Madcap Manor

My daughter isn't feeling too good today, so I made this very quick card to cheer her up. The image is Evie from Tickled Pink Stamps I hope it makes Sacha smile! The sketch is from Sketch Saturday and it was so simple to put together! Gotta go and stock up on Lemsip for my baby girl! Thanks for looking, and have a good evening. luv, Mags x Recipe: Stamps: Lil' Lolita Evie; Penny Black text Promarkers: Tulip Yellow, Almond, Vanilla, Pastel Pink, Burnit Orange, Honeycomb, Azure Papers: DCWV and Basic Grey Lime Rickey Woodware North-West corner punch Black paper and card candy from stash

As I'm sure you can tell from the sudden glut of cards, I have been ignoring the housework, huzza! This one is a bit special, because my daughter's friend Louise has a new job and is finding it a steep learning curve. The sketch is a nice one from Anyone for Anya? though I didn't make the blue middle layer quite big enough! Louise loves cute, and pink, and flowers, so I had fun with all the elements! I'm also going to enter it for Cute Card Thursday whose theme is 'Text.' Well, the hugs message (it's a Penny Black clear stamp) is small but important, meant to cheer Louise up! The Anya stamp is 'Summer' from The Greeting Farm's 'Roll Call' set which I got from Quixotic Paperie I love how she's giggling with her hand in front of her mouth - so cute! I distressed and stickled the edges. The gorgeous paper is Papermania's 'Honey and Hugs'. Oh, by the way, the PB Mouse and Stocking stamp I used the other day is 'Xmas Mou

It's another Christmas card! The challenge at Just Cute Bears is Bear Necessities and they want clean and simple. I confess, there is glitter on the LotV Teddy's hat and also on the snowflakes! I finally got out my snowflakes Cuttlebug folder. I really enjoyed putting this card together, because I didn't have to linger over choosing background papers - it always takes me ages to decide! The lovely, straightforward sketch is from Friday Sketchers I shall definitely be using it again, maybe even for another Christmas card! What a grey day it's been today! I've had the lights on since 4. Where did all the sunshine go??? At least the cricket has been excellent! Have a good evening and thanks for looking. luv, Mags x Recipe: Lili of the Valley Balancing Bear stamped with Memento Tuxedo Ink coloured with Promarkers: Cocoa, Cinnamon, Caramel; Amethyst, Orchid, Powder Blue. Paper: Dovecraft and from stash X-cut punch Ribbon and card candy: Paperchase Cuttlebug snowflakes

DawnyP's blog was one of the first I came across, back at the beginning of this year, and her wonderful cards inspired me to have a go myself, and to start this blog. I am also a huge fan of LotV. So a candy that combines the two - well, I "squeed" like a schoolgirl! To be in with a chance of winning, Follow her blog, post the candy on your blog and link it to her post, and leave a link on her blog. Simples! If you haven't yet come across Dawny P's blog you are in for a real treat! luv, Mags x

Well, after a warm and sunny July day we now have grey cloud, rain and a chilly breeze. It's not quite suitable weather for 'Christmas in July' which is this week's Penny Black Challenge The sketch is from Sketch and Stash Challenge and my new bit of stash is the adorable image, which I bought from Blade Rubber Stamps when I went to London for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. The snowflake is punched from white card and given the Glamour Dust treatment. I went a bit OTT with the stickles (round the image, on the pine branch and dotted on the stocking) and Glamour Dust (on the stocking and snowflake), but, well, it's a Christmas card, after all! Have a good evening, everyone! luv, Mags x Recipe: Promarkers: Pine, Honeycomb, Satin, Blossom, Lipstick Red, Poppu, Lush Green Papers: Dovecraft (a Christmas stack that's lost its cover)and plain green and white from stash Image distressed with Bundled Sage Snowflake punch, Woodware; border punch Martha Stewart Red r

I can't find out how to add a picture to my sidebar, but I don't think all this delish candy would fit, anyway! It's from The Crafty Den Isn't it amazing!! luv, Mags x

Pink Gem Designs has this fantastic candy to give away. It ends on July 30th, and all they want is this picture and a link on your blog, and a comment on theirs. I still haven't had time for cardage today (I went to Sainsbury's instead! Lolz!) The cricket was amazing, though: Australia are on the verge of defeat to Pakistan! I keep telling my husband how exciting this is, but he doesn't understand... In other news, the whole French football team has been sacked in advance of their next friendly match! I can think of another team, much closer to home, who should be sacked, too. Yes, I listen to Radio 5Live, why do you ask????? Nighty night! luv, Mags x

Today is my daughter's boyfriend's birthday, and she asked me to make a card using this lovely Lili of the Valley stamp. Isn't this little lad just adorable? I put glossy accents on the red racing car, but the photo isn't good enough to pick that up - and irl the colours are brighter, but you get the picture! I distressed round the edges with Broken China, which is rather blotchy, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, and I will just have to practise. The fab sketch was from last week's challenge, so I've missed the deadline, but what the heck! This week I have mostly been cleaning the Manor, as it's the holidays, huzza! I have several bags of stuff for Oxfam, all my son's dvds and books are in boxes in the garage, and I have cleared and cleaned all my food cupboards! I am so impressed with myself!!! The downside is the smell of detergent that hangs around me - not my fave perfume! Hopefully tomorrow I can settle down in my nice, tidy spare room and lis

I made this for one of the mums at the Toddler Group that I help at twice a week at my Church Hall. She has just had her third little boy (so including her husband, that's four boys she has to look after, isn't that right, girls?!) I didn't write down all the materials I used, but the image is a Woodware stamp (so cute!) and I think the paper is from Craft Creations, but don't quote me! One of the best things about volunteering at a Toddler Group is seeing all those gorgeous babies grow up to be young ladies and gentlemen!! Even after they've gone on to school, their mums still say hello when we meet in Sainsbury's! And, according to my friend Jasmine who ran a pre-school for 20 years, kids who have been to a good Toddler group make friends more easily AND learn more quickly! That's really thrilling, you know! What's also exciting for me is that I've been asked to make cards for the group (it's called Early Birds.) My first commission! Ok, it'

This is my second post for today!! For my birthday present to me I indulged in some fabulous stamps from Tickled Pink Stamps and here's a card I made with one of them. Her name's Lilith. Isn't she wonderful? I was experimenting with monochrome, and since she has that skull hairclip, I chose Goth colours: grey and black and white. I punched a Woodware snowflake pattern to go behind the flowers in the corner, but they don't show very well. And the roses she's holding should be much brighter! It's not my usual style, but my daughter likes it! Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Recipe: Promarkers: Ice Grey 2, Ice Grey 4, Almond, Vanilla, Azure, Cocktail Pink, Mint Green, Magenta. Papers: Charcoal Pad - DCWV I think (cover is lost). Leaf punch (unknown manufacturer) Inverted corner punch (Woodware) White glitter paper, spotty ribbon, black gloss card, flowers from stash

My Goddaughter has graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury! It's no time since she was a baby yelling at the Vicar at her Baptism... The colours, yellow and silver, are the colours on her hood. The gorgeous Hedgie is Penny Black, of course, from Craftsulove coloured with Promarkers. I'm entering the Penny Black Saturday Challenge Papers are Papermania Rich Yellows stack, which I've had for an age, and the backing card is silver, from my local shop. Flowers and that fab crystal stud are Prima, from stash, I've used a Martha Stewart border punch, and the candy is a pressie from my daughter, from Paperchase. Sorry I haven't been around: it was my birthday last week and I got lots of loverly crafty stuff, and I've spent too much time playing and following the cricket, and not enough blogging or doing the dreaded housework! I'll have more cards to show you this week, promise! Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Recipe: Penny Black Slapstick Stamps 'A

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

Phew! The last week has been so busy! I apologise that I haven't been online very much to comment on your lovely blogs! I haven't been carding this last week either, but today I made time (mainly by ignoring the ironing!) to make a little something for the Penny Black Challenge This week's challenge is red-white-and-blue in honour of the American Independence Day. This gorgeous girl walking her dog is Vanilla. I can just imagine her taking her cute little dog for a walk in Central Park! I coloured her with Distress Inks, for a change. The papers are a download from Sweet Shoppe Designs Yes, this is the first time I've used digital papers, and I'm quite pleased how they turned out. The original colours are fairly dull (I don't mean this in a bad sense, just as the opposite of 'bright'!) and I haven't yet learned how to adjust the colours to brighten them, but I think the card has turned out ok. The photo makes the colours a bit darker than irl. The