Friday Freebie . Peony Panel Die Set

Hi Everybody,

I am so sorry for my lateness but it is chaos in my house this week  I am having a new wooden floor fitted throughout the downstairs and everywhere is a mess.  There is dust and debris in every room and furniture anywhere but in the room where it should be.  

 Ruby was at doggy day care for the first three days but she is a bit confused about what is going on.
It should all be finished by the weekend and so then comes the mammoth task of cleaning right the way through. It will take me weeks until the dust is all gone ... but I will have a beautiful new floor.

I have got another magazine to give away today and this is the  Die Cutting Essentials with the
Peony Panel from Card Making Magic. It is a lovely die set that will help you to create pretty cards and so if you would like to win this one then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME

It doesn't matter if you have won before or where you live just add your comment if you would like to be in with a chance of winning.

I will be launching a brand new die set  from Card Making Magic called
Pretty Books on the 
Craft Stash Facebook Live 12.30
so I hope you can pop along then to see these beautiful new dies.

I have not had chance to prepare a demo but Lou will be standing in for me and as soon as things are back to normal here I will be back to adding some new vidoes with these dies,  and others, for you to view
See you later and good luck with the "Give Away"

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Desk Top Finds

Hi Everybody,

Todays cards have been created in the same way, using the same products for each one. From the back ground to the finish and all could be found on my desk top from previous projects.

The backgrounds are from embossing folders, some  of them are from Altenew, that I have added ink to and then run through the machine

I have trimmed the panel, to fit onto a matching mat, and then wrapped it with lace and ribbon before adding to the top folded, white base card.

Each one has a different sentiment and die cut topper on the front.

They are all 6x6 and I created eight in total from the bits and pieces I had lying around.  

They are all different colours too.

These flowers have been glittered before adding to the card and then I have added pearl in strategic pace on them, and the butterflies.

Its surprising what can be achieved from left over die cuts that can be found on ones desk top.

For this one I have used lots of left over flowers that are in plain white. 

But once they are layered up and a pearl centre added they can look so pretty. 

The lace is the same on each card but the ribbon is different. 

It was most definitely playtime and I spent a pleasant hour or two creating these cards.  Not a lot of work was involved in creating these as most of the stuff was there  all ready to use.

Just a bit of glue and some foam pads are all it took.

On this card I used a little die cut house that was created from a magazine freebie I got a long time ago. 

But it just seemed to fit with this New Home card, and I am sure that some one moving into their own home would really appreciate this card.

I also had some Card Stands left over too and so they were added to the matching card.

I added them with an envelope and placed them inside a cellophane bag, and they are now in my Charity Shop box ready to go the the shop.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card Kits

Hi Everybody,

Card Kits are a really useful addition if you are short of time and need a card that you don't have to think about too hard.

These cards here are all created from a kit that came free with a magazine and so a double whammy there. 

Free kit with ready made ideas ... what not too love ??

I used other things that I have from my own embellishments and papers and altogether I created  ten cards.

Card Kits are also an excellent choice if you are new to card making and a bit stumped on where to start. 

All the colours and patterns are there for you ready to use, so no worries that they will work together.

I tried to keep my designs all different by using the shapes in a different way and I have to say that I am more than happy with the results. 

All of these will give somebody some pleasure as they will go to refill my charity box.

I really enjoy doing this and I know my chosen charity shop appreciate the cards that I take to them to sell.

I always keep enough to one side to last me for unexpected occasions but the rest I am happy to donate

Of course I can always create another card for a special occasion whenever I need one. 

But these are all in cellophane bags with envelopes for some one else to make use of as they need them. 

And I have done my little bit to help the charity I have chosen.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Good morning on this blustery day. Here we are agin with another winner of the last two Festive Kits to give away. This is such a good prize to win and I am sure that both winners will be delighted with it. 

So before I do anything else today the prize winners need to be announced. And they are 

Winifred Kennedy

Margaret Wilson

Would you please email me your postal address to 

christina@card-making-magic.com 

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

Please let me know when it arrives with you and I hope you have fun playing with your gift 

More tomorrow…

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Festive Kit

 Hi Everybody,

So these are the last TWO magazines with this offer attached to them and so I have decided to give both of them away this week.

In this kit there is a Tonic Die Set saying "Have a Merry Christmas" and also a stamp set to complete the look.

These will get to you in time to make some beautiful cards for your family and friends, along with the magazine to give you lots of ideas and inspiration on how to make the most of both gifts

Now if you would like to be in with the chance of winning one of these two gifts then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post and don't forget to add your FULL NAME.

Then be sure to come back over the weekend to see if your name is shown as the winner as you only have 72 hours in which to claim it. 

It doesn't matter if you have won before or where you live I will send it to you at my expense.
So why not have a go at winning one of these quality packs.

All you have to do is add your full name to the comment and from those comments one, or I should say two this week, will be chosen as the winners.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Box Of Sunshine Set 1

Hi Everybody,

Last week one of our very talented Craft Stash design team members launched her own range of papers and ephemera in a video on YouTube.

I am sure that some of you will know the name of Marta Debicka as she is a regular on Craft Stash and on their Craft World pages.

 I watched her live launch and was instantly enchanted by the papers and flowers in the packs, that Marta has designed,  and so I bought the whole lot from her eBay shop.  

There are three parts to the packs ... papers, flowers and ephemera that you can buy individually. But if you get the whole  Box Of Sunshine if works out cheaper. 

My pack arrived yesterday and so I spent the afternoon fussy cutting out all the pieces for my cards. 

There are sentiments and hearts, labels and shapes all to add that special something to your own designs.
The papers are simply gorgeous and on good quality card and the flowers are beautiful.

This is the first card that I have made using Marta's Box Of Sunshine and I will be adding more as I go through the box

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx   . 

Ribbons and Lace Collection

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is created with the new Ribbons & Lace Border and the finished card is a 5x7. This is my favourite size card to make and is the one I mostly use whenever I am in my craft room creating.

For this I have used the border di along one side and I have embossed the other side in the Simply Dots embossing folder from the same collection. 

The fold has been kept to the side for this card which is unusual for me as I like a op folded design better. 

For the flowers I have cut them out but kept the fallout pieces in the die. I have used Arteza Colouring Pencils to add the shading to the petal and then backed them onto their corresponding panel 

These pencils blend really easily and are an excellent alternative if you are not comfortable with paints. Perfect if you are new to colouring and need to build up your confidence. 

The flowers have been added with foam tape to give some dimension, along one side of the front panel and the word added at the bottom. onto a die cut oval. 

Perfect for any occasion 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

DL Layers

Hi Everybody,

For todays card I have used the  Trellis Panel from the DL Card and Box set, but I have added the flower to a 5x7 card front.  It just makes a different look using your dies to give you more value for your money.

I always look for more ways to get the best from any die set that I have including larger or smaller cards to add the pieces too.

This card is an A5 size and I have used the DL dies accordingly.

I have used pastel shades of pink and blue for this look and it would suit many occasions including Baby Cards.

I always enjoy making baby card as they can be made to look so pretty even if for boys.

To make the frames around the Detailed Panel I have used the A5 Nesting Rectangles and with the detailed panel I have cut it twice, once in pink and again in blue,  and offset one against the other.

They have all been layered onto a paler pink panel and added to the top folded base card. There is a  lot of room inside for you to add your personal greeting and it will fit inside a standard A5 envelope.  Or you could make your own  envelope or box from the A5 Card and Box die set.

Always plenty of options for you to try with any of these die sets

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

Hi Everybody,

Good morning on this wet and windy start to the weekend. It is pouring down here and so there is no chance to go walking with Ruby until it stops. We went to Stanley Park yesterday and the heavens opened when we where coming out of the park and both Ruby and I got absolutely soaked.

On the way home she sat in the back of the card and looked thoroughly miserable and ripping But she perked up once she had been bathed and dried with the hairdryer. She loves the hairdryer and thinks it is a big joke. Then after she had her chicken lunch she went to sleep in her favourite place on the back of the chair,  in front of the window.,

For now I have done the draw and the name this week is 

Doris Shawcross

Please can you email me your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com 
and I will get it in the post to your straight away.

I hope you get to make many cards for Christmas and it is not that far away now.
Only a matter of weeks and it will be here. 
Please let me know that you have it ok.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Festive Kit

 Hi Everybody,

Another chance to win this fabulous bundle of stamps and a Tonic Christmas Sentiment Die plus the magazine to give you some ideas on how to make the most of both.

This little die will be useful addition to your stash for many years to come as it is a sentiment that never dates.

The cute stamps will also be useful for years as they an help you build many scenes for any gender or age group,

Do all you need to do to win this set is to leave me a comment at the end of this post with your

  FULL NAME

But be sure to come back and check if you are the winner as you will have 72 hours to let me know.

I am happy to send the pack to you wherever you are at my expense but please only add your comment once. It will not show up until it has been moderated by me.

The magazine is always a good read and can give you lots of ideas for your creations.

So what are you waiting for  ???? go ahead and leave me your comment 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Altenew Flowers

Hi Everybody,

I have used a mixture of things on this card but I do like the end result. It uses one of the flowers from the second of the Craft Your Life Monthly Project Kit from Altenew and this is the Lush Garden.

The background is created with Distress Oxide Inks blended in an Ombre effect.

The black lines on the background have been hand drawn using a ruler and alcohol marker pen, and then the panel has been embossed in a Card Making Magic Embossing Folder

The flowers have been arranged at the bottom of the card and I have used foam pads to give some height. 

The final additions are some black pearls and the sentiment is Label Love also from Altenew.

This card also uses the same kit but this time in turquoise and the flowers have been added to a Washi Tape oval.

I have also used the same embossing folder and added the oval with foam tape underneath for height. 

The Label Love sentiments are always useful and Altenew also do a Mega  Label Version. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Busy Cards

Hi Everybody,

This is what I would call a really busy card and even by my standards, where I like to add all sorts to my designs,  it is perhaps a little too busy.

It is part of a kit that I found in my cupboard while searching for something else and so I thought I would make use of it and not waste it.

The kit itself had double sided papers,  floral and butterfly toppers, foiled and shaped panels, foiled sentiments and ready folded cards in all pretty designs and colours.

 I made six cards from the kit and still had a few pieces left over that I can use on other cards. 

The flowers in the kit have been added with foam pads to give some dimension to the front and I have added in a few pearls to each one as well. 

I divided the little butterflies between the cards and added them with the wings slightly bent upwards to indicate movement.

The sizes ranged from A2, 6x6 Square and I created one 5x7 card as well.

They are all very colourful and I will pop these, with matching envelopes, into my donate box ready to give away to my charity shop.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Lovely In Lace

 Hi Everybody,

Today I have a video for you and I hope you will enjoy it and the cards that I made.  I made two cards of different styles and in yellow. 

Both are 5x7 and one is a gatefold design which I am sure many of you are familiar with as it is an easy card to make.

Yellow is not a colour I use much as I much prefer my pink one. But a change is as good as a rest so they say

Both these cards are created with the same set of dies and yet they look totally different by simply arranging the flowers at a different angle or even the amount of flowers that are used. 

The video will show you how I made the top one and the Gatefold.

I have also used the Simply Dots folder which is fast becoming my favourite one as there is quite a lot you can do with it.

Here's the video and I hope you enjoy it....

 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Altenew Project Life Kit

 Hi Everybody,

This is the new monthly kit from Altenew for October and it is the Garden Rose. There are several items in each of the kits such as stamps, dies to match, a 3-D Embossing Folder and Stencils.

For this 5x7 card I have used the diagonal stencil in the background and I have inked it in black. The large "Thanks" is also one of the stencils and the sub sentiment is from the stamp set.

I stamped and gold embossed the roses and leaves and used the layering stamps to colour them. .The dies cut them out and they have been added to the card with foam pads underneath them.

For this next A2 sized card I have coloured the roses in shades of teal ink.

I have used the stencil again for the background but this time I have used coloured ink and I have altered the direction of it to create the criss cross pattern in the background..

Each of the cards has been dotted with pearls to add soe extra interest.

Both are pretty cards and I am really loving the new monthly Project Life Kits from Altenew

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Ruby and I have not long got back from a nice walk while the sun was shining, and it’s not too cold. She has now had her dinner and is snoring on the back of the sofa where she likes to sit and watch the world go by … and bark at people who dare to walk past her house.

In the meantime time I have also done the draw for yesterday’s offering and the name chosen this week is

Pam Dela Torre

Would you email me please with your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will get it posted off to you straight away. I am sure you will enjoy playing with this and I hope it brings back any more chi.shoot memories for you.

More tomorrow …

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Floral Panel Die Set

Hi Everybody,

Here we are with a beautiful Friday morning and another chance to win the Peony Perfect Panel die from Card Making Magic and the magazine that goes with it.

It will help you to make some really pretty cards and you will find lots of inspiration in the pages of the mag.

I have more of these to give away yet so if you don't win this week you may win in another week, so please be sure to come back and try again.

All you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your
FULL NAME
and then be sure to come back and see it it is your name shown as the winner over the weekend. 

It doesn't matter if you have won in previous weeks or where you live I am happy to send the pack to you.

You will have 72 hours in which to claim it and if it is not claimed then it will go forward to another week They are always quality offers that you may enjoy playing with, and will make a good addition to your own stash .

Good luck everybody 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Beautiful Butterfly Die Sets

Hi Everybody,

All three of these cards are created from the same die set and that tis the  Beautiful Butterfly Die Set. 

I have used portions of the Ribbon Threader dies so that each card is different, and to demonstrate the versatility of each collection.

The first card used the all the dies as they are intended and it creates this pretty card front for you to add some thin ribbon through.

For this card I inked up the background and then spritzed it with water and dried it with my heat tool.

I added white leafy strands cut from the dies and glued them in place.

The butterfly I cut several times but I carefully placed the dies so that I could use that panel as a backdrop to my third card,

I layered up five of the butterfly die cuts and add them to the top of the leafy strands. The sentiment was stamped in black and clear heat embossed at the bottom of the card  

For this one I used the panel I created from die cutting the butterflies in the previous card and added it to a 6" square base. 

I used the butterfly die and cut several of them in different colours to add back into the opening left by the die.

I then added a second butterfly to the top of these for depth and trimmed the edges. I spritzed the whole front with Perfect Pearls and allowed iot to dry.

The sentiment banner is from the die set and all the sentiments are from either the Special Occasions or the Thinking of You stamp  sets 

I will add all the links below so that you will be able to see what I have used. I hope you like the cards and that I have shown you some ways to get more bang for your buck from these new collections.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spiral Rose Maker Die Set

 Hi Everybody,

It is no secret that I love to add flowers to my cards and todays cards are true to form.

I have used the new Spiral Rose Makes die set from the Perfect Rose Collection by Card Making Magic.

You can use all different types of materials to create the flowers and the video will give you some idea of how I did them.

They are not difficult to make and they can look really different depending on the material used and the amount the flowers is allowed to relax before gluing.

These flowers have been made from old book pages and some of the pages I have coloured with Distress Oxide inks.

I added small pearls to the centres of some of the flowers but you can add whatever you like including stamens if you prefer. 

The card shown here could just as easily be a Christmas Wreath Card with a suitable sentiment on it.

But just have fun rolling flowers and leave them to one side until you need to add flowers to your creations.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs 

More Crazy Birds

Hi Everybody,

Quite a few of you seem to have the same Crazy Birds set as me and I wonder how many other discoveries will there be at the backs of drawers and cupboards as you try to dig them out again. And how many of you will go on and make some new cards once you have them out in the open air again.

I am guilty of  sometimes seeing something and buying it only to realise that I don't really know what I am doing, and don't really like what I have created with it.

So to the back of the drawer it goes and remains there for  few years until I find it again and decide to give it another try.

But these Bird Crazy sets are not amongst that section and I did enjoy all the cards I made with them. 

Many of them went to friends and family for birthdays and others went to people for them to use as they liked. 

Once again I have added it to the Spotty folder but the actual background to this bird is created by hand with inks and a fine liner pen.

For these cards I have used some of the items from the additions die sets and added them to a stamped background .

There really is so much that you can do with these birds and they are a lot of fun to play with.

They suit any occasion, gender or age group.

And if you are adventurous enough you can add all sorts of hand drawn items to them to make them more personal for your recipients.

The sunglasses are simply Glossy Accents and the towels are rolled up patterned paper tucked under an added on extra wing.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Bird Crazy ...

  Hi Everybody,

Now here are some stamps that I haven't used for a long time and they are the Bird Crazy Stamps from Tim Holtz. 

They made such fun cards when they came out a few years ago, and there where six individual birds for you to colour.

You could also get matching dies for them and other sets that would cut things like hats, glasses, and other items that you may like to dress your birds in. You could also get sentiments to go with the stamps too.

But like everything else things move on, and they got relegated to the back of the drawer.

Never the less I thought it would be good to revisit them and stamp up some cards with them to make Birthday cards which are always a popular addition to my charity shop boxes.. 

For both of these cards I have used the new Card Making Magic Spotty background embossing folder (which will be with you soon) and I can't tell you how much I enjoy this simple folder. 

To show you some looks you can get with this folder I have inked up both sides of the folder to show you the difference. 

I have used the same ink, but one is the embossed side and the other is the debossed side. 

Both make a fabulous backdrop to your cards and I especially like them with added flowers. 

Just a little fun look for your recipients and they make excellent male cards that you can send for any occasion

And they are just some of a few sets that I have found in my supplies that I haven't used in such a long time, and I have made a promise to my self to use them a bit more often, rather than buying more new ones. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

. 

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

These weekends roll up far too quick and before we know it Christmas will be with us again. So this weeks offering is very appropriate for those who still have cards to make for family and friends. I have a box that I am going to pack up and take to the Charity shop and they are all Christmas themed. 

I have done the draw for the gift and the name this week is

Lyn Nash

Please.can you email me your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

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

More tomorrow …

Hugs xxx

Friday Freebie - Festive Kit Die and Stamp Set

 Hi Everybody,

This week sees the return of this 33 piece Festive Kit  which can het you inspired for Christmas. There is an A4 stamp set and a beautiful Tonic die that  says

Have a Merry Christmas 

I am sure you will have some fun playing with this set and it can be yours for just one comment in the box under this post.

All I ask of you is that you leave me your

 FULL NAME 
that way it is easier to identify the winner each week.

You will need to come back and check if it is your name shown over the weekend ad the winner and then you will have 72 hours in which to claim the pack,

Just add your comment once, and it wont show up until it has been moderated so there is no need to ad it twice or more. I am happy to send the pack to you wherever you live and it doesn't matter if you have won before.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Floral Card

Hi Everybody,

This card is a mixture of techniques and brands but I think it looks really pretty. 

I have used a Gelli Plate and  Arteza Acrylic paints to get the background and then die cut it and added it to an embossed background.

The flowers are the yellow ones from Altenew and are a mixture of the new monthly kit and the Just Jasmine stamps and stencils that I have coloured pink and I have done a little surgery on the flowers

It is a lovely mixture of flowers and the colours compliment each other also.

I have enjoyed playing with this months Altenew kit and I look forward to the next one coming through my letterbox.

This card features the Just Jasmine set alone but I have again coloured them pink with Arteza paints

The paints are metallic to give a lovely soft sheen to the flowers and they blend so easily on the water colour paper also from Arteza.

The background to this is another Altenew product called Herringbone Stamp and I have shown you this one before when I coloured it in.

To this one I hade added a parchment die cut as the backdrop and it layered onto a circle die cut that has been offset on the card front.

The stamp gives a lovely effect even if it is not coloured and it sets the flowers off really well.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ink Swiped Background

Hi Everybody,

Todays card has been created with an Ink Swiped Background. 

I used a pad of yellow ink and simply swiped it down the card leaving splotches of the ink along it. 

Then I cut a Mandala shape out of parchment and added it off centre to the card front..

The flowers are from Altenew and are some from the monthly subscription kit Project Life, called Hello Beautiful.

There are so many ways that this kit can be used and I am happy that I subscribed to it each month.

 I will be using this one a lot more, colouring my flowers in different mediums.

Altogether I think this is a pretty card and it was so easy to make. 

The background is unique and just a simple swipe of the ink pad. Then just allow it to dry blotchy for a novel look.

More tomorrow .

..

Hugs xx

TwoFer

Hi Everybody,

Don't you just love getting a Twofer whenever you are card making. And in case you don't know what that is it means two cards for the price of one.!!!

These two card where just such an event and yet they look totally different. 

Each uses the same dies and embossing folder. The same inks and both are 5x7"  cards with the fold at the top

So let me tell you what I did to get these looks.

 First I created the base cards and a white mat to go on top.

For this white mat I inked up the debossed side of my embossing folder and ran it through the machine to add the pink spots to my card panel.

(This  Spotty Embossing Folder is one that will be in a new collection coming soon, and I love it) 

I used the upper and lower case from the Alphabet sets and cut out the word YOU into the centre of this panel and put the actual  spotty words to one side. Add this to the base card

Cut the same word several times from white card and stack them up. I coloured the top letters with pink ink.

The flowers  and leaves where stamped and cut lots of times to give me as many as I needed, and some of them I coloured with markers. The others I placed to one side for now.

I added the coloured word into the cut out word on my panel and arranged the flower and leaves around it and to the centre of the flowers I added small wooden buttons, and dotted the rest of the panel with pink pearls

I added Glossy Accents to the word YOU and left it over night to dry

For this card I embossed my spotty panel and added it to some black card and then onto my base card.

These flowers have been coloured with an ordinary pencil and I used a paper stump to smooth it out. They have been added to the embossed layer with glue and foam pads

The spotty letters  have been layered onto more white ones to add dimension and added to the top of the flowers. 

I dotted some black pearls around this cards and the little red heart just adds the finishing touch.

The little sub sentiments for both cards are from Altenews Label Love

I really love the look of both of these cards and there was no waste from making them either. 

So a win win situation 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody 

Another weekend is here again and I hope you have some good things planned. There is another display in the Firework competition tonight and Vickie and I have made arrangements to go down and watch.We will be taking Isabella with us, and of course Ruby and Dougal. This time we are going to go down by tram as the parking was really difficult last time. We are hoping it won’t rain when we go down and at the moment it’s not too cold. Hi 

I have done the draw for yesterday’s offering and the name this week is 

Denise Ann Stocks

Would you email me with your postal address please to christina@card-making-magic.com

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

More tomorrow …

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Peony Panel Die

Hi Everybody,

Here is another chance for you to win this lovely die set from Card Making Magic, I still have some more yet to give away. 

It is a four piece die set and a fabulous magazine that is full of ideas and inspiration for you.

So if you don't win this week then be sure to come back and try in another week coz you never know when you will be lucky.

And all you have to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post but be sure to add your

FULL NAME

If you don't add your full name then your comment will not be included in the draw. 

Having done that what next ???? Well you need to be sure to come back and see if your name is listed as the winner. It will be in a blog post over the weekend and then you will have 72 hours in which to claim it.

I am happy to send the pack to you wherever you live, at my expense, and it doesn't matter if you have won before in the past, you can still try again. 

I am not asking much ... just your full name in return for a lovely give away that can be all yours

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx