Madcap Manor

Here's my rather belated card for our new Challenge at CRAFT Challenge and the theme is Winter I went with a fairly simple design because the image is so pretty! The digi stamp is Prissy Poinsettia by sponsor Robyn's Fetish. I coloured it with Copics and added gold Stickles to the centre. The image and the gold background are cut with Spellbinders' gorgeous Divine Eloquence dies. Our lovely sponsors are: Robyn's Fetish Doctor Digi's House of Stamps Sunsational Stamps Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Hiya! We have DT Call at Dream Valley Challenges. If you've ever wanted to try a Design Team, now's your chance! We are a very friendly bunch! Hop over to the blog, there's a pinned post with all the details. Give it a go!!! Now for this fortnight's Challenge, and our theme is Buttons and Bows . I have several buttons on my card and there's one real bow and also one on the cute image! The sweet image is Katie Jumping Rope by sponsor Robyn's Fetish .  The papers are from an old pad by Cart-us called 'Flowers & Birds' which sadly seem to be discontinued.  The buttons and ribbon are from stash.  I distressed the image mat with Spun Sugar Distress Ink, and gave her dress some sparkle with a clear Wink of Stella pen. Have a look at my lovely teamies' creations and be inspired! Thanks for looking, and I'll leave you with something I've been singing since I made this card! Ladies and gentlemen - 'Buttons and Bows' sung ...

Good morning! And Happy Thursday! Great excitement here at the Manor, as our daughter had her second scan and her baby is a boy! He's due in July. She has already bought him three adorable onesies with dinosaurs on them! On to today's CRAFT Challenge which is a Sketch Our sponsors are: The fabulous Robyn's Fetish And the adorable All Dressed Up I used Love Birds from Robyn's Fetish - too cute! For the background I wove strips of 1 1/2 inch wide paper together. The heart die-cut mat is a Spellbinders die and the sentiment is an old one by Stampendous. I added Wink of Stella to the birds' hearts and to the boy's crest and the girl's bow. The heart gems are from stash, I coloured them with a red Copic to match the hearts on the image. Do go and see the gorgeous variations on the sketch that my teamies have created, and also have a look at a special offer from KennyK, 50% off two of their digis! Not bad, eh? Thanks for looking! lov...

here is my belated post for the new Dream Valley Challenge, which is the very topical Autumn Colours . Think red, orange, brown, tan, green..... Our sponsor is the wonderful Robyn's Fetish . I used a gorgeous autumnal image called Cornucopia I used papers and card from stash to layer, and Tea Dye Distress Ink around the die-cut image. The sentiment is made with stickers from an old docraft set which I've had for 5 years! It's always good to use up stash!! My teamies have made some gorgeous autumnal creations, be sure to check them out to be inspired!! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Good morning! We have another Challenge up at Dream Valley - where has the last fortnight gone??! This time our theme is Distressing which can be either roughing-up the edges of your papers, or using ink. Our sponsor is Robyn's Fetish The DT were allowed to use some of their fab images, I went for Violet Red Hat Gal . I distressed round all the papers using Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, which is such a pretty pinky-red. It doesn't show up too well in the photo, unfortunately, but irl it adds a haze of colour on the edges. I used Promarkers to colour her, and added stickles to those fabulous feathers! The papers are a magazine freebie from 2012, 'Love Lives here' by Raspberry Road. The swirl die-cut is made with a Magnolia die, the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and the ribbon is from stash. The butterflies were made with a Martha Stewart punch, and glittered, the wooden heart has been coloured with Festive Berries ink and covered with Glossy Accents....

Hi, guys! At CRAFT Challenge this week we'd like to see your DIY embellishments! Our two sponsors are: Robyn's Fetish Sweet n Sassy I used Daisy Days by robyn's Fetish. The papers and ribbon are from stash. I used Crealies dies to cut several flowers, layered them, then added a gold brad in the centre. The leaves are made with a large Woodware punch and the sentiment is by Penny Black. Sorry this is late - I have been sorting the house ready for a visit from my Granddaughter this weekend, and there was an awful lot of 'Stuff' that had to be cleared out of the reach of little hands!!! Go and see the ingenious embellies that the DT has made, and have a go yourself! Who needs ready-made embellishments when you can make your own? love Mags B x

I'm so sorry this is late - once again I mucked up the scheduling. :( Our theme for the Challenge this time is Easter - and it's suddenly getting close! I gave up chocolate for Lent, so I will really enjoy my Easter egg this year! Our sponsor this time is the amazing Robyn's Fetish I used the cute Easter Girl . She is coloured with Copics and her wings have been stickled. The background paper is from the Spring Fling stack by First Edition, I went over the eggs with a Wink of Stella pen for some added glitz. I used a Spellbinder's Floral Oval die for the mat. The bow is made with a scrap of ribbon from stash, and the silver-embossed greeting is by Clearly Besotted from the All Occasion Sentiments set. Ga and be inspired by my teamies' great creations! Thanks for looking, and have a good week! love Mags B x

Hello! It's another Monday, and there's another Challenge at Dream Valley . Our theme this fortnight is Getting Ready for Christmas Yes, we are encouraging you - and each other - to create something Christmassy! Our sponsor is the amazing Robyn's Fetish and a lucky winner of the Challenge will be able to choose 3 of their fab digis as a prize! I apologise for the slightly faded photo, irl it's brighter! When I saw Paul Penguin I immediately wanted to use this paper, which is from my stash and very old! I coloured Paul with Promarkers and used Spellbinders dies for the mats. The sentiment is white heat-embossed onto a scrap of red card. I added the background paper and the image quite carefully, because I imagined a scene where all the little penguins are sledging and skating and Paul is walking by - perhaps he's Dad, come to call them in for their tea? I hope you'll go and be inspired by what my teamies have done with the theme, and then join in! C...

Good morning! When you read this I will be in Derby with the Olde Manne, the kids and kid-in-law and the gorgeous granddaughter! My niece was married on Sunday, and we all stayed overnight at the hotel where the reception was held. A Four Star Hotel, how posh! In the meantime, here is the new Challenge at Dream Valley . Our theme is Summer . Now, in the UK Summer quite often includes rain, a cold wind, and even hail - but we're going to be optimistic and go for sunshine, the seaside, ice cream - anything summery! Friends in the Southern Hemisphere, I hope this Challenge will remind you of warmer days to come! Our fabulous sponsor is Robyn's Fetish and I have used an image which I've had on my laptop for ages but never got around to using: It's a Dragonfly Day . I used Promarkers, and covered the Dragonfly's wings with stickles and its body with Glossy Accent. The background paper with the butterflies is one I bought years ago, when we still had a local cra...

Good morning, all! I hope you're having a great weekend! This is a scheduled post, as on Sunday I will be at my niece's wedding! Our Challenge this time at The Squirrel and the Fox is to use Ribbon AND Lace not one or the other but BOTH! it's an excuse to make something girly and pretty! Our sponsor is the wonderful Robyn's Fetish and the DT were lucky enough to be given some gorgeous digi stamps to work with! This fabulous image is Christie Angel. I think she has a cute 'folk art' vibe so I made a 'folksy' card. I coloured her with Promarkers and then cut her out and popped her onto foam pads. The yellow mat is cut with a Spellbinders Lacey Square die, and the quilt paper is cut with a plain square die. The bright papers are snippets from my stash, but I forgot to note where they came from. Sorry! The ribbon is from Hobbycraft and the white broderie anglaise lace is from my sewing basket! The sentiment is embossed in blue and covered with...

For my DT post for The Squirrel and the Fox please scroll down to the previous post. Ta. Good afternoon, everyone! We have a new challenge at Dream Valley which is Big Birthdays Our lovely boss-lady had a special birthday this weekend, so this challenge is in her honour! We are asking for Special birthdays - eg 1, 18, 21, or any of the ones ending in a big, fat Zero! Our Sponsor is the amazing Robyn's Fetish Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is proud to sponsor this challenge Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is happy to award the winner 3 digital stamps The DT were lucky to have some images to work with: this is Heloise the Garden Girl isn't she sweet? A lovely friend wi...

If you're looking for my post on The Squirrel and the Fox Challenge please scroll down to the previous post. Ta. Good afternoon! It's a beautiful sunny day here in Hertfordshire, but there's a definite nip in the air, so I have my thermal socks on as well as my thermal unmentionables!! We are back at Dream Valley Challenges after our winter break, and the first one for 2014 is definitely challenging for me - Boys/Men Our sponsor is the wonderful Robyn's Fetish Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is proud to sponsor this challenge Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is happy to award the winner 3 digital stamps I already had this adorable Choo Choo Charlie and it's just r...

For my DT card for The Squirrel and the Fox please scroll down to the previous post. Ta. Good afternoon, all! I hope you're having a happy and relaxing Sunday afternoon! Our new challenge at Dream Valley is up and running, and it's a great colour challenge: Monochrome - use shades of just one colour (apart from skin and hair if you're colouring a person.) There are some lovely examples from the DT - and the amazing Mel has once again created something awesome from paper, you really must go to the Challenge blog and see it! Our sponsor is the fab Robyn's Fetish and a lucky winner can choose 5 digis from the shop! I already had the beautiful Gilded Christmas Dove and I made a Christmas hanging: Here is a close-up: I coloured with Spectrum Noirs, GB7 to GB1. I added gold Liquid Pearls here and there. The ribbon is from my sewing box, I sandwiched it between the image and a backing of gold card from my stash. I need to find a large yellow bead to hang ...

Good morning! The new challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and the theme is to use 'something spooled.' That can be lace ribbon, twine, string - anything that comes of a spool. Our sponsor is the fab Robyn's Fetish and a lucky winner will be able to choose 5 digis from the shop! The DT could also use some images, I chose English tea cup isn't it pretty? I used a Go Kreate large Frilly Die to make the shaped card blank. The background paper is by Bearly Mine, I love the roses! I used a Spellbinders Stately Circles die for the mat. The image is coloured with Speccies, and the roses have been Glossy Accented. The flowers are by wild Orchid Crafts, and the fern is made with a Memory Box die (it was a pain to cut, even in Excalibur, my gorgeous Grand Calibur!) I used two spooled items - a length of lace, and some organza ribbon. Do go and see what my teamies have made, they will inspire you to dig out your spools and have a go! Thanks for looking! love M...

Good afternoon, all! We have a lovely challenge today at Dream Valley which is Animals The sponsor is Robyn's Fetish Digi Stamps and one lucky winner will have 5 digis from the shop! I used an image I already had, this is Mouse with Christmas Cookie He is coloured with Speccies (list below). The fur trim has Glamour Dust on it, and the yummy cookie has been Glossy Accented. The papers were another magazine freebie - I love the gingerbread men on the back paper! The sentiment may have also been a freebie, it was all on its ownsome in my 'Sentiments' file. I used a Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch-Around-the-Page punch and also a Snowflake punch which has also been glittered. The spotty ribbon and the green gems are from stash. Go and see the lovely work done by my talented teamies! Remember, you don't have to make a card, as long as it follows the Animal theme! Thanks for looking, and have a good week! Challenges I'm entering: Robyn's Fetish Ch...

Here I am at last! I'm sorry I'm late, today ran away with me! I hope you're all keeping well, my lovelies, and not suffering with snow (in the North) or excessive heat (in the South)! It's time for another Dream Valley Challenge . We had a record number of fabulous creations for the last challenge, it's inspiring to see such gorgeous work! The theme this fortnight is 'Girls, girls, girls,' so get out all your pink and pretty stash! We're sponsored by the lovely Robyn's Fetish and the lucky winner will be able to choose 5 digital stamps! The DT were generously given stamps from the store: mine is Easter Girl . Isn't she a doll? I used Promarkers to colour her and stickled her wings and the centre of the flowers.. The basket holds eggs, but I covered them with two tiny sequin flowers. The green mat was cut with a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis rectangle and the leaves used a Woodware punch. Gems are from my stash. The papers are Pink Petti...

Good afternoon, all! Apologies, I meant to schedule this post but it didn't work! However, at last I'm here with my DT card for the first challenge of 2013 at The Squirrel and the Fox and our theme is Anything Goes Our lovely sponsor is Robyn's Fetish who are offering our lucky winner their choice of 5 digistamps! The DT were generously given some images to play with - I chose the adorable 'Puppy Paws' who looks so much like my brother's dog, Millie! I used Speccies to colour her in. The brown circular mat is cut with a Nestie, and the horizontal one with an EK Success punch. All the papers are Snippets, the blues are Nitwits but I can't remember where the pawprints came from. The button and twine are from stash. The sentiment is from a Woodware clear set called 'A Dog's Life.' I coloured 3 tiny heart gems with DR7 Spectrum Noir and glued them over the 'Os' I'm entering Pixie's Crafty Snippets because everything, ev...

eta apologies for the delay, I thought I scheduled this, but something went wrong! Hi guys! Once again it's time for another challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and this time our theme is either Summer or Winter . Our sponsor the the fabulous Robyn's Fetish who generously let the DT use some of their images. I chose 'Summer' as a change from Christmas cards! I'm sorry the picture is so wishy-washy, the colours irl are much brighter. I coloured the lovely Sunflower with Promarkers and used a Spellbinders Labels 20 20 to die-cut it. The mat is cut with a Nesties trellis die, and the horizontal strip is also edged with Trellis elemants. I distressed with Scattered Straw DI while the image was still in the die. The corners, which I went over with gold Liquid Pearls, are Spellbinders' Parisian Motifs. I used a Cheery Lynn Mini Fanciful Flourish and also a Martha Stewart 3-in-1 hydrangea punch for the little flowers, which have gems in the middle of t...

Hiya! I'm back from a wonderful, sunny week in the Lake District! It's a lovely place for a holiday, we had some great walks and great beer - beer always tastes good when you've spent some hours tramping across the countryside! Anyway, here's my card for the next challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and this time the theme is 'Anything Goes'. Our lovely sponsor is Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and one lucky person will win 5 of their stamps! I apologise for the blurry picture, I had to take it in a hurry so I could get it to the recipient on time! This card is for a friend who has just celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary. Her sight is poor, so I needed to make something with a lot of contrast. The background is white card embossed with two Cuttlebug folders, matted onto red card. The Martha Stewart hearts are punched from the same red card and stickled. The glittery ribbon is from stash, and so are the two hatpins. The sentiment is Lili of ...

Good morning! It's time for another challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and this fortnight the theme is very topical - Make It Sporty! Our lovely sponsor is Robyn's Fetish and the DT were fortunate to be able to use some of their cute images. I chose s. s. Hoppity . The rowing events in the Olympics are taking place on the River Lea just a few miles from where I live, so this was the perfect image! I used Speccies to colour him in, and stickled all the water. The corners have been punched with a Woodware punch. The 3 strips of Velvet ribbon are from stash, they hide the join where I glued 2 pieces of paper from Prima's 'Alla Prima' collection. The dragonflies are Magnolia dies, cut from a scrap of yellow paper and then thickly stickled. I only glued the bodies down so that the wings could be raised to give a 3D effect. The sentiment is an LotV stamp. We have been preparing for our Children's Holiday Club at Church, which has an Olympic theme, and ...