Madcap Manor

My neighbour's son has just passed his driving test which is a good excuse to use this stamp, one of my favourites for cards for men who are allergic to 'cute.' Look at those old-fashioned wheels! Amazingly, there is the perfect sketch at Sketch Saturday here It had to be coloured British Racing Green, of course! The papers are all from stash, continuing the round/spotted idea, and the ribbon is recycled from a top. I raised the image on foam pads. Is everyone recovering from yesterday's World Cup shambles? My Scottish cousins are probably still laughing their socks off. Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Recipe: Stamp: Creative Expressions Promarkers: Lush Green, Leaf Green, Ice Grey 4, Tulip Yellow, Shale, Powder Blue Pearls: Kanban Stickles (on the yellow brasswork), Glossy Accents (on the windscreen) Papers from stash

This week's PB Saturday Challenge has the theme Travel/Holidays. I always associate ice cream cones with holidays, so here is a fab PB stamp which I bought from my local Art and Craft shop a couple of years ago when learning how to stamp. I love the papers, which are so hot and sunny! The proportions aren't quite right, I think - the image is too small for the card. Though there's plenty of room for the Basic Grey paper and loads of flowers scattered with gold glitter! (Only none of the glitter shows! Really, those flowers are drenched with gold!) Phew, what a scorcher it's been today! I did the ironing in my jim-jams this afternoon because it was cooler than jeans and T-shirt! Thanks for looking and have a good evening! luv, Mags x Recipe: Penny Black stamp 'hot but cool' Papers: Basic Grey 'Lime Rickey' Flowers: Prima and stash Promarkers: Almond, Vanilla, Buttercup, Tulip Yellow, Lipstick Red, Leaf Green, Powder Blue, Caramel Leaves: Woodware

This is for a Whiff of Joy challenge to use the colours from a lovely photo. I've tried to upload the picture here but the Force is not with my computer-fu. The adorable stamp is WoJ, of course, coloured with Promarkers and stickled. I used foam pads to give a bit of dimension. I stickled the edge of the Nestie in green and also the horizontal strips of the bp. Flowers are Prima. The sketch is from Friday Sketchers but I think I've missed the deadline. Never mind, I had fun! Thanks for looking, and go Japan! luv, Mags Recipe: Papers: DCWV Christmas Multi Stack. Promarkers: Almond, Vanilla, Caramel, Burnt Sienna, Lupstick Red, Leaf Green, Lush Green, Denim Blue. Martha Stewart doily border punch Flowers: Prima. Brads from stash.

My baby girl was 24 yesterday, and this is the card I made for her. I am amazed at how easy it is to make an easel card - the pictures on other peoples' blogs look so complex and lavish, but it's really simple! My Old Man Does Not Do Cute, but even he admitted it was good! I'm especially pleased with the little strawberry charm, from Whiff of Joy which is hanging on a twisted cord which I made from 2 pink embroidery threads. The inside: I distressed round the adorable Lili of the Valley image and also the card for the sentiment on the inside, with Tattered Rose distress ink, and stickled. Two of the papers are Basic Grey 'Nook and Pantry'; but the pink paper on the right and on the inside isn't, but I can't recall where it's from, sorry! The big flower is Prima, the small ones from my local Art and Craft shop, and they've been shimmer misted in gold but it doesn't show up in the picture. Let's be frank, I am not a very good photographer, bu...

I have been crafting while offline: it's amazing how much gets done when I'm not on Facebook or Twitter! This is my first card for ABC Christmas Challenge . The theme is Mistletoe. Up to now the themes haven't really suited the Christmas stamps I have (note to self: get more stamps!!) but this one seems to fit, I think. The stamp is from Woodware and I used a green Kaleidocolor pad to give some variation to the image. I like the faux buttonhole stitch around the leaves and border. I used a corner punch which seems to be by a firm called 'Make Me!', and stickled the edges. I'm gradually getting the hang of stickling, it's not as easy as it looks! Hope you're having a nice, sunny evening! luv, Mags Recipe: papers are Dovecraft for the bp; and DCWV 'Garden Party' for the strip, which I punched with a holly border punch by Woodware. The sentiment is from stash and the ribbon from a top from New Look!

I am extremely chuffed that I have 5 Followers, all of whom make fabulous cards. Thank you, ladies, for your Inspiration!

My son has moved to Shrewsbury to live with his girlfriend, and this is the card I made for them. The image is a free digi download from Pollycraft - isn't it sweet? This is the first time I've tried digi stamps, and with my daughter's help I'm getting to grips with Paint on my laptop. Since the recipients live in the country, and since the image is like an applique, I made a quilt! It's perfect for the current Allsorts Challenge Sketch I used scraps from stash for the background - how appropriate! - and faux stitching with a black pen. Coloured with Promarkers - but I can't remember which, sorry! I punched the corners of the image with a heart punch and filled it in with glitter - it looks better in real life, because the camera hasn't picked up the glitter very well. The sky has gone a funny blue colour - oh, I remember! That's what it looks like without clouds or rain! Today, maybe, at last, summer might be here! Thanks for looking! luv, Mags

Oh my paws and whiskers! I'm so sorry I haven't been around for a while. I have discovered the most useless key on my laptop: it disengages the link to the Internet. I must have hit it by mistake and I was doing my nut trying to find out what was wrong! Luckily I have a teenaged neighbour, who sorted the problem. In five minutes. I have been carding while away, of course. Here's one with one of my new stamps from The Greeting Farm which I bought from Quixotic Paperie I love these characters! The Challenge at Anyone for Anya is 'Fabulous Flowers'. The bp are from a Kate Knight pack, which was free with 'Cardmaking and Papercraft' magazine, and the blue square has some very pretty flowers on it which I cleverly covered with the sentiment, d'oh! The sketch is from Sketch Saturday It's one I'll be using again, hopefully with a bit more care so the bps show a bit better! I am practising my distressing and used Weathered Wood around the inner square...

Fly-by post while I wait for the spuds to finish cooking! There's a very pretty free image of a flower in a vase Here at The Creative Cottage. luv, Mags x

I began to feel wobbly and headachy a week ago. Things rapidly went downhill, and I spent the Bank Holiday weekend in bed with the 'flu. I even felt too grotty to read - and that is BAAAD! I ALWAYS have a book on the go. Anyway, after several days mainlining Lemsip, the temperature was more or less normal by yesterday, and by today the stuffy nose had cleared. I really appreciate how nice it is to breathe freely again. So that's why I haven't been online this past week. Today all is sweetness and light, and I have made a card while listening to Test Match Special. What Bliss! I'm so chuffed that I managed to cut Anya out with Nesties so that her legs dangle over the edge! I coloured Miss Anya Dressy (I got her from Dies to Dies For ) with Distress Inks, and Glossy Accents on her shoes and stickles on her petticoat and hat-trim. She is so elegant! I was never any good at Art at school (in the late 60s the idea was more 'free expression' than being taught techniq...