Madcap Manor

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! My, the last fortnight has been manic, but finally Christmas is here! :) To keep you entertained, we have another Challenge at C.R.A.F.T Challenge and it's a nice, simple one - Anything Goes! I took a break from Christmas cards to make a criss-cross birthday card. This is the outside: And here is the inside: The cute image is Pretty Dress by Bugaboo Stamps. I matted her onto a circle cut with a Spellbinders die and added dots of white Pearl Pen. The papers are from two Papermania Capsule Collections: Pink and Teal, and I used a Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die for the flower and a sticker from Paperchase for the centre. The lace is from stash. We have some great sponsors: Pattie's Creations Digital Images Bugaboo Stamps QKR Stampede Sassy Studio The sponsor for the Top Three is: Crafts U Print The Sponsor for our Star of the Month for December is The Cutting Cafe Voila! Do join in - perhaps when the rest of the fa...

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree... This is the last Challenge for 2014 for My Time to Craft we are back on January 3rd! I used a Winter Trees die from Simon Says Stamp to cut out various shades of card and paper, then paper-pieced them together. One of these has a card outline and patterned insides; the other has 3 paper outlines glued together for strength, and paper insides. The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler stamp set. There's still time to make a quick Christmas Tree card and enter our Challenge! The DT have made some wonderful creations, do go and see them and be inspired! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

I'm DEVASTATED to learn that Wee Stamps is closing at the end of the month due to unworkable EU VAT laws designed for big business but destroying digital nano-businesses. here is a beautifully-written blogpost that explains how many digi products you might use in a single day. All of them under threat (and the writer is shutting up shop at the end of December.) For more info go to EU VAT Action THIS AFFECTS EVERY DIGI BUSINESS WORLDWIDE. So leaving the EU is no solution: Whimsy are also stopping digi sales from January. Sign the petition, write, email and tweet as suggested on the website. Consumers need to have their voices heard. And the rules will be extended to physical items in January 2016. Will non-EU firms be willing to sell to EU customers then? Please spread the word! love Mags B x

The Challenge covers anything NEW - New Year, New Baby, New Job, New Home.... The image is Baby Lainey and Gabby Love by one of our sponsors, Lacy Sunshine Stamps I used Grand Spellbinders to create the rocker card base and the layers. The banner and birds are by Lawn Fawn The ribbon is from stash. Here are our lovely sponsors: Inky Impressions http://www.inkyimpressionsrubberstamps.com/images/logo_new.jpg Sweet Stamps http://sweetstamps.com/_Media/sweetlogo-in-frame.gif Lacy Sunshine http://lacysunshine.weebly.com/uploads/1/6/7/8/16786154/449181053_orig.jpg Sweet'n'Sassy https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTntTT4pgs_uTTXq2r4de9f8g5OfjKeuoeuWDUS_OE8pfFiQKZe4zMFeIWwknZBo8d1hAOv6fw83w0AgZxfr1TixkPGgJ8NV76v9h2Ft0O7OV8NKvkjrxO3dZHtA92QS-Q8KDYFJv2y_2/s400/NEWLOGOframed165.jpg Go and see the fab makes my teamies have contributed to the C.R.A.F.T Challenge and have a go! It makes a refreshing change from Christmas cards! Thanks f...

This is our last Challenge of the year at Dream Valley - you have four weeks to join in! We have a wonderful list of our amazing sponsors, too many to list here, but go over to The Blog and see what amazing prizes are on offer! My Christmas card uses items from two of the sponsors - Freckled Fawn and My Mum's Craft Shop I used the second largest of the Die-namics Star Stax to die-cut a star, and stamped 'NOEL' in Mustard Seed ink using an alphabet set by Lawn Fawn then sponged over in Scattered Straw DI. I went over it with a Clear Wink of Stella pen. The idea came from a class I took at Online Card Classes The sentiment is from the Avery Elle 'Noel' stamp set and is gold embossed, and I used tiny stamps in Mama Elephant inks (Rainwater and Winter) to stamp on the base card. The Freckled Fawn Washi Tape comes from various of their monthly kits. I stuck them at an angle on a piece of scrap card and added it with foam tape. Then I added the star and a fe...

I am so very sorry, chaps, I thought I'd sceduled Saturday's post! Huge apologies! And it's a great Challenge at My Time to Craft - Make a Scene . You can take a break from Christmas cards by making a beach scene, for instance! Just as long as you use Stamps that is all fine! I went for Christmas! :D I used Simon Says Stamp 'Lots of Snowflakes' stamps on my background, heat-embossed them, then sponged Distress Inks over the top. The snowbank is a SSS Christmas Scene Stencil, I used Wendy Vecchi embossing paste over it, then sprinkled on some Wow! glitter embossing powder and heat set: the paste bubbled to give some gret texture! The Snowman is from a stamp set by My Mind's Eye, 'Winter Wonderland' and the trees and sentiment are by Clearly Besotted. Thanks so much for looking! love Mags B x

Good morning! Our challenge at C.R.A.F.T Challenge this week is this great Sketch: I did exactly what it says on the tin, and used the Sketch as is. The beautiful butterfly image is Happiness by Pickled Potpourri who are one of our sponsors this week. I coloured the butterflies with Copics (I'm loving my new Ciaos!) and brushed over some clear Wink of Stella, then used Spellbinders to cut out the image and the pink mat. I added a layer of blue paper from the old Snippets box between the image and the mat to give a bit more interest. The lace and ribbon are from stash. The doily is cut with a Cheery Lynn French Pastry doily die, and the blue butterflies are made with a Martha Stewart punch from another snippet, and also covered with clear Wink of Stella. they are attached only along the body, and the wings bent upwards. Finally, the background paper (yet another snippet!) is by Magnolia - I think it was called 'Orchard' but don't quote me! The lovely senti...

Morning, all! I hope you're all keeping well. I am at the stage of Christmas preparation where I'm like a swan - you know, all calm gliding across the surface of the water, but underneath paddling away like mad!! Or is it just me that feels like that at this time of the year????? We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft and I gotta confess, it's a new one for me. Our theme is to make a Christmas ATC ATC stands for Artists' Trading Card. If you or your kids have ever traded Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon cards, you'll have an inkling of what this is about. An ATC is a small work of art (2.5 x 3.5 inches) that is made to be exchanged with other artists. I've had a look at several videos on Youtube, and many of the ATC creations are just amazing! It's like the crafting equivalent of miniature paintings on ivory! Techniques seem to be important in ATCs, so for my background I blended shades of Distress Inks (Chipped Sapphire and Broken China) and then splattered ...

Hi, guys! How are your Christmas preparations coming along? The Big Day suddenly seems so close, doesn't it? Our new Challenge at CRAFT Challenge will give you a helping hand, as our theme this week is Christmas! I coloured the cute Sweet Danni and Bella from Wags'n'Whiskers in Promarkers and glittered all the fur trim with Stickles. The papers are from a magazine. The snowflakes are cut in glitter paper. The sentiment is die-cut in black glitter card, using a die from Simon Says Stamp We have some great sponsors for our Challenge: A Day for Daisies Wags'n'Whiakers Doctor Digi's House of Stamps The DT have made some wonderful creations with images from our sponsors - go and see! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! We had a visit from the gorgeous granddaughter and her proud parents: there was lots of squeaking and giggling and cake-making! It's Dream Valley Challenges time again! We have a colour challenge: Blue Tones The rule is, except for skin and hair colour on any image, just use Blue . You can go CAS or as elaborate as you like, as long as it's Blue! We have the fabulous Lacy Sunshine as our Sponsor this time! I have used the very elegant Victorian Winter Emily on my card. Isn't she chic?! I coloured her in Promarkers: Denim Blue and Pastel Blue for her gown and gloves, and a brighter set, French Navy, Cyan, Sky Blue and Powder Blue for her accessories. her fur trim has been Stickled. The background papers are from an old pad by Paper Artsy called 'Rum and Raisin' but the middle of the heart is from stash. The heart itself is cut with a die from 'Heartfelt Creations'. The sentiment is from the 'G...

Hi, guys! I hope your weekend is going swingingly! Since it's Saturday, there's a new Challenge at My Time to Craft . It's a very Seasonal Challenge, the theme is Snowmen Now, I have been a wee bit naughty recently, I have bought some new Christmas stamps I fell for a new stamp set by Paper Smooches called Cool Dudes because apart from having some very cute snowdudes in the set, there are also separate stamps so that you can build your own Snowman face! So that's just what I did! And I made a dozen cards, all suitable for children, to these two designs. I arranged the Snowmens' features on my Fiskars Stamp Press, and stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, then used a Spellbinders circle die to cut the face, and a scallopped die for the mat. The hat and the nose are coloured with Promarkers and the furry edge glittered. The papers are from Papermania. The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler stsmp set. Do go and see the lovely creations that ...

Good morning, Good morning, Good morning! I hope you're all anticipating a great weekend - my son, DiL and granddaughter will be visiting from Shropshire this weekend so I am getting rather excited! In the meantime it's another C.R.A.F.T Challenge and this time the theme is CHRISTMAS PRESENT So, basically, dig out your dies, stamps and digis that feature a Christmas Present for your creation. My card features a gorgeous Bugaboo Stamps digi called DeDe Christmas present . Isn't she great? I used a Spellbinders Die to cut her out and drew around the die for the mat. I stamped Christmas Swirls by Whiff of Joy (which are on special offer at the moment) in Tea Dye Distress Ink, then went over them with diamond Stickles. I coloured her with Promarkers. The papers and the green bakers twine are from stash. The red present embellishment is from a Freckled Fawn kit. The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler set and I cut it into a strip and Vandyked o...

Good morning! The new Challenge at My Time to Craft is right up my alley, as it's a Science Fiction theme Time and Space Think Aliens, Spaceships, Clocks, Time.... (I love Science Fiction and Fantasy!) My card features a Rocket, a fab retro design from a stamp set by Hero Arts and Basic Grey called Bam! it's part of the Kneehighs and Bowties Collection. I stamped the Rocket in red dye ink by Hero Arts and coloured in with more hero Arts ink, swiping the ink pad onto an acrylic block and using a Dove Blender Pen to transfer the colour. Then I cut it out and smothered it with Glossy Accents! It is mounted on foam pads. The papers are from the 'Blast Off!' 6x6 pad by Bo Bunni. I stacked them together and cut them with a Border Builders Die Set by Lil' Inkers and layered them on holographic silver card. The moon is cut with a Spellbinders die (I love that blue paper!) The sentiment is by Altenew, the Super Script 2 sentiment set. The stars are cut from t...

Yay! I can now reveal that I've been accepted onto the DT of C.R.A.F.T Challenge! *Happy Dance* The Challenge this week is an Inspiration Picture: Aren't they gorgeous? I took the tawny and green colours as my inspiration, and used the fabulous Eleanor Bookworm from one of our sponsors, Lacy Sunshine I coloured her with Promarkers, and added Stickles to all the polka dots, her buttons and belt, and Glossy Accents to her fabulous spectacles. The paper has been lying in my stash for several years!! The sentiment is LotV. The ribbon is from Hobbycraft, and the little flower is by Wild Orchid Crafts. There are three sponsors, and three chances to win a prize! Spyder's Other Corner Flonzcraft Lacy Sunshine Prowl over to CRAFT Challenge to see the gorgeous creations my lovely teamies have made! Take a look at the very simple rules for the Challenge and join in! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Good afternoon! I hope all is well with you, especially those who are having winter weather and commuting through snow and ice! Be safe! I went to a wedding on Saturday which was wonderful, the Church was absolutely full! The Bride's family have attended our Church for many years, and members of the congregation came to the service and enjoyed delicious cake and fizz afterwards. It was a really special day. One of the great things about cardmaking is being able to tailor your creation to the recipient. I don't think I'd have found a grey and yellow card in any shop! I layered Spellbinders dies in yellow Centura Pearl and grey cardstock (which looks blue in my naff photo), and the glitter silhouette is made with the 'Dancing Couple' die by Tattered Lace. The flowers were cut with a Woodware Daisy punch and have gems in the centre. The ribbon is from stash. I like using dies for special occasions like this, they look so delicate (and they are so easy to use l...

Hi, guys, I hope you had a great weekend! Monday means a new Challenge at Dream Valley and this fortnight it's the ever-popular Anything Goes Our sponsor is the gorgeous Dilly Beans Digi Stamps if you haven't yet come across Dilly Bean's you are in for a treat! Here is my card, it's my first ever Shaker Card and I used the adorable Iidynn's Bear Framed . I'm sorry about the glare over the image, that's the light catching the acetate window. The card base is made with pink Core'dinations cardstock by Bazzill. The paper is Basic Grey from the old 'Bloom and Grow' collection. I used a Spellbinders square die to cut the opening and also the image, and I glued the image directly onto the front of the card base. The paper is attached with double layers of foam tape to give enough height for the sequins and beads sealed inside. The sentiment is Lili of the Valley. Go and see what my gorgeous teamies have done, they will surely inspire you t...

Good morning! (At least, I hope it's morning when this post goes up, I'm at a wedding on Saturday!) Our new Challenge at My Time to Craft is Christmas Decoupage . Now, Decoupage and Teabag Folding were the first 'techniques' I ever used on cards, long before I knew about Stamping or Blogs or Challenges! Cutting and manipulating and layering paper is so relaxing! The foiled decoupage is by Dufex, a firm that sadly no longer is trading. It is quite detailed to cut out. I layered the pieces with silicon glue from Pinflair, and layered it on a piece of gold card to give a narrow border. The card base is Centura Pearl, embossed with a diamonds folder by Sizzix. I hope you'll all go over to the Blog and see the fabulous Christmas Decoupage makes of my teamies! Then have a go yourself - decoupage seems not to be so common these days, but do try it if you haven't done any before, it's very satisfying! Remember, it's Christmas Decoupage - that means i...

Hi, guys! Saturday means it's another Challenge at My Time to Craft This time we'd like to see Farmyard Animals starring on your creations! I have a friend who adores pigs, so my choice was easy! I used papers and an image from a CD-Rom that includes 'Honey and Hugs' by Papermania, and did some decoupage. The ribbon is from stash, and the sentiment and die-cut are by paper Smooches Do go and see the cute makes of my teamies at My Time to Craft and join in our fun Challenge! You may want to sing 'Old Macdonald had a Farm' to give yourself some more inspiration! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Hello! It's another Monday, and there's another Challenge at Dream Valley . Our theme this fortnight is Getting Ready for Christmas Yes, we are encouraging you - and each other - to create something Christmassy! Our sponsor is the amazing Robyn's Fetish and a lucky winner of the Challenge will be able to choose 3 of their fab digis as a prize! I apologise for the slightly faded photo, irl it's brighter! When I saw Paul Penguin I immediately wanted to use this paper, which is from my stash and very old! I coloured Paul with Promarkers and used Spellbinders dies for the mats. The sentiment is white heat-embossed onto a scrap of red card. I added the background paper and the image quite carefully, because I imagined a scene where all the little penguins are sledging and skating and Paul is walking by - perhaps he's Dad, come to call them in for their tea? I hope you'll go and be inspired by what my teamies have done with the theme, and then join in! C...

Good morning! Happy November!! it's Saturday, so that means another great challenge at My Time to Craft! This week we'd like to see a Charm on your creation! Simples! I don't often use charms, I haven't the patience to fasten tiny jump rings together, so I tend to use thread or twine to hold them in place. After a rummage through my boxes of 'bits' I came across a really pretty teapot charm that came originally from Whiff of Joy and that inspired my card. The mug stamp and the sentiment are from Simon Says Stamp it came with one of their monthly kits. I stamped it in Navy, Pool and Soft Pool Hero Arts Shadow Inks. The tartan paper is by K & Co and has been lurking in my Snippets Drawer for about 3 years! The narrow blue strip is made with a scrap of Centura Pearl cardstock. The thread is actually crochet cotton. Pop over to My Time to Craft and take a look at the charming creations that my fab teamies have made! Then have a go yourself! Than...

Evening, all! (Are any of you guys old enough to remember a British tv series from the 60s called 'Dixon of Dock Green'? I was a mere kiddiewink in those days, I hasten to add! I suppose these days it would be called a 'police procedural.' Every programme began with PC Dixon touching his helmet and saying, 'Evening, all.' And at the end he gave a little moral talk and said 'Good night, all.') I have a Christmas card here which was inspired by some Christmas chipboards that came with a magazine a couple of years ago. I was going to chuck them, but thought I'd give them one last chance to be useful. (Oo, I am so harsh!) The card base is made with Centura Pearl and is American A2 in size. I sliced off half an inch at the front and added a snippet of green card, which I stamped with white ink and a Hero Arts polka dot background stamp, then I punched the edge with a Fiskars Scalloped Sentiment edge punch. The stockings have been given some glitter w...

Evening, all! if you're looking for my post for 'My Time to Craft' please scroll down to the previous post. I had 2 cards to make today - one for my Dad's 95th birthday on Thursday; and one for my Flower Arranging mentor, who is in hospital - hopefully not for long. I chose an image of a Bonsai from the Woodware Oriental Elements clear Stamp Set for both cards because both recipients will appreciate it. My Dad learned Japanese after he was invalided out of the Army in 1943 and became a translator at the end of the War in the Far East. My mentor and I went to a wonderful demonstration of Japanese Flower Arranging last year. So you can see that both have an interest in Bonsai!! For my Mentor: The image is coloured with Promarkers. The leaves are stickled, and the pot is covered with Glossy Accents. The 'love' symbol is from another Woodware set, Oriental Ladies. I used a Woodware reverse rounder punch on the corners, and pearls from Hobbycraft for some bl...

Good morning! We have another great Challenge at My Time to Craft - Hobbies! What hobbies do you and your family enjoy? DIY? Birdwatching? Sewing? Video gaming? Ballroom dancing? Whatever it is, make something to celebrate it! Where I live a lot of people go fishing in the River Lea, and I have made a retirement card for one of my neighbours who spends hours by the riverside with his rod and line. He says it is so peaceful. I have used this adorable image from Lili of the Valley coloured with Promarkers. In fact, the sentiment and papers also came from LotV! I added Glossy Accents to the lad's wellies and float, and Wink of Stella glitter to the water. The baker's twine is from stash, and I hung a little fish charm from the bow. Go and see the various creations of my teamies, you will definitely be inspired, there are some lovely makes on show! Then join in the Challenge and tell us all about your favourite Hobbies! Thanks for looking, and have a fun weekend! ...

Apologies, chaps, I had a dicky tummy yesterday and had an early night, so this post is a day late. Sorry! Our new challenge at Dream Valley is Halloween. The prize this fortnight is a little different than usual: A Twelve Days of Christmas 12 x 12 pad from Graphic 45; 3 reels of ribbon; and a bag of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. My card for this Challenge is a spooky scene suitable for a lady who likes horror films! The purple paper is from a Papermania Capsule collection, I think the pattern looks like a sinister stormy sky! The green is from stash, it was a bit dull so I stamped it with Memento Luxe Pear Tart pigment ink, and a background stamp by just Rite called Sweet Vines . It doesn't show in the photo, but there's a subtle sheen (and I'm rather proud of it!) The moon is a die-cut circle sponged with Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold Distress Inks, then I spattered some water on top to give a mottled effect. The bats are from the sam...

Hi, guys! This is my second post of the day, please scroll down to see my DT post for My Time To Craft. A lovely friend celebrated her birthday today so I made this card. She is Indian, so I used different Promarkers than usual for the skin of this Elisabeth Bell cutie - sadly she no longer appears on the Whimsy Stamps site, but there are lots of other adorable images there! The gorgeous papers have glitter and shine, they are New Bloom by First Edition. I used a Spellbinders die to cut the lacy mat behind the image from one of the papers. The flowers are cut with Spellbinders dies from the 'Floral Doily' set. The gems and ribbon are from stash, and the sentiment is Lili of the Valley. I am entering the current challenge at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge which has a complex recipe: 1 image and 1 sentiment - check. Two shapes - Circle and Square - check. Three papers - two square backgrounds, and the third is used for the circular mat and the lower layer of flowers - check. ...