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

 

Designer Card Fronts - Half Scallop

,

Hi Everybody,

For todays card I have used the larger A5 Complete Card and Box Die Set and teamed it with one of the Designer Card Fronts.

This is the Half Scallop and is just a little out of the ordinary for your designs. It is available at Craft Stash, as are all my other collections 

I have created a card with a different type of opening ... just for the fun of it.

The video will show you how I made it and I hope you like the end result, and it fits inside its own box really neatly. 

I think adding in the box, or envelope that matches your card always makes it that little bit special that your recipient is sure to appreciate.

It is not hard to do but make sure you have enough matching card if you are going to make the box.

And if you cut too many flowers and leaves they can always be kept for another project in the future. 

The pretty blue card is from Papermill Direct and it is some I use a lot, especially Baby Boy cards as it is so complimentary to lots of other colours too.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Charity Shop Cards

Hi Everybody,

Over the weekend I have been busy packing up all these cards to take to the charity shop. And this is just  portion of those that I have.

I have added an envelope to each card and put it into a cellophane envelope to keep it clean. I have tried to match the envelope colour to blend with the card wherever I could.

I now have a large box partly filled and once it is full I will take it to the shop for them to sell and raise money for their charity.

This is an excellent way for me to help others and support the charities I like at the same time. I make lots of cards in the course of a month and so my box fills up quite quickly. I took over 200 cards to the RSPCA last month and they are always happy to get them, and I feel good too

What do you do with all the cards you can't use? 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Ruby Update

 Hello Everyone,

It's me Ruby and I promised I would show you all my new raincoat. Well over the weekend we went out and it was raining so here it is  .... and don't I look stunning.

I didn't like it at first and tried to shake my legs out of it but after a while I was ok and now I run around in it and it keeps me lovely and dry and warm.

We went to Freeport yesterday and I got a lot of attention from people loving my coat. many wanted to know where my mum got it from.

I am waiting patiently here to go out and  I had a lovely day with my best friend Dougal. He also has a new coat but it's not quite the same as mine. 

My mum got them from Doggie Coats of Lytham ... just in case you wanted your mum to get you one and they have lots of sizes and colours if you don't like the red one.

I think I look really swish in my new coat and I am glad not to be soaked when we go walking.

That's all for now so see you again soon.

Ruby xx 

 

Water Coloured Flowers

Hi Everybody,

All of these cards have been created with the Perfect Rose Die and matching tamp Set, and the flowers  have been water coloured in various ways.

For this one I have added the pink flower and buds to an inked and embossed background. 

They have been coloured with Arteza paints onto Arteza water colour card which is a really good quality card that will not buckle

I dotted the panel with sequins for a sparkly look and the finished card is a top folded 5x7.

This is also using the same sets but different flowers for this arrangement

You can make lots of different looks for your designs depending on which of the flowers you group together, and how you add the leaves.

I like to add some sort of texture to the background and the easiest way is to ink and emboss it. 

This card is also a 5x7 and will fit into a standard envelope. or you could make your own from the box set and decorate it the same way to match the card.

This will give a really special look to your creations.

For this last card I have simply used an ordinary pencil to add shading to the roses,

I used a little bit of green for the leaves and then I have covered the whole arrangement with glossy accents.

While the glossy accents was still wet I have sprinkled glitter into it and then set it on one side to dry. It will take  a few hours to dry and I usually leave mine overnight and then I know I won't smudge it and spoil the look.

These flowers have been added onto a spare piece of white card that has been covered with Washi Tape 

The large sentiments that I have used on all the cards are some new ones that will be with you in another collection coming soon.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Autumn has landed with a vengeance and today it is pouring down. If it eases off any …. And I do say IF then I will take Ruby out for her walk. But it looks like a day in today and maybe I will light the log burner later too.

What do you have planned for today? 

 But the draw for yesterday’s offering has now been done and so I am happy to say that the name this week is

Ali Patchett

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. Please let me know that you have it safely and I hope you will enjoy playing with it.

Have a good weekend everybody 

More tomorrow…

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie -Festive Kit

Hi Everybody,

Another chance for you to win this lovely kit of dies and stamps from Tonic along with the Simply Cards & Papercraft Magazine at the same time.

Always a good read that is full of ideas for you to try for your self.

The only thing you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME and from those comments one name will be chosen as the winner.

So if you don't add your full name then how can you hope to be a winner ?????

Be sure to come back and check if your name is shown over the weekend so that you can claim your prize.

 I am happy to send it to you wherever you live at my expense, and it doesn't matter if you have won before.

Please do not add your comment more than once as it will not show up until the post is moderated.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

 

More Ideas ...

Hi Everybody,

I have played even more with the Washi tapes from The Washi Tape Shop as I think they are so beautiful, and it is fun to come up with different ideas using them. 

So here are some more for you to see and let me know what you think of them. 

This one is using the Waves Of Redun , but the smaller blue waves one this time 

Once again I added it to spare white card and I inked the sky part with blending brushes for a soft look.

This time I have added in the Mermaid in the shape of a tail to the waves. 

I added some small birds in the background with a black fine liner pen. and I was so pleased to find the sentiment in my stash as I thought it fit the bill perfectly.

For this card I used the Starry Sky Washi Tape and covered my white card with the pattern.

I cut the crescent stars from gold mirror card and added it with foam pads for a little dimension.

Both the tail and the star crescent where free dies with magazines I bought years ago. You never know when they ill come in handy again. 

I am really pleased with all these card especially the mermaid one as i think it is appropriate for many people I know.

And last but not least is another card using some red tapes.

I inked the background panel and then embossed it with the oval folder and then added the flowers and leaves to the top.

I did add the Washi tape to extra spare white card as this makes it easier to cut out and shape the flowers and the leaves behind the flowers are some of the stickers that I also got from The Washi Tape Shop

Don't forget your 10% discount if you buy some by adding in the code CHRISTINA10

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Waves of Rebun

 Hi Everybody,

This beautiful Washi Tape is called The Waves of Rebun. There are three rolls in this set but I have only used the the widest one to create my card. It is a available for The Washi Tape Shop and if you visit the shop don't forget to add the code CHRISTINA10 to get your discount

I did some research into the inspiration behind this tape and Rebun is a tiny Island that sits in the crystal clear waters, in the Sea of Japan, just off the coast of Hokkaido. It is only 80 square kms being only 8kms wide. 

You can visit Rebun all year round but in the summer months there is an abundance of flowers.

 It is known as the Island of Flowers, and it is home to the Lady's Slipper Orchid which grows only on Rebun Island. 

So after the geography lesson lets get onto the card itself. 

I added the tape to some card for strength and then trimmed away the sky areas on some of them. 

I kept the sun in the top right corner on the top panel and added the other layers with foam tape underneath to create different levels.

The gold foil on the tape makes it look really beautiful, and this card is an A2 size.

It would be a good design to send to anyone but I think a man would be happy with this as well.

Once I had done this and added the greeting I thought it needed something else and I found this really old Spellbinders die in my stash and added that to it.

I cut the Koi Carp from orange card and layered it on to some white.

I added it into the waves with foam tape, tucking the tail behind one of the waves and dotted a black pearl for his eye.

I am more than happy with the end result and I will be making more cards with the Washi Tapes soon.

Hope you like this one 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx