Madcap Manor

Good morning! After a summer break we are back at Dream Valley with a nice, easy Challenge: Anything Goes. The sweet image is Birthday Yorkie from Cute as a Button. The papers are Introspection by Prima. The mat is cut with a Spellbinders' Picot Edge Circle Die . The ribbon is from stash and the banner is a Streamers Die . Go and see the pretty inspiration my teamies have left for you! Thanks for looking, and have a good week! love Mags B x

Hello, my dearios! My, what a gloomy, grey, rainy day! Time to stay indoors and craft, I think! For your inspiration, at My Time to Craft! we have this gorgeous sketch: Lots of lovely layers! The sketch is ideal for using this lacy Tattered Lace die (sadly it seems to be out of print) because it's quite large. The papers are from a pad that's lost its front - I think they are Crate Paper. I added swags cut from a scrap of pearlised paper, and the ribbon was from a dress! The sentiment is by Clearly Besotted, now also out of print, sadly. Do go and see the lovely varitions on the sketch produced by my teamies! Thanks for looking and have a good weekend! love Mags B x

At CRAFT Challenge our new theme is Summer. One of the good things about being on the Church Flower Arranging Team is seeing the different varieties of blooms on sale in each season. We work to a strict budget, so the seasonal flowers are often the cheapest - just like fruit'n'veg! To me, Summer means Roses, so I have made a card with a 'flower arrangement' style image by Bugaboo stamps which features roses, this is Rose Watering Can. I made a Shaker Card. I added Glossy Accents to the watering can, and it shows even under the acetate. The sunshine-yellow paper is from stash. Our sponsor is the fabulous, funny and witty Bugaboo Stamps who have a sale on until the end of July! Have a look at my teamies' fab summer creations, they will make you smile! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

We have just had a lovely long weekend in Co Dublin to celebrate my grandson's first birthday. There was a party on Saturday which was really good fun - and we had sunshine! Now we're home again there is a heap of washing to be done, of course, and it's a grey and drizzly day. Today will be a stay indoors and craft day, I think!! It's already time for Challenge 11 at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge where the theme is always Anything Goes. Have you started your Christmas cards yet? There's only 5 months to go!!!!! In my never-ending attempts to tidy my craft hovel I often come across supplies I'd forgotten about, and that's how I found this Tonic Studios die set, which sadly seems to be unavailable. I layered white card on gold mirri card, glueing everything straight down so it won't be too bulky to post. I added a small stamped Christmas tree in the centre, from an old set by Lawn Fawn called 'Peace Joy Love.' Then I did o...

When you read this I will be on the way to Dublin to celebrate my grandson's first birthday! I hope I get the scheduling right! It's time for our regular Christmas theme at CRAFT Challenge. I have used an adorable pre-coloured Elf by Melonheadz from the Christmas Bobbleheadz Clip Art set. I used papers from 'Pink Christmas' which is an old Papermania pad. The holly die-cuts are made with a Marianne Holly Branches die and the glitter snowflakes are from the old Frosty Border die by Memory Box. I added red stickles for the holly berries. The sentiment is from an old Hero Arts sentiment set, and is gold-embossed. The ribbon is from stash. I added stickles to the Elf's hat and Glossy Accents to his boots. Our sponsor is Melonheadz Thanks for looking, and enjoy your weekend! love Mags B x

Hiya! I hope your weekend is going well! Maybe you're enjoying a relaxing time In the Garden which would be a wonderful coincidence as that is our new theme at My Time to Craft! I am not a gardener, my awesome super-power is to kill plants, sadly, but I do like sitting out with a g'n't admiring the flowers that my hubby tends so succesfully! And I like colouring in images of flowers and of garden creatures! This image is an old stamp by Lili of the Valley and is sadly unavailable. The papers are from stash and the ribbon was a RAK from my daughter. Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

(To see my post for The Holly and Ivy Challenge, please scroll down.) Good morning! I hope you're all keeping well! At CRAFT Challenge this week we would like to see Thank you creations, with the option of making something for a teacher, since it's nearly the end of term! I made my card some time ago, and it has already been posted, so I hope I can remember the details!! The image is Just to Say Freebie from Scrappers' Delights. The papers are from stash and the corner stickers are from Paperchase. The 'Thanks' is cut with a very old MFT Die-namics die, from purple holographic card, and the 'teacher' label is handwritten. Our sponsor is Scrap N Dipity who are new to me - have a look! The prize is 3 digis from the shop! Have a look at my teamies' gorgeous creations to get an idea of Scrap N Dipity's quirky style! Thanks for looking, now I'm off to play a bit more of my new videogame: I have a Wraith to hunt so that a small ch...

I'm sorry this post is late, I thought I had scheduled it! I have been playing a new videogame and forgot to check! Ooops! There's a new Challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. This cool dude is Cool Claud by High Hopes Stamps. I added Glossy Accents to his shades and Icicle Stickles to the snow. The paper is an old one from Papermania. Do join in our Challenge, it's never too soon to start your Christmas cards! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Good morning! It's Thursday! That means two exciting things: it's nearly the weekend AND there's a new Challenge at CRAFT Challenge! This week we have a fabulous Sketch created by our lovely and talented Aunty Sue. So versatile! I made a birthday card for a bloke. The fun image is Frog on a Log from sponsor DRS Designs. I coloured him with Copics and added Glossy Accents to his eyes. I cut him out with a Die-namics Zig-zag Stitched Circle die, then distressed the edges with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink. The butterfly sticker is from stash. The papers are all from the Snippets Drawer and the ancient paper raffia ribbon is from stash as are the star stickers. The silver-embossed sentiment is from an old Hero Arts Messages set. Go and see the gorgeous creations my teamies have made using the sketch, and join in! Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Hi, guys! I spent a wonderful weekend in Oxford staying with a schoolfriend recently, and made this card for her. I used an old wooden stamp by Funstamps, which I gold-embossed and coloured with Copics - carefully, because alcohol ink can affect embossing. I layered it on pearlescent blue card and foam-mounted it. The paper is from the 'Soleil' pad by Basic Grey. Thanks for looking, and I hope you're all having a good week. love Mags B x

Good morning, all! I hope you're looking forward to a great weekend! Q: What did Big Ben say to the Leaning Tower of Pisa? A: I've got the time if you've got the inclination! (From Timekeepers by Simon Garfield.) Our new Challenge at My Time to Craft is Christmas in July. Yes, another Christmas card - I've been making quite a few recently, and it's always satisfying to see the pile of Christmas cards growing taller! Recently I have been going through my older stamps and came across some cuties from the much-missed Whiff of Joy. This is one of the adorable Gnome stamps by Norma Fickel, it's Wee with Christmas Tree. I added Glossy Accents to the star and Xmas red stickles to the baubles. I cut out the image with a Spellbinders Labels Fourteen die and before removing the edges I distressed the edge with Tea Die Distress Ink. The snowflakes were cut from silver glitter card with another Spellbinders die which is positively ancient!! The papers ...