Madcap Manor

Morning, all! I am scheduling this post as I have hospital check-ups tomorrow and I don't know how long it will take! However, the good news is I'm still in remission from my bowel cancer. It's amazing to think that it's now 2 years since I started my treatment - and thanks to the incredible doctors and nurses of the NHS I am still here!!! So I hope this post appears at the right time. We have a topical theme at CRAFT Challenge which is Father's Day or For a Bloke. . This lovely image is Lighthouse by Sweet 'n Sassy. Icoloured it with Promarkers. The paper is from stash, I cut it so that the centre, where the lines cross, would be behind the top of the lighthouse, and added Spectrum Noir sparkle to the coloured wedges, and also to the yellow section of the lighthouse. The die-cut 'Dad' is made with a very old MFT alphabet die, and covered with Glossy Accents. Our great sponsor this week is Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. Take a look at the fa...

Good morning! I hope you are all keeping well. Our new CRAFT Challenge is to make something for Father's Day or for the blokes in our lives! I used The Dragon and the Knight for my Father's Day card, it's such a cute image! I used a Woodware corner punch to decorate the corners. The background paper is from an old magazine freebie. The DAD die-cuts are made with an old Die-namics alphabet die. The silver card I wanted to use was too bright, so I covered a scrap of card with several layers of silver embossing powder and used that instead. Our sponsor this week is: Doctor Digi's House of Stamps and our Sponsor for Star of the Month is: Star Stampz Now I'm off to do a huge tidy up, as both the grandchildren are coming to visit and I must move stuff out of the reach of little hands! Wish me luck, I'm going in! Thanks for looking, and have a fun weekend! love Mags B x

Good morning! I hope you are all having a good weekend! We have grey skies and a chilly wind here in S-E Herts, but on the bright side I have seen several Swifts flying by in the last couple of days, which means that Summer is on its way! On to our new Challenge at My Time to Craft! and it's to make something For the Men in Our Lives. Yes, one of those tricky creations for a bloke! I've made a Father's Day card - I know the actual day isn't until June, but I thought I'd be efficient and make one early! I used the Balloon Bouquet outline die from Simon Says Stamp and cut it in black card. I glued it to the card front, which is covered with paper from an old Studio Calico Kit. Then I cut the die again from snippets of coloured card and inlaid them. I gave them some sparkle with a Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen. The sentiment is from an old set by Clearly Besotted, sadly it's now out of print. Do go and see my teamies' gorgeous creations for ...

Good morning! I hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend! It's Thursday, so it must be another CRAFT Cahllenge . With Father's Day approaching next month, our theme is Father's Day or Male , so that those of us whose fathers are no longer with us can join in with a card for a male friend or relative. Our awesome sponsor is: Digital Delights I used Steampunk Octopus Freddie from Oddball Art. Isn't he suave with his top hat and monocle and elegant moustache? I cut the silver frame with Lawn Fawn Stitched Circles and the cogs with a Sizzix Tim Holtz die. I coloured the cogs with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress paint, then added some Peeled Paint embossing powder for a verdigris look. The paper is from stash, I like the 'compass' pattern! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

I have been biting my tongue ever since the lovely Shell asked me to join the DT for My Time to Craft! I've hardly stopped smiling since!!! So here it is, my first DT card, and the theme is DL It! I admit I had to look up what makes a DL card: it has to be 200cm x 210cm - that is the size of a third of an A4 sheet of paper. Tall and skinny, in other words (sooo not like me!!!) It's a Father's Day card, done in a 'Retro' style using papers and stickers from Basic Grey's 'Hipster' collection. I mounted the stickers onto the same ivory card as the card base, and cut them out with a border, so I could put them onto foam pads. The circular one is like an old vinyl record, and I covered it with Glossy Accents. The twine came from Whiff of Joy For those of you of a younger disposition, 'Rad' is short for 'Radical' and was a popular word of approval amongst all the hep cats when I was a child! Go and see the gorgeous makes that my te...

Good afternoon! if you're looking for my DT card for The Squirrel and the Fox, please scroll down to the last post. It's time for another challenge at Dream Valley! It's Father's Day today in the UK, so our challenge is to make something for Father's Day or, if you prefer, For a Man. Now, I know it isn't easy making cards (or anything, really) for the menfolk in our lives. They don't appreciate flowers and ribbons the way we do. However, that's what a Challenge is all about - think outside the box! And my teamies have some totally fabulous inspiration for you, if you go over to the blog and take a look! This cute chap is Alf, and he's from the fabulous Digistamp Boutique I coloured him with Promarkers - but I can't find the list of the colours I used! I knew I shouldn't have tidied my craft hovel, nothing is where I expect it to be!! The spotty background paper is a snippet from my stash, and so is the brown matting card. I used Sp...

Please scroll down for my post for The Squirrel and the Fox Good afternoon, my lovelies! It's Dream Valley Challenge time again! Our Challenge is 'Things With Wings' so use something like a fairy or angel, butterfly or bird, bee or dragonfly, or an aeroplane but not an airship!! Our sponsor is Digital Delights by Louby Loo and a lucky winner will receive a $5 voucher for the online shop. I made a card for Father's Day: This is 'Luvvy Owl' - I love his sultry look! I coloured him with Speccies and distressed around the die-cut with Bundled Sage DI, the edge under his feet has more ink added to 'ground' him. The mat is made with a 'Picot Circle' Nestie, and the card is by Papermania and it's pearlised. The papers are from the 'Alla-Prima' stack by Prima. I used a Martha Stewart punch and added dots of green Pearl Pen here and there. The sentiment is by LotV and I edged it with a Speccie. I decorated the inside, as well...

Afternoon, all! It's time for another Dream Valley Challenge! This time we'd like to see something for a special man or boy in your life. We have two sponsors this time: one lucky person will win a £10.00 gift voucher from One Stop Card Crafts A second lucky person will win 4 images of their choice from Sassy Studios I made a card for my daughter to give my hubby for Father's Day. The inspiration comes from Rubber Stamping by Kim Reygate which was one of the books that got me into cardmaking. Anyone who has read the book or visited her blog will recognise the technique of embossing and sponging on the torn paper. I used a background stamp by Great Impressions which I think came from Sir Stampalot and stamped on white card with embossing ink, then covered it with glitter embossing powder. A wave of the heat gun and a Harry Potter chant of 'Meltiamus!' and there was the white-on-white pattern. Next came the fun bit, sponging Distress Inks (Peeled ...

It' time for another challenge at Dream Valley and this fortnight's theme is Father's Day . You can make any kind of project - did any of you see Melly's amazing caravan for the last challenge? Just fabulous!! We have two lovely sponsors this fortnight: Karen's Doodles who very kindly gave us some images which the DT girls have used to great effect; and One Stop Card Crafts . This cute image is Herbert the Turtle chillin' with a glass of something sparkly! The sketch is from Inspirational Card Sketches it's perfect for an unfussy man's card, don't you think?! My paper is a double-sided sheet from Pebbles Inc Lil' Miss Collection which came from Dies to Die For . I used a loop-edged Nestie for the circular mat to echo the loops on the paper - I'm sure this is the kind of thing you chaps do in your sleep, but I was quite pleased with myself for thinking of it! The green ric-rac from my stash also echoes the loops! The sentiment is PB, the...