Today's Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

Sorry for the late post but I have had a busy day in the sunshine, and very pleasant it was too. But the draw for yesterdays Shabby Chic card has been done and the winner is you ...

Marjorie Bates ...

Can you email me your postal address please to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and the card will be on its way to you.

I hope you will like it when it arrives and please let me know that you have it safely.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 31 - Shabby Chic

Hi Everybody,

Here is another Shabby Chic card on offer and this one is a delicate pink and green colour scheme

It is done as  a birthday card but the wooden sentiment can always be removed if you wished.

The flowers cascade down the card and are around a little picture frame at the top.

The flowers have been glittered and are a mixture from
Wild Orchid Crafts

If this is a card that you would like to have then all you need to do is leave me a comment ... and then pop back over the weekend to see if it is your name listed as the winner

You will have 72 hours to claim the card so you will need to check as I have no way of chasing you up if you don't

Good luck everybody and you can enter whenever you like even if you have won one before.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Fuzzy Lemon Collection

Hi Everybody,

This has been a busy week for me and in it I have added five new videos to the blog pages. 

 Yesterday saw the addition of  Lavish Label Layers and today I have four more featuring the new dies from the Fuzzy Lemon Collection at Craft Stash

For the first video I thought I would stick with a male theme as this is one I am often asked about.

 I know that many of  us can make ladies flowery cards all day long ... but when it comes to men we scratch our heads.

So here is one that is easy to do and the idea can be adapted to produce any style of jacket for your recipient

Fuzzy Lemon - Fancy Bow Tie 

 The next one is using the

 Fuzzy Lemon -  Cocktail Glass

This can be used any way you like. Either as a single glass of adding several to your card as I have here.

The video will give you more ideas that you may like to try for yourself

This one is prefect for any engagement or wedding celebrations you have coming up and for my card I have kept to gold and white.

This card was really easy to make and yet is very effective.

The video shows the making of this one

Fuzzy Lemon - Ring Duo

Then last but not least is this really pretty card.

This was my favorite from the cards in that set and I  used pearls on the dress of the 

Fuzzy Lemon - Ballerina

It was added to a simple stencilled background and coloured as if the dancer is facing away from us.

I hope you will enjoy all four of these videos and of course the one from yesterday too.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Magazine Freebie ...

Hi Everybody,

So tomorrow, 10th August, sees the sale of
 Simply Cards and Papercraft 166
 and this is a magazine that I have been subscribed to for years.

There are some fantastic articles in it each month and it is the relaxation that I need each time it pops through my door

The gift this month is 

 Lavish Label Layers
 and the video shows you how I made this card using the Labels as a frame 

It was designed to co-ordinate with the gift 

Die Cutting Essentials 27 - Finest Vintage

That magazine was on sale last week, 3rd August,  and it was a wine bottle and glass.

Here you can see that I have added the Label to the wine bottle and stamped a sentiment into it

Two free gifts that work really well with each other ... but in case you missed that wine bottle there is a template on the back of the Labels package  for you to hand cut your own

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Spellbinders Ooh La La !!

Hi Everybody,

These are some new dies coming to Spellbinders and they make really feminine cards with a French feel to them.

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S4-803 Paris Skyline
• S4-801 Eau de Perfume
• PL-001 Platinum Die Cutting Machine

Other Supplies:

• Distress Inks
• Sponges
• Sequins
• Black Card

Instructions:

Create the card base with the largest Matting Basics A 

Cut another piece with layer with the largest B die from water colour card

With Distress inks create a splatter background with your inks to look like a night sky

Cut the Paris Skyline in black card

Add this to the inked sky effect and then add to the base

Cut and colour with Distress Inks the perfume bottles of your choice and add foam pads to the backs

Position on your card front as you like them and add the words from the die set Ooh La La

Go over the bottles with a clear glitter pen

Dot with sequins

Add a tiny red bow to one of the bottles

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Big Thoughts ...

Hi Everybody,

Every so often there is a card that turns out to be one of the favorites and this card is one of those cards.

I really loved this once it was made and the parchment background was the touch that made it special for me

I liked it so much that I made several in different colours and gave them to family for birthdays

And I even did a  Tuesday Tutorial  on how to make it for your self

The soft Lemon goes beautifully with the white and green and the flowers just seemed to fall into place without any help from me.

I added some diamante flourish behind the display 

The finished card was 5x7" and obviously it will not fit easily into an envelope and so a box had to be made for the cards I gave to family

They were all very well received and I was really happy with the result.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ruby Update ...

Hello Everyone,

I have been having fun again with my mum and dad and of course my best friend Dougal and his mum Vickie

I am an English Cocker Spaniel and I am eleven months old

Here I am caught in the act of stealing socks and trying to look innocent !!

Dougal and I  went to a lovely park with our  mums last weekend and as usual I went swimming as Dougal looked on.

I wanted to get the ball that was in the river and I came out very muddy ... but I got the ball.

On Sunday morning  I like helping my mum make the bed before we get ready to go out

I love to roll myself up in the sheets and bark ...just so that everybody knows where I am.

I love to bark and play, it's so much fun to make a noise.  

But I don't bark at Oliver the postman when he delivers the mail.

My mum has bought me a new bed of my own too with little pink spots on it and it's all soft and comfy.

But Isabella came to stay and she took a fancy to it as well  and we both tried to get in at the same time.

But I can bark louder than she can though so I won the bed ... Yaaay!

She gave me big cuddle and I kissed her back then we got out to play outside for a bit.

I went to a Birthday party on Friday when Dougal the Cockapoo was ONE year old.  

We had a doggy cake and a lovely time running around in the garden and it wouldn't have been half as much fun without a lot of barking ... as usual !

Bye for now 

Ruby xx

Card Winner ...

Hi Everybody,

We have just spent a pleasant morning on the beach with Ruby and now she is all played out and ready for a little nap.  It's a beautiful day here and the sun is shining.

So now the draw has been done for yesterday's Shabby Chic card and the winner this week is

Isabel Gunter
Would you please email me with your postal address to
christina@card-making-magic.com
and the card will be on its way to you straight away.

I hope you will like it when it arrives and please let me know that you have it safely

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Friday Freebie 30 - Shabby Chic

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for entering each week to have one of my cards ... it is quite an honour that so many of you would like to get them and I wish I could send everybody one. 

The cards on offer over the last few weeks have all been Shabby Chic and have been shown in the Inspiration videos  #8 and #9 and those that have got one seem to like them 

So here is another that you may like to have to send on or keep for yourself. I know that some of you have framed them to hang in your own crafting space

All you need to do is leave me a comment and then pop back tomorrow to see if your name is shown as the winner.

I am happy to send the card anywhere you live ... and they have gone all over the world so far.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Finest Vintage from Die Cutting Essentials

Hi Everybody,

Tomorrow sees the new Die Cutting Essentials magazine on sale and this is issue 27.

The free gift this month is a beautiful die to create a wine bottle and glass that would suit both male and female cards

The card to the right uses the filigree part of the die as a stencil and I really like the look of this little card

The video to show you the making of a wine bottle shaped card is here ... 

Die Cutting Essentials 27 - Finest Vintage

Next week 10th August Simply Cards and Papercraft will be on sale and the free gift with that is Lavish Labels and that set perfectly compliments the bottle with this gift.

One of the die cut labels can be seen on the bottle on this card and there are several stamps to help you personalise the card also

So look out for the magazines on the shelves in selected supermarkets and crafts stores

And have fun playing with the gofts to make cards for the wine lovers in your family

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Spellbinders Trailing Hearts

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is created with only two dies from Spellbinders and a little bit of glitter to add some sparkle. Very quick and easy to do and with a few flowers I think it is very effective

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S5-314 Trailing Hearts
• S5-131 A2 Matting Basics A
• PL-001 Platinum Die Cutting Machine

Other Supplies:

• Diamante Flourish from Want2Scrap
• Tonic Nuvo Glitter
• Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts
• Dymo Label Maker

Instructions:

With the largest die from Matting Basics A cut two panels in white to create the base card

Add double sided sticky sheet to another piece and cut this to the same size

With Trailing Hearts cut one piece in pink 

And add this to the sticky sheet pressing down to adhere it all

With the silver glitter sprinkle some to the double sided sheet making sure to press it into all the open spaces in the die cut

Add foam pads to the back and add it to the base card

Trim to leave a small border around the edge

 Cut three Hearts from the smaller filigree piece and stack them together for thickness

Add to the centre part of the pink die cut

Dress with flowers as you like 

From the Diamante Flourish cut several pieces to add behind the flowers.

(I kept them attached to the carrier sheet and simply glued that in place)

Create a sentiment with the Label Maker and add to the  stacked Hearts

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Squirrel Background

Hi Everybody,

This quick and easy card was created with just the little squirrel stamp.

It was in the free gift with Creative Stamping 46 that was on sale in July

One that is not too fussy for the male cards you may have to make. The colours are also soft and muted and there's not a flower in sight.

Making cards for men can sometimes pose a problem especially if you enjoy adding all the frippery as I do.

But I do try to give you a mix of cards for both men and women as well as all the different age groups and I hope it offers you some ideas that you can adapt for yourselves

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Fridays Winner !!

Hi Everybody,

Could somebody tell me please where Saturday has gone???? Because it seems to have just passed me by in a blur.  I have been really busy all day and before I knew it, it was tea time. So my apologies at posting so late with the winner of the Shabby Chic card from Friday.  But a name has now been chosen at random and the winner is you ...

Mavis L 

Would you email me please at

christina@card-making-magic.com

with your postal address and the card will be on its way to you.

I hope you will like it when it arrives and please let me know that you have it safely.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie 29 - Shabby Chic

Hi Everybody,

Here is another of the  Shabby Chic cards and this one is pretty in pink and gray with lace along the bottom.

I still have several more to find new homes for yet and so I will keep adding them until they are gone.

I have the Owl card from a few weeks ago that was won  but not claimed and so that will also be offered again soon

But if this is one that you would like to have then you know what to do ... Just leave me a comment at the end of the post and then be sure to come back and check if it is your name that is shown as the winner tomorrow.

I am happy to send these cards anywhere that you are and I hope that you are enjoying this style of card.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

New Pretty Quick Dies ...

Hi Everybody,

I have been really busy this week with some of the newest dies from Craft Stash. These are part of their Pretty Quick range and these will be on sale TOMORROW on the Craft Stash website.

But these videos will give you a preview of what there is and some ideas of what you can do with them.  I am showing you one card from each collection.

The first one is this Pretty Quick Stained Glass Robin   and in the video I have given you several ideas that you may like to try.

This one is my favorite and I simply used the die cut, done in gold card, as it is and added it to some white card with a Distress Ink effect added

I then coloured behind the Robin with alcohol markers and then added another gold die cut over the top.

For the video  Pretty Quick Stained Glass Wise Men   I used the die cut as a stencil to create a soft pastel card.

But the card shown here is how to keep them simple and easy to make .. no techniques just gold die cuts and white card for an elegant look to your Christmas card

This was the one I created from making a stamp with the die
with the Pretty Quick Stained Glass Candle

This is a soft water colour and I really liked this one once it was done.

I shall keep this one to send to someone over the Christmas period

And last but not least for this card I  used the
 Pretty Quick Stained Glass Angel  to create this card with a stencilled background

So there you have four videos to view and the dies will be on sale tomorrow .. Friday ... with Craft Stash

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx