Valentines Day

Hi Everybody,

Have you got your card ready to send for Valentines Day. I put this one together in a video for you to view even though it is a bit late.

The little image was with Papercraft Essentials way back in 2017 but it is so cute that I decided to add it to an action wobbler and pop it on the card.

The video is not long but I do think the finished card is sweet and of course it will fit into the envelope especially made for it.

The gifts with magazines are well worth keeping safe as you never know when you will need them.
Whatever you do for Valentines Day I hope you enjoy it. Maybe you are going our for dinner or just a drink with your loved ones and in that case have a glass of red wine for me Cheers !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Die Cutting Essentials 62 (DCE62)

Hi Everybody,

The goodies with this months Die Cutting Essentials is a lovely Geometric Panel from the Bright Rosa Collection by Paula Pascual.

It is very handy and will suit male and female cards and is something that can be used all year round.

The video will show you how I created this card and for this I used Gilding Flakes

DCE62 Bright Rosa Panel will be on sale this week on the 13th February.

Next week you can build on your collection with another Bright Rosa die that comes with Simply Cards & Papercraft 202 so look out for that one on the 20th February

The magazines are a mine of inspiration and a superb way to build up your crafty stash with your favourite hobby whatever it is ... cardmaking, die cutting, stamping. lettering, crochet or knitting/

Choose you magazine , make your subscription, wait for the postman, make a brew and enjoy the read, and then make your own designs from the ideas on the pages.  What more could you want ????

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Abstract Painting

Hi Everybody,

I have been branching out in all directions over the past few months and this is another thing that I have tried.

This abstract painting is another one that was inspired by Rinske Douna and I love her work.

I found her on YouTube and she is an amazing, bright and beautiful young woman.

This one sits in my hall and I had it framed professionally in white and it looks lovely.

It is a large white canvas that I bought in a pack of five different sized ones for £4. Absolute bargain and I bought five packs. I wish I had got more though as now they don’t have them anymore (sigh!)

I have many more spots in my house that I can fill with my own artwork and then I will be stuck for where to put it.

There are only so many pieces of art work and only so many walls to use.

It may not be your cup of tea but I really do like it 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Red Poppies

Hi Everybody,

Sorry for my absence at posting last week, there is no problem but thank you to those who emailed me to ask. I am well,  just been very busy.

I don't know if I have shown you this card but this is one created from older dies within the Card Making Magic Collections

So just in case you have forgotten about it here's a reminder.

The card itself is created from the Complete Card & Box Die set 5x7 and then decorated with the matching flower dies and stamps set 

I water coloured it with the Arteza Real Brush Pens for a vibrant look to my poppies and then decoupaged the layers to give some height to the card.

The verse is also from one of my stamp sets and I though could be a very appropriate inspirational verse for some people.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winner

Hi Everybody,

I hope you are having a good weekend and are ready for the predicted storm that is supposed to be over the UK today.I hope you are all as cosy as Ruby and I with our lovely log burner going merrily away in the lounge. After we have done our chores we are going to settle down this evening and watch some TV

Does that paint a lovely picture for you ??  Here's the reality of it ... Ruby  doesn't watch telly and when the log burner is going she takes herself off to the bedroom where its cooler. So she's not much company. But she comes down every so often to check if I am still there and gives me the guilt trip look to go up and watch TV in the bedroom.

Still the draw for the Stamps, Dies and embossing folder from yesterday has been done and the winner this week is ...

Chris Wilson

could you email your postal address please to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will get it sent off to you straight away.

Please let me know that you have it safely and I really hope you will enjoy playing with it ... 

all year round

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Classic Christmas

Hi Everybody,

Here we are with another Friday Freebie and this week it is one from Card Making Magic.

It was offered a few weeks ago with Simply Cards & Papercraft and it consists of stamps, dies and an embossing folder.

I am also including the magazine for one lucky winner and I am happy to send this wherever you are.

If you would like the gift then all you need to do is leave me a comment t the end of the post with your FULL NAME.  Then be sure to come back over the weekend to see if it is your name that is listed.

You will have 72 Hours to claim the gift

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

My Artwork - Paint Pour

Hi Everybody,

I have been busy with the paint pouring again and I know it is not every bodies cup of tea but I do really like them.

Last week I showed you some blue ones that I had done that matched together.

I have had two of them framed, under glass in gold frames, and they are quite large ones and are now hung on the stair wall.

This one is in my kitchen but is about and A4 size and it looks really good on the lime green wall. Especially with the pure white kitchen that Griff fitted for me.

They are not difficult to do but they are messy. I use a hairdryer to blow the paint around and if you are like me the paint goes everywhere.

But I have to say they are a lot of fun to create and I am going to try some different techniques in the coming months. I haven't filmed the making of these but I will do some more in the future

This is on the other kitchen wall and stays with the same colours of green/yellow/pink to blend with everything.

This is a bigger painting done on canvas and both have now been varnished with three layers of Mod Podge Gloss to keep the shine

I have used Arteza Acrylic Paints on all of them

Then I decided to do a pink/green/gold one for the hallway and that has been framed in white and faces the front door.

This one has also had three layers of gloss Mod Podge and they look really vibrant now they are on the wall.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Two Winners ...

Hi Everybody,

Today I am on time with the announcement of the winners from yesterdays Snowdrop offer.

 This is a really popular gift and I wish I could send one to everybody ... but I only have two.

All the names have been added to a hat and the draw has been done. 

So without further rambling lets get to the point.

The winners this week are 

Heaney Hong

&

Pippa Price

Thank you for entering and if you could send me your postal addresses please to

christina@card-making-magic.com

I will get them packed up and on their way to you.

Thank you for staying with me and be sure to come back for a 

Card Making Magic Special pack next week

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Clearly Besotted Snowdrop

Hi Everybody,

Another double whammy this week in the shape of the beautiful Snowdrop Die, Stamp and mini Embossing Folder from Clearly Besotted.

Each of the two gifts includes the magazine and a beautiful card that I created with them

There is also a video to you show you what I did and it is

Clearly Besotted Snowdrop

So if would like one of these sets to grace your own collection than all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME

You don't need your own blog and I am happy to send the gift to you wherever you live, and it doesn't matter if you have won before you can still enter each week but don't forget to come back and check over the weekend if you are the winner

Good Luck everybody

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Yupo Paper

Hi Everybody,

It's quite some time ago now that I discovered the wonderful substance called Yupo Paper and the wonderful things you can do with it and Alcohol Ink Refills.

It is called paper but it doesn't tear or warp. It die cuts easily into any shape and if you don't like what you have done you can clean it all off and start again

I made lots of cards with the paper and I actually did two videos using it. 

So in case you are new to my blog pages I will add them again here for you to view.

Alcohol Inks and Yupo Paper  & 

Yupo Paper and Dark Alcohol Inks

Both are interesting to watch and the process is easy to do but very effective, and Yupo Paper is not expensive. Alcohol Inks come in wide variety of colours and the ones I used are Spectrum Noir

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Birthday Dates

Hi Everybody,

This is a card I showed on Hochanda earlier this month and Lou and I had a laugh over it.

I said it as a good way to personalise someones birth date and then I told her that this one was mine.

Then when we went "Live" she showed the card to everybody and told them what it was.

But even so it is a pretty way to make a card personal and I think children would love it with their date on the card.

Once again I am using the Landmark Collection and this really is a useful set of dies to have for all year round.

There's lots more to come this year and so please stay with me so that you will be the first to know

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Landmark Collection

Hi Everybody,

Today I wanted to show you the new Landmark Collection that is available with Craft Stash, and there are a lot dies in this set.

There are the new numbers which are a really good size to grace your cards, with the ordinals, and flowers that you can intertwine with the numbers

Add these to any project for Birthdays, Special Dates, Anniversaries and anything else that you want to acknowledge, and don't worry if you can't remember what the anniversaries  are ... they are listed on the back of the pack to help you.

There are also the months in the year as well as the special anniversary dates that we like to recognise, and the month dies can also be used for female names too and really personalise a card for some one special.

Then there is also the big Heart and a really big flourish in there for added beautiful decoration.

The flourish can be seen in the background of the 21st card above, and to fit this 5x7 card I trimmed it down.

Never be stuck for a birthday date again, and don't forget they can be used for other things also, like table numbers for seating arrangements.

Room numbers, labelling your journal pages, scrapbook dates or pages.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Winners ...

Hi Everybody,

On Friday I offered two copies of the magazine with the gift "Sent with Love"  and the two winners have been chosen at random 

It is a lovely gift and will make good sized tags for you that you can add to any of your projects.

There is also a stamp set with it and other dies for you to decorate it.

So the two winners of the original gift are ...

Dawn Rogers

& 

Michelle Coffey

would you email me your postal address please to 

christina@card-making-magic.com

and both gifts will be on there way to you.

Now the things is,  I have since found a third gift in my craft room but this one does not have the magazine with it. Never the less it is still worth having and so another name has been pulled from the hat and it is ...

Kaye Charles

so if you could email me at the same address then I will send the gift to you also.

I hope that little surprise has brightened your wet Sunday morning.

It is pouring down here so no walkies for Ruby this morning

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Sent With Love

Hi Everybody,

This week I have two gifts to give away to two lucky winners, and each one has the magazine with it.

You will find lots of ideas in the pages of the mag so it will be time for a cuppa as you have a browse.

The gift is a die and stamp set that will create lovely tags for you to use on gifts or cards that you make.

Now if this is something that you would like to have then all you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME and two winners will be chosen at random and notified in a blog post over the weekend ... so be sure to come back and check 

It doesn't matter if you have won before and I am happy to send the gift to you wherever you live

Good Luck everybody

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

#1 Paint Pour with Arteza

Hi Everybody,

So this is my first attempt at paint pouring with acrylic paints where I have actually filmed all the steps I took

I have had little practises before with small canvases but for this one I took my courage by the hand and filmed it.

It is such a lovely and easy way to paint and you don't need to be able to draw.

Arteza offered me the paints and canvases and a discount code for all you lovely people who may also want to give this a try.

In the video I show what extras I bought mostly to keep things as clean as possible but I have to warn you that it is a messy process

There are lots of different ways to do the pours ... flip cup, pour and drag, colander pours, swipe pours but if you try the Dutch Pour with a hairdryer then one of the things I must tell you about is test the force of your own hairdryer first.

With my own it was so strong that I ended up with paint all over the craft room wall as I blew the paint out.

 It took me ages to get it all off again and I ended up buying a smaller, cheaper hairdryer and it is much better for this technique

So here is the video of my very first public attempt at Paint Pouring

My inspiration has come from these Artists on YouTube namely ...

                       Rinske Douna   my favourite 

Tammy Anderson

Ann Osborne

Kanella Ciraco

Gilly Kube

Lori McDonald

Molly

And if you like Abstract Art then check out ... 

Elsa Weiss

Oliver Maass

And if you want to purchase Arteza with 10% off

 add the code ChristinaGriffiths2 valid until the 14th February

Arteza UK

Arteza USA