Shall We Have A "GiveAway" ???

Hi Everybody,

Thank you to Thelma for claiming the FF card so quickly ... it will be in the post to you first thing tomorrow and I hope you like it

Would you like to win these gifts?  I am sure you will not be disappointed with what is on offer and I am happy to send the parcel anywhere in the world.

So in this prize there is ...

 A5  Sheena Douglass Sea Shells stamps
2 packs of Wild Orchid Crafts Flowers
1 pack of Glitter Magic
1 pack of five assorted hatpins

There is a video to show you how to mount these stamps   so that you can use them in any way you wish.

Add your name to the list and if a red cross appears at the side of your name it only means that you can delete it if you so wish.

I ask that you only leave your name once please to keep it fair for everybody and any duplicates will be removed.

And the winner is .....

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for all your lovely comments both about the holiday snaps and the new FF card.  It seems that many of you like blue.

But there can only be one winner of this particular card and that is you .....  

Thelma Welch 

I need you to send me your postal address as soon as you can so that I can get the card in the post to you straight away.  Email me  ...   christina@card-making-magic.com 

You will have  48 hours to claim it so please do so as the last card was not claimed,  and it is such a shame when other people would like to win it too.    
                      

Some Answers ...

In the comments was one  from  Ann  Lauzon and she  asked me about a tutorial that I did  on how to make your images look as if  part of it is outside the die that you have used.

It is on the Spectrum Noir Blog page and here is the link for you  ... Thinking Outside the Box   the video is further down the page so scroll and you will find it.  I hope that is the one you meant.

To Marilyn who travels two hours to go to a card class at JGD Crafts each week   ... I will be there on September 13th as Janet has invited me down to do a Spectrum Noir workshop for her ladies and maybe you will be there too.

To the lady who wanted to know how to make the pearl sprays that I have in some of my cards ... there is a video on the way to show you and it will be with you soon.

And to someone else who asked me how do I emboss card  using a die without it cutting out the whole card ... again  a video is on the way to show that technique too.

I was hoping to get them done this week but to be honest although my blog posts have been going out regularly I have been quite poorly this week with a really bad chest infection.

But once I get back to speed all these things will be with you and I will of course add them to the blog once they are done

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Friday Freebie Card 012

Hi Everybody,

So here we are back to normal after a wonderful holiday and the start of the Friday Freebie  again.

This one is created in the hinged card style and has lots of embossed layers, and the lovely  Quatrefoil pattern   in the panel.

I bought mine from Sunrise Crafts and the link will take you to the die

The pretty flowers are   from Wild Orchid Crafts and they have been sparkled with Glitter Magic.

Glitter Magic were at the Craft Show at the Bolton Arena that I went to on Sunday and I asked Sharon which of the glitters it is that I always use and it is called ... Chameleon 

It gives a lovely sparkly effect to the petals and is something I like to do to most of my flowers.

The ribbon was in a pack from TKMaxx and the lace is from my "Stash"

But on top of the lace I have added in some Diamante for added luxury and that is from Want2Scrap

So if you would like to win this card then all you have to do join the growing list of followers  and leave me a comment at the end of the post.

Then later this evening Griff will choose a name from the hat and the winner will be announced in the morning on this Blog and also on Facebook.

Please come back and check for your name as if you have won you will only have 48 hours in which to claim it. I am happy to send the card anywhere.

But don't add your name if you are not going to be able to check it as the last card Card 011 was won by Millie Thomson and it was not claimed

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spellbinders S6-001 Nestabilities Matting Basics A Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders S6-002 Nestabilities Matting Basics B Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders Shapeabilities Dies Fancy Tags 3

InLinkz.com

Mulhouse and home (Day 7/8 )

Hi Everybody,

Today it is time to say Goodbye to beautiful Italy and head back over the border to France.

We have to leave all the wonderful sunshine behind us and once again on another holiday the weather has been really kind.

This view is  from the train window as we are passing Lake Maggiore and heading for Switzerland.

There is not a lot of time to take photos as we change trains in Milan and again in  Basel but this one is just outside the station entrance in Basel and was taken quickly.

From here we go to Mulhouse (Pronounced Mulloose)  for our last nights stay.

The hotel is lovely and the bed so very comfortable  and there are a lot of people staying here ... one of the parties just happens to be another group of Treyn holidaymakers the same as us.

The other party is a coach holiday and both of these groups are leaving before us the next day.  So down we go to breakfast only to find  ... that there is nothing left.

All the food plates are empty ... there is no cutlery... no crockery... no milk ... no coffee ... no tea ... no jams ... in fact nothing.

But we  have a secret weapon in the form of  Louise ...   and  she is not impressed.

She rattles their cage and it takes them a good twenty minutes to get their act together... but eventually we have breakfast.  Another medal for the formidable Louise !!

So now on Day 8 we get the TGV back to Paris and this is the super fast train and this is the fastest speed I could record on camera.

We cross Paris to the Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar back to UK

This has been a wonderful holiday with beautiful scenery and glorious sunshine and there has not been one place that we have visited that I disliked.

And maybe one day return too ...

We  decided to stay overnight in London both at the start and end of our holiday and it is only a short walk from the station that we are leaving from tomorrow.

So after  a meal  we  walked to the theatre to see if there was maybe the chance to get in to see one of the shows ...  and we were very lucky to get two seats to see Lion King.... and it was wonderful.

Thank you for allowing me to share this holiday with you and for the lovely emails and comments about the memories the pictures have evoked in some of you.

Now it is time to get back to work and make some cards, videos and start my card class at my home again.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Venice, Italy (Day 6)

Hi Everybody,

Today is another coach trip and this time we are off to Venice famous for its many waterways

For this tour we had a guide who told us facts about the canals  and where to go for a pleasant lunch with out being charged the earth.

This is the approach to the city as we entered by boat.

The level of this city has diminished over the years and the water level is now much higher than it used to be

You can see the damage that it is doing to the houses as the brick line disappears beneath the water

We were told that Venice is a little smelly but we did not find that at all and it was a hot day.

But I have to say that it is somewhat neglected in many parts and some of  the buildings look quiet scruffy.

Now of course Venice is famous for its Gondolas.

They are quite pricey to hire ... about 80/90 Euros for 45 minutes ... but they will seat six so if you share the ride with others then it is not too bad

This is St Marks square and it is a very large area

Around the edge of the square are cafe bars with a quartet playing at some of them, which was very pleasant but our guide told us not to sit down.

As soon as you park your bottom on the chairs you will be charged and it is very expensive.

Our guide took us inside and it was beautiful but there is some restoration work going on outside and part of the front elevation was covered in scaffolding and plastic sheeting

This is looking up at the ceiling and it is not painted gold ... it is gold leaf ... and it shimmers in the filtered light.

There was a service going on in one of the side areas and so we wandered round away from them to maintain the privacy.

We sat at the far end of the square on the steps and listened to the music in the lovely sunshine and passed a very pleasant half hour

You can get some idea of the size of the square from this photo and it was very busy.

This is the famous Rialto Bridge  and of course the best way to get the photo is to wander further down the canal and look back.

You can see the amount of people stood on it and there was actually a Bride and Groom in the middle somewhere trying to have photos taken.

This is looking along the Grand Canal at the cafes and restaurants that line both sides.

We are stood on one of the many bridges that cross the canals in many places.

Tomorrow I will combine two days in one post as we start our home ward bound journey.

We go back to France via Switzerland for this part of the journey but there won't be many opportunities to take photos ... though I will do my best

The last part of my holiday will be posted later today and then I will add a Friday Freebie this week as I get slowly back into work mode

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Peschiari Market (Day 5)

Hi Everybody,

This morning was a trip to the  market and we took the local bus to Peschiari.

There was a lot of leather goods and I bought myself a belt and a credit card wallet.

But right at the end of the market ... as we made our way back to the bus ... I spotted this fabulous leather bag.

It is quite large and the smaller one fits inside the larger one as liner to hold purse,  phone and personal items.  On the way home I used the larger one to carry tickets, passports and a magazine as well as water for the journey.  So it was a really good buy at 20 Euros ... and it is reversible too.    Another  medal for Louise our tour manager 

Now the rest of the day was supposed to be free but things kind of escalated in the bar last night ...  Let me explain ...

Griff and I took a walk into town before dinner and on the way back he said  "I would love to hire one of those speed boats for a couple of hours"    so we asked the prices ... which were very good and no license was needed ...  so we said we would think about it some more.

We mentioned it over dinner and Louise and Christine ... that we shared a table with  ... seemed very taken with the idea and said "Count us in too"

The next day we were telling  other people  about the plan and two more wanted to come with us ... so Griff was boasting that he was going out in a boat with  "five birds"   and here we are.

We hired the boat for two hours and we  had a ball and got wet as the lake was very choppy that day as you can tell from the photo.

So the two at the front ... Louise and Debbie ... did most of the steering and we didn't really have a plan ... but the direction we went depended on who was steering.

If Louise was in control then we went round in a big figure eight .... and if it was Debbie we went in a zig-zag line.

The boat is fitted with radar so that if we broke down they would be able to find us on the lake but if they had been charting our progress on that lake they would be saying 

"Where on earth are they going now"  and we giggled the whole time we were out there.

Griff sat up front like the lord of the manor and did not get wet once !!!!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Sirmione, Italy (Day 4)

Hi Everybody,

The day dawned hot and sunny and the planned excursion was a cruise across the lake to visit Sirmione.

We went via the large ferry that I showed you in the harbour on Day 1 and the trip took about 20 minutes.

The water was a deep, clear turquoise and you could see the fish quite clearly.  Griff even managed to paddle his feet in it at one point 

We walked to the castle and it was very busy but when we got there it was closed ...

So we wandered the main street to the other side and went to see the Roman ruins.

The view across the lake was breathtaking  and to give you some idea of the view that the Romans would have had from this fortress I framed the view with the ruin walls as I took the photograph.

We explored for quite some time taking in the views and the atmosphere and this was another wonderful day on our Italian adventure.

On our way back from the ruins we stopped for a little more of that Ice Cream ... a little people watching and  to rest our tired feet for a short time.

We spent a little time looking at the shops and Louise the TM bought some lovely sandals that had lots of "Bling" attached.

Then all too soon it was time to go and we had to meet the group for our sail back to Desenzano back across Lake Garda.

Tomorrow is a "free day" for us to do as we like but Louise has asked the group if they would like to go to a local market in Peschiara.

The market sell all kind of items including tops, leather belts, sandals and bags.  So we are going to see what is there.... sure to spot a bargain.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Verona, Italy (Day 3)

Hi Everybody,

On day 3 we took a coach trip to the bustling town of Verona.

We had a tour guide around this town and Maria was so knowledgeable it was fascinating to listen to her

She took us to many of the tourist spots and also explained the history behind this very old town ... of which she was clearly excited by.

 This is where the Arena and it is older than the Colosseum in Rome ... over two thousand years old

The building is smaller than when it was first built as an earthquake demolished most the top tiers.

Originally it seated 35,000 people but now only holds about 18,000

It is still in use for concerts and operas throughout the season.

It is part of a very large square that has cafes all around the edge where you can stop and relax and it was here that we sampled some of the wonderful Italian ice cream.

It was recommend to us by Jim ... who is the husband of one of my regular  readers ... so thank you Jim it was really good  Mmmm Mmmm !!

No trip to Verona would be complete without the visit to  Juliets' house ... and I have read the stories that the balcony was built to attract the tourists in 1937 .... but I don't care !!

I enjoyed it for what it was and Maria our guide told us the story of Rome and Juliet

She added most emphatically that the story is true ... even if the balcony is not

Romeo and Juliet met and fell in love even though the two families did not get on with each other.

One challenged  Romeo to a dual but to accept it meant either banishment from Verona or death.   So on winning the dual he had to flee.  Before fleeing Romeo and Juliet secretly married and he climbed the wall to the balcony ... spent the night with Juliet and then had to go to save his life.

Later her family wanted to marry her to some one and she couldn't tell them that she was already married to Romeo

She confided in the local priest and he gave her a potion  that he told her would make her sleep as if dead  and then she would recover

He told her would ride to tell Romeo what she had done so that he could come and save her... but the priest didn't go

Romeo heard the story that the young Juliet was dead  and he raced to Verona  and when he found her he  thought  that indeed she had died ... and there he took his own life.

When the potion wore off and Juliet awoke she found the body of  Romeo by her side and she also took her own life as she couldn't live without Romeo ..... she was 14 and he was 16 .... Tragic (Sob!)   OK !! Time to put those hankies away ....  back to reality !!

This is another very old building in Verona.

The difference in the colors of the tower are because one layer is red brick and the other is a Limestone mix

It was done in this way to save money as the red brick was so expensive and there are many others layered in this way.

 This is one mode of transport and NO we did not partake in any bike rides.

Griff cycles a little at home and I can fall off a bike negotiating a corner....

But these bikes are every where and once hired you can leave it at any of the other cycle ranks around the town.

Altogether a wonderful place and a very enjoyable day was spent wandering around.

Then back to the hotel by coach to get ready for dinner ... along with the obligatory Bacardi and Coke on the terrace in the sunshine

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

n

Desenzano, Italy (Day 2)

Hi Everybody,

On day two of the holiday we take the train journey from France into Italy and the scenery is spectacular as we cross more high,  snow covered Alps

We arrived at the hotel that will be our destination for the next five nights and this is the view from our bedroom window.

The weather is sunny and warm and the town of Desenzano on the edge of Lake Garda is very pretty.

This is looking at the pretty  harbour with the  boats all moored up.

We sat for a pleasant hour people watching and enjoying a Bacardi and Coke and Griff had a beer.

Along the front of the harbour there are some speed boats that can be hired

Once you sit at these tables they bring you dishes of pretzels, crisps, nuts or pizza slices all free of charge ....

There are many lovely squares with bars and restaurants with tables covered in bright cloths all dotted around.

This is the bar attached to our hotel,  where most of our group met each evening to enjoy a cool drink before going in to dinner.

So tomorrow we are off to discover another part of Italy.

I hope you will join me for day three as we take a coach trip to Verona .... home of ill fated lovers Romeo and Juliet

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Holiday with a difference (Day 1)

Hi Everybody,

Here I am back at home again after a fabulous week away and what an adventure this has been.   I would like to share some of my photos with you and hope that you will enjoy the journey too.  For this holiday we decided to go to Lake Garda in Italy and do it all ... by train.

We went with a company called Treyn and they provide a Tour Manager who escorts the group the whole time... and her job is to ensure that all runs smoothly.

We went via the Euro Tunnel from the very elegant St Pancras station in London into Paris and then switched to the TGV towards Italy.  

We arrived at   Gare du Nord and then had to cross Paris to the  Gare de Lyon  and this part of the journey was to take place by coach  ....  but the coach did not turn up 

Now if that  was my job I would have been in a panic but  Louise the TM ...stayed as cool as a cucumber,  did some neat haggling with a taxi driver and managed a deal that took 26 people,  in his large fleet of taxis across Paris in rush hour ... which is no mean task

This is a journey that can take up to an hour  in all that traffic ... but those taxi drivers were fabulous.

They weaved in and out of other traffic ... used the bus lanes and got us all to Gare de Lyon with about seven minutes to spare.... 
  
              Panic over ... medal to Louise !!

The scenery on the route was spectacular with white fluffy clouds covering the tops of the high mountains... as we sped past on a very fast train 

This was the first nights stop  in a pretty town called Chambery in France, with the beautiful snow covered Alps in the background.

We arrived late in the afternoon and just had time for a quick look around before going  for dinner and this picture was taken looking down one of the tree lined roads on the way to the restaurant.

The scenery was breathtaking along the way so far and tomorrow is another day of travel.

This time we go into Italy for our destination by the side of  beautiful Lake Garda for  a five night stay in a hotel by the waters edge.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Californian Collection - Background

Hi Everybody,

For todays card I have used another  of the dies from JGD Crafts and this is the Californian Collection  Background die designed by Sue Wilson.

I have simply cut the pattern out of white card and then  cut it into strips and backed each one with pink card. The card is from Papermill Direct

I have mitred each corner and added it to an embossed panel
with foam tape to raise it up






There is a smaller frame over the verse and a little  pearl from Want2Scrap added to the centres of each pattern

The verse is from Crafters Companion

The tiny bows are off a new pair of pyjamas ... as they look much better on my card

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  and are a lovely mixture of Roses, Tulips, Cosmos Daisies and Sweetheart Blossoms.

All sprinkled in glitter from Glitter Magic

It is quite a big card at 7 inch square but it does look very pretty.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

With You in Mind ...

Hi Everybody,

So here today is a pink card .... just for a change !!  And once again it has many layers

I have used California Collection - San Francisco as the topper and layered it over the second die in Elegant Labels Four.

The Sue Wilson Collections are available from JGD Crafts   and they will ship worldwide

The matching bling for the Labels Eleven comes from Want2Scrap

The lovely pink satin ribbon is from Mei Flower    and I have tied it into a double bow ... and  added three Sweetheart Blossoms from  Wild Orchid Crafts  

A really pretty card with lots of depth to it.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spellbinders S6-001 Nestabilities Matting Basics A Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders S6-002 Nestabilities Matting Basics B Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders S6-005 Nestabilities Elegant Labels 4-Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders Grand Calibur Nestabilities Dies, Labels 11

InLinkz.com

So Thankful ...

Hi Everybody,

The beautiful ribbon on this card has a wire edge to it which makes it easy to form into a beautiful bow.

The card is made to the Hinged Card Style  and then layered up with Spellbinders ... and the dies are listed at the bottom of the post

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts  with the addition of fine glitter from Glitter Magic 

 For me the two go hand in hand for a lovely sparkly effect.

The pearl spray in with the flowers is made by me and added to the corsage along with green leaves.

The sentiment is part of the Good Friends set from JustRite Stampers

The background is embossed with the A4 folder called Basket Weave from   Creative Expressions

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spellbinders S6-001 Nestabilities Matting Basics A Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders S6-002 Nestabilities Matting Basics B Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders S6-003 Nestabilities Enchanted Labels 28-Die Templates, 5 by 7-Inch

Spellbinders S5-127 Nestabilities Labels Twenty Eight Die Templates

Spellbinders Twisted Metal Tags and Accents

InLinkz.com