My little corner of Blogland where I can share my creations with you. There are many video tutorials as well as links to good quality websites for all your crafting needs.
Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy
September 13, 2021
Card & Matching Envelope
September 12, 2021
Ruby Update
Well what a lovely day we had last weekend when my mum and I went to St Annes.
We walked along the prom and I saw all these things flying up in the air.
My Mum told me they were kites and they looked really big, but as long as they stayed up there I was OK with them.
It was the Kite Festival and it was very busy with lots of people everywhere.
We went later in the day, once it had gone cooler. There were lots of doggy folks to say hello too and I had a wonderful time sniffing about.
It was much quieter this week when we went to look at my duck friends. And they have really grown since the last time I saw them.
This week I went to the groomers to get my hair cut and as soon as it is done it will rain and I will be cold with short hair. Still when it does get cold and wet again I have a lovely new raincoat to wear and I will be sure to show you when I put it on.
But last night Dougal and I went with our mums to see the Firework Competition . The loud noises didn't scare us. There will be a different country giving a display each week for the next four weeks, and at the end a winner is chosen. This week it is Russia ... I think ... and that too gets very busy
Bye for now
Love Ruby XX
September 11, 2021
Winner
Hi Everybody,
I am really pleased to see so many names wanting to win this weeks “Give Away” of one of my Card Making Magic dies. It is a really cute die and the magazine will show you lots of ways in which it can be used.
Thank you also for adding your full names, you really don’t know how much it helps get the pack to the right person. If you are not the winner then check how you have left your comment and if your full name is not there then that may be why you haven’t won. I’m not asking much.
You only need to add your comment once. It will not show up until it has been moderated by myself which it tells you as you add it. Please don’t add it three or four times.
So onto this week and the names have been entered into a hat and one has been drawn at random.
The winner this week is ….
Benedicte Hjalting
Would you please email me your postal address and I will get it in the post to you straight away. I would very much appreciate it if you could let me know that you have the gift safely. That saves me worrying that it may have got lost in the post somewhere.
If you didn’t win this week then remember there are even more chances to win this die as I have more copies of this magazine to give away. Next week there will be a different magazine on offer.
More tomorrow…
Hugs xx
September 10, 2021
Friday Freebie - Floral Panel Die
This was the Die Cutting Essentials magazine that had my Floral Panel added to it a little while ago and it created some really pretty cards.
In the pages you will find lots of other ideas and inspiration that you may like to try.
I have several of these packs to give away over the next few weeks.
So if you would like to win one of these then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME.
I am happy to send this to you wherever you live and it doesn't matter if you have won before you can still try again,
September 09, 2021
Friends Card
Todays card is from a really old Spellbinders die set that I have in my collection and I haven't used it in a long time.
I created a 6" square base card and layered it with lemon paper. The hands have been cut from different shades of card and I have added rings in different areas of the fingers.
I used gold or silver mirror card to create them, and added gemstones to some of them.
I thought it would be a lovely card to send to a really good group of people that you enjoy being with, just to say "Hello" or maybe add a little message to the inside for them.
The hands are not very big but they could be posed in other ways to make them different.
It is a die set that you could have some fun with. I really don't know if it is still available from Spellbinders, but I do know that other companies have similar ones on the market.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
September 08, 2021
Same Theme ...
To colour the parchment I have used my Spectrum Noir pencils. I chose three different shades of pink for these flowers and two shades of green for the leaves .
It took me a little time to colour them all in but the end result is well worth the effort.
It is a large card as I used my A5 dies to produce it. I made the shaped base with the dies and then the layers to sit on the top just to give it a different look.
The fold is at the top as I usually do and it stands in tent fold
September 07, 2021
Parchment & Embossing Folders
First let me apologise about the state of my hands in this video. I have been playing with alcohol inks and I have them everywhere.
No matter how much I scrub they will not come off not even with Isopropyl Alcohol either. But I had a lovely time creating and the cards will be shown over the next few days.
However this card today is using a really strong Parchment and I embossed it in a folder.
Thinner parchments could tear as it is embossed but this one is very strong. It is a 160 gsm and the nearest I could find on Craft Stash is this 150 one for Groovi crafts.
But it is not the one I used and I don't really know what it performs like.
September 06, 2021
Messy Water Colour
Hi Everybody,
This card was a whole lot of fun to make .... messy but never the less fun at the same time.
Arteza products where perfect for this job and their water colour card is really sturdy quality and will not buckle as you add the water.
I added the stamp to the lid of my stamping platform and with the Real Brush Markers I used the colours that I wanted and brushed them over the actual stamp.
I did the flower part fist and I spritzed it with water and closed the door to transfer the image across.
They are different and although messy I think they are quite effective and I would be happy to get a card like this for any occasion.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
September 04, 2021
Winner
Hi Everybody,
Here we are at another weekend and another winners post. They come round so quickly I just cant keep up. I was going to do a video today but my hands are so full of alcohol ink it is embarrassing. So I will wait a day or two and give it time to wear off and then I will start again.
Ruby doesn't mind the state of my hands though and she is waiting patiently to go for her walk. We have been out once this morning but we will go again before tea and that will settle her for the evening then.... and give me some peace from the guilty loos she gives me when she wants to go out.
I have done the draw for yesterdays offering of the Tonic Collection set and it is well worth having. Everything in this collection is lovely and the double sided papers are no exception. Somebody is going to have some fun plying with this whole box.
The winner this week is ...
Michele Coffey
would you please email me your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the prize will be on its way to your straight away.
I hope you enjoy it and please be sure to let me know that you have got it safely.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
September 03, 2021
Friday Freebie - Tonic Collection
Today I have a very special set to offer you and this one is from Tonic.
It consists of the magazine, some gorgeous double sided papers, an embossing folder and a beautiful Pillow Box die set, and some stamps all in one box for you to play with.
Plenty there for you to get your crafting teeth into and I am sure that you will come up with some lovely projects.
So if you would like to win this then all you have to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME.
I say it every week but still some people do not add their full name. All I can say now is that if you don't add your FULL name then you will not be entered into the draw ... and so you will not be winning these fabulous offerings each week. The reason for this is because it is easier to identify you should there be two, or even three people with the same fist name.
It doesn't matter where you live or if you have won before you can still enter again.
But you will need to come back and check if it is your name that is shown as the winner over the weekend. I have no way to chase you up so please be sure to check the blog as you only have 72 hours in which to claim it as yours.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
September 02, 2021
2 fer 1
Hi Everybody,
This is a perfect example of a twofer card and I really love doing this kind of thing. It makes sure that you get your monies worth out of any die set that you have.
You can get this effect from most of the dies that you probably already have so it is worth taking another look at them and see how you can make them work.
For the background I simply swiped my inkpad over the card to give a stripy effect and then cut the word KIND from that panel and used this for my first card.
I inked around the edges of the open spaces and then faux stitched them too to make them stand out even more.
I threaded some of the leaves in and out of the gaps and added a small sub sentiment to compliment the word.
September 01, 2021
Altenew Peony Scrolls
This is an Altenew stamp set that has matching dies and I have had it for quite a long time now.
I have used it in the past but I thought I would dig it out again and create a card using water colours.
I am really liking the result and I used the Arteza Brush markers to make it. I have added it to an Altenew 3-D embossing folder for even more effect and used the Label Love as the sentiment
On this second card I have also added sketchy lines around the edge for another look to my designs.
I have quite a few stamps and dies from Altenew as my collection of their products grows, and my most recent addition has been their Craft A Life kits whcih are fantastic value.
They include stamps with dies, a 3-D embossing folder and a layering stencil for you to create some really special cards.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
August 31, 2021
3-D Embossing Folders
I have used a leaf die from Creative Expressions for the central area and that has ben backed onto the white inked pink background.
It does look really pretty and then I added a double white frame around it all. It has been added to a pink card base and the finished size is about 4x6"
The sentiment is from Label Love by Altenew and I white embossed that onto black card, It is a very simple card and there is no other embellishment on it it but the effect is lovely.
Adding the white ink to the raised areas of the 3-D folder is such a quick and easy way to to make a card when time is of the essence.
I am adding the video again in case you missed it first time around but you can see how easy it is to copy
August 30, 2021
Ruby Update
I hope you are enjoying your Bank Holiday as mush as I am. The weather has been very kind and not too hot for me.
I don't like it when it gets too hot especially with having a thick coat. But I am at the groomer's next week to have my hair done so that will be a little cooler for me.
This was my walk through the big park her and it is called Stanley Park. It has some lovely paths for us to follow that go through wooded areas as well as this beautiful fountain.
I would have loved to jump in for a little swim, and there was another dog already in the water, but no matter how much I barked my mum just wouldn't' let me. When I was a baby though I did once step onto what I thought was green grass and it turned out to be just the algae floating on the top of the lake in Stanley Park, and I went straight under.
My mum was calling me from the side, and that was when I first learned that I could swim, so I came straight back to her. I was about four months old and my mum nearly had a heart attack. Vickie and Dougal where with us too and it turned out to be quite funny once we all got over the shock.
Ever since then I have loved jumping in the water and I don't care if it is muddy either. My mum is not always happy when I am smelly though.
.
August 28, 2021
Winner
Hi Everybody,
I hope you are all well and making the most of this Bank Holiday weekend. The weather is gorgeous today and I am hoping it stays this way for the rest of the weekend. Ruby and I will be going out walking later and I am sure she will tell you of her adventures when she next comes on.
In the meantime I have done the draw for yesterday’s offering and the name this week is
Tammy Joyce
Would you email me your postal address please to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get the pack in the post to you straight away. I hope you enjoy it and p,ease be sure to let me know that you have it safely
More tomorrow …
Hugs xx
August 27, 2021
Friday Freebie - Peony Perfect
And here we are at the end of the last few weeks of giving away two fabulous sets complete with the magazines.
This is the last chance to win Peony Perfect for yourself, and all you have to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME.
I hope that the past winners, of these, or any of these sets, have enjoyed playing with them and getting as much enjoyment from the magazine too.
Always a good read as you sip your cuppa and relax for a little while.
From those comments one name will be drawn, at random, as the winner and if you do add your comment then be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown as the winner in a blog post over the weekend. And don't forget you need to add your FULL NASME ... no initials or nicknames but the full name that you have.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
August 26, 2021
Floral Birthday Card
August 24, 2021
Slimline Box & Card Maker De Set
Did you get to see Pauline Hickey demonstrating the brand new Slimline Box & Card Maker Dies on Hochanda yesterday.
There is such a lot of versatility in any of these die sets that you need never be stuck for how to finish them off. I have had so much fun playing with them and if you managed to get yours from the shows then I hope you enjoy them as much.
25% Off Past Card Making Magic
With code: CMM25
Landing Page: CraftStash
STARTS: 24 August 2021 ENDS: 31 August 2021
NEW Card Making Magic Slimline Boxes
Landing Page: CraftStash
STARTS: 24 August 2021
August 23, 2021
Make Your Own Ink Pads
Every day there is new stuff coming onto the market and we are all tempted to buy. But what about all the stuff that we already have, tucked away at the back of a cupboard.
Stuff that was not cheap to buy and that may have only been used once ... or twice if your lucky ... and then forgotten about.
Forgotten because you don't remember it is there, or forgotten because you can't remember how to use it.????.
The same applies to techniques that maybe inspired those buys and now we have discarded them for something new.
Using Baby Wipes was something I did years ago and it created some lovely designs, and was a really cheap way to create multi coloured ink pads for your self.
August 21, 2021
Winner
Hi Everybody,
Sorry to be so late with the draw but it has been a funny kind of day and this is the first ch ace I have had to blog. It’s now 22.10 here and soon be my bed time but I will get this post done first and then go up the apples and pears.
The name pulled at random from the hat this time is …
Mavis Lynch
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 enjoy playing with it and please let me know when you have it safely.
Good night everybody.Sleep tight.
August 20, 2021
Friday Freebie - Fabulous Foliage
This is the last of the Fabulous Foliage Stamp Sets so if you would like to win this one then this is your last chance.
It comes with Simply Cards & Papercraft and there are actually two stamps sets and a stencil in this collection.
And to be in with the chance of owning these you need to leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME
It doesn't matter where you live I am happy to send the gift to you at my expense and it doesn't matter if you have won before.
But you will need to come back and check if it is your name that is shown as the winner in a blog post over the weekend. You will have 72 hours in which to claim the prize by sending me your postal address.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
August 19, 2021
Embossing Folders
Hi Everybody
Embossing folders are a cheap way to make cards... no that is wrong they are not a cheap way, they are an inexpensive way to create beautiful designs for your cards.
Lots of companies are now bringing out 3-D folders and they are amazing for the depth they produce and there are many ways to use them too.
In this video I have again used up some of the bits of sentiments that are already on my desk but I have combined them with beautiful frames to make them stand out.
On a couple I have simply fussy cut the shapes out of the folders and on others I have die cut them.
And rather than keep buying new things I am on a mission to use the stuff that I already have and make it work for me in creating cards.
August 18, 2021
Christmas Cards
The cards shown today have also been created from scraps but these I have turned into Christmas Cards.
I have used the strips I made in coloured card and added them to the background and then cut lots of snowflakes from glitter card.
They are all different shapes and sizes of flakes and I have added them, some flat and some with foam tape underneath them, to give all different heights.
The sentiment has been cut from the blue mirror card, layered onto black card and then all added to some parchment
August 17, 2021
Ruby is Five Today
August 16, 2021
Using Up Your Scraps
Being the crafters that we are none of us like to waste stuff that we have in our craft space.
Whatever it is from die cut shapes to flowers we may have made to bits of left over card and papers that are lying on our work tops.
So this video will show you how I made good use of those left over bits and turned them into cards that I can send for any occasion throughout the year.
I had some double sided sticky sheets and I used up all the strips I cut from left over card.
I thought I might get five cards from them but I ended up with nine different styles in different sizes and on those I added any stray sentiments that I have left over too.
August 14, 2021
Winner
Hi Everybody,
Not quite as hot here today but still pleasant and dry. And it will be time to go for a walk with Ruby as soon as this post is done. Thank you for coming back this week to see the new blog design and I am so happy that you seem to like it. There have been some lovely comments and for that I am truly grateful.
I have some new videos to add next week and I am hoping that you will enjoy that too.
But for now the draw has been done from the comments added.
Please not that if you didn't leave your FULL NAME then your comment will not have been added and so no chance for you to win. I need your full name ... not initials or nicknames ... to be able to notify the correct person if they are the winner. And I ask this of you every week and also to come back and check if it is your name that is listed as the winner.
Lets get down to business then with the winner this week.
The name chosen at random is
MaryJean Smith
so if you would email me your postal address please to
christina@card-making-magic.com
then the gift will be on its way to you just as soon as I can get to the Post Office.
I hope you will enjoy the beautiful die set and the magazine and be sure to let me know when it arrives safely with you.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
August 13, 2021
Friday Freebie - Peony Perfect
August 12, 2021
Altenew Flowers
These beautiful flowers are the Bitterroot Stencil and Die Set from Altenew and I think it is lovely. I have really enjoyed playing with this combination and the stencil is perfect if you don't like to colour the images your self.
It is a layering stencil and comes in three parts. It was a little confusing to start but I watched a tutorial on YouTube about this one and it all became clear after that.
The die cuts out two flowers and two buds all in one pass and additional flowers can be added if you prefer.
You can of course alter the design of the flowers any way you wish by adding in more or leaving some out, and then adding the leaves around the display as you like.
Experiment with the stencil and see what you can come up with and it is far quicker than getting out your pens or water colours to make your card.
So tomorrow sees us back to the Friday Freebie again and I hope you will take part by adding your comment and leaving your FULL NAME.
It's nice to be back
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
August 11, 2021
Hello, I'm Back ...
Hi Everybody,
I have to get used to how it all works again, so please bear with me while I am in this learning curve.
I should be back to normal again and this week I am reinstating the Friday Freebie so be sure to leave your comments as you did before, at the end of the post, to be in with the chance to win.
Have a browse around and make sure you know where everything is, whilst I do some housekeeping in the background until I get the pages to look how I want them too.
Thank you everybody for being so patient while all this was done and a really big thank you to
Jamie Carter at
WeAreWeb Design
for the hours he has put in to make these changes happen.
More tomorrow ...
Hugs xx
August 01, 2021
Important News
Hi Everybody,
It has been sometime now since I started my Blog and in that time I have only had one major make over, and that was a few years ago. But with all the changes that are taking place in the internet world I thought that maybe it was time to take another look and see how I can improve it.
I have found a company, based in Liverpool, that can help me with all that technical stuff and they are going to try and give me a whole new Blog look. Which means I have had some stuff to move. from scheduled posts. until the work is all finished.
This means that I will be out of action for the next week or so, while the work is done and then I will hopefully be up and running again.
I have moved the Friday Freebies for a few weeks but I still have some stuff to give away with the Peony Perfect and the Fabulous Foliage sets. So please keep a look out for me to be back online and then be sure to come and join in again for the chance to win.
Please don't worry if there are no blog posts from me for the next week. I will still be working away in the background. I hope to get quite a few videos done in that down time, and have them edited and ready to upload for you to view.
See you soon ...
Hugs xx
July 31, 2021
Winner
Hi Everybody,
Not quite so hot here today and I like this a lot better. So does Ruby. I used to sun bathe for hours on end in my much younger days, but not any more. I just get too hot and very bored. Autumn is my favourite time of year.
I have had a lazy morning but I have got the draw done for yesterday’s offering, and the name today is
Tina Zapusek
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 enjoy playing with the set and please let me know that you have it safely.
More tomorrow…
Hugs xx
July 30, 2021
Friday Freebie - Fabulous Foliage
Here we are again with yet another of the Fabulous Foliage Stamp Sets that is with the magazine Simply Cards & Papercraft.
If you have been trying to win one of these sets over that past few weeks then maybe today is your lucky day.
And if you don't succeed this time I still have another one to give away
All you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME to be included in the draw.
From those comments a name will be chosen at random as the winner
You will need to come back and check if it is your name that is listed, and you will have 72 hours in which to claim it.
I am happy to send this to you wherever you are and it doesn't matter if you have won before. But don't forget to add your full name or you will not be entered into the draw.
More tomorrow ...