Spellbinders Labels Eight

Hi Everybody,

This card is created in my favorite style of   Hinged Card  as this works for me every time and stabilises all the embellishments that I add to the front.

I have used a deep purple for this one and I have used  Labels Eight   and the matching  Majestic Labels Eight

At the top and bottom of the Labels I have added in the pretty little Flourish Trim  as an extra

I used a lovely pearl flourish from  Want2Scrap   and I found some matching feathers in my "Stash" so they were added too.

The single flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts  and it sits on top of a lace bow.

The inside is lined and the finished card is created with  5x7 Matting Basics A & B

Buying the Labels of your choice and the Matching Accents or Elements that go with it will always give you lots of choice when you start to make your cards.

And to me it is better to have those dies that match rather than buy random ones to swell your collection.  Look after your dies and make them work ... for a lifetimes pleasure of making beautiful cards

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Border Dies

Hi Everybody,

Border dies are a useful addition to your crafty "Stash" as they can give you some really pleasing effects very quickly

For this card I have used the Scalloped Borders Three  but although there are different patterns and styles to each of the sets  they all work in basically the same way

I have also used Sentiments Three for this card but take a look at some of the others as you are sure to find some that will suit your needs

For the base cut two #7  5x7 Matting Basics A  in white

With a color of your choice  cut one #7 5x7 Matting Basics B

I have embossed this colored layer with the double sided  Garden Lattice A4 folder

Cut two more layers in white with the  #7 from 5x7 Matting Basics B

With  your choice of  Border Dies  ... add one cutting edge and one patterned piece from the set to one of these white layers

Tape securely in place so that the dies will not cross over and run it through the machine

And at the other side you will have two pieces of card with the pattern in one of them

Emboss the second white piece  of card with an embossing folder and then tape just the cutting edge to this layer

This will give you another layer that is now divided into two and this will be embossed also but will not have the cut out pattern in it

Now you need to layer them altogether so that you have a staggered look.

I have used foam tape and placed the embossed layer on the top of the lacy layer so that the pattern can be seen.

Trim the card at the top and bottom as you need to give you a neat finish and make all the card level.

Once you have wrapped ribbon around these layers add them to the base card and embellish as you would like.

I have added a simple sentiment, a bow and some pearls and that's it

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Do You Remember ??

Hi Everybody,

Do you remember last year that in October last year I told you that I had been contacted via Facebook by a young woman,  Phillipa Griffin,  who asked me if  I would be willing to  help her Charity ... Festive Friends ... and make some Christmas cards for isolated and lonely elderly  people in the Northwest UK

I volunteered all of you in the blog post ...  "Will you help please ?"   ... and I was so happy with the response you  gave me as many of you said that you would.

Well today I have had a lovely message from Philippa and she has asked me to pass on her heartfelt thanks to all of you who sent her cards and here is the message ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Christina,

I wanted  to thank you so very much for promoting my Christmas pilot project Festive Friends. I am incredibly grateful as your support proved very fruitful, helping us to receive over 270 cards for guests of Contact The Elderly in the Northwest UK

I was overwhelmed by the generosity and creative talent of so many of your readers who took the time and energy to produce simply beautiful handmade cards, and also to write such thoughtful messages inside. Cards also came from ten different countries, so a special thank you to those who sent cards from overseas!

I wonder whether you would be so good as to promote these words on your blog/website/Facebook group to communicate my heartfelt thanks to your readers? I wrote personally to volunteers who enclosed their address, but this was a minority so there are many that I cannot thank personally.

I am awaiting a decision from Contact The Elderly as to whether they wish to expand the project in 2015, and I hope very much that the answer will be Yes. If you would still be interested in supporting Festive Friends this Christmas (although it seems like last Christmas has only just finished!) please do let me know and I will keep closely in touch.

I would also welcome any feedback, comments or suggestions from readers. There are many things that I would try to improve for 2015, but many heads are always better than one!

With many, many thanks once again for helping to cheer the Christmasses of some of Britain’s most isolated elderly citizens.

Warm wishes,
Philippa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can I also add my Thank You to Philippas'  message and I know you are all wonderful and so very good to me in the way you support me in my endeavors.  And I am up for the challenge again this year and I hope you will be when I add the call again for Christmas cards this year

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

International Ambassadors Blog Hop

Hi Everybody,

The International Ambassadors are hopping again and we hope you will join us on another informal trip to see what is going on this time in other parts of the world. It is a great way for you to get to know us and see our individual styles


Our roles as Ambassadors are to introduce you  to some of the beuatiful new designs that are coming onto the market

And to show you what you can do with the dies that you buy and help you to get the most from each and every one.

There are only five of us but we are based all over the world with Christine Emberson and I based here in the UK.

I hope you will vista Linda in Australia, Yvonne in The Netherlands and Ursula in Germany.

Leave them a comm-net to let them know that you popped by and maybe you will visit regularly once you get to know them

We had so much fun last time  with the Victorian Collection that we thought  we would like to inspire you again.

This time around we are featuring the Spellbinders Laced with Love Collection
and as it is Valentines Weekend we thought it a very appropriate  set of dies to use

So this time I have the honour of starting off the Blog Hop and here are the other stops along the way ...

Christina Griffiths ... you are here
Linda Lucas  ... your next stop
Yvonne Van De Grijp
Ursula Langhammer ... not participating this time
Christine Emberson

My choice for this blog hop is  Lonely Hearts  as I just love the versatility of this die

I have a couple of photos to show you of the cards I have made and there will be more as the year goes on.

Have fun 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Freebie Winner ...

HI Everybody,

So once again the draw has been done and a winner chosen to receive the card on offer.  

And as long as you add your name before the draw is done it will be entered ... there is no cut off point

Sometimes I am late on a Saturday morning so that is an added bonus to you if you are also running late.

The name chosen today is ...

Janelle Winchcole

would you please email me your postal address

christina@card-making-magic.com

so that I can get the card in the post to you straight away

I hope you will like it and please let me know when it arrives with you.

I hope you are enjoying this weekends blog hop and getting to know some of the other International Ambassadors. 

We are using the Laced With Love Collection for this hop and the cards are really beautiful from all my colleagues based around the world.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

In Memory of Pat ..

Hi Everybody,

They say that if you go through life and can count the number of true friends that you have on one hand then you are very blessed and rich to have these friends in your life.

And I mean true friends that are always there for you when you need someone to talk to and they love you for what you are ... with all your faults. Some one to share your laughter and tears along the way.

Throughout my life I have made two two truly special female friends to whom  I am not ashamed to say "I Love You ...."

I may not meet up with them every week but the next conversation will always follow on naturally from the last one and both have been steadfast and loyal to me in my life time friendship with them.

One of them is Christine Kilvington a friend for 47 years and the other is Pat Boyce a friend for 27 years.

But sadly in the early hours of this morning my dear friend Pat lost her battle with Cancer and I will never see her again.  I will never hear her laugh, or see her  twinkling eyes.  Never be able to share another meal with her or go for a drive in the car.

Never stay at each others house again for a fun weekend and get tiddly on sweet white wine and giggle till the early hours of the morning.  I love you Pat and I am going to miss you so much

Sleep tight my friend ...

Friday Freebie 046

Hi Everybody,

This card today is in a lovely shade of peppermint green teamed with crisp white and it looks very fresh indeed.

It would suit any birthday and if you leave off the bows it would be just right for the men in your life.

I have used the Trendy and Simple Collection and this particular one is Contemporary Strip 

The Sentiment is in a swirly handwriting and this is Sentiments Three  and I keep all my sentiments dies in a box on my desk so that they are always on hand

So maybe this is a card that you would like to win and if you do then all you have to do is leave me a comment.

The name will be drawn from the hat in the morning and the winner announced on that days Blog post.

Don't forget to come back and check if it is you as you only have 48 hours to claim it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

One More ...

Hi Everybody,

Here is one more card from the Victorian Collection as this is one of my all time favorite collections from Spellbinders.

Once again  it features the Royal Circle. but this time in a lovely shade of mulberry red with white.

Adding foam tape to each layer gives the depth to the card that creates the shadows

But this time no flowers and just a simple spotty ribbon around the base with a flower centre to cover the knot in the bow.

The addition of some pearls from Want2Scrap emerging from beneath the circle add that extra touch of luxury to the finished card and I have only used a small portion of the flourish in the packet ... saving the rest for another card or two

This such a pretty die that you can use in other ways ... with other embellishments  ... and other colors and it will give you beautiful results each and every time

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Victorian Collection - Royal Circle

Hi Everybody,

Today I have a free day to chill after completing another US show featuring the Teal Grand Calibur.

This card is using another die from one of my favorite collections from Spellbinders Victorian Collection

Here we have the Royal Circle and the effect is beautiful for any occasion

I have simply used  the dies and layered them together for a really pretty effect.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and if you are new to the idea of adding in some flowers  then they offer some really pretty starter kits

The ribbon is striped grosgrain ribbon that I bought from the craft shows that I go to and the year has already started for the craft shows to begin.

The card is in a lovely shade of blue that gives a really fresh feel.  The butterfly has been glittered and the body line embellished with pearls from Want2Scrap

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Trendy and Simple

Hi Everybody,

This is a relatively new addition to the Spellbinders range and this one is Floral   from the Trendy and Simple Collection

So with just this one die and a little sentiment I have created a really pretty card to share with you.

If the colors are not your choice then alter the look with some that are.

I have used Cream, 2 shades of Turquoise and a pale pink to make mine and it is a very fresh combination.

Don't forget that the number 1 (#1) in any Spellbinders set is always the smallest.

In the cream cut two from  #7 5x7 Matting Basics A  to make the base card.

In the darker turquoise  cut one #7 5x7 Matting Basics B

In the lighter turquoise cut one #6 5x7 Matting Basics A

Emboss this top layer with any folder that you have in your "Stash" just to add a little more interest to the card

 From the Floral pattern I have cut four layers.

One will be added to the card with foam pads

The other three will be used to cut out the flowers in the die cut and these will be layered onto the base

Decide which layer and color you want to add to the base card

I used foam pads that I had to cut down to make them fit and this will juts give some height to this layer

Then once you are happy with the look wrap some ribbon around these layers before you add them to the base card

Then all you need to do is layer up the flowers with random colors from the other die cuts

Place them on the card wherever you would like them and add a sentiment of your choice.

Add pearls to the centre of the flowers and the knot in the bow and there you have one very pretty card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Card from the show ...

Hi Everybody,

This bright card is one from the Create and Craft show and it will certainly wake you up.

I have used a very deep yellow ribbon and teamed it with the black of the floral paper.

I toned it down a little with the pale yellow flowers but I have to say that I do like it

It seems to grow on you after a while.

So the  paper that I used is from Anna Griffin and there are some lovely designs in the paper stack

The ribbon is from my "Stash" and it is all tangled up with other colors in a bag that I just have to cut off what I need each time.

The die is Labels Forty Six and has a Decorative Element to it also. It was featured last week on C&C and I did several demos with this die set

It may not be your cup of tea but once the colors are to your liking it makes a really unusual centre piece for any of your designs.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Made for Me ...

Hi Everybody,

When I got back home from my travels to Create and Craft there was a parcel waiting for me

Inside was this beautiful card and its' matching box that has been sent all the way from Michigan

I immediately emailed the maker to say a really big Thank You and I asked her permission to show it to you.

 And so this is the card with the lovely verse that Donna made just for me and it is standing in pride of place in my craft room

I showed you the Christmas cards that were made for me and I keep them all.

Thank for this one Donna you made my day

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

The card goes to ....

Hi Everybody,

Just have time to do this draw before I start more preparations for C&C. 

I am there next week doing more USA shows with fabulous Spellbinders and then later in the month back on UK shows. I will be sure to let you know so that you can come and keep me company.

And the winner of this really pretty cream and white card is ...

Oksana

and if you can email me 

christina@card-making-magic.com 

I will get the card in the post to you straight away

So got to dash as I have a Tuesday Tutorial to get ready and watch out for the Spellbinders Ambassadors as we are having another Blog Hop coming up soon ...

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 045

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is cream and white and this makes the prettiest combination that would be suitable for many occasions

The verse is from  Sheena Douglass  and  there are several on the sheet with some wonderful  big Butterflies

I have added it to the  #4 die from  Spellbinders  Radiant Rectangles

And if you remember that  #1 is always the smallest die in any Spellbinders set you can work out which one it is.

The background is embossed with the A4 folder Ornate Butterflies from Crafters Companion

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts   and they are a wonderful addition to any project and the pearl flourish is from Want2Scrap

So would you like to win this card ??   All you need to do to be in with the chance is leave me a comment.  A name will be drawn tomorrow from those comments and the winner will be announced in tomorrows blog post.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Victorian Collection - Royal Circle

Hi Everybody,

This card is made a little differently from my normal style and I did a video a few years ago on some other ways to create this  Cross Over Card

This one creates a pocket for you add a tag to and you can add a verse or sentiment to this as you wish.

I have  used dies from the  Victorian Collection  to create the topper and the circle die is the Royal Circle

The verse has been stamped and embossed in silver onto Labels Eighteen  and then added with foam tape

I have edged mine with some lovely braid and a dded some peach ribbon to the tag which I have added to the pocket

Today I will be back at home and into my normal swing of things.
I hope you enjoyed the Create and Craft shows and will join me again the next time I am there.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx