Nestaboard ... Scalloped Hearts

This is a product called Nestaboard from  Want2Scrap

It is compressed board that is used to match ... or instead of the Spellbinder dies. 

It is an excellent alternative to buying the dies ...  as they are pricey and you may not want to buy them.

But these are much less expensive  .... and they give a really pretty effect that you can dress  up anyway you like.

There are several shapes in decreasing size to each packet for you to create your own toppers.

And the company will ship worldwide too.

This is the largest one from the  Scalloped Hearts  I have covered the shape in  pretty pink paper and then edged  it with the matching  pink gemstones from  the same company.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and this is the topper that was made using all these wonderful products.

But when added to a card front with a lacy square doily in the background and  the result is very pretty.

The addition of the organza ribbon and the punched butterfly add the final touch and is a card I would be very happy to send for any occasion.

Hugs xx

Matting and Layering

A cardmakers term that  needs to be explained as many new  cardmakers are stopped in their  tracks by words  that those of us who know  how to make cards use  willy nilly.

I remember going to a computer  class many years ago and being asked by the tutor  "Do you know anything about computers?"    To which 80% of the class said a most emphatic "NO!!!"

She then proceeded to tell us to use the mouse to add the cursor to the search box ... and click,  add the title  "Whatever it was.... "  and hit enter.

Most of us spent the next few minutes looking for furry creatures running around, wondering what a cursor was,  why we needed to hit anything and  where and what it was we were entering. 

So a not very  helpful tutor and a not  very explicit lesson, as she clearly didn't understand  the answer "NO" to  her own question in the first place.

I know when  I started to make cards it was something I had never come across and I  couldn't find a detailed answer to  my question   "What is matting and layering?" ....

Having been asked the same question ...  and  not wanting to be tarred with the same brush as  my earlier  tutor with the PC's, ...  I decided to make a short video to explain  exactly what  Matting and Layering   is.

It is aimed at those people new  to this hobby  who don't know all  these terms  that are bandied about.

It has had a good response from lots of people ...  so I seem to have hit the correct level and I am happy to be of use to the many many  people joining the growing band of new cardmakers every single day.

It is for  You  that  Card Making Magic   was born.

Hugs xx

Choosing Colours

Some of the questions I have been asked lately ...  in emails to the website ... are concerning colours and patterns for the cards that I make. 

"How do you choose colours?"

"How do you know which patterns work together?"

"Do clashing colours work with each other?"

If you are a seasoned card maker then maybe to you the answers are obvious.

But the website is created for those that don't know the basics and so I tried my best to answer these questions as easily as I could.

I kept in mind that many people are a little scared of colours and patterns ... unlike me who goes ahead and tries anything with anything... and I wanted to build up that spirit of adventure in the newest of cardmakers so that they will be happy with what they come up with.

So I have done two more videos that will deal with this subject,  and maybe answer some of the concerns that arise when someone is faced with any array of colours, patterns and textures and they don't know where to start.

And judging by the response on YouTube ...  and in yet more emails it has been very well recieved.

Choosing Colours  is under five minutes long  and yet I hope it gives the information that a "Newbie" will find useful the next time they want to make a card.

And this card proves the point of not being afraid of colour and just playing with the papers that you have in your own "Stash" and seeing what works together.

The image is from Humphreys Corner  from Crafters Companion and has been coloured with Spectrum Noir pens. 

Floral Ovals from Spellbinders has been used to layer the image

The "Bling" as always is from Want2Scrap and is well worth checking out.

Hugs xx

Pretty card ....

Back to the pretty girly card for this one and I thought I would make it for a young birthday.

This one is pink .... well no surprise there then .... and the Teddy Bear was free with a magazine.

I have layered him onto a Spellbinder Floral Oval and then added the lot to the card with foam pads.

I have added Glossy Accents to the balloon and sprinkled in some Glamour Dust whilst it was still wet.

The background has been created with embossing folders and the ribbon is from   Fantastic Ribbons   where you will find some wonderful lace and buttons, as well as many coloured ribbons.

The number three was created from that useful little addition the Card Candi ... and you can get many colours, patterns and sizes from   Craftwork Cards

There are many things that you can do with this little embellishment and using it to make the number is just one of them.  I have added them to this card with tiny foam pads and I have used the pink polka dot ones for effect.

Hugs xx

... and puppy dogs' tails.

Here are some more of the cards that I have made with a "boy" theme to them. 

And now I am getting withdrawal symptoms and will need to make some  "girly" cards soon .... very soon. 

This one has the Faux Leather  that I posted about a few weeks ago ... and the buttons to keep the male look.

The link takes you to the video on how to get the look for yourself .... from masking tape.

The images have been coloured with Promarkers ... and were done in  the early days when I first started to colour in ... so not very good  ... but hopefully I have got better.

This is a stamped image from  Lili of the Valley

They have lots of lovely boy stamps for you to colour anyway you want.

And the addition of the ribbon does not take any of the boyish look away.

But it will be back to the pretty cards again tomorrow so I can use all the embellishments I like to add.

Hugs xx

Slugs and snails ....

If you're like me then you are simply in heaven whenever you have to make a card for a girl.

You can go to town on all the lovely embellishments that can be added ... Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls in abundance and pretty pastel pinks and lilacs Mmmmm Mmmmm !!

But every so often we need to make a card for the boys and then we have to start head scratching to come up with the ideas.

 
This image was free in a magazine pullout... and there were lots of them on the pages.

I scanned it into the PC and now I can print them off to the size I want whenever I need a new image.



I have coloured all these images with either Spectrum Noir or Promarkers.

This young man is from the LillyBoo collection from Cuddly Buddly

There are many images to choose from and they suit all age groups and occasions.

They are not expensive.... and because they are digital downloads they are yours instantly.

The name on this card makes it more personal and I  added the wall background to keep the boyish look.

This one was from   KennyK Downloads 

The digital papers are all in shades of blue... and are free from  Summertime Designs

You will find lots of papers for you to use and this one is the Fathers and Fedoras Kit.

Buttons are always a good addition to male cards and the sentiment for this is from the "Pretty Tuff" CD from PolkaDoodles

But even though it is a male card doesn't mean  it can't have some pearly swirls on it.

And this one just adds a little more to the Tug of War boys from KennyK.

Hugs xx

Can I borrow some shaving foam ????

I had to buy some cheap shaving foam to do this technique as my Film Crew uses an electric shaver ... just no consideration some folks !!!

And then to top it all I couldn't find a dish big enough to add the card .... so I improvised.

The  Shaving Foam Technique   is another of those messy ideas but still fun ... especially if you craft with children.

For this card I kept the colours softer,  in keeping with the image, and I coloured that in with Promarkers.

The addition of the large organza bow softens the look even more.... and you could add flowers, pearls and gemstones for even more of a finishing touch.

Hugs xx

Got Some Marbles ???

If you have children the chances are they will have some marbles and  you need to borrow about three of four of them.

And if you don't  then you will have to do what I did  ... and pinch some off the kids next door.

This is another tutorial that has been around for some time ... but it's not quite as messy as yesterdays idea.

The   Rolling Marble Technique  is another fun effect to add to your cards and  it goes particularly well with those that you create for boys.

Vary the colours of the alcohol inks if you want a more feminine look and roll the marbles more or less to give another take on things. 

The white buttons have been coloured with Promarkers to match the scheme of the card, and threaded with a bit of string.

Hugs xx

Messy but fun ...

This tutorial was one I added to the Card Making Magic website a few years ago and it is very messy ... but the effect is different from any thing else.

The   Crushed Flower Tutorial   got many comments.

One lady wrote to say that it took her a long time to realise that I was actually using real flowers and leaves. 

You will need a die cutting machine to roll the flowers through, and  pick your flowers when they are just going off.

The flowers for both of these cards are from a beautiful pink Hydrangea that is in my garden and the leaves from my Virginia Creeper.

But the result at the other end is nothing like the original flowers that I used.

I have Watercoloured the flowers with a Big 'N Juicy ink pad.

These inks have several different colours in the one  pad and I have  used a different area of the pad each time to create the shading and defintion to each flower.

I have sprinkled Glamour Dust on the petals and added  small pearls to the flowers centres.

The photos don't really show you just how pretty this effect is but you will be very surprised with what you get if you give it a try.

Don't be surprised though when a pink flower produces a completely different colour at the other end ...it's all part of the fun.

Hugs xx

 

Car Boot buy

In the glorious sunshine over the weekend we went  bargain  hunting at the local Car Boot sale.

Now I know this is not to everybodies taste and most of it is junk .... but whatever the junk is,  to somebody else it could be a treasure.

I was looking in paricular for a  spice jar rack and  we  wandered  around with no luck.

Then  on  the  very last stall there it was ... shouting at me to buy it ..... so I did.

It cost me a couple of  pounds and it needed a really good clean,  but here it is scrubbed up and polished and  already in use.

It is  sitting on my worktop  with all the  little pieces  to be used  whenever I need that little embellishment to  adorn my card.

Another good storage idea ... though not a car boot buy ... is to use up the empty cases that your CD's are bought in.

They have lids and a central post to keep everything together.

This one has had my little paint pots glued to an old CD  and each disc will hold six of the pots.

Then when you are finished painting  just allow them to dry out again and then stack them in the holder,  pop the lid,  which is just visible behind,  back on. 

You will be able to store about four layers in the smaller holders.

This is one of the taller ones and it houses all my glues.

They all sit neatly on the tray and the lid keeps them all safe and clean.

Then when they are getting low I can store them upside down to make sure I get every last drop of the precious glue.

This recylcing is much better than throwing things away ... you just need to look at things in a different way.

Now how many of you have said   "Oh!  I've just thrown one of those away ...."  Tut Tut !!

Hugs xx

Sunflower Bear

This little bear is an image  that I have had  for quite some time and  she is  from   Lili of the Valley  

There are some really prety stamps there for all ages and occasions and a new range especially for boys has just been added to the collections.

She has been coloured with  the new Alcohol Colouring System ...  Spectrum Noir  ...  from Crafters Companion and there are many colours in the range.

They are very easy to work with and there are lots of things that can be done with the pens  apart from just colouring in.

The Spellbinders used are in BOLD so that you will know what has been used to create the card.

The image has been cut with the Lacy Ovals from Spellbinders and it has been mounted onto a large Scalloped Oval

The background is done with the Imperial M-Bossabilities folder and gives a lovely raised area.

I was asked   "What is the diference between embossing folders and masks?"   and so I have tried to answer the question in  a video that has been added to the website.

Adding Texture to Cards  is a short video ... but for those new to cardmaking I hope it will answer the question.

Because the  Bear is holding a Sunflower I thought it would be fun to add a large one from the Sun Flower Set   from Spellbinders.

It is a die I don't use very often and the centre has been created from one of the new Bauble Blossoms.

All the petals to the flower have been inked with Distress Inks and in the centre I  have added a piece of Card Candi from  Craftwork Cards

There are many colours and patterns in this small but useful embellishment  and there are lots of things that can be done with it.

The lovely Gemstone  Flourish is from   Want2Scrap   and adds the necassary finishing touch.

Hugs xx

Back Home ...

Here I am again ... back home, happy and relaxed.

It has been a fabulous break away in Edinburgh and the weather has been so good to us. 

I have white marks around my eyes where my sunglasses have been ... and my nose and cheeks are pink and glowing ...

I look like an owl as my glasses cover most of my eyes area ... stupid woman !!

There is so much to see  and do and I would have been happy to stay for a lot longer .... and still not seen it all.

We walked for miles and miles wih regular breaks for a nice Cappucino.

This is the heel of my shoe  which decided to fall off  after we had walked to the top of  Calton Hill.  So I  had to find a shoe shop and buy some more to carry on with the rest of the day.

We spent hours in Edinburgh Castle and this is the gunner getting ready to fire the Salute over the city.

This ceremony is carried out every day at One-o-clock to mark the exact time and there were hundreds of people there waiting to watch.... and  you are going to love the next photo .....

This puff of smoke was the actual firing of the gun which was so loud that I ... and several others ... jumped a mile

So the smoke cloud is all I got.... but of course my film crew filmed the whole thing !! ... and my watch was two minutes slow too.

Another of our visit was to the Peoples Museum where I spent several minutes queing patiently behind a family group of people waiting to go in .... only to realise that they where manequins and part of the exhibition.

I won't tell you what my film crew said ...

So tomorrow I am going to add some new cards but for the rest of today I and my film crew are going to soak up the rest of the sunshine .... after the Formula One has finished  that is... coz at present he is glued to the telly.

Hugs xx

Horse Card

This is the last of the cards with a fun theme and the last day of my holiday and I will be home and posting "live" as usual next time.

I hope you have enjoyed the last few days and there are many more   Novelty Cards   on the website.

This   Horse Card  is made from punched or die cut ovals and is another one that is easy to make.

His eyes and nostrils  have been created from coloured circles and the sentiment is just from the PC.

A little ribbon around the spine and  any extras that you want to add will finish it off as you want.

But because all these cards have been added for children I have kept them reasonably simple and easy to do.

My kids used to love doing things like this when they were little ... but then I had to cut the shapes with scissors  as there was no such thing as die cuts or shaped punches.

Which just goes to show how far crafting has come since those early days.... and it shows my age too .... and computers didn't exist  then either.

Oh my .....

Hugs xx

Piglet Card

I really love this little   Piglet Card   as it seems so cheerful to me and I made it for a neighbours birthday as she adores and collects Pigs... and she loved it.

The sentiment was computer generated and inked around the fancy edge and added to the card with foam pads.

Googly eyes are always a fun element to add to this novelty type of card and they are so cheap to buy.

The curly tail has been created by wrapping some pink coated wire around a BBQ stick and glued to the back of the piglet.

Stand him in some mud to wallow in and he will feel right at home.

Hugs xx

Cat Card...

Another easy and fun card to make especially for the cat people that you know.  Add any sentiment into the banner box that suits the occasion and the recipient and send it with love.

Decorate the card with as much or as little embellishment as you have in your "Stash"

There are lots of fun and novelty cards to make on the website  and  this  Cat Card  is just one of many.

The link will take you to the page and they are easy enough for children to follow on their own.

They may use up all your craft space,  but if it uses up  some of  the scraps that you have lying around ... aaaaaand it keeps them occupied for  two or three hours then I am sure you won't mind.

Hugs xx