Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy

March 03, 2016

Colouring Black Card

Hi Everybody,

When I added this card to a  blog post  I said I didn't know if it was really my cup of tea. Though I did enjoy colouring it.

I was absolutely amazed at how many of you liked it and wrote to ask me for a video.  So I was happy to oblige and it will be "Live" on YouTube today. It was a real crowd pleaser !!

You can pop over to my channel  Christina 1716   and it will be there.  Thank you for your encouragement and I  hope you enjoy it

Please become a subscriber while you are there and then you will be alerted whenever I add a new video ... which I have done weekly so far.

The video takes you step by step on how I did it and so you can colour along with me

I tell you which pencils I have used and the black cardstock is from Papermill Direct   The gold embossing powder is from Wow  and it melts so easy with the heat tool



More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 02, 2016

Water Colour Wednesday - Sun Kissed Fluer

Hi Everybody,

For this A2 sized card I have used the matching die and stamp set from Heartfelt Creations called Sun Kissed Fluer

The stamp set has two different patterns for you to choose from for the flowers

This one is the the plain set and the other gives a stripy appearance to the flowers.

I have used Peerless Water Colours and a #2 round brush to paint these onto water colour card.  I have used the wet in wet technique as this helps my colours to blend.

I cut them out with the die once they are dry and added them to the card with foam pads.

A small pearl has been added to each of the flower centres and the leaves tucked underneath

The sentiment is from Sevenhills Crafts  and it called Painted Inspirations by Altenew

I have stamped it in black and then clear embossed over the top of it.  The uneven edge has been hand drawn with a black fine liner pen and then I have layered it all onto black card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

March 01, 2016

Tuesday Tutorial - Diamond Effects

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is using an older die that is now retired from the Spellbinders website but it may be one that you have  in your "Stash"  It is one that I bring out from time to time and this is a really simple card to complete.
Spellbinders Supplies:
Other Supplies:
With #7 from Matting basics A cut two piece in white and create a hinged card
With #7 from Matting Baiscs B cut one layer in pink
With #6 from Matting Basics A cut another white panel and emboss with any folder that you have
Add this flat to the pink layer with glue
(Please remember that die #1 is always the smallest)
Using dies #3 and #4 together,  to create the frame,  cut out one piece in white.
Spray it with adhesives and add the glitter to the panel for sparkle
Stamp the sentiment onto some white card and heat emboss in silver 
Die cut with the banner die from the set and add foam tape to the back of it.
Add the pink and white embossed layer to the base card 
Add the glittered frame to some pink patterned paper of your choice
add these to the embossed panel with foam pafds in between
Add the sentiment banner where you would like it to be
Position the bow in the top left corner and glue the floral arrangement in the bottom right to balance the card

Pretty card for you to give for any occasion.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

February 29, 2016

Another Batch of Cards ...

Hi Everybody,

This batch of "Thank You" cards have been created with the sentiment added with silver foil using the Minc Machine

I also stamped and heat embossed in white the doily pattern at the top of each corner.

I used the Doily Fun  stamp set from Spellbinders for this  and I used the Misti to help me get the same look on each card

I have ink blended over the card with Distress inks and once I had done that it looked awful. They where on their way to the trash can when I decided to wait and see what happened.

I am relieved to say that once the ink had dried it all seemed to go smooth and I added some water splatters onto the ink then blotted it off with a paper towel.

I was not too un happy with the result.  I added in the Ikea Baked dots and they don't look too bad.

I have added them all to a clear plastic card box complete with the white envelopes and they will make a gift for someone to use.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


February 28, 2016

Winner of the Brusho Cards

Hi Everybody

Here I am back at home after a really informative day with YouTube yesterday.  I learned so much from them and it was well worth the trip up to Edinburgh.  The weather has been kind too ... cold but very sunny and the journey itself was very pleasant.

Coming home today we joined the motorway with the River Clyde running alongside the road. We passed such diverse scenery on our route home ... from tree covered mountains, to land covered with grass so short, that from a distance it almost looked like velvet.

Dotted every so often with white bundles of wool peacefully grazing away, and many of them have new lambs playing alongside them in the fields

No camera can capture the beauty that the eye can see,  with all the changes of texture and light. We sure do live in a a beautiful green country. Every bend on the way home produced something different to thrill the senses.

Now as promised I have done the draw for the two black Brusho cards and the winner is ...

Wease Rainey 
please would you send me your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the cards will be on their way to you straight away.

You have 48 hours from now to claim them and I hope you will like them when they arrive. Please let me know when they are with you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs 

February 26, 2016

Friday Freebie 107

Hi Everybody,

This week I am giving away two more of the Brusho Crystal Coloured Cards and these two are done with the black powder.

I have used the positive and negative pieces to the coloured card so as to waste nothing and they turned out really well.

They have been featured on the blog before and have been the subject of a video tutorial ... here is the link  to refresh your memory ...
One Background Two Cards

They are  not finished on the inside and you can use them as you would like.

They will both go to one winner. If you would like to win these two then all you need to do is leave me a comment.  From those comments a name will be drawn and the winner announced in a blog posts but not until Sunday this weekend

I am off to Edinburgh today for the weekend as I have been invited to join a YouTube Creator Day on Saturday.  I am really looking forward to this and I am sure that there is a lot to learn. But hopefully whatever I learn will benefit us all in the future.

It will help me to make better videos to enhance your enjoyment of them. My "Film Crew" is also going with me and it will be a really good weekend.

We love Edinburgh and I shared that holiday with you on the blog pages when we went  for a holiday a while ago.  When  I get back on Sunday  I will write a blog post ... see you soon.

More later ...

Hugs xx

February 25, 2016

Create a Glitter Background

Hi Everybody,

Today another Video will go live on YouTube and this is the card that is featured.

It is the Glitter Background Card and is a really pretty effect.

Here I am showing you just two looks but you can experiment and see what you come up with.


It is created with a fine glitter that I buy from Glitter Magic  and double sided sheets and the video will take you through the steps to take.

 If you pop across to view it then why not join the list of subscribers so that you will not miss any new tutorials in the future.

I said I would add them regularly on the first and third Thursday of every month ... but so far I have added a new one each week.

They are all there for you to watch and they are not long.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 24, 2016

Water Colour Wednesday - Baby Fairies

Hi Everybody,

This cute little image is from Mos Digital Pencil and is one of the Baby Fairies.

Once you have bought this you can  instantly download it to your PC  ... so no waiting for the postman to deliver it, and you can use it time and time. again, varying the sizes on your PC if you wish

This has been water coloured with Gansai Tambi and then I used Spectrum Noir Pencils for some of the highlights.

I made a sky background behind the fairy and cut it all out with the oval shape

The sentiment has been stamped and heat embossed onto parchment and then wrapped around the card front.

I added in the diamante flourish for a little decoration.

Then I added in some gold paint to the wings and that for me spoiled the image and I wish I had just left it alone   Of dear !! never mind I can have fun doing it all over again ... or I could simply cut the wings off !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 23, 2016

Tuesday Tutorial - Combining Dies

Hi Everybody,

For todays tutorial I have combined several dies from my collection and they have all been around for quite a while. But no matter how old or new your dies are they will all play nicely together to make a really pretty card for you. 
 Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies:
Cut two pieces of white card from #7 Matting Basics A and create a hinged card with the fold at the top of the card
With #7 from Matting Basics B cut one panel in yellow
With #5 from Fancy Diamonds cut one piece in yellow
Create the frame  in white with #3 from the Decorative Fancy Diamond and #4 from the plain diamond 
Put some small foam pads around the edge of the frame and add it to the yellow diamond


Cut two pieces in white from the corner die and loop the two pieces together using the curls in the pattern, as shown in the photo. 
 Add a spot of glue to hold them together
Place small foam pads around this so that they are hidden in the swirls and this will be layered on top of the Fancy Diamonds shape
Cut the phrase that you wish to use in the set from black card and craft foam and glue them together
Again add small foam pads to the back layering them to the height that is required to span across the centre piece
Ink up the texture plate and lay some white card on top and run it through your machine with the emboss sandwich to create the letter press pattern
You will need two of these so you can move the texture plate along the card, being careful to match up the pattern and repeat the process ... OR you can simply do it twice and have two separate panels
If you create two separate panels then you will need to match up the patterns and once glued you can cut them to the size of the card.  I layered mine to some yellow card to leave a small border around the sides
The lace and the ribbon will wrap around the panel and hide the join
Once all these components are done you can now start to build the card.
Add some small pearls to the textured panel 
I decided to use some wider lace on my card and I think it looks much better.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

February 22, 2016

A different view ...

Hi Everybody,

This card is not a water colour but is created on black card with Spectrum Noir Pencils.

It was just something I was playing around with the other day to see how it would turn out.

The outline to the flower has been heat embossed in gold and then coloured in.

I think the pencils showed up really well on the black card and makes a card with a difference especially for me.

Not sure if I like the card but it was worth playing with on a cold winters day !!

However I do love the stamp which is  Peony Scrolls  from Alte New and there is also a  matching die 

I bought both of mine from  Sevenhills Crafts  and they stock a lot of the US stamps on their website

The sentiment was stamped and embossed in the same gold onto some black card and the trimmed into a little banner.   The card is from Papermill Direct and is a 255 gsm so a really good quality

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx


February 20, 2016

Todays Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Late post ... but busy day for me and off to play with Isabella later this afternoon.  There will not be a post tomorrow as I am off to the craft show in Leigh. This is the first one for this year that I have been to and I have my list already made out to things I want to buy.

Then it might just have to be a stop for Sunday lunch on the way home and I can almost hear Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding shouting at me as I write.

So the winner has been drawn from the hat and the name this week is you ...


Ursula 
please email me with your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the cards will be on their way to you.

You have 48 hours to claim them and please let me know when they arrive at your house.
There will be two more card on offer next week so don't forget to add your name next Friday if you would like to own them

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 


February 19, 2016

Friday Freebie 106

 Hi Everybody,

For the next few weeks I am going to be giving away two cards done in the same theme to one winner

All have been shown before and some are actually featured in video tutorials and here is the link to the video ... One Background - Two Cards

These are using the Brusho Crystal Colours and both are made from one coloured card making use of the positive and negative pieces.

They are unfinished on the insides so you can use them for any purpose you wish but they are pretty cards and I am sure you will like them

So if you would like to have these two then you know what to do ... leave me your comment at the end of the post. From those comments a name will be drawn and announced in tomorrows blog post ... so be sure to come back and check if it is you.

Once the winners name has been shown you will have 48 hours in which to claim it by emailing me ... christina@card-making-magic.com ... with your postal address

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx



February 18, 2016

Scheduled Video

Hi Everybody,

A little while I shared with you that I was going to be adding video tutorials to YouTube on a regular basis on the first and third Thursday of every month.

The first one  Caught In Crystal  was added on the 4th Feb without a hitch and had a really good response.

In the space of one week I gained a lot of new subscribers to my channel since I added the Channel Trailer so if you are one of them then Thank You so much,

The next one New Baby Cards goes live today and is in response to several request I had about how I made the Baby Cards

But in between those two I have added yet another one called  Ink Smooshing  and I have more scheduled to go out each Thursday

You will find it on my YT Channel  if you click the link above, along with all the other videos I have made.

And if you have not already subscribed to my channel then please feel free to join me.

I hope you will enjoy the video and that it can give you some ideas on what to make in your crafting time.

The lace, flowers, white leaves and the bows centre piece are all from Wild Orchid Crafts  and the tiny pink pearls are self adhesive from Want2Scrap

The ribbon is from  Mei Flower  and of course the dies are from Spellbinders

And just in case you have missed it there is a new page here on the blog  listing all the places where I buy the supplies that I use on my cards. It is titled "Pretty Things I Use" and the link to it is in the side bar to your right

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx




February 17, 2016

Wednesday Water Colour - Best Birthday

Hi Everybody,

These cute little images are  from a stamp set called  Best Birthday and I bought mine from  Clearly Besotted  and I really enjoyed making this card.

There is a matching die set  that can be bought separately from the same company

You will find the link to them permanently listed on the Pretty Things...  page in the side bar to the right.

They have a wonderful selection of stamps and dies and they are a UK company.

I have bought many sets from them and they have lovely sentiments too

So back to the card.... I stamped and masked off the images in the arrangement I wanted

I sat and water coloured them with the Gansai Tambi paints.

Then once it was dry I added in Glossy Accents to create the shine.

I added it to the card front with craft foam underneath as this helps to flatten the water colored card and then I rounded the corners of panel and card base.  The flowery strip down the left is Washi Tape just to finish the look.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

February 16, 2016

Tuesday Tutorial - Gilded Gate Two

Hi Everybody,

Lots of us have the small Die D-Lites dies from Spellbinders  and after using them as intended we run out of ideas with what to do with them. Well here is a new idea that you may like to try and this uses the Gilded Gate Two
 So when is a gate not a gate ?? When it becomes the background to your card !!
Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies:
With #7 from Matting Basics A cut two pieces and  create a hinged card  for the base
With #7 from Matting Basics B cut another in white and hand cut another in turquoise to layer in between the base card and the layer leaving a really fine border around the edges 
(Please remember that die #1 is always the smallest)
With #3 from Elegant Label Four cut one piece in turquoise and layer this with foam tape to the white layer from the previous step
With the Gilded  Gate cut two of them and spray them with adhesive and then sprinkle with glitter
(Alternatively cut from glitter card)
From the sentiment dies I have cut Love You in black card and craft foam and glued the two together for dimension
Add the two gates to mirror each other onto the layered turquoise and white card leaving a gap in the centre of the card ...
... and this gap will be covered by some satin ribbon and a looped bow with the sparkly buckle for an added touch. Layer these onto the hand cut turquoise card from an earlier step
Add the words as you would like them and then add all these layers to your base card
You will need to add a little extra glue to the back of the words to make them stick to the glitter
Dress with flowers if you wish