Altenew Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

These beautiful flowers are the Bitterroot Stencil and Die Set  from Altenew and I think it is lovely. I have really enjoyed playing with this combination and the stencil is perfect if you don't like to colour the images your self.

It is a layering stencil and comes in three parts. It was a little confusing to start but I watched a tutorial on YouTube about this one and it all became clear after that.

The die cuts out  two  flowers and two buds all in one pass and additional flowers can be added if you prefer. 

You can of course alter the design of the flowers any way you wish by adding in more or leaving some out, and then adding the leaves around the display as you like. 

Experiment with the stencil and see what you can come up with and it is far quicker than getting out your pens or water colours to make your card. 

So tomorrow sees us back to the Friday Freebie again and I hope you will take part by adding your comment and leaving your FULL NAME.

It's nice to be back 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Hello, I'm Back ...

Hi Everybody,

I am so happy to say that I am back and I really hope you will enjoy using the new look blog. There may be a few glitches to iron out yet but it should be easier for you to use and see and is much more user friendly if you are on your iPad or your mobile phone.

I have to get used to how it all works again, so please bear with me while I am in this learning curve.
I should be back to normal again and this week I am reinstating the Friday Freebie so be sure to leave your comments as you did before, at the end of the post, to be in with the chance to win.

Have a browse around and make sure you know where everything is, whilst I do some housekeeping in the background until I get the pages to look how I want them too.

Thank you everybody for being so patient while all this was done and a really big thank you to 
Jamie Carter at
WeAreWeb Design  
for the hours he has put in to make these changes happen.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Important News

 Hi Everybody,

It has been sometime now since I started my Blog and in that time I have only had one major make over, and that was a few years ago. But with all the changes that are taking place in the internet world I thought that maybe it was time to take another look and see how I can improve it. 

I have found a company, based in Liverpool, that can help me with all that technical stuff and they are going to try and give me a whole new Blog look.  Which means I have had some stuff to move. from scheduled posts. until the work is all finished.

This means that I will be out of action for the next week or so, while the work is done and then I will hopefully be up and running again. 

I have moved the Friday Freebies for a few weeks but I still have some stuff to give away with the Peony Perfect and the Fabulous Foliage sets.  So please keep a look out for me to be back online and then be sure to come and join in again for the chance to win.

Please don't worry if there are no blog posts from me for the next week. I will still be working away in the background. I hope to get quite a few videos done in that down time, and have them edited and ready to upload for you to view.

See you soon ...

Hugs xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Not quite so hot here today and I like this a lot better. So does Ruby. I used to sun bathe for hours on end in my much younger days, but not any more. I just get too hot and very bored.  Autumn is my favourite time of year. 

I have had a lazy morning but I have got the draw done for yesterday’s offering,  and the name today is 

Tina Zapusek

Would you email me your postal address please to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will get it in the post to you straight away. I hope you enjoy playing with the set and please let me know that you have it safely.

More tomorrow…

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Fabulous Foliage

Hi Everybody,

Here we are again with yet another of the Fabulous Foliage Stamp Sets that is with the magazine Simply Cards & Papercraft.

If you have been trying to win one of these sets over that past few weeks then maybe today is your lucky day.

And if you don't succeed this time I still have another one to give away 

All you need to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post with your FULL NAME to be included in the draw.

From those comments a name will be chosen at random as the winner

You will need to come back and check if it is your name that is listed, and you will have 72 hours in which to claim it. 

I am happy to send this to you wherever you are and it doesn't matter if you have won before. But don't forget to add your full name or you will not be entered into the draw.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Layered Background with die cuts

Hi Everybody

I always want to get more from my dies and I look at them carefully to see what they will offer me. The more they will do for me the better the value.

If you look carefully at the background in the circle of this card you will see the pretty layered effect that has been produced. 

I have created this by simply cutting the same day several times in different colours and layering them together in an off set pattern. 

There are other looks that can be achieved with dies like this but this is the easy way to do it, and you may like to try this for yourself .

The video will show you how I made four cards using this technique and each one is different but just as effective in its look. 

One is a variation on the Panel Card and I have simply used a heart shape to span the front with the trellis pattern inside the heart.

 It looks gorgeous and is created in the same way as the other Panel Cards I showed you a few days ago. I hope you like the effect and enjoy the video.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

                                       

Spring Summer Stamp & Die Set

Hi Everybody,

These two cards have been created using the Spring Summer Stamp & Die Set and I heat embossed the flowers with clear powder.

I coloured them with alcohol markers and then used the dies to cut them out. I had to fussy cut some of them and they give a really pretty effect.

The background has been inked with Distress Oxides and then I have used a text stamp over the top in black ink and heat embossed that with clear powder

I arranged the flowers on the card front, and popped up some of them with foam tape to give height. I tucked in some of the die cut leaves behind.

The flowers centres have had some glitter sprinkled into the centres and I have added black self adhesive pearls around them as an added extra. The sentiment is a die cut glossy black card

For this card I have used a new stencil, that will be coming soon, and some texture paste to create the trellis look  It has been added to a Gelli Plate background

I used the Nesting Ovals to create my frame and I added this to the card with foam tape around the edges.

The flowers have been coloured red with markers.  

and they have been added to the frame with foam tape also 

The sentiments are some that I had lying on my desk from a previous card and I added those along the bottom of the oval again with foam tape.

The little butterfly clinging to the frame is from the stamp set and I think he adds the finishing touch.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Birthday Wishes

Hi Everybody,

Now this photo definitely does not show up the glitter card that I have used on the background and it is a beautiful bronze colour that really sparkles.

This is a 5x7 card on a white base and the die that I have used is the Rectangles Perfect Panels die set from Card Making Magic. I cut the rose filigree panel four times and layered three of them together. 

I added them to some silver mirror card and then coloured in the flowers and the leaves through the pattern in the card. The silver shines though the colour and looks very pretty. 

The fourth panel was added to the top of these to cover up any marks outside the lines and then the whole panel is layered on top of the glitter card.

I cut the sentiment four times, three in white and the fourth one in black glossy card and added that to the front also. It doesn't need any further embellishment as the glitter card says enough. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Rainbow Butterflies

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is a 5x7 and it is created with one of the dies from the original Card Making Magic Collections

It is the Butterfly Border Die Set and it comes in three separate pieces. The main butterfly section and the other two will help you to create the border to whatever width you would like and whichever side of the card too.

For my creation I have just used the main section and I have cut it four times in white card and layered them together. 

The final layer has been inked with Distress Oxides  in rainbow colours and then cut out with the same die and added to the top of the other layers. 

I have added them to the top of an embossed panel and then glued all of it to my base card. The embossed panel doesn't show up very well in the photo but it is there. 

I have dotted some rainbow sequins around the butterflies as  a finishing touch. 
They came in a box with separate compartments for each colour ... that is until I dropped it on the floor and now they are all mixed up.!!! 

 I don't have the patience to stand and sort them all out again and so they can just stay mixed up. 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

 

Ruby Update

 Hello Everyone,

Are you enjoying all this hot weather ??  I can't say that I am, it is far too hot for me. 

But my mum takes me out early in the day or later  to avoid the heat and that is much better for me.

 We always take lots of water with us so that I can have a little drink every so often

The other week when we went to Lytham we saw a family of ducks on the water and I was really quiet so as not to frighten them. 

Well today we saw a family of  Teddy Bears in their rowing boat and they where having a lovely time cruising around on the water.

Lots of people where stood around watching them row along and every so often the little one at the back would wave. I barked to say hello, and everybody laughed at my greeting. 

I really wanted to get into the water with them,  coz you know I love to swim. But my mum wouldn't let me  jump in. There was another little black fella there and he wanted to get in as well and his mum wouldn't let him either.

Anyway once we get home I can have a snooze. I have a Cool Mat and it is lovely to lie on that for a while until tea time and then I can go for another little jaunt with my mum.

Bye for now

Love Ruby xx

Winner

 Hi Everybody,

Busy day today and not one bit of crafting done. I have done what my mum used to call bottom cleaning. You know the stuff … under the beds, top of the doors and windows, all the boring stuff. But it’s done and then I took a pair of shears to my back garden and chopped down a load of over grown plants. There’s now room in my garden for me and Ruby. And after all that I took her for a long walk in Witch Wood and Lytham town centre.

But I have just done the draw for yesterdays offering and the name this week is …

Donna Rinckel

Would you email me please with your postal address to

christina@card-making-magic.com

and I will get it in the post to you straight away.   Please let me know that you have it safely and I hope you will enjoy playing with it.

More tomorrow…

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie - Peony Perfect.

 Hi Everybody,

Here is yet another chance for you to win one of the Peony Perfect die sets that I have on offer. And there are still two more complete sets with the magazine yet to give away.

All you need to do it leave me your comment with your FULL NAME and I cannot stress enough that if you don't leave your full name then you will NOT be entered into the draw.

This really is a useful die to have and the magazine is full of inspiration and information that you are sure to find interesting.

So add your comment and then be sure to come back and see if it is your name that is shown as the winner. I have no way to contact you if you don't come back and you will have 72 hours in which to claim the prize .... but only it you add your FULL NAME.    Need I say more 

More tomorrow  ...

Hugs xx

Arrow Fold Card

 Hi Everybody,

This style of card has been around for a long time and some of the videos I have watched on how others make it are full of measurements.

Now there is nothing wrong with that but I get totally lost in sixteenths of an inch and seven eights, it leaves me completely numb.

So I came up with another way and this is the best way I can make this card, easily, and it suits me perfectly..

The finished result is so pretty and you can decorate this any way you wish. I of course had to add in the flowers and glitter, along with some pearls ... but no ribbons this time.

I hope you will give this a try and find it as easy as I did.

The video is not long but it will give you a better idea of the steps I took to make it.

It would suit any occasion and male or female, if you leave off the flowers. This is a single photo of one of the cards.

 The first picture makes it look too complicated as there are three together in that one.

But whatever you make it for  have fun in the process.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Leafy Corner Die Set

 HI Everybody,

Todays card is created using the Leafy Corners and the colour scheme for this one is simply black and white.

It is a 5x7 card base and I have embossed the front of the card. 

The top panel had been die cut from white card using the largest corner die in the set.

I have created one panel from the backing die and then another panel and used the filigree piece and both have been added together.

These have then been added to the top of the card and trimmed off along each side to fit. I found a lovely piece of corner diamante in my stash so I have added that to the panel to enhance it some more..

The flowers are a mixture of daisies, roses, and some black poppies and I have glittered them up to glitter in the sunshine.

It looks much better in the hand than on the photo

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Panel Card

Hi Everybody,

Todays cards are all easy to make and are really pretty once they are completed., and the video will show you how I created them. Just enough time for a brew and a biscuit to relax and view.

The papers I have used are some that I have had for years. They are in a pad that I got from the £££shop many moons ago and I have forgotten all about them until my recent rummage.in the craft room

I chose three from the pack that all blended together and decided where I wanted them to go.

I added the large striped one to the back panel, and the other two I have used on the front panels. The card base is a white. 300 gsm smooth card.

I am sorry but I stupidly forgot to ad the video and so there is nothing for you to see. 

But it's there now. 

In the video I make two cards, with a third one already completed, so at least you can see a variation of the design.

 I haven't used any dies, apart form the greeting one, but you could use them for the centre panel if you wished ,and I will cover that in another video coming soon.

I have added my usual display of flowers along the bottom edge and they have been sparkled with a dot of glue and some glitter.

The sentiment has been cut three times and stacked together to give extra dimension.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx