Madcap Manor

A card at last! On Sunday I surveyed my calender with glee because of all the lovely blanks spaces that meant I could craft! Of course it didn't end up like that, though there were nice reasons (friends coming round for supper) as well as irritating ones (ye olde manne not telling me he had no more clean shirts until he was wearing the last one - the rest were all heaped on the floor because he forgot to bring them downstairs. Bless.) When I finally settled down yesterday in my craft hovel (it badly needs a tidy. Again) it was such a satisfying feeling! Anyone for Anya? challenge is asking for a thanksgiving or thank you card or a December calendar page. I owe a dear friend a thank you card, so it was a very timely reminder! The image is one of The Greeting Farm's Hope and Grace stamps, I've had this set for quite a while now but I think she came from Quixotic Paperie . I coloured her with Promarkers. The sketch was lovely to work with - it's the current Sketch and Sta...

Hi, guys! Just quickly posting before a nice warm bath and an early night! Anyone for Anya is asking for a Father's Day card. I love this cute Greeting Farm lad in his little waistcoat! I coloured him, then cut him out and used foam pads to stick him on a Nesties die-cut. I embossed the die-cut, then distressed it with Broken China DI, and ran some stickles around the blue mat. The sketch is from this week's Sweet Sketch Wednesday and I really like it. The papers are DCWV Garden Party stack, the brown horizontal strip is embossed with glittered dots, very nice! The narrow brown ribbon is from stash. I used an MS punch on the blue strip, then stickled along the top edge. The corners are Wild Orchid and the shiny spots are Paperchase. I'll be posting another Dream Valley Challenge card tomorrow - this last fortnight has sped by! See you then! Thanks for looking, and sleep well! luv, Mags x PS Drat! Chucked out the PM list! Oops!

Afternoon, all! I have had a very nervous time today - yes, I tore the papers for this card, and it left me a bit of a wreck! I was so scared I'd rip in the wrong direction! Silly, isn't it - it's only a bit of paper!! It's not turned out toooo badly. The papers are Pink Petticoat Vintage Rose - so pretty! I distressed the edges with Spun Sugar DI and then stickled. The image is The Greeting Farm from Dies to Die For, but she was the last in stock, I'm afraid! I used a Nestie, also distressed and stickled, and stamped a Whiff of Joy Christmas Swirl in the corners then stickled them, too, but it's not showing too well. It's just to break up the white background, really. The swirl is a Marianne die, the ribbon is from Hobbycraft and the flowers are, of course, Wild Orchid Crafts I'm entering 2 challenges with this: the sketch is from Inspirational Card Sketches . And Anyone for Anya wants a teen/punk card - this is definitely a teen card!! Thanks for lo...

It took me forever to make this card, because it's been one of those 'bitty' days. You know the kind when you do a small job here (stripping the beds) and then some carding and then another small job there (hanging out the washing) and a bit of carding and then a trip to Homebase to buy a new broom and then some carding... and so on and so forth! Anyway, it's done, and a slightly faded photo has been taken. The sketch is the current Anyone for Anya challenge. The stamp came from Dies to Die For , she is so elegant with her brolly. I paper-pieced her clothes and brolly with the Nitwits papers (from stash) I'd used as background. I stickled blobs here and there on the brolly (and also in a little puddle under the spike!) and the Wild Orchid flowers to look like raindrops. The frilly card edge is of course one of good old Matha's 'Punch Around the Page' sets. The lace is from the local market, the ribbon from Hobbycrafts. I'm also entering the Allsort...

The current challenge at Anyone for Anya is to make a circular card, so I had a go at a skewed easel card. It's not very skewed at all, I got the fold wrong! Here's the front: I used a Marianne die to give the base dimensions. Papers are Vintage Rose by Craftwork Cards, and they are gorgeous! They were a freebie with (I think) Quick Cards. I'm always a bit nervous about using very busy paper, but I hope the pearlised teal card gives enough contrast. The image is CC Designs, and the stamped ribbon and bow are a new stamp from LotV which arrived yesterday! I stamped the bow twice and glossy accented it and decoupaged it with foam pads. I glittered round the striped paper and added glitter to her buttons and flowers and glossy accents to her shoes. Here's the inside: The sentiment is also LotV, and I just raised it on pads to act as a stop. The card is going to a darling little girl who will be 6 soon, and who has long blond hair like the image! I do like to tailor cards ...

Look! I made the top 3 at Anyone for Anya !!!!! Woot!

I do like these more grown-up Anyas, they are a bit more elegant than the chibi 'Wild Sprouts'! This card is for a friend who lives in Bristol, where it has been very cold! I used Promarkers, as usual, and the fur trim and her muff have been Stickled and sprinkled with Polar White Flowersoft. Papers are from stash (I am trying so hard to use up my stash, but I've scarcely made a dent in it yet!!) - the brown is K and Co, and the blue spotted is a download from The Creative Cottage, but I can't remember the source of the flowered background. Ribbon is Hobbycraft, flowers are stash, sentiment is written by lil' ole me. My normal handwriting is pants, so anything legible is a plus! And for once the picture is reasonably accurate, because we have sunshine in Herts! It's such a nice change from the wind and rain. I'm entering this card into Creative Inspirations Challenge which is a colour combo of blue, brown and white; and Anyone for Anya? whose theme is ...

Evening, all! I hope those of you going to a Bonfire Party have dry weather. I'm watching from my window as my neighbours send up rockets and whizz-bangs! On to the card: This week's Anyone for Anya Challenge is a lovely sketch. I had to shift the embellies, because my big snowflake wouldn't fit, so I hope this counts. If not, well, I had fun! I cut out Anya and mounted her on foam pads, and also the big snowflake. The image and sentiment are from the Xmas Sweeties set which I got from Dies to Die For here . Isn't she a sweetie? So happy! I glittered the trim on her hood and dress, and I glittered the snowflakes, and I stickled all round the papers. I also glittered my cutting mat, my trousers, and my hair. All now need a clean! That's what I'm off to do now before settling down in front of Have I Got News For You with a glass of vino. Thanks for looking, and have a good evening! luv, Mags x Recipe: Promarkers: Blush, Dusky Rose, Pastel Pink; Tulip Yellow, Gol...

This little lad is so sweet! He's from The Greeting Farm, part of a set that I got from Dies to Die For The papers are Nitwits eerie-sistable too . I'm really getting into digital papers, as you can see! I'm going to enter this for the Anyone for Anya challenge which this week is a colour challenge of green, blue and brown. The card candy is Paperchase, from stash, and the brown ribbon for the bow came from a sweater! I always cut those ribbons off so I can recycle them on cards! Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Promarkers: Blush, Dusky Pink, Pastel Pink; Cinnamon, Cocoa, Burnt Sienna; Lush Green, Denim Blue

These cute Wild Sprouts are wonderful for little girls' cards! This one is for the Anyone for Anya colour challenge which has a photo of a gorgeous vase of pink, red and purple flowers as inspiration. I don't know what I'd do without the inspiration from all your blogs, seeing all the different interpretations of the challenges. It's much appreciated! I used Promarkers, of course (I love my Promarkers!) The papers are from an old magazine (patterned) and Bearly Mine designs (spotted) which has a sale until the 27th - oh dear, my purse is getting so thin! The dotty paper is lilac irl, not blue. The sketch is from Sketch and Stash challenge I got the patterned paper last year, so it qualifies as old stash, and the stamp is one I haven't used before. She came from Dies to Die For I ordered some stuff from Bunny Zoe's Crafts on Sunday night and the parcel arrived first thing on Tuesday morning! I indulged in my first Magnolia stamps. I'll have another card t...

As I'm sure you can tell from the sudden glut of cards, I have been ignoring the housework, huzza! This one is a bit special, because my daughter's friend Louise has a new job and is finding it a steep learning curve. The sketch is a nice one from Anyone for Anya? though I didn't make the blue middle layer quite big enough! Louise loves cute, and pink, and flowers, so I had fun with all the elements! I'm also going to enter it for Cute Card Thursday whose theme is 'Text.' Well, the hugs message (it's a Penny Black clear stamp) is small but important, meant to cheer Louise up! The Anya stamp is 'Summer' from The Greeting Farm's 'Roll Call' set which I got from Quixotic Paperie I love how she's giggling with her hand in front of her mouth - so cute! I distressed and stickled the edges. The gorgeous paper is Papermania's 'Honey and Hugs'. Oh, by the way, the PB Mouse and Stocking stamp I used the other day is 'Xmas Mou...

The challenge at Anyone for Anya? is 'Don't be square' so I made a Diamond fold card. There's a tutorial on YouTube here The image is Amelia and for once I picked the papers BEFORE colouring her! She's off to Devon, where my sister has a summer job working at Lee Abbey . The Diamond fold is easy - though it needs careful measuring, especially as A4 card is 298cm long, which makes dividing by thirds a little tricky. However, I still know how to do Long Division after hem-hem years since maths classes - and the joy of cards is that mistakes can be covered by pretty paper! Thanks for looking! Recipe: Amelia from 'Happy Day' by The Greeting Farm stamped in Stazon on watercolour paper Coloured with Distress Inks: Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, Tea Dye, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade Orange Stickles on every star! Papers are the gorgeous MME 'Bloom and Grow' Flowers are handmade and the yellow ones are by Kaisercraft. The s...