Michele Coffey - Winner

 Hi Everybody,

The weather is so changeable at present, the other day it was like a real spring day and today it is cold damp and miserable.  It will only be a short walk for Ruby and if it rains then we won't be going out at all. I am a fair weather walker only but Ruby will go out in anything .

Thank you for all the lovely comments you have left me this week and I hope you are all well.

The draw has been done early and the name this week is

Michele Coffey

Would you please send me your postal address to 
christina@card-making-magic.com
and I will get it posted to you straight away.

I would be happy if you could let me know when it arrives with you and I hope you enjoy
 playing with it. 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Lisa Horton

Hi Everybody,

Todays offering is from Simply Cards & Papercraft and it features a die set and an embossing folder from 
 Lisa Horton 

The magazine is full of ideas and inspiration for you to try as well as ways in which to use the die set.

So would you like to have this in your collection ?

Then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of the post with your

  FULL NAME 

You will need to check back and see if you are the winner as I have no way to contact you and if the prize is not claimed than it will be offered again at a later date.

I am happy to send this to you wherever you live and it doesn't matter if you have won before, but you do need to have left me regular comments on other posts.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx 

More Circle Shaped Cards

Easel Card

Hi Everybody,

Here are the other circle cards made in the vidoe from Tuesday and I think they are all really pretty cards.

Each one will need a box to be made for it as the depth of the flowers doesn't allow it to be placed in an envelope.

But they will obviously go to someone special and so it will be well worth it when they are ready.

I have prepped the next video and it will be on the same idea of using one set of dies and getting different looks for the cards and next time it will be squares.

I hope you can join me then and maybe give some of them a try with the dies that you already have

5x7 Card

With this pink 5x7 card I felt that there was too much white space left on the front.

So I took a stencil and with some pink ink I added random areas on the background and that made me happier.

Have you started to re visit your older dies again to see what you can do with them.??

Die cutting has always been my favourite technique because it is so quick and easy and the work is done for you. It is simply playing with the die cuts until you get something that please your eye.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx 

Friend Card

Hi Everybody,

This beautiful background is foiled in gold and it really makes the flowers prominent on the card.

They are coloured with alcohol markers in vibrant colours and then added with foam pads to the card front.

I don't remember where they are from as this was made quite some time ago but is another that went to the charity shop.

It is much prettier in the hand than the photo shows and the gold foiling looks lovely.

Again nothing new has been used and the items have  been around in my craft room for quite some time. 

Even the alcohol markers I have had for about seven years.

I cannot tell you where the dies are from or the sentiment, all I do know is that the finished card is an A6  and it fitted into a standard envelope and went to the charity shop.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Use What You Have

Circle Shaped card

 Hi Everybody,

Resisting the urge to buy more dies is hard work but stop and ask yourself just how many oval, square or circle dies do you need.
  Or even how many butterflies, flowers, leaves or hearts do you really need.

I have lots of any one of those shapes and I struggle to use them because I have too much choice.

I have not bought them all as I was on various design teams and so the dies where sent to me by the companies.
 And then of course I designed my own brand and that gave me a lot more to use. 

But having so many stops me from being creative because I am spoilt for choice,  and  that is why I give so many items away, in the hope that they will benefit some body else as they have me.

 I have given away flowers, dies, embossing folders, stamps and "Bling" and I hope they have been enjoyed by those who have received them 

Rocker Card

In this video I am using one set of old dies to make six cards that look different and are in different shapes too.

Six Ways with Circle Dies

I have not bought anything new in the process.

The dies are old, the flowers are old, the glitter is old and I have even used shapes that are lying on my desk top left over from other projects.

The styles have been around for a long time so nothing new there either but each one looks different from the other.

5" Gatefold Card

If  you have been with me for sometime then you will recognise the circle dies I have used and the butterfly and leaf dies too.

And the Mulberry flowers are those that I have had for years. They were gifted to me by Wild Orchid Crafts many years ago.

I  know it is very tempting when you see someone advertising a new product.

 I sincerely hope you will try my "No Buy" approach to crafting and stop buying those items that you really don't need, and start using what you already have in your craft room.

Try new colour schemes and  some of the older styles and you will be surprised at what you come up with and enjoy.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx