Madcap Manor

Huge apologies for being so late with my post, it's been another manic day but the sitting room is clean and almost all the presents are wrapped! I'll have to makes swome more tags, though, 27 wasn't enough because everyone else wanted to use them, too!! Here is my card for the latest challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and it's a card for Christmas! Our sponsor is the amazing Bugaboo Stamps and one lucky winner will be rewarded with 7 digistamps! Here's my card, made with a Bugaboo image of the gorgeous DeDe: I'm sorry about the naff photo! I made the easel card base with a Go Kreate Frilly die, and the star die is by X-cut. The snowflakes are cut with Spellbinders Create-a -Flake 4 dies. The papers are from a freebie pack from a magazine. I Glossy Accented the baubles that DeDe is holding and stickled the red tinsel hanging round her neck. I cut her out and added her with foam pads. Unfortunately I chucked out the list of Promarkers I used :( ...

Good afternoon, all! Where has this week gone? I dreamed last night that I got everything ready for Christmas only to discover it was Boxing Day and I'd missed it! It was quite a relief to wake up and realise there is still time to get ready! Here is a card that I made in various colours for several lovely friends. Apologies for the glare from the silver mirri card, I was using my Daylight lamp and just couldn't get an unshiny picture! The sleigh is a big Papermania stamp which I heat embossed, adding a sprinkle of glitter embossing powder to the mix to give a bit more sparkle, which unfortunately hasn't been picked up by the camera. The paper is by LotV. The sentiment is also LotV. The snowflake is made with a Spellbinders label from the Floral Doily set. I cut 3 of them and layered them, I'm rather pleased with the effect! I expect to be rather busy this coming week, which includes a trip to Shropshire to see our Granddaughter and celebrate her first birth...

Yes, it's time for the last Dream Valley Challenge of 2012! Because it's such a busy time of year, this challenge is open for an entire month. The theme is Christmas and we have Four Sponsors offering prizes!!! Well, I thought I'd do something a little different, so here are some tags. They're really quick and easy, which is a good thing because I need 27 of them!! The base is a Nestabilities circle - not the biggest shape but the next one down. The scalloped red mat and the smaller white circle are also Nesties. The holly leaves are cut with a Whiff of Joy die, using pearlised green card. I wish I knew where it came from - it's what was left over a couple of years ago when we cut out a mahoosive Prayer Tree at Sunday School, and now I'm running out! The berries are white card candi coloured with a CT4 Spectrum Noir. I then put some Glossy Accents on top and sprinkled with Glamour Dust. The ties are all recycled from articles of clothing! I just glu...

Hi, guys! It's been a week of pottering - you know, a bit of housework here, a bit of shopping there, a bit of cardmaking when I have half an hour spare... Though I've bought and wrapped 2, yes, two Christmas presents! Only another 16 to go... I've made the Christmas card for my son and DiL, this gorgeous Sugar Nellie image is just right for them, it is so sweet! I'm sorry the picture is so dim, I used my Daylight Lamp to take the picture but the image came out a bit faded :( The papers are Dovecraft 'Tis the Season' they are very bright and cheerful. The snowflakes are from the Spellbinders Create a Flake 4 from J and C Creations and are covered with Glamour Dust. The teardrop gems are from stash. The sentiment is from the Penny Black 'Celebrate the Wonder' stamp set. I stickled the lady's hat trim and also the snowflakes I decorated the inside, reversing the papers: I'm entering this to the Sugar Bowl Challenge where I f...

This is one of half a dozen identical cards I made when I had no Internet, using Nativity, a Woodware stamp by Francoise Read. Mine is an acrylic stamp, part of a set which I have had for about 4 years but it now only seems to be available as a wooden one from Woodware I heat embossed the image in gold.  I used Promarkers but I can't find the list :( - sorry! The mat is gold card, the paper is by Bearly Mine, but it's a snippet so I don't know which collection. I layered it onto blue card because more gold detracted from the emphasis on the image. The haloes have been edged in gold stickles and that's all the embellishment I used. I'm entering Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge where the theme is 'Use something more than six months old.' I'm going to love you and leave you, lovely bloggers, because I have managed to come down with tonsillitis and a nice warm bath and an early night with a bad book are calling me! I hope you're all d...

Good evening, all! I have the Internet back, huzza! I've missed you!! Here's a Christmas card for a lovely friend of my daughter. She's a baker, so I used Icing the Cake by LotV, isn't she cute? I coloured her with Promarkers and stickled the flower in her chef's hat. I used a Nestie that was only just big enough, so I cut round the dog's tail so that I could ease the die underneath while I cut it out. (Does that make sense?) The sketch is from last week's Sketch Saturday, but I couldn't upload it in time. :( The papers are by Raspberry Road, they came free with a magazine - they are gorgeous! The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and I used a Woodware punch for the leaves. The flourish is a Magnolia die, with Hobbycraft pearls on the ends. The gingham ribbon also came from Hobbycraft. The sentiment is also LotV - since there wasn't really enough room to mat it, I went round the edge with a Burgundy Promarker. I love that you can do th...

Hi, guys! I hope you've all had a good day! Welcome to my new followers! I'm so glad to have you along! I meant to post this card yesterday but I was at an e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y l-o-n-g meeting last night and didn't get home until bedtime! I love these Caroling Snowmen by Meljens Designs They are really putting their heart into their singing, aren't they? I used Promarkers to colour them - how did I manage without the removable fine nibs? The fur on their hats has been covered with glitter, and so has the fab snowflake, which is from the Spellbinders 'Create a Flake 4' which is candy I won from J and C Creations I used Nesties to cut the image and the mat and also the label, which is a trimmed-down Fancy Tag. The Postmark sentiment is by Whimsy Stamps. The papers are another freebie pack from 'Quick Cards Made Easy.' I have so many of these packs! The star stickers were a RAK from my daughter, and the ribbon is from stash. I decorated the in...

Afternoon, all! I hope you're all having a good Saturday. My, it's cold! A good day to stay indoors and be crafty! I'm cracking on with the Christmas cards, I'm up to 19 now! I bought this sweet Lili of the Valley stamp last year but found it quite hard to colour because of all the tiny details. This year I have fine nibs for my Promarkers and it was much easier! I put dots of red Stickles on the holly berries and some gold Liquid Pearls on the hanging star. I apologise for the wishy-washy image, I was using a Daylight Lamp and the inks look a bit faded :( The papers are also Lili of the Valley, from their 'Classic Christmas' pad. I got out my dies for this one - a Marianne Christmas tree which I covered in white and gold glitter; a Marianne Christmas sentiment, also glittered - it shows up better irl, but I really should have used a slightly brighter paper; and a Whiff of Joy holly die, the paper is pearlised and I Glossy Accented the berries. I'...

Good morning, my lovelies, and a very big welcome to my new followers! I hope you enjoy my rather eccentric corner of Blogland! It's time for a new challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox and this time the theme is really easy - Use a Ribbon Our sponsor this time is The Digi Garden and they generously sent the DT some lovely images to use. One lucky winner will be able to choose 7 of their sweet images from their online shop! This cutie is called 'Immie's Scarf' isn't she pretty?! I coloured her with Spectrum Noirs (list below) The papers I used are from a Kate Knight freebie stack that came with a magazine last year. I wanted to do softer colours than the trad Red and Green for Christmas, so I chose Pink and Aqua instead. The icicles and Christmas Tree are both by Marianne from Crafts U Love and they have been coated with Glamour Dust. I also Glamour Dusted Immie's coat trim and wellies. I distressed the image, which I cut with a Nestabilities Flora...

Hi, guys! It's a gorgeous autumn day and the sun is shining, so of course I'm tackling my list of Christmas cards! This was quite quick to make, apart from easing the snowflakes out of the Whiff of Joy die! The background is by Kanban, the colour is shaded from dark to light and as you can see there are little bits of silver here and there. The 3 snowflakes have been Glamour Dusted thoroughly (though it isn't showing brilliantly, I blame the photographer!) and held together with a Papermania gem brad which was originally clear so I coloured it with a Sapphire Flexmarker. The sentiment came free with a magazine last year. I'll be making more of these! But first I must clear my craft hovel - I'm sure there's a carpet somewhere under the boxes of crafty stuff! I'm entering this to the Cute Card Thursday Challenge as their theme is 'Glitter.' I'm also entering Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge as Hazel want to see Snowflakes! Th...

If you're looking for The Squirrel and the Fox bloghop please click here This gorgeous image is Willow with Candle by Whiff of Joy - she was candy from the lovely Kat! I coloured her with Promarkers - what a boon the fine nibs are for tiny areas! The holly leaves are cut with a Whiff of Joy die and have been Glossy Accented, though they don't really show here, and the berries have been stickled. The bells have a faint wash of gold liquid pearls. I used a Nestie to cut her out and did the draw-round-the-die-and-cut-out trick to give the narrow mat. The red pearlescent card and the papers are Papermania, the bp is from the A Silent Night stack - they are so fabulous! The ribbon is from stash, the double bow is made with a Bow-Easy from Quixotic Paperie The holly leaves are a Whiff of Joy die. The flowers are Wild Orchid, the glitter is Glamour Dust. Here's an inside shot, also with the papers from 'A Silent Night' The tags are Lili of the Valley. I...

Evening, all! I'm taking advantage of a few minutes between washing the dishes and the mass invasion of the family for 'Doctor Who' to post a card I made today. This little cutie is Christmas Dance by LotV and I coloured her in Promarkers. I used Nesties for the sentiment and image mats, and an X-cut star die for the stars. I've used the gold card from a children's craft pack again, it's nice and thick so it embosses really well! Papers are also from LotV, a digi from last year (I don't think they do them any more, now they are selling those gorgeous new paper pads!)  The flowers are from stash - I think the blue poinsettia came from Angel Crafts but don't quote me! I used a Magnolia flourish die and stickled it. The leaves are cut with a Woodware punch and scattered with crunchy glitter. I had a go at making the glittery twirlies that Bev talked about here last week.  You can just about see the twirlies. Next time I'll use finer gl...

It's time for another Dream Valley Challenge ! Last time the 'Steampunk' theme was rather difficult, but now we have a nice and easy Challenge that everyone will enjoy - Something Old, Something New. It's an excuse to show off your new stuff as well as digging in your neglected stash! I'm sure many of you will recognise the Lili of the Valley Holly Wreath from last Christmas, and also the sentiment. I coloured in the image last January when I bought the stamp, using Spectrum Noirs - apologies, I don't have the list, after all this time! The ribbon was a freebie from 'Quick Cards' and it's at least a year old! The 'Something New' is the fabulous paper, from one of the beautiful new LotV paper pads. This gorgeous design by Laila is my favourite, because it reminds me of the fabric I used to make my children's Christmas Stockings over 20 years ago! Have a look at my teamies' fab contributions, and have a go yourself! But plea...

Have you been following the Olympics? Isn't it exciting? I do feel sorry for the women running the Marathon today through the rain, but I suppose it's keeping them cool! It's time for another Dream Valley Challenge and this time it's to use your Punches and Dies. We have 2 fab sponsors: One Stop Card Crafts is offering a £10 voucher and and Inked Treasures is offering 4 digis! So what did I do? I made a Christmas card! I think that's Number 6 - I have another 40 to do! I kept it quite simple to emphasise the shapes. The image is by Docrafts, and I embossed it in gold. I used my gorgeous new Nesties Labels 5 die. I stencilled with Antique Linen Distress Ink while the card was still in the die, and matted twice, on green and gold card. The gold card is thick enough to be embossed, so it looks as though there are 4 layers here! I think I've shown all the things you can do with a die! I used a Woodware Holly border punch, also layered on green and g...

We have electricity!!! And a new element in the immersion heater, which was what caused the fuse for the sockets to blow. Of course I tested every single appliance in the house to try to discover the fault but didn't think of the immersion till last night. Typical! It's always the last place you look, isn't it? Here's an easel card I made for a challenge that I missed last week. It's always tricky photographing easel cards! Here's a general view: and here's the front: The image is 'Charlotte Riding Reindeer' from Whiff of Joy . I coloured them with Speccies, but once again I've lost the list - I really must get myself organised! (Last year on hliday in Bridport my hubby bought me a mug with the message: 'I would get organised but it would only confuse everyone.' So true!!) Papers are 'Pink Christmas' by DCWV. The snowflake is made with a Martha Stewart punch (I wavered from my stash diet for that one, naughty me, slapped wrist!) c...

Evening, all! I intended to spend half term crafting, but the best laid plans of Maggies and men gang oft agley! Partly that's because of the dreaded Housework, partly because... (drumroll!) I have a Kindle! Being me, I also ordered a proper book at the same time, and both arrived in the same box, which amused me. So this card has taken me 3 days to make! The sketch at Sketch Saturday looks really daunting at first - lots of circles! I actually like it a lot, though it took me a long time to find embellies for the smaller circles that I liked. The image is another elegant lady by Christina Dee from Tickled Pink Stamps I thought she'd look good as a bust. She is coloured with Promarkers, and Speccies for her hair. The bow at her neck and the candy canes are Glossy Accented, and the lace on her outfit is covered with Glamour Dust. I cut her out (mainly because I made a right pig's ear of distressing round the image) and put her on foam pads for dimension. I offset the green...