Madcap Manor

It's too long since I entered the Penny Black Saturday Challenge ! The current request is "Stitch It Up" using stitching, either real or faux. Well, my sewing machine is at the back of a cupboard and my hubby has strewn papers across the dining table, so I did the faux version using a fine nib pen. I was lucky enough to win the Penny Black stamp from the lovely Joey . Wouldn't it be blissful to be having a picnic like this with lots of cake!! The papers were a mag freebie, the Serif paper stack Picnic in the Park. The paper ribbon (which irl is redder than this!) is from Wild Orchid Crafts, and it makes a nice, crisp bow! The text is also PB. The card candy was coloured with Ruby promarker and covered with Glossy Accents, and I also Glossy Accented the tarts. There's a bit of gold stickles around the candle flame, too. And that's that! Now I'm going to have a quick shower, and then I'm off to London to see a cricket match with hubby and some friends fr...

This is a card for a friend who's had lots of little things going wrong. The image is Lily Lemon, by Kraftin' Kimmie, and there's a fantastic text, 'When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.' Now, it's taken me a while to get used to Anne Rodriguez style, but I finally decided I do like them, they're quirky and elegant (both things I'm not!!) So you may see one or two more of them over the next weeks! Well, I have a birthday coming up, and part of the fun is writing out a long and extravagant wishlist: the 21st Century's equivalent of window shopping! The terrific sketch is this week's Cute Card Thursday Challenge and it's a corker! The papers are Cosmo Cricket 'Togetherness' which is a collection with a great '50s vibe! The flowers are Prima e-line, with a gem from Paperchase in the middle, and again the Magnolia flower die was used for a base. The swirl under that is a Marianne die. The ribbon, which is nice and shimmery irl, ...

It's time for another Dream Valley Challenge and this fortnight's theme is Ribbons Our sponsor is Crafty Ribbons and the prize is a fabulous New Bev's Ribbon Bag ! Be warned, there are several pictures to follow! I needed to make a box to send a card to a friend that used a Tickled Pink stamp, Lil Victorian Steampunk Lolita Evie. In keeping with the Victorian idea, on the lid of the box I was going to do just the image, frame and ribbon to look like a picture on the wall of a Victorian room, but I got a bit carried away with the ornamentation! The fantastic papers are a download from Bearly Mine Designs 'Vintage' set. Here's the box at an angle so you can see the ribbon tie at the front. And here's the inside. I added a piece of raffia ribbon to the front, and die-cut a Marianne butterfly. The flowers are from stash, and they're sitting on a Magnolia Doohickey flower die, and the swirl is also Magnolia. The pearls in the top corners are from Wild Or...

Good afternoon, everyone! Today it looks as if Spring has come to Southeast Hertfordshire: chilly, showery, sunny intervals and rain! It doesn't feel like June at all! I recently decided that I didn't have enough Magnolias and indulged in a few more! This happy lassie is 'Happy Spring Tilda' and she really makes me smile! This week's challenge at Just Magnolia is paper-piecing, one of my favourite techniques! I'm really pleased how the dress came out on this card. The papers are K & Co Classic K, so pretty! I used Promarkers, as usual (love my Promarkers!) and stickled Tilda's lace. I also put Glossy Accents on her shoes, which has changed the original peach and coral to a more orange tone, but it seems to look ok. The sketch was for last week's Sweet Sketch Wednesday, so I've missed that challenge. I don't know why, but this week I've been a day behind myself, thinking yesterday was Tuesday. My memory's as topsy-turvy as the weather...

This week's Lili of the Valley Challenge is Bring On The Music . You have to make a card featuring music, or a song, or musical notes etc! My sister's birthday is in July, so I immediately thought of the song 'Sisters, Sisters' by Irving Berlin from the film 'White Christmas.' This cute little stamp, 'Coffee Time', is just right! I used papers from the 'Bloom and Grow' pad by My Mind's Eye, which are lovely and bright. The sketch is from Sunday Sketch and Stamp . Ribbon and flowers are from stash, and I stickled the edges of the papers, and you can just see where I used a MS doily lace punch, too. There's also a Marianne swirl at the bottom left, but it isn't showing very well! I decorated the inside to match: The sentiment is LotV, the doily is a Nestie. I'm rather pleased with this card - but not with the pictures! They're rather faded, and definitely wonky - I snapped them outside in between breezes, so it was all a bit hu...

Eep! I almost missed the deadline for the Tickled Pink Challenge . The current challenge is 'Textures' and I've used raffia ribbon (I think that's what it's called?) and a strip of dark purple velvet ribbon, both from stash. I also made a 'mirror' using two nestie dies, with holographic card and a frame which has been embossed and then swiped with Milled Lavender DI. The lovely image is one of the new Lil Victorian range, isn't she beautiful? A pleasure to colour, too! The sentiment is Penny Black, the fab papers are a Bearly Mine download. The flowers are Wild Orchid. The sketch is from Sketch Saturday which I turned on its side. Ok, gotta fly if I'm to get this posted! Take care! luv, Mags x Promarkers: Blush, Dusky Pink, Pastel Pink, Ivory, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Henna, Lavender, Orchid, Amethyst, Mulberry

My friend Julia's twin girls have just turned 24! I made them each a card, using this week's Mojo Monday sketch. This one is for Clare: The image is one of the Tickled Pink Fashionette stamps (their site is down for maintenance so I can't link directly!) The papers were free with a magazine, they have a lovely vintage feel. The sentiment was also a freebie! The nestie shape is embossed with little hearts, and distressed with Shabby Shutters, and stickled. I used Martha Stewart's doily lace border punch, a Magnolia Doohickey die for the leaf stems, and an EK Success Retro punch for the flowers, which I coloured to match the ones on the bp, then slathered with Glossy Accents. The round stickers are Paperchase (so useful!) This one is for Sarah: Except for using Basic Grey 'Origins' papers, slightly different colours and a different TP image, this card is identical! I embossed the nestie shape and swiped a Shabby Shutters ink pad across it, instead of distressin...

Evening, all! I hope you're all having a good week. Here's a card for a friend who loves cute and fairies and PINK! The image is 'Candlelight' from Lili of the Valley . Their latest challenge is 'Anything Goes' which is nice and easy! The sketch is the current Sketch and Stash challenge. I used old MME papers from stash, which came with a magazine last year - I love these papers! The ribbon is also from stash, and I used a Bow-Easy to make a double bow. The leaves are a Magnolia die and the swirl is a Marianne one. The gorgeous flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts. The image is fairly new, bought a couple of months ago, and I slathered stickles in pink, magenta and gold over her wings! I'm rather pleased with the shaded effect. I gold-stickled round the papers, too. I needed to post tonight about pretty, girlie things because this week's episode of 'Primeval' (on the 'Watch' channel) had a lot of horrible insect in it. Yuck! Fortunately, in t...

It' time for another challenge at Dream Valley and this fortnight's theme is Father's Day . You can make any kind of project - did any of you see Melly's amazing caravan for the last challenge? Just fabulous!! We have two lovely sponsors this fortnight: Karen's Doodles who very kindly gave us some images which the DT girls have used to great effect; and One Stop Card Crafts . This cute image is Herbert the Turtle chillin' with a glass of something sparkly! The sketch is from Inspirational Card Sketches it's perfect for an unfussy man's card, don't you think?! My paper is a double-sided sheet from Pebbles Inc Lil' Miss Collection which came from Dies to Die For . I used a loop-edged Nestie for the circular mat to echo the loops on the paper - I'm sure this is the kind of thing you chaps do in your sleep, but I was quite pleased with myself for thinking of it! The green ric-rac from my stash also echoes the loops! The sentiment is PB, the...

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!

Well, it's certainly been an interesting time at the Manor! Last week the old man and I zoomed off to Suffolk for a short break (isn't the Internet wonderful? A room booked on a Tuesday and we were there the next day!) We had a lovely time strolling around the bird reserve at Minsmere and we saw the remains of Dunwich, the town that fell into the sea. Legend says you can sometimes hear the old church bells ringing under the sea... Then on Tuesday my son came home for a flying visit with the news that he'd got married on Monday! My baby!!! Talking of babies, I'm now allowed to announce that his wife is expecting their first in December. It's all rather exciting! I haven't crafted for days and days, but this is a card I made before we went away - I've missed all the challenges I intended it for, but never mind! I've also lost all my notes on what I used, but the cute image is Pollycraft, and I stickled her wings. The papers are DCWV Garden Stack, the roses...