Madcap Manor

I've liked Squiggle Stamps for a while, but only yesterday did I realise that they do digistamps as well as rubba! So here's a card for their November challenge, Squiggles and Sparkle. Well, Miss Evie has stickles on her roses, and stickled swirls around her, and all the dp (K and Co) has been stickled, and the Wild Orchid flowers have been spritzed with glimmer mist, as have the punched leaves. Unfortunately this pic is pants (best of a very bad lot.) The colours are brighter, and the stickles and glimmer mist really gleam! Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x recipe: Promarkers Blush, Dusky Pink, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Pastel Pink, Cocktail Pink, Antique Pink, Denim Blue, Aegean MS doily punch

At the Toddler Club where I work we are privileged to be visited by Santa at our Christmas Party, and this card is for him! Trad colours for a trad Santa! The paper is Dovecraft 'Tis the Season. The sentiment is Lili of the Valley - I love the script! All the borders have been stickled with Waterfall glitter. I matted everything twice, on red card and then green for a bit of variety, and raised Santa on sticky fixers. Now I must tidy my desk (again!) It's impossible to be creative and tidy at the same time, I find! Have a good evening, and thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Recipe: Promarkers: Lipstick Red, Poppy, Blush, Gold, Leaf Green, Emerald, Cocktail Pink, Azure, Satin

This week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge is 'Monochromatic Christmas. Isn't this Traditional Santa gorgeous?! It was love at first sight when I saw him on The Glitter Pot website. I thought I'd give him a vintage look for his first outing, and I'm really chuffed that he came out so well! IRL the browns are a bit darker, he's not really this faded! And the stickles dotted on his coat and on the star on his walking stick aren't showing too well! I also stickled the snowflake. I used a nice, straightforward sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday which gives the image the main emphasis. Ok, time to see to tea. I can recommend Salmon smeared with pest and baked in foil, it really is yummy! Stay warm this evening! Thanks for looking luv, Mags x Recipe: Promarkers Tan, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Putty, Ivory Papers: Papermania Vintage Christmas Copper stickles Marianne snowflake die Brown card and ribbon from stash

The lovely Melly has blog candy! Do go and have a look at her blog, she makes some lovely stuff! luv, Mags x

I do like this image of the Holy Family. It's by Francoise Read for Woodware - I have all 3 of her books on stamping, she has a great gift for explaining techniques. Promarkers again: Tan, Cinnamon, Powder Blue, Azure, Leaf Green and Emerald. The halos have been glittered. I need to cover the insides with dp to hide the Promarker bleeding, then I'll have finished all my generalised cards for family and friends! I expect there will be one or two more Chrimbo cards in the next few weeks, but now I can make non-Christmas cards without feeling guilty! The partridge casserole was delish, btw - I made it like a coq au vin and it worked really well! I love it when a recipe comes together!!! Thanks for looking, and have a good weekend. luv, Mags x

No, S-E Herts hasn't yet had any snow but I have made another batch of Christmas cards! This one is a Hero Arts stamp, isn't it lovely? I stamped it on the card (ulp!) and used Promarkers (Leaf Green, Emerald, Gold, Orchid, Pearl Blue, Lipstick Red, Tan, Cocoa). The stars are glittered and the red baubles covered with Liquid Pearls. The insideds have octagons of Christmas paper to cover the bleeding through of the Promarkers, but all the piccies I took were horrible so I deleted them! Gotta go, I'm potroasting two partridges in half a bottle of wine and I need to peel some spuds. Thanks for looking and stay warm! luv, Mags x

I made this earlier today, left it to dry, and I'm almost too late to upload to Friday Sketchers The cute snowbaby is Pink Gem, coloured with Powder Blue, Cocktail Pink, Antique Pink, and Burnt Orange for her nose. The fur is stickled. Papers are DCWV Rose-coloured Christmas (I think, the front's missing) poinsettias are Wild Orchid, rest from stash. Gotta love ya and leave ya! Thanks for looking luv, Mags x

It's another Chrimbo card! This is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge (I've worked out why my links went wrong - I was linking to the page, not the blog. What a prat!) I love this cute cat crowned with holly! So pretty! I glittered the holly leaves and put dots of liquid pearls on the berries. I used a Woodware punch on the corners of the image and mat to give some interest. The holly papers are a Lili of the Valley download. The greens are brighter irl. The horizontal strip is a scrap from stash, edged with a holly border punch, also Woodware. (Can you see a holly theme here?!) The snowflakes are Marianne, cut from silver holographic card from stash. The big one is raised on foam pads, and so is the image. The corner is a sticker (Craft Creations), and so is the ribbon (Papermania) My, it's cold! I'm off to clean the kitchen floor: at least the hot water will keep my hands warm! Thanks for looking. Hope you're all having a good Thursday - not long till the ...

Ironically, one reason I lost last week was because I was producing Christmas cards! I made 14 of them in 3 days - phew! The first is a Woodware stamp, embossed in gold, from the Nativity set by Francoise Read. I used Tan and Burnt Sienna Promarkers. The trusty CB produced embossed white card and the gold holographic frame. White ribbon from Hobby craft, stickles on the halo and edging all the papers. The next has the same background, as you can see, but with a poinsettia pot (which I've had for ages and it's lost its packaging so I can't say who made it.) Promarkers are Tan, Burnt Sienna, Lipstick Red and Crimson, and Emerald for the leaves. There are stickles here and there, too! The snowflakes are Marianne, punched from silver holographic card. I reckon I only need to make another 12 cards and I'm done! Then my main problem will be finding a pressie for my old man. If mens' cards are tough to make, finding mens' presents is even worse! Thanks for looking, and...

I was very wicked last month and indulged in some new stamps from The Glitter Pot . So my trusty breadmaker and my Big Pot For Soup are working overtime - but soup is cheap, healthy and (though I say it as shouldn't) delicious, so it's a win-win situation! Especially on a grey, chilly day in S-E Hertfordshire! Anyway, I made this for my friend who had the twins on Monday, because she's home but the babies are still being monitored in hospital. It's hard for her. I think she'll like the card - she likes History, and I get a mediaeval vibe from the image, as though the flowers have been scattered on an old tiled floor. Romantic, or what? I stamped on the card itself (gosh that's scary!) and used Blue Pearl and Orchid in patches, blended together to give a soft, worn look. The flowers are all 3-D, I used Poppy and Crimson, Gold, Antique Pink and Amethyst Promarkers for them. There's a topaz gem in the middle of the poppy. The dots on the background (which can o...

This pretty sketch is from Sketch Saturday and I'm sure I'll use it again. The Penny Black Saturday Challenge this week is a lovely one - All My Favourite Things. Where do I begin? I love PB, especially the cute hedgies (these are from the 'Bundle of Joy' set), and I love my Promarkers, and I loved my local craft shop (where the green gingham Craft Creations paper came from) until it closed, and I love punches, especially Martha Stewart, and I love Wild Orchid crafts flowers and I love stickles!! Most of all, I love my dear friend Nic, who had twins on Monday night, so this card is for her! Hubby has given up the footy in disgust and now is playing his computer game! Thanks for looking, and I hope you're having a better evening than our footy team!! luv, Mags x PS I got the idea for the MS lace corners from the inspiring Coops I hope you don't mind, hun! Promarkers: Vanilla, Caramel, Cocoa, Ivory, Pastel Pink, Azure. The sentiment is a sticker. Papers from st...

A Christmas card for one of my Sunday School kids, who lurves pink! The image is a Lil' Lolita from Tickled Pink Stamps - I love these quirky stamps! The sketch is this week's Friday Sketchers Challenge . I used Christmas papers from my stash (the pad is missing its front so I don't know the make!) which included the sentiment. The thin white ribbon is velvet, from Hobbycraft. I stickled her sash and bows and stuck purple gems to the middles of the snowflakes for a bit of bling. I remembered to choose the paper before colouring and matched the pink and purple snowflakes. I'm learning the tricks of the trade - slowly! My hubby is watching the footy - no, he's gone to the kitchen for a can of lager, since France are 1-0 up! I might be back with another card soon, if I can get a reasonable picture. Thanks for looking! luv, Mags Promarkers: Blush, Dusky Pink, Pastel Pink, Azure; Cinnamon, Cocoa; Cocktail Pink, Antique Pink; Orchid, Amethyst.

The current challenge at Bugaboo's Catch the Bug Challenge is to make a card using their sketch for World Kindness Day. No, I hadn't heard of it, either! The project has to be for someone as a kindness. This card is for my friend, who will appreciate the sentiment. Our vicar left in March, and she has been one of the people who have kept us going. Her sense of humour, like mine, is somewhat warped! This card is an encouragement and a thank you, I suppose! It's a digi image from Bugaboo Stamps coloured with Promarkers (once again I didn't list the colours! What a prat!) The papers are Basic Grey and the gems are from stash. I glittered round the sentiments and image with stickles. My friend loved the card, which is most gratifying! Hasn't it been cold today? I'm going to make a cup of chocolate and visit blogs, then I think it'll be time for bed, with a nice hot water bottle! Thanks for looking, and stay warm! luv, Mags x

I haven't been online in days, and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms! How sad is that? I've been doing Churchly things as we begin to prepare for Christingle and the Nativity Play. We're starting early this year, but of course the last few days will be a total rush as usual! Anyway, to the card! I meant to enter this into last week's PBSC, but I missed the boat. Too bad! Joey will recognise the stamp and papers because they're from the blog candy I won! The image is Penny Black, the papers are 'Paisley Road', the flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts. I didn't list the Promarkers, 'cos I just knew I'd remember 'em. Nope. It's terrible having a middle-aged memory, sometimes I even forget my children's names!! Now, I know that gorgeous armful of flowers are meant to be daffs, but I coloured them pink and put blobs of glitter glue to cover the trumpets, and I think it doesn't look too bad. I also used my Woodware trimmer with a wavy-edg...

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...

Over on the Pollycraft Monday Challenge the theme is 'It's Chill Time.' So here's a chilly, snowy card with the sweetest Penguins, which were a freebie. I'm getting into digi images slowly, though it's still easier for me to use rubber rather than faffing around trying to work out what to do on the computer!! I'm also entering Simon Says Challenge as this week they want white cards, apart from the image. Well, I've seen some fabulosus white cards recently, they look so delicate and sophisticate, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I used 3 CB folders, ribbon, and 2 Marianne snowflakes heavily glittered (I have interesting patches of glitter on my jeans, too.) I also randomly glittered the embossed papers, and the gem in the middle of the snowflakes is actually a clear diamond, not yellow. I edged everything with a silver Versacolor pad and used a MS punch on one edge. Thanks for looking and have a good evening! ETA: why are my links not working? I ...

Have any of you been to Glastonbury? I've only seen pictures on the telly, and I'm jolly glad! Camping in the rain and mud was something I did as a kid (wherever my family camped the rain always followed us) Been there, done that. This little chappie, though, is on stage at Glastonbury! There's brown mud, green grass (the growing kind, you naughty people, not the wacky kind!) and blue rain. But there are star-shaped floodlights picking him out, and he's about to be famous! Ok, ok, enough storytelling! This cute chap is a Sugar Nellie and the sketch (which does look a wee bit like a stage, you gotta admit!) is this week's Sugar Bowl Challenge with the option of 'One For The Boys.' It came along at the right moment, because my daughter wants a card to send to a friend, and the sketch was pretty inspiring! ok, time to see if the stew's cooked. Have a good evening, and thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Recipe: Promarkers Blush, Dusky Pink, Pastel Pink; Cocoa,...

I won! It's fantastic! I was feeling quite low yesterday (hectic weekend organising a children's party at Church on Sunday evening and then Microsoft Word decided I wanted re-a-l-l-y w-i-d-e margins for my documents so that there were only 2 words to a line and it took ages to go through and correct everything.) So this lovely surprise was very welcome indeed! If you haven't seen Joey's blog hop over, she's an inspiration! Have a good day, all! luv, Mags x