Madcap Manor

Hi, guys! Have you finalised your plans for Valentine's Day? Or maybe your Other Half is making arrangements? Mine isn't, he's not really very good at that sort of thing! I do think the timing is unfortunate this year, since it's the first day of Lent, but I reckon that even if you plan to give up chocolate you can make allowances for just one special day! I've made a Valentine card using this pretty LotV Love Grows stamp. I used Promarkers to colour, and a spot of Glossy Accents on the watering can and shears. The heart mat is a Spellbinder's die, and so is the mat behind the sentiment. And I've just noticed that I forgot to colour in the flowers on the sentiment! Oops! The flowers are Wild Orchid crafts, the twiggy leaves are cut with a Nellie Snellen punch. The gingham ribbon and brown baker's twine are from The Ribbon Girl and the little wooden heart button is from stash. The paper is also LotV, from the new Country Lady pad. Challenges ...

Good afternoon, my lovelies! I hope you're all having a happy weekend. I have a TOP TIP to give you: Don't craft in a cardigan with loose, floppy sleeves! The number of times I've swept things off my craft table and onto the floor this week is ridiculous! There's one coloured-in Tilda that seems to have escaped completely! I'm halfway through cleaning my craft hovel in the hopes I'll find her! Amidst all the kerfuffle I did manage to finish one card without a mishap: The Sketch is from Seems a Little Sketchy and I flipped it over. The papers are Nitwits (though I didn't make a note of the collection, sorry!). I used a Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die on Tilda's blue mat, and the leafy Fanciful Flourish die is by Cheery Lynn, I added sequin flowers with tiny gems glued in the middle. The sentiment is LotV, the flourish is stickled though the light hasn't caught it. I also stickled Tilda's Star wand and her cute crown. The star embe...

Evening, all! It's freezing tonight, proper brass monkey weather! Brrrrr! With snow on the ground I decided to make a Christmas card! One of the card magazines had a free gift last year of two 'Holly Hobbie' stamps - I used to love Holly Hobbie when I were a lass!  I coloured her with Speccies (I'm sorry, I forgot to make a list *slapped wrist!*) and Glossy Accented her boots, and used a Spellbinders Labels 4 to cut her out. I distressed with Broken China while she was still in the die. The mat is made by drawing round the outside of the die and cutting out. The sentiment is from the same Holly Hobbie set. The poinsettia is from Wild Orchid Crafts and the leaves cut with a Marianne die (I don't know which set it's from, sorry!) The ribbon is from stash. The paper is 'Rum'n'Raisin' by PaperArtsy which I have had for over 2 years! It's so pretty! I added Platinum stickles to the brown flourish. I used a matching paper withou...

Hi, guys! I hope you're all having a good weekend! I am getting back into what my Mum called 'the rhythm of things' - a more elegant phrase than 'back to the old routine' though that's what she meant! Just before Christmas my daughter announced that she was leaving Waterstone's bookshop, where she'd worked for 4 years, at the end of December. As you can imagine, that was a bit worrying! But she immediately got online and within a week she had a new job! It's office work, with office hours and every weekend off! So of course I had to make her a card! This hard-working mouse is by The Greeting Farm, he was the first of their stamps I bought, about 3 years ago. He's coloured in Speccies (list below.) The papers are all Snippets, mostly Nitwits but the blue strip is Pink Petticoat. The Spellbinders corner (from the Parisian Accents set) uses a snippet of pearlised card. The lilac jute ribbon and the spotted ribbon are from stash. I added a ...

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...

The carol 'While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night' can be sung to the tune of the folk song 'On Ilkley Moor 'Baht 'At' (I hope I have the apostrophes in the right place.) I seem to recall that the tune we now call 'On Ilkley Moor' was actually originally meant for this carol but the Victorians didn't think it sounded respectful enough, which is a big pity. Try singing it yourself - the original sounds so much better! And here is a card featuring a Shepherd and the Angel Gabriel from Lili of the Valley. I used Promarkers, and gold stickles for the stars, halo and to edge the background square and LotV sentiment, and Icicle stickles for the wings. The papers are Nitwits 'Still Joyful Hearts.' I used a Marianne die for the star border which has ribbon from my stash threaded through. I popped foam pads as usual behind the image to lift it up. The stars are stickers from Paperchase - they are VERY sticky, and not in the right plac...

Yesterday, Hoddesdon Parish Church's Mothers Union went to see the Great Bed of Ware IN WARE! The Victoria and Albert Museum has lent the beautifully refurbished Bed to the Ware Museum until next April. DO go and see it if you can, it's wonderful, and so is the museum. I made a Thank you card for the lady who organised the trip: I could not resist the new LotV bears. Yep, the family will be dining on lovely cheap 'Mum's overspent on crafty stuff again' soup and home-made bread for the next week once again! It's lucky they like it! This is a small card (5" square) so I made it quite simple. The papers are snippets of K & Co from my snippets box, so I don't know their official names, and the brown matting card is also a snippet. I coloured with Promarkers and added Glossy Accents to the hearts and the bear's nose and also to the LotV sentiment banner. I popped the image and the sentiment on foam pads to give a touch of dimension. The ...

Evenin', All! Halfway through the week already - it'll be the weekend before we know it, huzza! Just a short post today, I ought to be making the tea but I've just finished off a card, and here it is! Isn't she cute? She's a Penny Black stamp I've had for ages. I coloured her with Speccies, they are so vibrant! The papers are Tilda 'Winterbird' which was a bargain, half price at Hobbycraft!! Well, yes, I broke my stash diet for them, but - half price!! Cute Card Thursday has a theme of 'Music and Dance' and I'm almost too late to enter!!! Penny Black Saturday Challenge is to use a bargain and say what it is - well, I think these papers are going to be the bargain of the year! The Prima flowers and Wild Orchid roses are from stash. The ribbon is actually a stamp by LotV which I coloured, then Glossy Accented, then Decoupaged. Papertake Weekly wants us to highlight a part of our cards, and I hope that fits the bill! The lovely, simple sketch...

Hi guys! I hope you're all settled into the New Year now that all the excitement is over! Welcome to the first Dream Valley Challenge of 2012, where Anything Goes! Our first sponsor for 2012 is One Stop Card Crafts who are offering a £10 voucher for the store. There's a Clearance Sale on at the moment, too! You don't have to make a card, either, just craft to your heart's content! We do ask that you submit no more than 3 times, and that you link to the Challenge blog. And no backlinking, please!! Ok, you'll be astonished to know that I made a Baby Girl card to celebrate the arrival of my granddaughter Lillie! The image is by Woodware, coloured in Promarkers - I forgot to write down which, but I think I used most of the pink range!! The bubbles, water and puddles have been stickled. The image and mat were cut with Go Kreate Frilly dies. The Wild Orchid Sweetheart flowers are popped on top of green flowers cut with a Magnolia Doohickey die to give the effect of le...

This card is for my friend Julie, who has been running our Church Holiday Club this week. It's been great - the kids have got on really well together, and there have been lots of opportunities for all the helpers to make fools of themselves - er - I mean, get involved in the drama we put on for the children to enjoy. Today I performed 'Knees Up, Mother Brown' under my stage name, Cherry Cola (said in a Geordie accent. You may have heard of my husband, the footballer Ashtray Cola!) Unforutunately I haven't got any of the details of the Promarkers written down, but there are Magnolia die-cuts to go with the darling Tilda image, and a Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, and a Wild Orchid Crafts metal corner. The ribbon is from Hobbycrafts, the gems are from my stash, and the silver stickers are paperchase. The papers are Nitwits Cherry Blossoms and I used a Woodware leaf punch, too. The die-cut circular mat is a Nestie. I'm entering this card for the Papertake W...

I love this little chap, he's so happy! I just wish the colours had come out better in the photo: irl they are brighter, and the glitter gleams! I'm entering the Whiff of Joy Challenge which this fortnight is for a thank you card. The sketch is Papertake Weekly which is a great one for showing off pretty papers! The gorgeous glittered papers are from the DCWV 'All Dressed up' stack which I've had for ages, but I've been so reluctant to cut them because they are so glittery and gorgeous! The unglittery stripy piece is from stash, and I'm rather pleased that it matches so well. Matching papers always takes me a long time! I'm sorry I haven't been around lately, but my sister's been staying and since my craft room is also the spare room I haven't been crafting for over a week! Hope you're all keeping well, and thanks for looking luv, Mags x Recipe: King's Jester Charlie by Whiff of Joy Promarkers: Satin, Dusky Pink, Pastel Pink, Cinna...