Madcap Manor

Good morning! Are you all getting back to the normal routine after the Festive Season? I have been tackling the washing and ironing - talk about coming back to earth with a thump! And now we have our first Challenge at Dream Valley which is Anything Goes. I made a ridiculous mistake when making my card - more anon! My first version was this: All weekend I was puzzling over why it looked wrong, then yesterday I realised - it's all the wrong way round! Cue a lot of careful removing of elements and replacing them correctly! Oh dear, what a palaver! The cute image is Fairytale Princess from Fabrika Fantasy Stamps. I took the pictures using a daylight lamp, which has made the papers (from an old First Edition pad) look brighter and the image look paler, for some reason. Sorry! The sentiment is from an old Hero Arts set called 'You're Pretty Sweet.' The wooden heart and gems are from stash. We have a lovely new sponsor, Fabrika Fantasy Stamps. Go and se...

Good morning! Happy Monday! We have a Bank Holiday today in the UK - I hope we have good weather! It's a running joke here that on Bank Holidays we usually get rain!! We also have a new Challenge at Dream Valley which is to use Blue and Yellow on your creation - which doesn't have to be a card! I have been tidying my Craft Hovel yet again, and came across my stamps from The Greeting Farm. They are lovely stamps, such great images and such high quality red rubber. They are easier to stamp than clear stamps, I think. Anyway, when my printer ran out of ink so I couldn't print out an image by our sponsor Cute as a Button Stamps I chose an old Anya stamp from The Greeting Farm. Sadly, I can't find her on the website. I cut her out with a Spellbinders Oval die and layered her onto a Spellbinders Scalloped Ovals mat, and added her to the card with foam tape. I added Spectrum Noir sparkle to the flower in her hair, and a gem from stash. The paper is also from s...

I'm very late with this post, for which I apologise. I had written the wrong Challenge at Dream Valley in my diary! What a plonker!! So I made a card in a hurry, but I'm quite pleased with it! So here I am at last! Our new Challenge is Winter Animals. I have used a cute Penny Black image from the 'Celebrate the Wonder' stamp set - sadly I can't find a source for it so I suspect it may be out of print. Those mice are so sweet! The paper is from stash and the ribbon is by American Crafts. I layered the image in gold and stickled all the decorations and trim on the Christmas stockings. Quite a simple card, but I wanted the image to stand out. Go and see the amazing work that my teamies have done - their cards are so elegant! I admit, my card is more 'Christmas' than 'Winter'! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Hi, guys! Happy Monday! At Dream Valley we have a nice, straightforward Challenge this fortnight: Add a Doily Our sponsor is wonderful All Dressed Up Stamps . As well as digis, Wendy's images are available from Little Darlings Rubber Stamps at Sugar Nellie and Noor Design I made an easel card, using Little Flower Girl. The doily is in the top left corner, and was made with a Cheery Lynn French Pastry doily die. The papers are by K & Co, they are very old and have lost their cover! The dragonfly used as the easel stop is also from the same very old collection. The sentiment is by Lawn Fawn and the ribbon and lace are from stash. The butterflies are by Joy! Craft from Noor Design. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Hi, guys! It's Dream Valley Challenges time! This fortnight our theme is Valentine's Day - I can't get my head round the fact that it's already February and Valentine's Day is only 2 weeks away! We have 2 lovely sponsors: Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps Angie's Cards and Digis I used the cute Little Lila holding flowers by Angie's Cards and Digis. The papers are from an anciet paper pad (copyright 2012) by Raspberry Road called 'Love Lives Here' which was a magazine freebie. The baker's twine, sunflower charm, flower and button are all from stash. The sentiment is stamped in Mama Elephant Apple pigment ink and the stamp is from the Label Love set by Altenew. My Dream Valley teamies, as usual, have made some fabulous examples to inspire you, do go and see! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Yikes! I should have posted this on Monday, I apologise!!! At Dream Valley we would like to see Stitching on your project, either real or faux. Or sponsor this fortnight is The Hobby House I went with two variants on faux stitching: The Clearly Besotted flower was white heat-embossed on watercolour paper and then painted. The sentiment is by Altenew from the Halftone Hello stamp set and I stamped it in gold Delicata ink. I used a Lawn Fawn STITCHED rectangle to die-cut the images and added STITCHES around the edge with a brown pen. Have a look at what my teamies have made, and then have a go! Thanks for looking! Mags B x

Good morning! It's nearly Midsummer's Day, so of course the weather is cloudy, grey and chilly, with intermittent drizzle! A good day for going through cupboards and filling bags to go to the Charity Shop. (WHY did I buy that ghastly bright blue and black retro print dress that makes me look like an elephant??) Alternatively, it's a good day to enter our new Challenge at Dream Valley and this time our theme is Girly Our wonderful sponsor is All Dressed Up Stamps . If you haven't come across them yet, RUN, don't walk, to the shop - the images are absolutely gorgeous! I used So Pretty I made the shaped card base with an XXL Frilly #2 die by Go Kreate, and the layers were cut with a Large Frilly Frame #4. All the papers came from a 12 x 12 'Summer Blues' pad by Tilda. I fussy cut the roses from the same pad and added stickles. There is a strip of lace hiding in there behind the flowers, and some sequins for a bit more girly sparkle! Go and s...

Hi, guys! yet another fortnight has whizzed by, and it's time for another Challenge at Dream Valley . Our theme is Things With Wings - Fairies, Angels, Butterflies - anything with wings should be your focal point. Our sponsor is Crafts and Me . I have used a cute image Glowing Love Girl . I coloured her with Promarkers and glittered her wings and also the magic dust swirling from her wand. I used an old Whiff of Joy swirl stamp and hero Arts Soft Pool ink to make the flourishes around her. I am so sad that Whiff of Joy is closing down. The papers are Promises by Lili of the Valley and Nitwits and the sentiment is also LotV. Lace and ribbon are from stash, and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts Do fly over to Dream Valley, be inspired by my teamies' gorgeous creations, and join in! Thanks for looking, and have a great week! love Mags B x

Good afternoon, all, and welcome to Dream Valley's 100th Challenge! Our theme this fortnight is Your Favourite colour Combo . I must admit, I find this one hard, because I have so many! However, my 'go-to' combo is green and pink, they always look so pretty together, and remind me of spring. Not a bad thing to be reminded of on a chill, grey, wet day! This time I'm using shades of mint green and coral. This sweet Flapper girl is 1920s Candy (scroll down the page to find her.) She looks so trendy with her headband and pearls, and isn't the feather fun? The paper is by Webster's Pages, from a 6x6 pad called All About Me - another magazine freebie. The feathers, too, are cut with a free die, this one is by Hot Off the Press. The circular mat is cut with a Spellbinders Lacey Circles die. The gem swirl is from The Hobby House and I cut it down to fit the corner. The sentiment is silver-embossed, it is from the Penny Black Gratitude stamp set. Our lovely...

Welcome back to Dream Valley! I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday! We are back with an all-time favourite Challenge Anything Goes! Our sponsor is Gerda Steiner Designs . I used Iceskating Mouse - although he's really a Christmas image I thought he was perfect for a 'Hello' card for an ice-skating friend! I coloured him with my new Copics (I'm still getting used to them, but I love them!) and went round the edges with Salty Ocean Distress Ink. The mat is cut with a Spellbinders Heart Circle die. I added some bakers twine from stash and the Scripty Hello die-cut is from Lawn Fawn The spotted paper is from the Summer Blues paper stack by Tilda - it came from Hobbycraft last year but unfortunately it seems to be out of print :( Skate over to Dream Valley and admire my teamies' gorgeous creations, and then why not join in? Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! We had a visit from the gorgeous granddaughter and her proud parents: there was lots of squeaking and giggling and cake-making! It's Dream Valley Challenges time again! We have a colour challenge: Blue Tones The rule is, except for skin and hair colour on any image, just use Blue . You can go CAS or as elaborate as you like, as long as it's Blue! We have the fabulous Lacy Sunshine as our Sponsor this time! I have used the very elegant Victorian Winter Emily on my card. Isn't she chic?! I coloured her in Promarkers: Denim Blue and Pastel Blue for her gown and gloves, and a brighter set, French Navy, Cyan, Sky Blue and Powder Blue for her accessories. her fur trim has been Stickled. The background papers are from an old pad by Paper Artsy called 'Rum and Raisin' but the middle of the heart is from stash. The heart itself is cut with a die from 'Heartfelt Creations'. The sentiment is from the 'G...

Apologies, chaps, I had a dicky tummy yesterday and had an early night, so this post is a day late. Sorry! Our new challenge at Dream Valley is Halloween. The prize this fortnight is a little different than usual: A Twelve Days of Christmas 12 x 12 pad from Graphic 45; 3 reels of ribbon; and a bag of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. My card for this Challenge is a spooky scene suitable for a lady who likes horror films! The purple paper is from a Papermania Capsule collection, I think the pattern looks like a sinister stormy sky! The green is from stash, it was a bit dull so I stamped it with Memento Luxe Pear Tart pigment ink, and a background stamp by just Rite called Sweet Vines . It doesn't show in the photo, but there's a subtle sheen (and I'm rather proud of it!) The moon is a die-cut circle sponged with Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold Distress Inks, then I spattered some water on top to give a mottled effect. The bats are from the sam...

Hello! Can you believe it's already the end of June????? This year is EVAPORATING! Here we are with another challenge at Dream Valley and it's one that everyone enjoys: Be Inspired by a Film, Song or Book Our super sponsor is the wonderful Crafty Sentiments and a lucky winner will receive 3 Digis as a prize! I used the adorable Sweetheart Bunnies and my song is an oldie but goodie: 'Daisy, Daisy, Give me your Answer, do!' This is an anniversary card for my brother and sister-in-law, who have a tandem. I used Spectrum Noir pens to colour the image. I used a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Square die to make the mat. The papers are old ones from my 'magazine freebie papers' box, and the yellow ribbon is from Hobbycraft. The sentiment is by LotV and I used another magazine freebie, a labels die, to cut it, and tied a scrap of baker's twine into a bow. In the corners are various coloured stickers from Paperchase, I like how they pick up the colours in t...

For my DT card for The Squirrel and the Fox please scroll down to the previous post. Thanks! This fortnight's challenge at Dream Valley is a seasonal one - Halloween! Our sponsor is Di's Digi Stamps (which was Di's Digi downloads but she has a new site.) I used one of her adorable images for my card, this is called 'All Aboard' and she's available from the 'Halloween' section of the website here I love the traditional orange and black colours used for Halloween and Autumn cards! I couldn't actually decide what paper to use for my background, so I dug out various papers from my snippets Box and glued them at an angle to a snippet of white card. The vertical piece looks white in the photo (my camera skillz are not the best!) but in real life it's a pale blue. I used nesties to die-cut the image,which is coloured with Promarkers, and the mat is done with a Lacey Circle Nestie, using pearlised black card from Paqpermania. The spiders are cu...

Good evening, all! I'm sorry this post is so late, we've had Internet problems, but my daughter is now home from a weekend away and she found the wire that had become unplugged! Next week we're going to buy a new Router - exciting times!! Just as exciting is our latest challenge at Dream Valley which is the perennial favourite Anything Goes Our sponsor is Joanna Sheen who is offering a £10 voucher to spend at her online shop. Isn't that a fab prize?! Her shop sells Crafter's Companion gear, inclucing the cute 'Humphrey' stamps and Spectrum Noir pens, so that is what I used. This sweet image is called 'Flowers for You'. I apologise for the naff picture, the green Nitwits papers are brighter and prettier in real life! I got out my Spellbinders dies for this card: the flower is made with the Rose Creations set, the oval is the largest of the Floral Ovals, and the sentiment is on a Fancy Tag. Here's an inside shot: I coloured the...