Madcap Manor

Good morning! I hope you all have a happy weekend planned with lots of relaxing crafty time! Once I have tidied my Craft Hovel (yet again!) and changed all the bedsheets I am hoping to do some colouring, because.... I have my very first Copics!!! They are Copic Ciaos, and I am hoping to ask for more for Christmas! :D My card today, however, was coloured using Spectrum Noirs. (I'm going to have to do a lot more colouring now, otherwise my Promarkers and Speccies will feel neglected lol!) At My Time to Craft our theme this week is Santa I went for an old-fashioned look. I must apologise for the picture quality, it was quite a gloomy day when I snapped it. The image is one of my favourite Santas: Antique Santa by Penny Black. He is one of their Slapstick Cling stamps. I added gold stickles to the stars on his coat and the one on his staff, and Diamond stickles to his fur trim. The papers are Papermania At Christmas Time by docrafts, sadly it seems to be unavailable now. ...

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...

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...

Good morning, all! I'm scheduling this post and I hope I've got it right! We have another challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox - where has the last fortnight gone??? This time there is a theme of 'Furry Friends' - we want to see the cutest, most adorable furry animals on your cards! Our Sponsor is Ellephantastic Stamps who are offering a choice of 4 digis to the lucky winner of this challenge! The DT were lucky enough to try out some very cute digis! I chose 'Roger Kite' he is so sweet! I love his expression! I coloured him with Speccies and cut him out with a Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Fourteen. It's quite an elegant shape, I think! I distressed with Broken China DI, and did the 'draw round the outside of the die and cut it out' trick for the narrow orange border. The papers were freebies with 'Quick Cards Made Easy' magazine last year. I used a Spellbinders Edgeability to cut the orange borders, and the LotV sentiment ...

In my previous post I promised 2 cards, but the plumber arrived to plumb in the washing machine before I posted the second. And then I had to clean out the blocked overflow pipe, which was totally gunked-up (technical phrase, that) with soap and fibres - ewww! The pong! But now I can share another card I made for the Seize the Birthday challenge, and which was originally going to be for a boy but I think the jungle flowers make it more suitable for a girl who keeps reptiles. I know three! The papers are Pink Petticoat 'Chevron' Collection. The Chameleon and the vegetation are from the 'In the Jungle' set by Woodware. I stamped the flowers and leaves several times, coloured them with Speccies, and cut them out to make a jungle scene. The leaves and flowers are only glued in the middle and the free ends are slightly curled to give some depth. All together now: 'A wim-o-weh, A wim-oh-weh, A wim-o-weh, A wim-oh-weh!' Thanks for looking! love Mags B x ...

Happy St Patrick's Day! Here's a card I rustled up to celebrate the occasion - my daughter's boyfriend is Irish and she's spending the weekend in the Republic with his family, I hope they like it! The image is a digi by The Greeting Farm called 'Good Luck Anya.'  I coloured her with Speccies and glittered the 4-leafed clovers/Shamrocks. The sentiment and row of hearts are also by TGF but I can't remember which sets they came from. The papers are by Pink Petticoat, and I distressed the edges with Frayed Burlap DI. The flowers are Prima and the die-cut leaves are by Whiff of Joy. Ribbon and gems are from stash. Nice and simple, eh? It took me a long time to make, mainly because my first two attempts at colouring Anya were really naff! I should practise with my Speccies more, the technique is slightly different than with Promarkers as they tend to be 'juicier'. We live and learn. I hope you're all staying snug and dry. The rain has bee...

Good evening, everyone! I hope you're all having a good week. I've been a busy bee with the dreaded housework, it's horrible to do though it helps when something funky comes on the radio and I can dance with the vacuum cleaner! (Though not as well as Freddie Mercury does in the video to 'I want to break free!) I've also made a Christmas card, using a lovely LotV stamp, Little Ivy she is adorable! I coloured here with Speccies (list at the end) and used the Blender to give just the faintest pink shadows on her surplice. Her wings were shaded with grey then slathered with Glamour Dust. The gold metal corner came from Whiff of Joy a couple of years ago; and the green-and-gold ribbon is from Pinflair in Hertford. So is the gold paper used to mat both the image and the LotV sentiment. Gems are from stash. The gorgeous papers are 'Silent Night' by Papermania, the spotted paper is actually shiny gold dots on cream paper. I also did the inside (it'...

Good afternoon, my lovelies! I hope you're all having a happy weekend. I have a TOP TIP to give you: Don't craft in a cardigan with loose, floppy sleeves! The number of times I've swept things off my craft table and onto the floor this week is ridiculous! There's one coloured-in Tilda that seems to have escaped completely! I'm halfway through cleaning my craft hovel in the hopes I'll find her! Amidst all the kerfuffle I did manage to finish one card without a mishap: The Sketch is from Seems a Little Sketchy and I flipped it over. The papers are Nitwits (though I didn't make a note of the collection, sorry!). I used a Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die on Tilda's blue mat, and the leafy Fanciful Flourish die is by Cheery Lynn, I added sequin flowers with tiny gems glued in the middle. The sentiment is LotV, the flourish is stickled though the light hasn't caught it. I also stickled Tilda's Star wand and her cute crown. The star embe...

Morning, all! It's time for another challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and this time we'd like to see Something New. That could be using new stash, or a card for a new baby or a new job! Our sponsor is The Digi Garden who are offering 7 digis to a winner! Have a look at their cute images - the DT were lucky enough to be given some of the new stamps to play with, and they are gorgeous! I used Molly's Polka Dot Heart she is so sweet! I used a NEW Spellbinder's die for the mat, it's from a set called 'Opulent Ovals.' I used Speccies to colour her, and dotted pink stickles on the polka dots on the heart. The papers were free with a magazine, flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, and the ribbon is from stash. I used a Woodware punch for the leaves, which are swiped with a Peeled Paint Distress Ink pad, and the butterfly is another Woodware punch with dots of Liquid Pearls on the body and stickles edging the wings. There are more liquid Pearls on the...

Evening, all! It's freezing tonight, proper brass monkey weather! Brrrrr! With snow on the ground I decided to make a Christmas card! One of the card magazines had a free gift last year of two 'Holly Hobbie' stamps - I used to love Holly Hobbie when I were a lass!  I coloured her with Speccies (I'm sorry, I forgot to make a list *slapped wrist!*) and Glossy Accented her boots, and used a Spellbinders Labels 4 to cut her out. I distressed with Broken China while she was still in the die. The mat is made by drawing round the outside of the die and cutting out. The sentiment is from the same Holly Hobbie set. The poinsettia is from Wild Orchid Crafts and the leaves cut with a Marianne die (I don't know which set it's from, sorry!) The ribbon is from stash. The paper is 'Rum'n'Raisin' by PaperArtsy which I have had for over 2 years! It's so pretty! I added Platinum stickles to the brown flourish. I used a matching paper withou...

Hi, guys! I'm sorry I'm so late with this, I should have scheduled it but time has been running away with me this week! Hopefully things will settle back to normal next year!! Our final Challenge for 2012 at The Squirrel and the Fox is Party Time! Very appropriate for this time of year, I think! The sponsor is 'Make It Crafty' (the store is closed until Jan 7th for the holiday at the moment) and the prize is an AU$15 voucher to spend in the shop! I used 'Party Zoe' for my card, which is for a Scottish friend to celebrate New Year, 'Hogmanay' in Scotland! I used my new Hero Arts Cupcake die for the base - I love it so much! Party Zoe is coloured with Speccies (list below) and I put Stickles on her blower and Liquid Pearls on the stars on her hat. Isn't she a happy little soul? I love colouring Zoe's MiC digi images, though this one took ages because I just could not  choose the right colour combo! Originally I went with pink but she d...

Good morning, my lovelies, and a very big welcome to my new followers! I hope you enjoy my rather eccentric corner of Blogland! It's time for a new challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and this time the theme is really easy - Use a Ribbon Our sponsor this time is The Digi Garden and they generously sent the DT some lovely images to use. One lucky winner will be able to choose 7 of their sweet images from their online shop! This cutie is called 'Immie's Scarf' isn't she pretty?! I coloured her with Spectrum Noirs (list below) The papers I used are from a Kate Knight freebie stack that came with a magazine last year. I wanted to do softer colours than the trad Red and Green for Christmas, so I chose Pink and Aqua instead. The icicles and Christmas Tree are both by Marianne from Crafts U Love and they have been coated with Glamour Dust. I also Glamour Dusted Immie's coat trim and wellies. I distressed the image, which I cut with a Nestabilities Flora...

Hi, guys! How are the Olympics going? I confess I've been listening to the Test Match from Headingley this last 5 days: I was making this card while South Africa was batting and Broad was taking 5 wickets for a pittance. What a match! But you don't want to hear me blethering about cricket! Here is Miss Anya from the Miss Anya Dressy set by The Greeting Farm. She is coloured with Speccies and the centre of the flower in her hair is stickled in gold. The outer frame is a Nesties Star Circle die, distressed with Tattered Rose towards the middle and Worn Lipstick on the edges. The sentiment is also a die-cut, from a Marianne Sentiments set, and I also stickled it. Papers are Nitwits Tour of London, except for the flower which was cut from an ancient paper by, I think, DCWV? The cover has long since gone from the stack! The flower and leaves are cut with a Spellbinders Rose Creations die and the star brad is from stash. The white seam binding came from Wild Orchid Crafts . ...

Well, I have just spent an amazing week at New Wine, a Christian Conference held at Shepton Mallet in Somerset. The weather was glorious, though just 3 days before we got there the campsite was inundated! In fact, I came back with a tan! Now that I'm home I see I have some new followers - Welcome! I hope you enjoy this madcap corner of blogland! Let me put the kettle on. One of the lovely ladies I travelled with is moving tomorrow, which obviously calls for a card. I will get to the one I made today anon, because I want to show you a card I don't like! You see, I saw on Kim Reygate's Blog that the challenge at Our Creative Corner is to show one of your cards that you don't like and give it a 'makeover.' That actually inspired me to have a go at some self-improvement!  This was going to be sent to my sister when she moved earlier this year. Now, the photo isn't so bad, but irl the colours just shriek at each other! The colouring of the image is blo...

Hey, guys! How are you doing? Welcome to my new followers! Take a pew, I'll put the kettle on! I'm feeling a bit surreal at the mo, having just seen a lovely documentary on Salisbury Choristers' School on tv, and now there's a programme on Queen!! From Byrd to Freddie Mercury - but it's all good music! Enough of this waffle! This card is for the Anyone for Anya? Challenge whose theme is to use TEAL on your creation. I love that colour! I love the pretty ducks it's named after, too, there are always several on our local RSPB nature reserve. So I coloured Anya's dress teal (with Speccies) and found some shiny teal Paperchase stickers in my stash, too. I distressed the image mat and sentiment (which is Penny Black) with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. The oval and scallopped oval are cut with Nesties. The pink card is pearlised, and is by Papermania. I added dots of Liquid Pearls to each scallop. The bp is Pink Petticoat Vintage Rose Collection, ...

Hi, guys! Is anyone else trying out the new Blogger? It doesn't seem too bad, once you get used to the new graphics. Here's an Easter card for a friend who keeps chickens. I apologise for the shadow on the photo, my Daylight Lamp has been tidied by someone and it isn't in any of the 3 different places he's put it in the past. Bless. The fun image is by Whiff of Joy . I coloured in Speccies (and I think I coloured part of her hat as hair by mistake, silly me!). There are Glossy Accents on her boots and stickles on her hair ribbons. The sketch is from a brand new Challenge called Sketch Challenges isn't it good? The swirl at the bottom of the image is cut with a Spellbinders Floral Motif die. Papers are from yet another freebie stack, this time 'Vintage Rose' by Craftwork cards. Flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, and I used scraps of ribbon to substitute for leaves.  The sentiment is by LotV and the gems are from stash. I'm entering the Sketch C...

Afternoon, all! I hope you're all having a productive weekend! I was sorting my stamps the other week and came across this little sweetie from Penny Johnson for Stampavie which I've had for ages! What a huge bunch of flowers! He's coloured with Speccies, the roses are stickled and there's Glossy Accents on the bow. I used a very nice Sketch from Fetch A Sketch . The gorgeous bright papers are free with the current issue of 'Quick Cards Made Easy' and the colours are so pretty. The ribbon is paper raffia ribbon and I dotted it with gold Liquid Pearls - and smudged one blob! But the smear of gold shimmer on the raffia looked so good that I added more smears, and also on the bow! Serendipity is a wondrous thing! So my tip today is - smear liquid pearls on your raffia to give it some bling! (It also gives your fingers some bling!) The blue flowers and yellow pearls are from stash, and the sentiment is LotV. It's great being back into a normal routine again! Than...

I apologise for this terrible picture, the colours are rather faint and faded :( The current Penny Black Saturday Challenge is to make a tag. I don't have any readymade ones, so I took a slightly battered ivory card blank and cut it to size. The sketch is from Mojo Monday , it fits what I wantwed to do very well! The background paper is Papermania, from the Vintage Christmas stack. I coloured another piece of ivory card with Shabby Shutters Distress Ink by smearing the pad onto my craft sheet, spritzing with water and dabbing the card until I had a nice speckly pattern. Very Time Holtz!! I used the small music stamp from the PB 'Clearly in Love' set, stamping with Versamark Gold, then tore round the image. I went over the edges of the papers with the Versamark, which gives a very pretty sheen that is nowhere in sight on the photo! The holly is a Memory Box die from Crafts U Love and I glittered the leaves with gold Glamour Dust. The lace is from stash, and so is the ribbo...

Hi, guys! It's time for another challenge at Dream Valley . There were lots of lovely entries for the Halloween Challenge last time, with spooky characters and spiders and bats and pumpkins! This time the challenge is 'Anything Goes!' Make anything, not necessarily a card - go wherever your mojo takes you! Unfortunately we haven't heard from our sponsors, so the lovely Melly is giving a £10 voucher for either Crafty Emma's Store which is full of the most gorgeously tempting stuff; or for Saturated Canary's Etsy shop of digital images. If you haven't yet come across Saturated Canary , do go and look! If you like the images Krista does for the Simply Sassy range for Sugar Nellie, you'll love these, too! Okiedokie, cut the cackle, Mags, what about the card? This is for my dad's birthday, which is today! We've just come back from Derby and a family lunch, which is why this post is so late! The lovely image is LotV, of course. My Dad always likes to...

Hi, guys! It's October already, and time for another Dream Valley Challenge . We had lots of great entries for our 'buttons' challenge - this week it's all about monochrome, so experiment with shades of one colour (except for skin and hair!) and see what you come up with! Our lovely sponsor One Stop Card Crafts is offering the lucky winner a £10 voucher for their online store! I made a Christmas card: I used a scallopped Grand Nestie for the card base, and the next size down for the blue card, and a smaller plain circle for the paper. The cute image is Lili of the Valley coloured in all the shades in the blue pack of Spectrum Noirs. I also used 99 (from the essentials set) and 133, 135 and 142 from the Skin Colours set. I slathered glitter over the snow spatters and the ground and also on the snowflakes, which were cut with a Woodware punch. The paper is Nitwits 'Heavenly' collection, and the ribbon is from stash. The sentiment is also LotV. I really like maki...