Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy

August 10, 2013

Back to Spellbinders ...

Hi Everybody,

Here's another one to go in my  Christmas store and I am getting quite a selection ready to send now .... how sad is that when it's only August.

I am not usually this early with cards for Christmas but I have a lot of plates juggling at present and so I need to be organised.

To the card ..... This one is made using a lovely antique gold and white  card.

The base is white with another layer on top that has been embossed with the Dainty Dots A4 folder from Spellbinders.

The gold layer has been hand cut in the FauxNesties style and then the white layer is suing one of the new 8 x 8 folders from Crafters Companion

This folder is called Seasonal Music  and I have rubbed gold embossing paste over the surface to enhance the notes.

(And just as a side line for those who asked me about the Ebosser .... it is now back in stock with Crafters Companion)

The Poinsettias are from the Tattered Lace   and they have been cut from the white and the gold and layered up alternatively.... with a pearl centre.

The gold organza ribbon finishes the card and the inside is lined with gold and white layers.

 I would like to stress that the pictures at the bottom of the post are for you to see which Spellbinders have been used ... it is up to you to source them in your own country at the price you want to pay.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx



August 09, 2013

Pale Skin

Hi Everybody,

Here is another colored image and she is from Saturated Canary

Colors used ...
Hair                               TN1, TN2 TN7
Eyes                              TB2
Skin                               FS2, FS3, TN2, CR1
Pinafore                        TB1, TB2, TB4
Boots                            BG2, BG4, BG6
Eggs                              EB1
Grass                             DG2, DG4
Chicken                          TN1, TN2, EB1

In the first tutorial for The Art Studio using the Spectrum Noir pens I covered coloring in Pale Skin... and the result was very well received.

So in the next tutorial I will be covering the subject of dark skin and the concept of this scares many people into thinking they cannot get it right.  Well I am here to show you that you can and  together we will get the perfect look for you images.

It will be in depth  so get your pens ready to join me on another adventure with Spectrum Noir.  This image is called Egg-tra special from Saturated Canary.   But you can use any image that you have in your Digi or stamp collection

The tutorial will be available, to purchase,   at the end of this month.  More information nearer the time.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


August 08, 2013

Creating a Background ...

Hi Everybody,

One of my commitments as part of the Spectrum Noir Design Team is to do short tutorials on ways to get the most from the pens.

Today  Spectrum Noir  have added my short video to their website and this is the card that I have created for the post.

Colors used ...
Hair          TN2, TN5, TN7
Skin          FS2, FS3, EB2, CR1
Eyes          DG2
Clothes      PP1, PP3, Blender  Symbol BP5

The image is from Saturated Canary and is a digital download so once you have paid for it you have it instantly .... no waiting for the postman to deliver it.

Te main purpose of the video is to show a simple way to create a background with the same pens you used to color the image.  The colors I have chosen are the BP5 and DG2  from the symbol on the T-shirt and her eyes.

There are many many more tutorials on the SN website and they cover many different techniques to give you the best result ever.

The embellishments to this card are Card Candi from Craftwork Cards   and the tiny flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts  and I popped one rose in her hair.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx



August 07, 2013

Please Read ....

Hi Everybody,

I am publishing this comment received yesterday  on it's own page because I feel it warrants a complete reply.  I do not mind criticism but when it is un-warranted  then I need to respond.  Here is the comment ...

Dear Christina, I love your stuff but am disappointed that you use so much stuff from the States. Your stamps and bling and dies are all only available in the US when you show them and therefore only available to us, mere mortals, if we pay a lot of money in postage on top of the cost of the items. We have recently seen Kanban crafts disappear because Hunkdory gets so much publicity that the British company could not compete and the British cardmaking industry is now the poorer. AS a UK crafter can you possible demonstrate some loyalty to UK markets and show us what e can make using UK designed and produced products. If there are any left! I am pleased that you promote Meiflower and Wild Orchid Crafts, but there are so many good UK companies out there who need all the promotion they can get.

My reply is ....

Thanks for your comment and I am sorry to disappoint you ... but you need to do your research a little more carefully before adding this type of comment.   I will go though all the points you make in the order that you have made them.

Firstly the stamps you mention are usually off a CD or they are Digital downloads and so only cost you the charge for the Digi and it is yours ...no extra postage involved and available worldwide.  The dies I use are Spellbinders and they are available everywhere.  The last ones I bought where from Create and Craft TV which is very UK based.

The "Bling" I use is available in UK and I tell you whenever I have used it and give you the link to the companies involved.  I buy mine from Want2Scrap but that is my choice. I tell you about it on the blog because it is good quality ... but I don't say that you have to buy it from there.  That would be your choice and you would have to pay postage for many items wherever you get them from.

Not quite sure what you mean by Mere Mortals ..... I am the same as you with the same kind of outgoings and  a limited income and I am retired.  But I don't smoke, buy designer clothes, drink a lot or waste money and it is my choice  to spend on my hobby and my website/blog.

You mention both Kanban and Hunkydory in the same sentence and you seem to suggest that Hunkydory has put Kanban out of business.   Both of these are UK companies .... Hunkydory has their own shop in Preston and they supply many Kanban products on their website.  So how is British card making the poorer?

As a UK crafter I think I MORE then show my loyalty to the UK market ...and all you need to do is look back through some of my older posts.  I give links to many many  UK companies in my posts ......

Crafters Companion .. based in Newcastle ... and the makers of Spectrum Noir
Polkadoodles .... based in York
Funky Hand  .... based in Newcastle
Lili of the Valley ... based in Bradford
Sunrise crafts .... based in Wolverhampton
Hunkydory ..... based in Preston  ....
Tattered Lace, Creative Studios, Pink Petticoat, Clintseed Crafts, Just Inklined ... to name but a few .... need I go on?

Some of these I have featured for a whole week to showcase their products.   And many of their products have been used in the "Give Aways" that I have done regularly all this year.... and much of that at my own expense.

 How much more supportive of UK products can I be?  I can only support the company ... if I know about the company in the first place,  and I have limited time ... the same as you  ...and so I can't spend all day on a PC looking for them.

The companies I mention are companies whose products I use and I know that the quality and the service is excellent.  This is why I pass the inks onto the people who visit my website/blog  in the hope that I am doing them a good service

So once again I am sorry to disappoint you  ... but please get your facts correct before you write to me again.    And last but not least I have not added your name to save you any embarrassment.


One for Christmas ...

Hi  Everybody,

This is such a simple card to create and used very few dies.

The base is a Hinged Card that has been matted and layered with silver Mirror Card.

The top white layer has been created with an  embossing folder.

The centre piece has been stamped with Versmark using the one that matches Labels 29.

I have embossed it with Silver Bells from the Wow embossing powder range and it looks fabulous in real life.

The Fancy Tags Three has the matching "Bling"  attached and that makes my focal point.

I have cut several Poinsettias from the Tattered Lace   Festive Range and the edges have been inked with Antique Linen.... the sentiment is from the Word set also from the same company.

So this is another card in my stock of cards to send out when the Jolly Season comes around.   

If you would like to learn more about Spellbinders then please consider buying my new class with The Art Studio.   Create Beautiful Cards with Spellbinders Class 2   is available to buy now.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx