Madcap Manor

The current LotV challenge is 'Love is in the air.' So I used these adorable bunnies - aren't they sweet? There was no problem deciding on the colours, it had to be Red, White and Blue in honour of The Wedding on Friday. So what did I use? The papers are: Bearly Mine (blue dots), Bo Bunny (red) and Kay and Co (striped) all from my scraps box! The sentiment is also LotV and I covered it with Glossy Accents to give some shine. The flowers are Wild Orchid and the heart border punch is Martha Stewart. I also used a Woodware leaves punch. The sketch is from the Create4fun challenge which I really like, even though I missed the deadline, I think! The card is for friends who have their wedding anniversary coming up. Tomorrow lunchtime I'll be posting about the new Dream Valley Challenge which goes live at 12, but I have to go to Saino's after Church, so my post may be a trifle late. Thanks for looking, and I hope you're having a good weekend! luv, Mags x Promarkers...

Wild Orchid Crafts is having a blog hop that ends on Saturday. There are some scrummy new flowers in the most delicious colours so you may want to pop over and have a look. luv, Mags x

It took me forever to make this card, because it's been one of those 'bitty' days. You know the kind when you do a small job here (stripping the beds) and then some carding and then another small job there (hanging out the washing) and a bit of carding and then a trip to Homebase to buy a new broom and then some carding... and so on and so forth! Anyway, it's done, and a slightly faded photo has been taken. The sketch is the current Anyone for Anya challenge. The stamp came from Dies to Die For , she is so elegant with her brolly. I paper-pieced her clothes and brolly with the Nitwits papers (from stash) I'd used as background. I stickled blobs here and there on the brolly (and also in a little puddle under the spike!) and the Wild Orchid flowers to look like raindrops. The frilly card edge is of course one of good old Matha's 'Punch Around the Page' sets. The lace is from the local market, the ribbon from Hobbycrafts. I'm also entering the Allsort...

Oh my!!!!!

All my photos come out faded - this cute Bugaboo digi Dino is lime green! The current Passion for Promarkers Challenge is 'Prehistoric.' Well, I'm a lover of History and Time Team and Dinosaurs, so I had to go for it! Only problem... no dino stamp. However, Bugaboo came to the rescue - I love how you can buy digis and just download them with no waiting! Though resizing and printing is a bit more of a faff than just using rubba. The sketch from Sketch Saturday was ideal. I used Basic Grey 'Origins' papers, they seem to fit. I used a new Nestie, 'Wobbly rectangles' to die cut the image, and drew round the edge to give a narrow border. I also ran a Shabby Shutters Distress Ink pad round the edge. I did the same with the sentiment, which was a mag freebie. I glossy accented his toes and heart, and the card candy has been coloured with Lime Green Promarker and stickled. Even my hubby likes it! WIN!! Thanks for looking, chaps. Only one more day to go before ano...

Hi folks! Suddenly it was a normal spring day ie grey skies and a chilly wind! I hope the sunshine makes a return on Friday for all the people lining the route or having street parties! I have at last got my first H and S stamps, a mini kit with a Bee Boy and Girl. Next month my dear friend's twins are being baptised, and they are perfect! I've made Isaac's card first, using the current sketch at Just Magnolia and Hanglar ans Stanglar because the sketch was just what I needed! Papers are a mix - Kanban, 'Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady' freebie set from Cardmaking and Papercraft, and a loose blue leaf from stash - I embossed the latter with my Cuttlebug 'Daisies' folder but it doesn't show too well! The ribbon on the left, which also isn't showing very well, is from stash. The flowers and the silver filigree corner are Wild Orchid, and just visible under the flowers are leaves made with a Magnolia Doohickey leaf die. I stickled the little lad...

It took me 20 minutes to make this card this morning, when I realised I was one Easter card short! And it's all made of snippets - the bp is Bearly mine, the butterfly is a Marianne die. I always try out dies whenever I first buy one, so this was hanging around my 'already made' box. The PB flowers were also from the same box. I used Rose Pink, Pink Carnation and Blossom Promarkers on the blooms (love how they shade together!) and Leaf Green for the leaves. I glittered the butterfly, glued everything together, et voila! The lovely Jules posts every Sunday with cards made only from snippets. She doesn't use any paper that hasn't already been cut, and her cards are inspirational. So I'm entering this to her 'Crafty Snippets Challenge'. Do go and look at her blog, I know you'll be inspired! luv, Mags x ETA: PB flowers STAMP I should have said!

Here's another LotV bunny! I love those daffs! The sketch is from Sunday sketch and stamp . Papers are Craft Creations and MME Bloom and Grow. The daffodil ribbon is Dovecraft, and I've had it for ages, waiting for a suitable stamp to go with it. I layered the ribbon on card punched with an MS Lattice punch. Under the flowers (from stash) a Magnolia doohickey flower die has been used to make the yellow flowers stand out a bit. Brads are from stash. The leaves are done with on old punch with no name (cue Ennio Morricone's music for the Clint Eastwood film!) and the sentiment was a magazine freebie. The two tiny orange stickers are Paperchase. I used flowersoft on the bunny's tail. Phew, it's hot! I think we'll have a nice cooling salad with our pork chops tonight! Thanks for looking. luv, Mags x Promarkers: Ice Grey 2 and 3, Pink Carnation, Lime Green, Leaf Green, Canary, Gold, Bright Orange

It's another glorious day and I am wearing a summer dress! Everyone I know has been doing a double-take and saying, 'Mags, you've got legs!' I've joined the Church Flower Arranging Team and had my first lesson today, watching the ladies put together the marvellous arrangements for tomorrow. They talked of rhythm and flow, and 'always leave room for the butterflies' - in other words, don't crowd everything together. It was fascinating! For now, I'll make do with the flowers on my cards, though I have some chrysanths and carnations and daffs soaking in a bucket so I can have a go myself! Anyway, now for the card. This LotV image always makes me smile! The current challenge is Easter . Papers are Basic Grey Sugar Rush, and the sketch is Sweet Sketch Wednesday . I added the candy in the corners to the sketch to echo the bunny's bounce over the Easter eggs and down. The sketch wants 3 embellies on the smaller circle so I added a rose and two buds (fro...

Hasn't it been a glorious day? And - amazing! - the good weather's due to last over the Easter weekend! Even though Monday's a Bank Holiday and traditionally that means rain! Appropriately, the challenge at PBSC is 'Easter Extravaganza' and I've used my new PB 'Easter March' stamp. Isn't it sweet? I love Margaret Sherry's cute animals - and stamping them is a lot quicker than cross-stitching them! Result! The sketch is from Inspirational Card Sketches who also currently have a blog hop. Papers are Daisy and Dandelion. The sentiment came with the hedgie, though I had to trim it down. Everything's been distressed with Tea Dye DI, and stickled. The border is a MS punch which I got for Christmas - it's quite a simple pattern, so I think it's useful for boys' cards. The flower is Wild Orchid and the ribbon is from stash. I hope you're all doing well, chaps! Enjoy the weekend! Thanks for looking Mags x Promarkers: Satin, Putty, Ta...

The current challenge at Anyone for Anya is to make a circular card, so I had a go at a skewed easel card. It's not very skewed at all, I got the fold wrong! Here's the front: I used a Marianne die to give the base dimensions. Papers are Vintage Rose by Craftwork Cards, and they are gorgeous! They were a freebie with (I think) Quick Cards. I'm always a bit nervous about using very busy paper, but I hope the pearlised teal card gives enough contrast. The image is CC Designs, and the stamped ribbon and bow are a new stamp from LotV which arrived yesterday! I stamped the bow twice and glossy accented it and decoupaged it with foam pads. I glittered round the striped paper and added glitter to her buttons and flowers and glossy accents to her shoes. Here's the inside: The sentiment is also LotV, and I just raised it on pads to act as a stop. The card is going to a darling little girl who will be 6 soon, and who has long blond hair like the image! I do like to tailor cards ...

Lisa has blog candy! Go to Lisa's Blog and add your name to the Linky thingy. Post the picture, with a link, to your sidebar. For a second entry become a follower of the Teddy Bo and Co blog and leave a message to that effect on Lisa's blog. Ok, now I need to faff about and try to remember how to post on my sidebar! I often think I'm becoming one of the little old ladies in 'Fawlty Towers', who never really knew what was going on!! luv, Mags x ETA nope, I can't seem to upload to my sidebar (where is a 5 year old child when you need one???)

Evening, all! Hasn't it been a beautiful day?? Every day is better with sunshine! Though I was a bit tummyish this morning, as last night the old man and I went out for an Italian meal, with wine and Irish Coffee! I met him in London on the way home from a nice visit to my sister's in Oxford, and the meal out was a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was lovely though I ate too much!! AND we had a candlelit dinner at home on Sunday - it feels like we're courting again!!! I had a request for a card this morning for a little girl's birthday - with no pink!!! So since it's spring I went for green and yellow. The papers are Papermania capsule collection. I added two strips of narrow ribbon (recycled from a top!) to the striped section, and used the doily lace edger punch again. The bunny is Lotv and so is the sentiment, which is new! I distressed with Shabby Shutters and edged with green stickles. The balloon and the icing on the cupcake have glossy accents on them. The bra...

Just a quick post - I am away to Oxford tomorrow to see my Sis, and wanted to get this card done for her tonight. I've used one of the adorable Tickled Pink Stamps Fashionettes - this is 20s Evie. I decoupaged her cloche hat and put it on foam pads, and also raised the image on foam pads. The sketch is the current Tickled Pink Challenge . Paper is from stash - yep, I'm slowly using it up, but I'm sure more scraps fall through a wormhole in space, because the box never seems to get emptier! Flowers are a mix of Wild Orchid and from stash - the purple rose has turned out brown in the picture, but it is purple, honest! The rose on Evie's dress is also Wild Orchid. The Magnolia Doohickey swirl is done in sparkly purple paper - I have wanted this die for ages, and finally bought it last week! The leaves are punched with a Woodware punch. I also embossed the horizontal spotty strip with the Victorian embossing folder and my Cuttlebug, though it doesn't show very well! Th...

We had loads of fantastic creations for the last Challenge at Dream Valley , thank you everyone who joined in! This fortnight's Challenge is nice and topical - it's 'Easter'. You don't have to make a card - an ATC or tag or Easter bonnet or jewellery or a box or... Wherever your mojo takes you, really! Our sponsors are the fab Stitchy Bear Stamps and the prize is a $10.00 voucher to spend in their shop. "Hi my name is Stitchy and I am Co-Owner of Stitchy Bear Stamps...we started this store April 1st, No Fooling haha..I live in upstate New York with my husband and two TEENAGE adults haha, I do say that loosely as they think they run the show here, NOT... I been creating stamps for a little less than a year now and I am totally addicted to the craft..I started about 4 years ago making digital scraps and I knew there was much more out there, so a friend of mine introduced me to digital stamps...and the rest they say is history...I look forward to seeing all the b...

Look! I made the top 3 at Anyone for Anya !!!!! Woot!

Hi, guys! It's been a frustrating week, since the Internet has not been full of love for the Manor recently. So I recalled the cavalry and he galloped to the rescue and fixed our Router! Honestly, my massive Olympia typewriter, which I was only just tall enough to look over, never had these problems! Though you did have to BANG on the keys - no power assisted steering on an Olympia, no sir! This card I made last week for a little girl at the Toddler Club, who's going on to school. Stamps are LotV, flowers are Wild Orchid. I can't find the list of Promarkers, sorry, guys! Papers are MME, and I glittered the edges. The leaf is a Woodware punch. Oh goodness, I'm watching Robert Plant on an archive 'Later With Jools Holland.' Ace music - but Jools has long hair!! It does look odd! Thanks for looking, all, and have a good weekend! luv, Mags x

Evening, all! Late post here, we have been celebrating a friend's birthday. I won't give away his age, but I'll give you a clue - he got a tin of Heinz Baked Beanz!! This card is for another birthday boy, my nephew, who's 21! It's no time since he was a yelling baby at his baptism! How time flies, eh? The image is Penny Black - these frogs are really useful for boys' cards! The sketch is from this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge which I turned on its side. It's ideal for the froggies, because the two lines on it made me think of water ripples. So I used blue velvet ribbon (Hobbycraft) to give a watery impression. The paper is Basic Grey Porcelain. The sentiment is also PB. I distressed the edge of the image with Shabby Shutters DI, and stickled the flies in gold. I also stickled the Marianne die swirl, just to give a bit of bling - I hope it's not too much for a boy's card! The buttons are from stash. I've lost my Promarker list, but I...

It's been too long since I entered the Anyone for Anya? Challenge. This week the theme is Easter, or a calendar page for May. So I made an Easter card! The sketch is from Sketch and Stash Challenge . The requirement is to say which old or new stash has been used - I always find this challenge is a good one for encouraging me to use old stash! So here goes: I've had the Miss Anya stamp for ages, and isn't she great for Springtime! The papers are Honey and Hugs, and the yellow is from stash. The lace ribbon is from Hobbycraft, the flowers are Wild Orchid, the glittered swirl is a Marianne die and the leaf punch is Woodware. All of those I've used before, but the Easter greeting is from a new stamp from Pink Gem - there wasn't enough room for the whole greeting so I cut it in half. I distressed the edges of the oval with Shabby Shutters DI, and stamped in the same ink with a very old swirl stamp, then I glittered the swirls. It's supposed to look as though Anya...

Happy Mother's Day to all you hardworking Mums out there! I hope you're having a day of pampering! This fortnight's theme at Dream Valley Challenges is 'Things With Wings.' The sponsor is One Stop Card Crafts and this fortnight's prize is a £10 voucher. At One Stop Card Crafts we have a big range of ever changing discount making and card making craft supplies. We are always adding to our range of craft supplies which are ideal for making handmade greeting cards, do-it-yourself invitations scrapbook pages, altered items and much more. Our card making craft supplies include free UK postage, our popular discount scheme and quick service means our customers keep coming back for more. Our prices are very competitive and this & makes us an ideal place to buy your card making supplies online. Some of our new products include Petaloo flower layers, Ranger Glitter Glue and Martha Stewart Punches. Now for my card. This little cutie is Butterfly Nora by C C Designs,...

My dear friend Ros has a really horrible cold, the kind that makes you croak like a froggie. It's especially tough because she's a teacher! This adorable image from LotV will cheer her up, I hope. Don't you just love the bottle of medicinal carrot juice?! The sketch is from Create4fun Challenge but I've changed it a bit, so I'm not entering the challenge. It's a very nice sketch, though! I used Nitwits papers from the old scrap box for the squares, and the circle (cut with a Nestie) is DCWV Garden Party stack. I stickled the edges and also the Prima flowers, and added 3 Wild Orchid rosebuds. The 3 dots are Paperchase stickers (they are so useful!) Tomorrow there's a new Dream Valley Challenge so I'll be posting after I get back from Church. There will be a cautionary tale of how not to craft. A glass of wine was involved! I hope you're all having a peaceful and creative weekend. Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Promarkers: Almond, Tan, Caramel, Cinn...

Only another week to go! I will be there from 10 - does anyone want to meet up? luv, Mags x