Madcap Manor

Hello there! Sorry I'm late with my post for the new Challenge at Dream Valley but I have been playing a demo of a new videogame that comes out next month and got a wee bit carried away. Yes, I'm a nerd. However, here we are with our new Challenge For Girls Only. Our sponsor is the amazing Crafty Ribbons so of course I used ribbon on my card! I used an old Miss Anya stamp from The Greeting Farm. I can't tell you the exact name because she has lost her packaging. The background paper is from an ancient Basic Grey pad which is long out of print, and I echoed the colours in the Copics I used on the image. I added Spectrum Noir to the flowers and a blob of Glossy Accents on her heart barrette. The ribbon is Lilac Grosgrain Ribbon from our sponsor. I added a wooden heart from stash, coloured with Copics and Glossy Accented. The embossed sentiment came with a magazine. My teamies have made the most gorgeous creations, do go to the blog and have a look! Thanks for ...

Hi, again! If you're looking for my DT card for The Squirrel and the Fox please scroll down to the post below. Ta. I'm a bit late today, it's been a busy Sunday again, but I'm here at last with a card for Dream Valley . Our theme is Sports - nice and easy, and perhaps a chance to get your Father's Day cards sorted! Our fab Sponsor is Di's Digi Stamps which used to be called 'Di's Digi Downloads' and one lucky winner will receive a $10 voucher to spend in the store! Go over there and have a look, there are some adorable, cute images there! I admit I didn't use a Sponsor image this time. I had this dynamic Karate Kick Girl from Redonkadoodles - formerly known as Redonkulous. I coloured her with Promarkers: I, like so many, am indebted to Kimberly Brown who posts wonderful videos on Youtube, and I used her recommended colour combo for the hair, I really like it! Isn't she fab? I used a Spellbinders Wonky Rectangle to cut her out. ...

Good afternoon, all! It's a beautiful, warm Spring day here in S-E Hertfordshire, with sunshine and blue skies! Such a lovely change, it seems as though it's been grey and cold for months! Here's a summery card featuring Anya from the 'Miss Anya Love' set by The Greeting Farm. I've wanted this set for ages, and treated myself after Christmas, it's a bit embarrassing that I've only just inked one of these cuties up! I apologise for the wonky photo, I'm obviously no David Bailey! I coloured Anya with Promarkers, and there are stickles on the flowers and Glossy Accents on the heart in her hair ornament. The elaborate mat is a Spellbinders 'Timeless Rectangles' die, another post-Christmas purchase. The papers are Nitwits 'The Bees Knees' collection, they are so pretty! The sentiment banner is by LotV and I put a foam pad in the middle and glued down the ends to give the curve. The lace is from stash. The flowers and leaves are ...

Hi, guys! I hope you're all having a good weekend! I am getting back into what my Mum called 'the rhythm of things' - a more elegant phrase than 'back to the old routine' though that's what she meant! Just before Christmas my daughter announced that she was leaving Waterstone's bookshop, where she'd worked for 4 years, at the end of December. As you can imagine, that was a bit worrying! But she immediately got online and within a week she had a new job! It's office work, with office hours and every weekend off! So of course I had to make her a card! This hard-working mouse is by The Greeting Farm, he was the first of their stamps I bought, about 3 years ago. He's coloured in Speccies (list below.) The papers are all Snippets, mostly Nitwits but the blue strip is Pink Petticoat. The Spellbinders corner (from the Parisian Accents set) uses a snippet of pearlised card. The lilac jute ribbon and the spotted ribbon are from stash. I added a ...

Happy Friday! This lad is so happy playing with his dinosaurs! He's Oliver and he comes from a set by The Greeting Farm which came from Quixotic Paperie . The papers (which are brighter irl and so contrast better - curse this dull grey weather!) is 'Alla Prima' by Prima. I edged the strips with Icicle Stickles. The swirly pattern looks a bit like wild, swampy dinosaur territory, I think! The tags are LotV and the stickers are Paperchase. The sketch is from this week's Anyone for Anya? challenge, I really like it! Ok, time to get back to the dreaded housework! Thanks for looking, and have a good weekend! love Mags B x Spectrum Noirs: TN2, FS3, 2, 8; GB11, 10, 8, 6, CT3; TB1, 2, 4, 5; BG 2, 4, 6; TB1, 3, 4, 5; DG3, 2, 1

Evening, all! And welcome to my new followers! The thank you cards I made last week have been distributed, so I'll be posting them over the next few days. They all have a sporty theme, since the Church Holiday Club was about sport.  The first two are made with a digi of Anya from The Greeting Farm  Isn't she cute? The bp on this one is from a book called 'Papers Papers Papers' which I picked up several years ago from The Book People. IRL the lime green dots look like tennis balls. The Tennis Net is made with a Trellis Deep Edger Punch by Martha Stewart. The ribbon was originally a sparkly silver, from Papermania via Hobbycraft, which I coloured with my Speccies. Unfortunately I can't find the lists of colours I made when doing these cards - they are somewhere in my Craft Hovel, underneath all the junk. I suspect that neither Kim and Aggie from 'How Clean Is Your House?' nor the entire Time Team would be willing to excavate in there... The bp o...

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, it's not Christmas yet, but it won't be long! So far I have wrapped 1 (one!) present! My son's birthday is December 5th so I tend to be a bit distracted until after that! Cardmaking, though, tends to get intensively Christmassy rather earlier. Here's another 8-incher! The papers and sentiment came from a magazine freebie but I'm sorry I can't remember which :( The sweet Christmas images are The Greeting Farm. I coloured in Speccies, and Glamour Dusted all the fluffy fur trim on their outfits. The mats behind them are cut with a Nesties die and embossed in a daisy pattern with my faithful Cuttlebug. I used more die-cuts on this card: the Memory Box Frosty border, a Marianne Poinsettia set, and a Magnolia doo-hickey swirl. They all came from Crafts U Love I Glamour Dusted the swirl and border, and added Stickles to the veins of the flower. The stars are Paperchase. The sketch is from Inspirational Card Sketches and as soon as I saw it I knew it would be pe...

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!

I love this little mouse, he's working so hard! I've had him for ages, but haven't inked him up since I've had a blog and a camera! He is by The Greeting Farm, and I think he must be no longer made as I can't find him anywhere :( Anyway, I was going to enter this into the Anyone for Anya? challenge, where I got the great sketch but I'd better not - never mind, it's an excuse to make another card for that challenge!! One challenge I will enter is Cupcake Craft Challenge - well, with a name like that how can I resist? Their theme is 'Bookworm' which as an ex-Librarian I think is brilliant! To the card! Papers are Funky Hand (dots) and Nitwits (I think, I forgot to label it.) I used an ABC embossing folder on brown Bazzill card, then went over it with sandpaper to show the blue core. I found the card with the pawmarks in my scraps box, punched out flower shapes and gave them several coats of clear embossing powder with a sprinkling of glitter on one la...

This card is for a chum of my daughter's, who reaches the ancient age of 24 tomorrow! The image is The Greeting Farm, one of the Oliver and Amelia sets. The sketch is this week's Sketch Saturday and I really like how it showcases the Basic Grey 'Origins' paper. The buttons are from the button-box I inherited from my MiL, the little ones have a really pearly sheen. I used embroidery thread to make the ties. I have just realised I forgot to add a sentiment to the bottom right corner - wot a plonker! It's too late now, the card will be out of the front door in about 5 minutes! I hope you're all having a good weekend! Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Promarkers: Tan, caramel, cinnamon, Burnt Sienna; Dusky Pink, Putty, Pastel Pink; Honeycomb, Burnt Orange; Powder Blue, Sky Blue, Azure; Ivory, Lime Green, Lime Zest, Tulip Yellow, Gold

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...

Sam is a friend of my daughter, and we've known her since she was 9 - that's 15 years! They grow up so fast! As you can see, I tried to make a circular easel card without the safety net of using a tutorial, so it's rather flat. The papers are downloads from Bearly Mine Designs and they are gorgeous! The cute Wild Sprout by The Greeting Farm is from Quixotic Paperie here I'm entering this into the Sketch and Stash Challenge no 39 whose theme is to make a round card. My new stash was the image, not used before, and the digital papers. I'm also entering it into Anyone for Anya Challenge where the challenge is... Anything Goes! I used Promarkers, and stamped round the edges with a swirly stamp and stickled - I don't normally do that, but it seemed right this time. Circles cut with Nesties, of course - what did I do BC (Before Cuttlebug)??? Today is grey, hot and muggy, and even my fingers are sweaty (ewww!). Do I Not Like That. I hope it's better weather tomo...