a later date. I have subscribed to some of them for years.

But just in case you missed it there is a fabulous offer with Die Cutting Essentials to receive

  six free dies from 
Card Making Magic

if you take out a subscription this month.

 These are the six dies and I have done a video to show you some samples using them.
The subscription offer is only open to the UK and it ends on the 4th October so click this link below if you would like to take advantage of their offer.

Die Cutting Essentials Subscription Offer 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

The Decorative Collection ...

Hi Everybody

Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls seems to sum me up in just a few words and I love adding these embellishments to my cards and they make all the difference to the finished look.

So Card Making Magic now has it's own Decorative Collection and it is available at Craft Stash ... along with all my other collections too.

The flowers will be along shortly so watch this space and see what we add to the new Decorative Collection

The whole collection is growing and there will be some new dies coming along in the New Year.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

If you joined me on Craft Stash Facebook Live yesterday then a big thank you to you and Janette and  I had some fun as we always do. 

Some fantastic prizes where on offer and to the lucky seven winners I hope you enjoy what you won.

It's another wet and windy Saturday morning and we  are getting ready to go away for a few days holiday.  We are looking forward to the break and taking Ruby on some long walks. Vickie will be with us too and of course Ruby and Dougal will have fun running around together wherever they are.

I have scheduled posts to go out and I will be back to normal at the end of the week.

 But if you are the winner of today's,  or next weeks,  Friday Freebie then please be patient until I am able to get to the post office and send you the gift

The draw has been done and the winner is ...

Sherry Hay

please can you email me your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will send you the prize as soon as I can.

I hope you like it and that you have some fun with this large stamp set and please let me know that you have it safely

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Hello Gorgeous

Hi Everybody,

Another fabulous A4 stamp set from Creative Stamping is the gift on offer in this weeks FF

and there are some really special cards that can be made with this.

The video with some fun ideas in it is here ...

Hello Gorgeous 

If you would like to own this stamp set then please leave me a comment at the end of the post and add you FULL NAME 

The winner is chosen at random and I need your full name to avoid any confusion when the winner is announced in tomorrows blog post. 

You will have 72 hours to claim the gift and I am happy to send it to you wherever you live at my expense. If by any chance you cannot check the blog tomorrow than don't forget to scroll back through the pages to fine Saturdays to be able to check 

I have no way to chase you up so it is down to you to email me or the gift will be offered again at a later date.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Simply Cards & Papercraft 182 - Two Stamp sets ...

Hi Everybody,

So today I have two videos coming out for the same magazine Simply Cards & Papercraft and that is because there are TWO exclusive stamp sets in the pack. 

I am adding both videos here for you to view but if you pop over to YouTube you can leave a comment and join my subscribers list to be notified whenever I have a new video out.

The first video is Winter Wonderland and uses traditional Christmas Images to add to your own designs

The second one is Classic Christmas which I have turned into a child's birthday card instead



Both are lovely stamp sets so I hope you will look out for them on the shelves TODAY

And please come and join in the fun this Friday 14th September on Craft Stash Facebook LIVE as there will be some fabulous gifts being given away and you need to be there to be in with a chance to win one of them.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 42 Festive Bauble Wreath

Hi Everybody,

A lovely die set is free with this months Die Cutting Essentials and it will be in the shops on the 13th September.

In the video I have shown you some ways in which you can use it.... and not just for Christmas.

I love to get my monies worth from products that I have and if there is more than one way to use a die set then I am happy.

Here I have used the bow to create a card that would be suitable for someones Birthday.

And the bow die or stamp in any set can be used in this way for lovely effects, and it is one idea I use regularly

The magazine also has a fantastic offer with it this month and that is to get SIX Card Making Magic dies free if you take out a subscription.  

You can save money on every magazine and get it delivered to your door every month and so be sure of getting yours and the free gift each time. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials Subscription Offer

Hi Everybody,

Tomorrow I will be adding a video to show you ways in which I have used the exclusive gift that is included with Die Cutting Essentials 42

But I wanted to tell you in advance that there is a fantastic Card Making Bundle of six free dies that are yours if you take out a subscription to that magazine.

Here is the link if you should want to do that ...

Die Cutting Essentials Subscription Gift 

The offer is only open to the UK
Claim yours by paying just £26.22 every 3 months by Direct Debit!

These are the six dies on offer and you will be able to make some lovely cards with them  and not just for Christmas either.

10 reasons to subscribe Die-cutting Essentials:

1. SAVE money on every issue
2. FREE delivery direct to your door
3. NEVER miss an issue
4. BE the first to read Die-cutting Essentials
5. EXCLUSIVE gift with every issue worth over £18.99!
6. Step-by-step guides
7. The BEST tutorials and projects from industry experts
8. BUILD your ultimate craft collection
9. NEVER be short of papercrafting inspiration again
10. Keep up to date with the latest news and trends

More tomorrow

Hugs xx

Another Background ...

Hi Everybody,

Today's card is using another of those floral backgrounds I did a while ago and the motto is ... waste not want not ...

This one is a little more subtle than the other blue one that I coloured but I like it just as much.

I created an aperture in the side of this with circular dies to give a layered look and then stamped the sentiment onto another panel to appear behind it.

Pretty card for any occasion and really easy to do.

I used Spectrum Noir pencils to colour this one and added a gemstone to each of the centres for added sparkle.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Using those floral backgrounds ...

Hi Everybody,

Do you remember the pretty floral backgrounds that I created with the cover mount gift last week?

I added to the video the Distress Oxide colours that I had used for each background and made one for a card in the film. The colours are listed below

Just to refresh your memory here is the link to the video again from

Creative Stamping 61 Summer

Here are some of the cards that I made with those floral backgrounds.

 I got seven cards from them and I am really pleased with all of them.

I used gemstones and glitter, gold pen and coloured pencils to highlight them and they are all birthday cards

Some of the panels i cut into two separate ones and made two different cards form them.

For this one I used a die to create a fancy edge to the top of it, and coloured the flowers with stencils and added white highlights to the centres

There is a Rainbow Gem in each of the flowers

The other portion to the panel is used here and I dotted these flowers with glue and sprinkled them with glitter.

I added Bakers twine around the stem and a glittery flower to the knot.

Just a few little changes to make them look completely different to each other

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

I hope you are having a good weekend and today it is .... raining here in the north west of UK.

Where has the sunshine gone? I hope we get some back as we are going on holiday next week, with Vickie and Dougal, to the Lake District and we hope to walk the dogs ... a lot !!

In the meantime I am trying to get as much done as I can with videos and scheduled blog posts. 

This coming Friday - 14th September -  I am on Facebook Live with Craft Stash and I have some new "Goodies" to show you. So I hope you will join us at 1pm 

There are also some brand new dis on the way to extend your Card Making Magic Collections

So onto the winner of the Kinetic Card dies offered yesterday. They are going to live with...

Barbara Youngs

would you email me please your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

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

I hope you will like the set and please let me know that you have it safely

But even if you don't have a Kinetic set like this you can still make this type of card and I did a video years ago to show you how, here is the link for you in case you wanted to give it a try 

Penny Slider Card

This video is also in the video section on the blog at the top of the page along with other cards such as the Magic Slider, Rocking Card and Waterfall Cards.
All of these are different shapes and styles and you will find lots more in  Kinetic Cards   on the website at Card Making Magic

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Kinetic Creations

Hi Everybody,

Do you like to make cards with movement in them ? If you do you are going to love this set that was free with Papercraft Essentials way back in March

With this die and stamp set it is so easy and the children will really enjoy playing with the designs you come up with

Here is the video ... Kinetic Creations

So if you would like to have this set in your own stash then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post

You need to add your FULL NAME  to be in the draw,  which is done at random to select the winner.

Then come back in the morning to see if your name is shown as the winner. You will have 72 hours in which to claim it.

Good Luck everybody 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

More Yupo Paper ...

Hi Everybody,

This is another playtime with the Yupo Paper and this time I have used darker inks to create my piece.

I have divided my Yupo in half and used one side with the Spectrum Noir Refills and the other side with the same colours but in the pens.

The video will show you the result and you can tell me what you think ...

I did another piece with pinks and reds and I show you all the cards made from the finished Yupo at the end of the video

I have used embossing folders on most of the cards especially when I add another shape to the top. 

For me it stops the card looking too plain and both of these featured cards show it clearly.

So here is the video for you and I hope you enjoy the process

There are a lot more colours in the Alcohol Inks so take a look around the Craft Stash website to choose your favourites

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Papercraft Essentials 164 Christmas Memories

Hi Everybody,

With Papercraft Essentials 164 this month is a really lovely stamp set that I enjoyed making my cards with.

The characters are so big that they make a complete focal point for your designs.

Mix and match them as I have done to create scenes that you like.

And these cards would suit any age group, male or female and I think children would adore these characters on their cards

There is also a little cracker die that you can add to your cards with other dies for you to decorate it with.

The magazine and gift will be in the shops on the 6th September so keep a look out for this wonderful stamp set.

There is also a Christmas Supplement in the pack and I have cards to share with you on pages

6 and 76 using the dies from my own collections.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Little Holiday !!

Hi Everybody,

My eldest daughter has recently move to France and so doesn't get to see her Grand Children as much  as she did. So this weekend my Granddaughter and I are taking the children to visit their Gran.

We are going to the Bordeaux region and I am hoping very much that it is still warm

Griff and Ruby are not coming with me on this occasion but I am sure we will go back to visit again soon and we will get Ruby her very own passport and then she can come with us.

I won't be doing a blog post for a couple of days as I won't get back until very late on Tuesday but I will see you again on Wednesday with the latest magazine freebie video for you,

 I hope that you will come back to visit my pages then

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

A lovely day here today and last night the Blackpool Illuminations where switched and will shine now until the end of October. So lots of time for you to come and see them if you live in the UK.

They are well worth a visit especially if you have young children,  grandchildren or even great grandchildren

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

Stacey Kowbel

would you send me your postal address please to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

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

It's a really good set to have and I hope you will enjoy playing with it to make some lovely cards.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Life's an Adventure

Hi Everybody,

A travel themed A4 stamp set is the gift this week and that was with Creative Stamping earlier this year.

I made lots of cards with this as it suits so many occasions and I am sure that you will enjoy it too.

I did a video to accompany the set and you will find it here  ...

Life's An Adventure

You can make cards for all occasions and male or female with this set and I love the camper van image. Perfect for those going travelling in one.

Now 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 and leave your FULL NAME to be in with the chance to win it.

Please come back tomorrow to see if your name is listed as the winner

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Creative Stamping 61 Fancy Foliage Summer

Hi Everybody,

Here is the second video using the stamp set from Creative Stamping 61

It is going to be on sale today so keep a look out for it if you would like this set.

It has so many possibilities from winter to summer and everything in between and I really enjoyed playing with it

I made floral backgrounds in different colours and I named in the video the Distress Oxides I used for each colour way.  My favourite is the pink one and I am going to sit and colour that one later.

But in the video I wanted a really soft look and went for the blues and greys to share with you ... and it turned out really pretty as it was so you don't have to colour it if you prefer not too.

Add any sentiment you wish to personalise your card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Creative Stamping 61 Fancy Foliage Winter

Hi Everybody,

The stamp set that comes free with this issue of Creative Stamping gave me so many ideas on how to use it.

And so I ended up making two video with the same stamps but varying the theme for each one.

This one is created as a Winter Card for Christmas 

I will add the second video tomorrow and that is for more of a Summer  Birthday card

I used the Flower Shaping Tool, which is one of the free gifts to add dimension to the flower, the pine comes and the Robin and I really liked the look of this card once it was done. 

It has lovely depth to it for added interest. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Collection - Present Die set

Hi Everybody,

Today I am using the Present Die Set from the Christmas Collection but I wanted to show you that you can use this die set all year round

And so I have created a Birthday Card using just one element form the set to form my background and it looks really pretty in the hand

I have coloured my bow with Alcohol Markers but you can use your favourite medium or simply use coloured card instead to save on time

The video is not long so you won't fall asleep but you will have time for a cuppa and put your feet up for a little while. I hope you enjoy it and the die too if you bought it. I have lots more ideas using this collection so please come back and join me again

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Alcohol Inks & Yupo Paper

Hi Everybody,

As promised here is the video using Yupo paper ... and what I hear you asking me is YUPO paper.

Well let me tell you it is amazing and it has probably been around for a long time .

But me ... well I only just found it and I love it.

It is synthetic paper that in non porous. Look at the new UK bank notes and you will get the idea straight away

 It will not warp, tear, pill and disintegrate in any way. 

And you can use alcohol inks, watercolours, Brushos and many other things on it too. 

But it is a plastic and so not bio degradable.

Never the less it is fun to play with and if you don't like the result then just wipe it away and start again.

 It die cuts easily to create different shapes for your card and it comes in several thicknesses and sizes.

Let the video show you how I added the gold foil to mine for a luxury look

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Storing your Dies ...

Hi Everybody,

I am always being asked where I get the plastic pockets from that I store my dies and stamps in.

I got loads of them from Amazon a few years ago but they came from the US and the company no longer ship to the UK 

So I started to search for a new supplier as they are really a handy way to keep all your dies together. 

The smaller ones are simply CD pockets and you can get them anywhere. But the bigger ones are really strong and a good size at 6x8.

Sadly I have not been able to find any ... BUT ... Sue Symons has been doing some research also and she has found this video on YouTube and sent me the link. I am so happy to be able to share this with you and so here is the video ...

I hope you enjoy this and give it a try for your own storage solutions. I will certainly be making some of these for my self and will let you know how I go on 

A big thank you to Sue for sending me the link and also to Ann Melvin the lady who did the video in the first place .... MWah !!!!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card & Gift Winner

Hi Everybody,

Hello on this beautiful Saturday morning and I have only just realised that it is a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK.  I am hoping that the weather stays kind as this is the last one now until Christmas.

The draw for the Tonic Die from yesterday has been done and the name this week is...

Betty McAlister

please would you send your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the die and the card will be on their way to you straight away.

I hope you will enjoy both and please let me know hen they arrive safely with you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Flip Flop Die

Hi Everybody,

Today's gift is from Die Cutting Essentials and it is a beautiful die from Tonic.

With my die I decided to create an Easel card and the video will show you how I did it.

Enjoy Today - Flip Flop Die

There are lots of ways in which you can use this die and I am sure that you come up with some ideas of your own once you start to play with it.

So would you like to have this one ?  Then all you need to do is leave me a comment with your full name at the end of the post.

From those comments one name will be chosen at random and announced in tomorrows blog post. Please be sure to check if it is you and then email me to claim it within 72 hours.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Making Magic Christmas Tree

Hi Everybody,

Today I am featuring the Christmas Tree again in my card and this time I have used it as a tree and not a background

The video will show you how I made this and one other from the leftover piece giving you two cards for one.

The other card is a shaker card and it was really pretty once it was finished

I like to get two cards from one die if I can and it saves you time and money if you can use the waste instead of throwing it away.

The gold netting is some that I have had in my stash for absolute years and I only found it again on a clear up last week ... so it has come in useful after all.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Simply Cards & Papercraft 181 - Driving Home For Christmas

Hi Everybody,

I really enjoyed creating the cards with the free gift in this months Simply Cards & Papercraft 181 magazine

These trucks are all stuck in a traffic jam as they try to get home for their Christmas ... loaded with tress and presents.

It will be on sale 23 rd August and so keep a look out for it if this is what you would like.

With this months magazine there is a really thick paper pack of sentiments, banners, Christmas Scenes as well as lovely papers that you can use all year round and not just for Christmas.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Snowman

Hi Everybody,

I have had some fun creating these characters from my Snowman die to add to my Christmas cards

And I would like to encourage you to play and see what you come up with.

It doesn't matter that you can't draw ... neither can I ... but you can add some expressions to the snowman die cut to make it look different.

This crew are all singing a carol for you and it doesn't matter that they aren't prefect, that's half the fun of playing, and it will surely bring a smile to the recipients face when they get the card in the post.

Let the video show you how I made the cards and then try them for yourself and I am sure you will have some fun too just as I did when creating mine

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx