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.
It’s lovely here today. Windy but it”s not cold. Ruby and I have been
for a walk in Witch Wood and there are daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses
everywhere. It looks beautiful.
So now the draw for yesterdays offering has been done and the name today is
Pam McKenzie
So well done and if you would send your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
I will get the pack in the post to you straight away. Please let me know that
you have received it safely and I hope you enjoy playing with it.
Spring is on the way and to celebrate the fact I have a bumper give away for you.
There are two stamp sets in this pack called Slimline Spring Florals, with beautiful flowers and leaves for you to build up the scene on your own design.
Colour them in your favourite medium and add the sentiment of your choice, and they are ready to go for any occasion.
The stamps come complete with the magazine Simply Cards & Papercraft which is full of ideas and inspiration for you to try, so time to relax as you browse the pages.
If this is something that you would like to have in your personal stash then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post.
As always I ask that you add your full name to make it easier to locate the correct winner. No FULL NAME ... no entry !!
You don't need to have your own blog, or worry about where you live I am happy to send the pack to you wherever you are. And it doesn't matter if you have won before.
From those comments one name will be chosen and notified in a blog post over the weekend so please be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown.
I have been relatively quiet this week and that is because Ruby has not been to playschool. (Doggy Day Care) The owners are on holiday and so I have been taking her out on long walks to the woods and the beach weather permitting. We have spent some quality bonding time together but that means not a lot of work gets done !!
It is no secret that I love floral cards, be it one, two or three flowers or a whole bouquet of them. For me they make a card something special and I don't know any ladies that do not like flowers.
These are from Altenew and they are coloured with Arteza Water colours for a soft and gentle look
I have added a gold splatter to the background, which is a very popular technique at present, and I have used one of my large die cuts to add to the background.
The edges of the card have also been edged in gold and the finished card is a 5x7 with the fold at the top.
This is my favourite way to make a card and I find they stand a lot better this way. It will fit inside an standard sized envelope so no extra postage there.
And of course you can swap out the sentiment to make the card suit any occasion that you like.
This card is quite large and the flower on it it is created from the Spiky Flower die from Card Making Magic.
I have cut lots of layers to the flower and used water coloured card and paints to give it the lovely pink tone that it has
The completed card is an A5 size and I thought that one large flower would make the perfect focal point for it.
The background has also been done with water colours and splatters and the sentiment is one of the new ones from the Creative Craft Products available at Craft Stash
All you need to do with these is stamp the sentiment of your choice and cut it out with the matching die. I have added mine with foam pads underneath.
There are many to choose from so be sure to take a look around, there is sure to be be something that catches your eye.
The news from the Ukraine does not get any better and I feel so sad for their people. I have been enjoying a lovely sunny day here but what have they been through in these last few hours. And all because of one mans greed. Homes bombed and innocent people killed.
I am not politically minded but it is clear to see that this man is deranged and needs stopping. What satisfaction can this be giving him. Thousands of people with no where to go, no homes, no money, no food, no water and many with young children.
He may have politicians around him doing his bidding but it is not because they like him or even agree with him .... it's more from fear of him and what he will do to them and their families if they don't comply.
I don't know what the answer is but if he is not stopped at the Ukraine it will only be a matter of time before he targets the other countries on the Ukraine border ... and then what ??? The rest of the world and the possibility of World War 3
The way he talks and warns the rest of the world to keep out of the conflict is frightening. The stopping of his own country seeing what is going on by blocking the news and the internet, stopping them from expressing their own anger at his actions is atrocious.
These are not the actions of a great man but a mouse. A monster that has no conscience but like other monsters in the past he will face his comeuppance in the end. And I for one hope it is sooner rather than later
I am so saddened by the events unfolding over the past week that I cannot think of things to say. But I hope you are all well and safe in your own homes.
I have done the draw for yesterdays offering and the name today is ...
Gloria Lamb
Please email me your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get the pack in the post to your straight away Please let me know when you have it safely and I hope you enjoy playing with it.
This weeks gift moves over to a flower theme and this is the Build A Flower die set , that also has foam sheets and stamens with it to help you create beautiful blooms.
Inside the pages of Die Cutting Essentials you will find instructions on how to make the flowers for your self, and if you have never used foam then you will be pleasantly surprised.
So why not enter your comment with your FULL NAME at the end of the post to be in with a chance of winning this gift.
One name will be selected from those comments and added to a blog post over the weekend. You will need to come back and check if your name is shown and then you will have 72 hours in which to claim the prize.
I am happy to send this to you wherever you live and it doesn't matter if you have been a winner in the past. Good Luck
I love getting two cards for the time spent making one and with Alphabets it is so easy to do. Just a little extra embellishments and these cards are perfect.
I started off by creating my background with Brusho powders and sprinkled with a little water to make the colours burst.
Then with the large Alphabet I cut the word MISS from the panel and layered it onto the letters cut three more times in white to make them stand out.
Add these letter to an embossed DL size card in Landscape and use any YOU die that you have in your collection.
I cut and coloured the flowers and leaves from the Landmark Occasions Collection and weaved them through the letters. Black sequins have been added to blend with the word YOU which is cut from glossy black card
The second card uses the waste from the panel that I cut the word MISS from. This has been added to some brown card with a small border around the edge, and placed on the base card with foam tape to raise it up I used the Inlay Alphabet letters and glued them into the openings, and then weaved the leaves from the same Landmark set as before to weave through the letters.
This card has been finished with orange sequins and there you have two bright and cheerful cards that are ready to give.
Today I have a video for you and I hope you will like the result. I have used Gold embossing powder to make these simple flowers look really special.
The water colouring is not hard to do and you will be surprised at just how easy it is. and so I really hope you will give this technique a try for your next cards
The combination of the coloured flowers and the gold leaves makes it look beautiful and of course your flowers can be any colour that you prefer.
In the video I made four cards that are all different and these are two of them for you to see.
I really enjoyed playing with this idea and I want to try the gold embossing on some black card next to see what that will look like
I will of course film it to share with you and hope that you will like that idea as well as this one.
It's still wet and windy here but this card gives a hint of spring/summer and the warmer days to come. These flowers are made with foamiran and they are really big and fluffy.
They certainly fill a card up and of course they will need a box to send them.
I have used heart dies to create my flowers but you could use any flowers dies that you have in your own personal collections with great effect.
The embossed back panel just sets the flowers off to perfection and looks much nicer than just a plain one.
This card could be for any occasion if you swapped out the sentiment and is sure to suit all the ladies that need a card.
Today I am sharing a card from Altenew and this is using one of their fabulous monthly Craft Your Life Kits.
In truth I have used two different flowers for this design and they paly together really well.
The pink flowers are from the Hello Beautiful kit for September 21. and I have embossed them in gold and then water coloured them with Arteza.
The pink stripe in the background is using the stencil from the Garden Rose kit which came out in October 21.
The yellow flowers are from a very old Stamp and die set called Vintage Roses and that is a layering stamp to give the beautiful shading on the flowers.
Altogether a really pretty card that would be ideal for many occasions. You can change the look of this card by altering the colours and arranging the flowers in another way. But whichever way you do yours it is sure to lock good.
Another weekend is with us and for some of us it will be a lovely time. But for others it will be hell.
I am thinking specifically of my friends in the Ukraine. One is Olga Direkterenko. Olga is one of the co-brands with Craft Stash and she has a YouTube channel with beautiful designs to share. The other is Yana Smakula. Yana and I were on the Spellbinders design team and we spent some time together in Phoenix on the Spellbinders retreat
My thoughts and prayers are with you all everyday.
I hope that this is resolved quickly for you and you can enjoy life again in peace.
In the meantime, on a more mundane note, I have done the draw for Fridays offering and the name this week is
Lin Duke
please can you email me your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and it will be on its way to your straight away.
Please let me know that you have it safely and I hope you enjoy playing with the set.
Today the beautiful Sophisticated Snowflake from Chloe Endean makes another appearance and it comes with Dimply Cards & Papercraft magazine.
This 4 piece die set has 20 stamps with it that will help you to create some really pretty scenes on your cards.
Inside the magazine you will find lots of idea that you may like to try and lots of articles and information that is sure to inspire you.
So if you would like to win this gift then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your FULL NAME.
From those names one will be chosen at random as the winner so be sure to come and check if it is you. You will have 72 hours in which to claim your prize, and if it goes unclaimed then it will be offered again at a later date.
The die and stamp set that are new with the Flower Box Collection are the perfect way to make flowers for your cards too.
The can be used all together or divided into the type of flower that you wish to use.
Here I have coloured an assortment in pink and added them on various levels to an inked background.
In the video I show you how to get the look for yourself and it couldn't be easier with just a bit of ink to colour the leaves. They dry mottled and lighter and look really good on your cards
The dies do all the work and all you need to do is add them as you like.
For this card I used just the Daffodils and this would be perfect for an Easter themed card.
For this background I simply swiped the pad over the card and that's it. I have used a little grass die cut at the bottom of the flowers as an added touch.
Quick and easy cards that you can either send or replenish your card store for future occasions. Always handy to have some spare ones for those unexpected times.
Make your self a cuppa and relax as you watch the video to create some really pretty cards.
And please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel, click the notification bell and you will always know when there is a new video that I am sharing with you .
I hope you are all having a good weekend. I was out early this morning with Ruby and just as we got back home it started to snow. Not a sight we see very often in Blackpool as it doesn't stick around in the sea air. But we had the high winds and very rough sea yesterday and we stayed in all day out of harms way.
So today the draw for the Bauble dies has been done and the winner today is ...
Maureen Wood
Please would you email me your postal address to christina@card-making-magic.com and I will get it in the post to your straight away. Please ley me know that you have it safely and I really hope yo enjoy playing with it.
I hope you will be able to join me tomorrow with Lou Collins as we have a Facebook Live going out at 12-30. using the new Flower Box Dies.
I have added a video on how to put together the 6x6 box and I have another one for you on Monday when I make one in delicate pink and lilac colours.
But in tomorrows show I will be showing you how I put this one together and the colours of this make it look totally different.
There are sure to be some good prizes for you to win and lots of information that you may find useful so please pop along and watch and leave your comments as you do.
You will be able to watch on YouTube as well as Facebook, and also I think you can catch it on Craft World too.
So we look forward to seeing you and hope you enjoy it
I have been bust doing videos today and completely lost my self in the process. It is only now that I have looked at the clock and realised just how late in the day it is getting.
Ruby will be in later from playschool (Doggy Day Care) and then it will be feed me time.
So I will quickly add this post showing a card that I create with the Feathered Lilies from Altenew. This was the Craft Your Life Kit for January and I love the size of this die.
This is an A5 card and so you can get some idea of how large the die is as it fills the front of this card perfectly. I love big statement dies.
This is the same floral stamp set just different colours.
The flowers are raised on foam tape for dimension and the water colouring on both cards is done with Arteza Water Colour paints and paper.
Each in their own way is a very pretty card and I really enjoyed making them
This pretty set is a complete die and stamp set in one box and it is the perfect accompaniment to any of the new Flower Box dies.
But it can be used as a stand alone set as this card shows you.
For this one I have stamped the background with the Altenew Whimsical Herringbone and coloured in portions of it with alcohol markers,
The flowers have ben water coloured and then cut out with the dies and added to the card front. Some have foam pads underneath to give varying heights.
The sentiment across the bottom simply grounds all the flowers together for a neater look and the finished card is a small A2.
Here are some of the cards that I made and they were shown on The Craft Store last week and they are from the new Flower Box Collection.
This is the 6x6 Flower Box and there are lots of dies in the set.
I have added silk flowers to both of my displays but if you are creative enough and can add flower oasis and something to contain the water then you could add real ones.
I will be adding some videos showing how to construct both sizes and they will be with you soon.
There is a larger sized die set in the form of an A5 Flower Box and that has a different shape altogether.
Adding these silk flowers creates a lot of bulk and the card will not fold flat.
But if you use the Perfect Flowers stamp and die set, also in the collection, then you can stamp and colour exactly what you need and add them to the box instead, and that way it will fold flat and fit in a large envelope to post.
But whichever way you use them they are sure to create a really special card for you to give for any occasion throughout the year.
Thanks for joining me again today and thank you for leaving your comments. And also for adding your full names. If your full name is not there then maybe that's why you didn't win !! And remember that until your comments have been moderated by myself then they will not show up so please don't add them two or three times. Surplus comments are deleted
Its still wet and windy here and forecast to be like this all weekend. It will be time to chill inside in that case and hope it gets better next week.
Ruby and I went for a walk in Witch Wood the other day and there are lots of Snowdrops in bloom in there and it looked lovely as we walked though. But it was very muddy.
The draw for the beautiful Peace on Earth die and stamp set has been done and the name this week is ...
Ethne Gloss would you email me your postal address please to christina@card-making-magic.com and I will post it to your straight away.
I hope you enjoy playing with the set and having a good old browse through the magazine too.
Todays gift is on a Christmas theme but it is a die and stamp set from the RSPB and it comes with Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine.
This set will be really useful for other occasions too, use it to make lovely Christening or Confirmation cards, just a couple more ideas you may like to try.
You will lots of hints and tips within the pages of this magazine and there is sure to be something that sparks your imagination.
So if you would like to win this pack then all you have to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME
Please make sure you come back over the weekend and check if your name is shown as the winner and then you have 72 hours in which to claim the prize.
This card is created from a collection that was released last year and it is one that adds beautiful edges to your cards.
This is the Ribbon Border Lovely in Lace and it is a six piece die set and there are three other patterns in the collection.
I made lots of cards suing this collection and showed many on the blog. I also did a video and I am adding that again here in case you missed it the first time around
It's not a long video ... just long enough for a brew
This Thursday on The Craft Store, Lou Collins will be showing you some more new dies from Card Making Magic and this is the Flower Box Collection.
These mew dies will help you to create some really special cards and there will be videos coming up soon covering how to put these together. So be sure to join Lou at 11am on Thursday 10th Feb
It's wet and windy here today .... so a usual kind of Saturday. And unless it quietens down a bit Ruby will not be getting a long walk. It will be time to snuggle up near a cosy fire and watch some TV for a while.
Thank you for joining in with the Friday Freebie each week and if you are new here then welcome. and you may find this information helpful.
This freebie is done each week with some lovely gifts on offer, so be sure to come back and take a look each Friday, as there is a different one each week. Should you wish to visit on other days as well that would be really good. Leave me a comment to let me know you have been.
There are only two things I ask of you if are adding your comment, firstly leave your full name. The reason for this is simply to keep it fair for everyone. Should there be two or three people with the same first name then it is easier to identify the real winner if I have both first and and last names. Secondly please let me know that the gift has arrived with you safely
So to be in with that chance please make sure that you comply ... not nicknames or initials your FULL NAME. If the full name is not shown then you will not be entered into the draw.
I don't mind where you live, I am happy to post the gift to you at my expense, it doesn't matter if you have won in the past, you do not need to have a blog, you just add your name and that is it. Simples!! Once you have added your name then you will need to check if it is shown as the winner and then you will be invited to send me an email with your postal details in it. For your safety please DO NOT add personal details here as the world and his wife will be able to see them.
The winner for this weeks offering
Jean Marmo
Please email me your postal address to christina@card-making-magic.com and I will get it in the post to you. I hope you enjoy playing with it and please let me know when it arrives with you
Todays package is from Die Cutting Essentials and it features a fun die and stamp set from Simply Made Crafts
You will find lots of ideas on the back of the package as well as inside the magazine, which makes a really good read for using this set and other projects that you may like to try.
If this is something that you would like to have then all you need to do is leave me a comment with your FULL NAME
Be sure to come back over the weekend and check if it is your name that is shown as the winner, and then you will have 72 hours in which to claim the prize.
Having said that if you have not entered your full name then you will not be added to the draw, so be sure to leave it and then you might have a new die set to play with.
This is another card that was made a while ago and using Altnew Roses for the design.
I have water coloured them and used the Simply Dots background embossing folder from Card Making Magic
I very lightly dusted over the embossed panel with grey ink to make the dots stand out a little more, and then roughly torn it along the edges for a shabby chic look.
I have added this panel with foam to the white base card and that adds more interest to the overall design as it creates shadows on the card front.
The flowers have been raised on foam pads for dimension and the black pearls compliment the sentiment which is also from Altenew.
The completed card is 5x7 which is by far my favourite size to make, and the fold is at the top.
On these flowers I added a little bit of liquid glue and allowed it to go tacky. Then I pressed some gold foil into the glue and lifted it carefully.
This left just a light layer of gold leaf on some of the petals and made the flowers look really pretty. And I think it can just be made out if you look hard enough
Here is a little card that I made some time ago but has now just been put to good use as I have a friend that has just moved house.
I have stencilled the flowers onto the heart shape with blending brushes and cut it out with the heart shaped die set
This particular card uses the house die set that came free with a magazine and I have added it to an embossed background panel created with the Rose folder from Card Making Magic
Making extra cards and keeping them to one side always pays off in the end, for those unexpected occasions, or requests for a card that you may get from time to time
I keep mine safe complete with envelopes and then they are ready to send.
They don't always need to have s sentiment on them as you can always add one when the request is made.
I hope you are all well and enjoying the weekend. Can you believe we are at the end of January already and it only seems like a week ago since Christmas. But time waits for no one.
Ruby and I went walking this morning but it started to get very blustery towards the end of it and so it was nice to get back home again to our warm and cozy house. We are all settled down for the rest of the day now.
I have just been reading my recipe book from Lily.s Kitchen and it is full of ideas for creating tasty nutritious meals for your dog.. And so I have just put together a fish dinner for Ruby and once it is cool and she has tried it I will let you know how it went down. There is nothing in it that I wouldn’t eat and so I have just tried it myself and I have to say it was delicious
The draw for yesterdays offering has also been done and the name today is
Sue Cockerham
Would you email me please with 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 that you have it safely and I hope you enjoy playing with your gift.
In todays offering you will get some foam sheets, dies and white stamens to help you build beautiful foam flowers for your projects.
There is also the Die Cutting Essentials magazine to go with it and that is full of ideas and inspirations for you to try, as well as being just a good read.
So if you think you would like to have a go at making some of these flowers then why not enter your comment to be in with the chance.
As long s your comment is accompanied by your FULL NAME then it will be entered into the draw and one name will be chosen at random as the winner.
You will need to come back over the weekend to see if it is your name that is shown as the winner and then you will have 72 hours in which to claim your gift.
I am happy to send this to you wherever you live and I hope you will enjoy it once you get it. Just add your comment and see if you are the lucky one
For todays card I have used the Feathered Lilies and created an inked background for something different.
The card size is the Slimline and the front panel I have coloured with Distress Inks.
I added my two colours, Speckled Egg and Antique Linen, to a glass mat and spritzed them with water, then added the water coloured card to the puddle.
I repeated this process but dried the card between each layer until I got the look I wanted.
I added splatters to the panel using the same colours as the flowers and background inks, with a little black and white thrown in for good measure
Then I embossed in the Perfect Swirls folder from Card Making Magic
The flowers have ben stamped from the kit and coloured on water colour paper.
Before die cutting them out I have added them to the embossing folder and the extra definition in the card makes such a difference and is well worth doing.
Foam pads have been added to the back for the flowers and black sequins have been dotted around the card front. I used a white gel pen to add spots to the Lilies.