Happy Valentines' Day

I hope you have all had a good day so far and got lots of Valentines from the one you love.

Griff loved his card but the first thing he said was ...." Some woman has left me a card,  I think she must know my wife though coz she's left me one of hers" 

I got my card at breakfast,  along with some flowers and an invitation to dine out this evening..... of course I said Yes ... and so the diet will have to start tomorrow ..... again!

But it has pride of place ... alongside the one he bought for me on top of the TV.

Now I hope you like this very beautiful lady .....  her name is Maude Doodlebun , and she is from  Just Inklined 

You will find many fabulous images there for you to download and colour in.... my favourite section is the "Wrinklies" they are just a wonderful set of fun characters ... for people of a certain age!

Maude has been coloured with Promarkers and I have used Glossy Accents on her glasses. Once it is dry it shines and looks like the lenses.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and they are a selection of Cherry Blossom,  10mm and 25mm white roses,  and some blue and white flowers that I don't know the name of.

The leaves are punched from the Ash Branch punch from   Leonie Em   You will find them in the product section under Extra large punches.

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley and there are several different ones all on one sheet.  This one says ... Believe that you are wonderful..."   and I think that Maude is just that!!

Hugs Christina xx

What a cutie ...

I love to make girly cards because then I can go to town on all the lovely embellishments that I have in my  ever growing "Stash" ... you know the one I mean .. the one that spreads all over the house in no time at all ...

 Yes?  You got one of those too?

Feathers, lace, gemstones, flowers, ribbons and pearls just add the finishing touch, and if it's pink as well .... what can I say ... I am in heaven!!

But having said that I love this card I have made in blue.  It is a pre coloured image from the Pretty Sweet CD from   Polka Doodles   and there are several  little girls for you to  choose from ...  you will be spoilt for choice.

There are backing papers and sentiments for you to add to your designs to compliment the look, and with the addition of the ribbons from Fantastic Ribbons what more could you want.

There are also some un-coloured images on there too,  so that you can print them off and use your favourite medium to add the colours of your own choosing.

This one has been coloured in with the  Spectrum Noir pens from Crafters Companion  and they are very easy to use to give you professional results.

The finishing touch on both of these cards is the beautiful flowers and there is a huge selection of colours and styles from Wild Orchid Crafts 

 

 

They have flowers that will suit any season and some fabulous embellishments that you can choose to add to your cards.

 

 

And both of these cards have boxes   that have been decorated to match them as a special touch.

Hugs Christina xx

Are you ready for Valentines Days?

Today has been far from relaxing and there have been three videos made over the weekend.

The one I mentioned yesterday has now been added and if you refer back to yesterdays post then you will be able to use the link.  It will take you to the White on White card featured with the Spellbinders.

But next week is Valentines Day.  Have you got your card ready to send to the one you love?

I have and here is a sneaky preview of Griffs card.  I have kept the colours gentle (just like him) and I hope he will  like it.

The top part of the card has been embossed with an embossing folder  from  Creative Expressions    Look for "That Special Touch"  for the masks to give  some really pretty ideas. 

This one is the Vintage Plumes.

The bottom is covered with some stripey paper and the join is covered with the Hearts Border from .... Yes you guessed it ... Spellbinders!!

I have also used the Scalloped Hearts and the Classic Hearts amd added gingham ribbon for the bows, and threaded throught the border.

I'll let you know what he thinks on the 14th....

Hugs Christina xx

New video on the way ...

Today has been very busy with preparing another video that I want to add to the website and I hope you will enjoy making this   White on White Card  card.

 It is another staying with the Spellbinder theme as they have been very popular... and yep!  Griff had to get his ladder out again!!

I have stayed with the same set of dies that I suggested in the other    Spellbinder Videos   so that people will have the chance to get more comfortable using them... but it doesn't matter which sets you have they will ALL  make gorgeous cards.

The video will show you how to make this Special card and it would be lovely to give it as a Wedding Card.  You could personalise it with the happy couples names or the date of the Wedding day... and it needn't  be all one colour.

You could add in the Brides colour choice and make it even more special for her.

Or how about making it in a rich ruby red, gold, silver or pearl for those extra "Special Anniversaries"  and once again add the couples names to the front of the card. 

The list goes on and on .... and once I get started on Spellbinders there's just no shutting me up.

Hugs Christina  xx

The word verification thingy.....

As you know I am very new to the Blogging world and learning something every day.  But I was asked to turn the annoying word verification  OFF ... which apparently is on by default. 

Well! I pressed every button and link on this interface and I could not find it any where.

Blogger is now using a new style look to the Dashboard,  and as I am new,  this is the only one I have used.  So I was at a loss on how to do this.

I was sent a link from a kind follower (Thank you Wendy)  and she pointed me in the direction of another Blog that may be able to help.

So over I went,  but I couldn't follow those directions either ... because there is nowhere on the new style dashboard to  switch the word thingy off.

My little fingers flew over the keyboard to email the Blog owner for more help and she duly wrote back to me .... and she couldn't find it anywhere either....  So at least I didn't feel quite as stupid.

But   Kathleen at  Crafty Bloggers  very kindly gave me further instructions and now I am pleased to say that ... word verification is OFF. 

So thanks  Kathleen too for your help,  and if you are stuck with anything then she is willing to help you sort it out.


Hugs Christina xx

Waste not want not ...

I love to make cards with  Spellbinders  as the result is almost guaranteed.  But what to do with the little bits that you are left with when you have cut something out.

Well the simple answer is don't just throw them all away as they can be used on other projects to great effect. I am not for one minute suggesting that you keep every single bit ... but be selective and see what comes to mind.

Just get your imagination going and you can find some way to incorporate some of them onto your cards.

I cut out the large shape from the  Holly Motifs in black card for another project,  and there are some large and interesting shapes that remain... so being a frugal crafter I  wanted to make use of them.

The black edging on the left of this card has all those left over bits looped over the main card and the effect is rather good ... well I thought so!

So it pays to look at all these dies in a different way and make use of what is otherwsie known as scrap.... and create for yourself some lovely cards. 

And there is another video in the series I have done  to help you get   More from your Spellbinders

Hugs Christina xx

Freebie for you ...

Well I have been up since 5am ... couldn't sleep with things whirring round my head ... and yet I don't seem to have done very much so far.

I have all sorts of ideas buzzing away and I have to get them down on paper before I forget, ( sign of age!!) and so when I wake in the middle of the night the brain starts going and that's it for me ... no more sleep.

So rather than lie there thinking  ... go to sleep, go to sleep, I may as well get up and get something done.  So this is what I have achieved this morning.

These young men are more of the digital drawings from  Showers of Cards and Flowers  and they are "freebies" so grab them while you can.  They have been coloured in with Distress Ink ... and there's not a flower in sight, not even a trace of pink. (Sigh!) 

I have covered the process of using these fabulous inks to water colour with and the tutorial is in three parts.  One features the skin, the second the hair and the third the clothes.

 I don't profess to be an artist but this works for me and so this is how I go about
                          Colouring with Distress Inks

The backgrounds to both been done with the   Cloud Effect   which makes them look as if they are outside ... maybe waiting for pals to come out for a game of football... who knows.

Now because they are digital images they will need to be printed onto your paper, and off course printer ink and water don't mix.

Your work will bleed and look awful, but there is a way to stop this and it is very simple.... cheap hairspray!!

Works wonders at sealing the ink quickly, cheaply and efficiently... and that way you won't have a spoiled image.

 I have used a light card of 160gsm as that goes through my printer with no trouble at all.

On the first spine has been wrapped with rafia and the sentiment  and the footabll are from the Pretty Tuff CD from   Polka Doodles.   Just the finishing touch a boy needs.

The second card has some Spellbinder borders and the sentiment is red ... but it looks pink!!


Hugs Christina xx

Another Competition ...

Last year I seemed to have got the bug for entering competitions. 
A few days ago I showed you a card that I entered into one of them ... and I didn't win.

         Well this is another card I sent to yet another magazine and ....

                            ... I din't win this either (Sob! sob!)

 But at least I had a try ... and I thought this card was so lovely.

I was so pleased with the end result that I did a video on how to make this Mosaic Card  and it uses some gilding flakes  and a piece of double sided adhesive sheet to  get the result.

Much prettier in real life than the photo shows.

The image and the sentiment are from Lili of the Valley  and their stamps are utterly gorgeous. You will be spoilt for choice if you visit so be warned.

The flowers and the pins are from  Wild Orchid Crafts  and are such a beautiful addition to any card

But I also entered yet another competition with these three card projects and this time I was ....

 ..... no not the winner ... but one of the Runners up!! And guess who was really pleased with herself.

I went around with a smile on my face for days and showed the picture of my cards, in the magazine, to anybody that would take take a look.

Even the postman was treated to this exclusive look at my cards.... I think he thought I was mad!

And again Lili of the Valley stamps for the rabbits and the child and the Poppies are from Clarity Stamp  ... Another website with an amazing array of stamps.

So maybe this year will see me entering all over again and who knows what will happen this time.

Hugs Christina xx

... Panic Over!

Whew! thank goodness for that.  After the problems yesterday when trying to add the new video I am happy to say that it is now sorted.   And so this where you will find the tutorial to create this
                              Aperture Card with Spellbinders.

The videos will now be in High Defintion to show more detail and the music in the background has had to be changed as the other one was lost along with the software used for editing them.

But the new piece is vey pleasant and relaxing so I hope you will enjoy the tutorials just the same.

So this is the card that I wanted to share with you and this is the lilac version of it.  But it would look just as good in any colour. Imagine it all in white for a really special wedding card.

There are some neat ideas for the ribbon as well and it gives a real vintage look to organza.

The flowers and leaves are all cut from Spellbinders and you will find here the tutorial to show you how to Create Your Own Pearls

I am going to de stress now with a nice cup of Cappucino ... any body want one???

Hugs Christina xx

Video Hitch ...

Over the three years that Card Making Magic has been around I have made several video tutorials that have been added regularly.  Just short ones so that you don't have time to fall asleep ... but long enough to show you what I am trying to achieve.

We have had slight hitches along the way but usually things go well.  So let me tell you how they are produced.   My husband (Griff) stands on his little ladder and films over my shoulder ... and whenever my head gets in the way he pulls my hair to get me out of the shot.... and sometimes he misses and oops! there's my head. (Soreeee!)

We laugh and we argue while these films are being made but  hopefully you  find them enjoyable.

So yesterday we made a video of the making of this card and I was hoping to add it to YouTube later in the day. Everything went well and the cards turned out very pretty .... but when we came to the editing of it something went really wrong.

As the PC was turned on the message read that there was an error and that the software used to edit the video was irrepairably damaged and should be removed. So what should have been a relatively quick task turned into an all day job and at the end of it .... still no video was produced.

So this morning the task is on to start again and hope fully Griff  (who does the editing) will be able to sort things out.  But we think that the music will be lost and all the start and end bits to the videos will have to be done again so it may take us a little time to get sorted.

The card itself is another one using my Spellbinders and is one of a series that can help you with  Starting Your Spellbinder Collection 

The links to the other two tutorials are on that page.

It is a much prettier card in real life than the photo shows and as soon as I can I will get the video on the card onto the website..... once my production team (Griff) gets things as he wants them again.

In the meantime have a really good day.

Hugs Christina xx

Hello Ducky!!

This lovely little chap is a free download from   Showers of Cards and Flowers 

Naomi is just venturing out into the world of creating digital images and there are more for you on her pages.
This is my interpretation of her lovely duck and I have used a template for Creating Clouds

 Pay her a visit and see what else is on offer as a "Freebie"  .... I love a freebie!

There are two images for you to download and one of them is already coloured. The other is a line drawing that you  can colour your self and make the most of any of the colouring mediums that  you have ...  and make him a her if you wish....there's nothing wrong with a pink or a blue duck!!

The flying birds are hand drawn,  just little "V" with a fine liner pen, and the fence is a small stamp from one of the sets from Polka Doodles range of stamps. All the individual elements in the collections can be used on other designs with great effect.

With the addition of some Googly eyes and ribbon from my "Stash" I think he looks rather cute and ideal for a small childs' birthday..... but what do you think?

Hugs Christina xx

Competition Entry 2011

This is a card I entered into a magazine competition last year ... but I didn't win (Sob)

The image is  "Daydream Believer" from the SWALK collection from   Crafters Companion and there are lots of different designs to choose from ... and some to suit all your male cards too.

The style of card is a  Pocket Card  and it is very easy to create. It just takes two matching pieces of card to make the pocket in the centre,  and in there you could add a gift token or just a pretty sentiment or verse.

All the instrutions to make this and many other folds are at  Card Making Magic  and it would suit any occasion.

The beautiful flowers are all from Wild Orchid Crafts  and there many, many styles of flowers to wet your appetite, as well as other gorgeous embellishments that you won't be able to resist.

For me flowers make such a pretty addition to all your girly cards.... and I am happy to make girly cards till the cows come home.   Especially pale coloured ones....

The ribbon is from my "Stash" and the Butterfly is from a Martha Stewart punch.

And if you make the card why not add it to a matching box and then send it with lots of love.

Hugs Christina xx

My First Day as a Blogger!!

I have finally been persuaded to join the ranks of Bloggers and this is the start with my very first post.

I have been making cards for a number of years and when I first started they were not very good... but having said that I sold many of them and the buyers came back for more. I even had commisions to work to and that was very complimentary to me... and a great boost to my confidence.

I bought so much crafting stuff, and some of it not very good,  that quickly filled my dining room with boxes and bits... and was a massive task to clear everything away every time we had someone for dinner.  So from there I progressed to the small bedroom ... which my husband was using as his hobby room... and he was relagated to the dining room instead (poor man)

But it made more sense to craft in an area that I could close the door on each time I had done some cards.... hides the mess you see!!

Soon I wanted to do more and so I started researching into taking this further.  My first idea was to create a website that would be full of information and projects for "NEWBIES"

A website that would be easy for people to follow and so in 2009    Card Making Magic  was born

I worked hard and added as much as I could to the information that I was giving to create a particular look so that others would be able to follow my ideas. I started with the basics of what you would need to get going with this lovely hobby  and worked my way up to adding Video Tutorials.

Lots of poeple ...me included ... like to watch something being done before it sinks in and so that seemed the next step to take. There are lots of easy techniques and card ideas in the videos and as the time on YouTube has been extended I am able to do more.

As Card Making Magic reaches it's third birthday it continues to go from strength to strength and there are a lot more ideas and projects all buzzing around in this head and I can't wait to show them to you.

I  am always amazed when I get the emails telling me how much my website is appreciated and that people come back time and time again, and hopefully now they will have a blog to visit too with more information and cards that will help all new Cardmakers get started.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will come and visit me here and on the website over and over again.

Hugs Christina xx