Madcap Manor

Oh my, what an awful photo! But it's so grey and gloomy today that this was the best of a bad lot! The purples are MUCH prettier in real life! I made an easel base from a 5" card and stuck the matted image to the flap, a nice simple way to make an easel! This darling image is Christmas Dance from Lili of the Valley. She makes me smile! I coloured her with Spectrum Noirs but I forgot to list them! (Slapped wrist!) There are gold stickles on the stars, and Diamond stickles on the snow. The papers are Nitwits - I think they're both from the 'Still Joyful Hearts' collection, but I forgot to note the name of the set on the back - it's been a very forgetful week, I'm afraid! The sentiment, which is raised on foam pads to make the stop, is also LotV. I used a Woodware corner punch on the image and sentiment for added interest. The Poinsettia is a Marianne die. The ribbon is from stash, and the rose is from Wild Orchid Crafts. Finally I added some Paperchase stick

Card Carousel has a terrific freebie template on offer for this bit of gorgeousness! Get a free "Santa's Magical Sleigh" card making template from Card Carousel. Just visit www.cardcarousel.co.uk/free/sleigh.html There are some fabulous things on the site! love, MagsB x

Afternoon, all! I hope you're all doing well. It's time for another Dream Valley Challenge and this time the theme is SPARKLE! . So get out the glitter, the glamour dust, tinsel and gems - and remember, it doesn't have to be a card! The prize this time is two Lili of the Valley stamps: Well, I'm in full Christmas flow, so I made a Diamond fold Christmas card following the tutorial on Split Coast Stampers . I used a 12 inch by 4 inch strip: if you use A4 paper you have to adjust the two side flaps, making them 1mm narrower than the centre - it sounds complicated, but it's really quite simple. The folds look like this when you're done: I like that the base card makes the borders so you don't have to mat the papers on coloured card! So what else did I use? The papers are Papermania 'Noel' collection, which are glittered and shiny! The cute Santa, which I cut out and popped onto foam pads, is a Whiff of Joy stamp, coloured in Promarkers. I slathered G

Well, it's not Christmas yet, but it won't be long! So far I have wrapped 1 (one!) present! My son's birthday is December 5th so I tend to be a bit distracted until after that! Cardmaking, though, tends to get intensively Christmassy rather earlier. Here's another 8-incher! The papers and sentiment came from a magazine freebie but I'm sorry I can't remember which :( The sweet Christmas images are The Greeting Farm. I coloured in Speccies, and Glamour Dusted all the fluffy fur trim on their outfits. The mats behind them are cut with a Nesties die and embossed in a daisy pattern with my faithful Cuttlebug. I used more die-cuts on this card: the Memory Box Frosty border, a Marianne Poinsettia set, and a Magnolia doo-hickey swirl. They all came from Crafts U Love I Glamour Dusted the swirl and border, and added Stickles to the veins of the flower. The stars are Paperchase. The sketch is from Inspirational Card Sketches and as soon as I saw it I knew it would be pe

This is the biggest card I've ever made - it's an 8-incher! (Don't you dare say, 'Oo, Matron!!!') The image is a Tickled Pink stamp from last year which I picked up in the sale - it looks as though he's no longer available, unfortunately. I coloured him with Promarkers, and stickled his feather, the snowman's pom-pom, and the ground. I distressed round him in Bundled Sage DI. The papers are Dovecraft 'Tis the Season' which I've had for yonks! The sketch is the current Sketch Saturday one, and I really like it! I must use it again to use up some snippets! I faux-stitched around each square in black fineliner to give a bit more definition. I used my gorgeous new Memory Box 'Frosty' die from Crafts U Love in a scrap of gold card. The Christmas tree is a Marianne die, and the swirl is Magnolia. I made the rosette from a 1.5 x 12 inch strip, scored every quarter inch on one side, then scored again between the first scorings on the other sid

This week I have mostly been cutting out and decoupaging while watching telly. I found these sheets when I was having yet another tidy of my craft hovel. Why does it never stay tidy for more than five minutes????? Unless I'm out.... funny, that! Anyway, today I made them into very simple Christmas cards. And here they are: The last one is Pyramage, which I hadn't tried before, but it's a lot easier than it looks! Thanks for looking, and I hope you're all having a good week! luv, MagsB x

Since there's another lady with the same username as me I've now become MagsB. Good grief, that rhymes! I hope to have a card to show later! Take care! love, MagsB x

We have sadly lost some of our lovely DT members for various reasons so there's a DT call at Dream Valley The team is an amazing bunch of crafters, ranging from the new and inexperienced (eg me!) to the very experienced. They have been so welcoming to me, it's been a pleasure to get to know everyone! Do pop over to the blog and add your name to the Linky by November 28th! love, Mags x

Here's the second card I've made for my friend's 1-year-old twins. How sweet these images are, they have such character! I used Nitwits papers again, this time from the 'Eggstra Special' collection which is full of bright and cheerful pinks and yellows. Behind the image is a heart cut with a Cheery Lynn Heart to Heart Doily Die from Dies to Die For , it doesn't show very well but it's gorgeous! The embossed corner at the bottom left is a Marianne Die, and I glamour-dusted it to make it a bit more visible behind the flowers. I used Promarkers (the list is below) and Glossy Accents on the pram. The flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, the leaves a Nellie Snellen punch, and the sentiment is LotV again. I also used a corner punch by Woodware. Another lovely sketch, this time from Pink Ink Sketch Challenges In the few minutes since I last posted the sun has gone behind clouds - why can't the weather make up its mind, eh?! Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Promarkers

This card is for a little boy who is one today. He and his twin sister were born 6 weeks early, but now they are both healthy and happy and right little mischievous cuties! The LotV images of toddlers are just so right for them as they learn to walk! I used Nitwits papers from the 'Promises' collection - such soft, pretty colours! The image is coloured with Promarkers, with a touch of Glossy Accents on the wheels. The sentiment is also LotV. I kept the decoration simple, just blue and white gems and a bow made from a sparkly organza ribbon from Hobbycraft. The great sketch is from Friday Sketch Challenge though I turned it on its side, so I'm entering that challenge. I hope you're all having a good day. We have sunshine in South East Herts, though it's very chilly. Thanks for looking! luv, Mags x Promarkers: Blush, Dusky Pink, Baby Pink; Powder Blue, Arctic Blue, Sky Blue, Azure; Chestnut, Henna, Ivory; Cool Grey 1, 4

My daughter has got engaged! I'm so pleased, he's a lovely lad! SQUEEE! luv, Mags x

Good afternoon, all! It's time for another Challenge at Dream Valley and this fortnight we'd like to see some STITCHING It can be faux stitching, machine stitching or hand stitching, and you can make any kind of craft, it doesn't have to be a card! Our lovely sponsors are One Stop Card Crafts who are kindly offering a £10 voucher for their shop! Go and have a shufti at the shop, there are loads of yummy things there to tempt you! I decided to dig out my needle and thread and make a small sampler on 16HPI Aida. The pattern is adapted from an ancient book by Louisa Pesel on antique blackwork patterns. I used Holbein stitch, in which you sew every other running stitch, then turn round and come back filling in the rest. I'd forgotten how one has to concentrate with this method, but I only had to re-stitch about a quarter of the main pattern!!! I used DMC gold for the stars and border, and a very slippery but gorgeous Glissengloss for the geometric lines. The pearlescent

A card at last! On Sunday I surveyed my calender with glee because of all the lovely blanks spaces that meant I could craft! Of course it didn't end up like that, though there were nice reasons (friends coming round for supper) as well as irritating ones (ye olde manne not telling me he had no more clean shirts until he was wearing the last one - the rest were all heaped on the floor because he forgot to bring them downstairs. Bless.) When I finally settled down yesterday in my craft hovel (it badly needs a tidy. Again) it was such a satisfying feeling! Anyone for Anya? challenge is asking for a thanksgiving or thank you card or a December calendar page. I owe a dear friend a thank you card, so it was a very timely reminder! The image is one of The Greeting Farm's Hope and Grace stamps, I've had this set for quite a while now but I think she came from Quixotic Paperie . I coloured her with Promarkers. The sketch was lovely to work with - it's the current Sketch and Sta

Look at this amazing stash offered by Handy Hippo! Perfect for Christmas! Though unfortunately it's ONLY OPEN TO UK RESIDENTS :( To have a chance at the draw, you must leave a comment on Jules's post . Then post about the prize, with the picture on your blog, and add the Handy Hippo banner to your sidebar, linking to the shop. Simples! Have a good day, chaps! I'm hoping to stop doing housework soon and actually make something! luv, Mags x PS Why can I link to Jules's blog but not the post? Blogger says 'page not found', the meanie! I'm not sure what mistake I'm making with my a href= HTML. Help?? xx

Hi, guys! Sorry I'm so late, Friday night tv is actually rather good at the moment, there was a slightly strange hybrid of concert and drama, mixing a performance of Beethoven's 'Eroica' symphony with a telling of the circumstances surrounding its first performance. The programme was a bit of a curate's egg, not quite satisfying as either music or drama, but it did include Frank Finlay as Joseph Haydn. Frank Finlay is always a plus! Oh, do get on with the card, Margaret!! This adorable image is by Sarah Kay for Stampavie - I love her big straw hat and the cute chicks! I used my Speccies but didn't make a note of what I used because this began as an idle experiment. I must say, blowing my own trumpet, that I'm rather pleased with the hat! Papers are Bo Bunny Vicki B and they are lovely and bright! The ribbon is actually olive green, recycled from a top. I used my new Martha Stewart 'Cherish' border punch, and die-cut a Marianne swirl. The flowers are

But at least the weekend isn't far off! On Saturday I'm going with my neighbour's son to a concert of videogame music at the Albert 'All. He has never seen a live orchestral concert! Nor has he eaten Japanese, so we're going to Wagamama for our grub. Yum! Enough waffling! This card, you won't be surprised to learn, is for a Harry Potter fan! The image ('The Brave One') is from Bugaboo , their Har Repotter set. The papers are very shiny, the stripes and the spots are gold. They're Papermania's 'A Silent Night' stack - gorgeous burgundies and greens and gold! I've had them a year and this is, I think, the first time I've used any. But if I don't use my papers I'll soon be buried under a heap of them, and there won't be room to buy more!! I used my new Marianne Christmas Stars border die, threaded with yellow ribbon from Hobbycraft. The flowers are yellow Prima and red Wild Orchid, and I punched fronds with a Nellie Sne