Madcap Manor

Hi there! We have an interesting Challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas - anything BUT a card! I made a little box using Lawn Fawn's Scalloped Treat Box die. I used Christmas paper from my stash and decorated it using an old Poinsettia die from Marianne, with 3 gold gems for the centre. The tag is made with a Memory Box bauble gift-tag die, I cut the pattern from glitter cardstock and the base from plain green.  I hope you're all on top of things at this stressful time and that you find time to craft and to join in our challenge! Check out my teamies' creations for inspiration!  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B x

  Good morning! I hope you're all looking forward to a relaxing weekend. There's 2 weeks to go until the Big Day and the pressure is mounting - but I hope you can find some quiet time to yourself to do some crafting. Check out our latest challenge at My Time to Craft! where we're looking for Christmas Animals. I used This sketch by Jess Crafts. She has a Youtube channel, too, where she shows how to use up patterned papers leaving no scraps - so useful!  The adorable deer are from Lawn Fawn's Cheery Christmas stamp set, and I added little Christmas hats. The silver-embossed sentiment is also by Lawn Fawn, it's from the Simply Celebrate Winter stamp set. My teamies have made a lovely variety of cards on our them, take a dekko to be inspired!  Thanks for looking and keep well!  love Mags B x

Did you see what I did there? Yes, our new challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas is to Use Kraft card. I just can't resist a good (bad!) pun!  I used items from the latest Papercraft Essentials Magazine free gift, which is a gorgeous collection of wintry papers and cute animal toppers. The soft blues and whites are lovely, and contrast so well with a kraft card base. The image is edged in glitter, and the spotty ribbon from my stash is also subtly sparkly.  My teamies have made beautiful cards as usual, do check them out.  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B x

  Hello, my lovelies! Our new challenge at Dream Valley is the last one of the year, and the theme is Christmas. The challenge continues until 10th January 2022.  We have a collection of wonderful sponsors: Polkadoodles , Di's Digital Designs , All Dressed Up and The Paper Shelter. So there are lots of chances to win!  I used an older stamp from Di's Digis, this is 'Jingle Bells' which is now no longer available. I love the pleased expression on Rudolph's face as he prances along to the sound of all those bells! Di has a Christmas sale on at the moment, so do check it out! The background paper is from my stash, as is the ribbon. I used red mirror card for the corners and the sentiment is from MFT's Jingle All the Way stamp set.  Go and see my teamies' fab creations and join the fun!  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B x

  Eeek! I'm so sorry that I'm late with my post for the latest Challenge at My Time to Craft. We have had the exciting delivery of a new fridge-freezer and I've spent the day chucking out stuff from the old freezer (why did I have 3 bags of pastry remains in there?) and organising everything into the new one! It's a dark grey colour, and my hubby thinks it looks like the dark and mysterious block of stone from the film '2001: a Space Odyssey'! Anyway, back to our challenge, which is Stitching - real or faux , I made a mini slimline card for a change, it is 3" x 6". The cute toy teddy bear has stitching down her tummy, and I used a stitched die to cut out the panel. The image is from an old Mama Elephant stamp set, and the sentiment is from an old Paper Smooches set. Sadly, neither is available any more. I used my scoreboard to emboss 5 lines behind the image and a die-cut gold heart that I hd in my die-cuts folder.  A die-cuts folder is so us...

  The Challenge will last until 11th January 2022.   Hiya, all! Christmas seems to be coming faster and faster now! It's the last challenge of the year at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge.   I have used items from 'Oh Santa!', the November 2021 card kit by Love from Lizi. Unfortunately the kit has sold out but check out the Christmas goodies in Lizi's shop! Everything came from the kit, including the cute Santa image and the pretty ribbon bow. I used an old sketch from Mojo Monday: the challenge blog has closed, but Julee now has a sketch challenge on her blog, Poetic Artistry.   Check out my teamies work and enjoy your Christmas crafting!  Stay safe and well and - merry Christmas!  Thanks for looking! love Mags B x

The Big Day is getting closer and closer! To help with the preparations we have a new challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas. Our theme is Christmas Treats. Gingerbread people were always a Christmas treat when I was growing up, so I've used a stamp from Lawn Fawn's Simply celebrate Winter stamp set of row of dancing gingerbread lads and lasses. I stamped them in a pale dye ink and coloured them with Copics, then re-stamped with Versamark and gold-embossed the outlines. Embossing and alcohol markers don't mix, but using a Misti this technique works!  I hope you're looking forward to a good weekend: my daughter is visiting from Ireland and she's organising us! We have already taken 3 bags to the charity shop, and she's been here less than 24 hours! It's always easier to tidy and sort when you have good company.  Go and see the yummy cards that my teamies have made to inspire you!  Thanks for looking and keep well.  love Mags B x

  Hiya! Happy Monday! We have a new challenge at Dream Valley which is Anything Goes. This is a 'Just for Fun' Challenge as there's no sponsor. I used items from the Love from Lizi October kit. The adorable deer is one of the ephemera pieces and the background paper has some triangles that are printed to look like glitter. I covered those triangles with a Spectrum Noir sparkle pen. The white circle is pearlised card, I ran it through an embossing folder from my stash to give some texture. The sentiment says 'You leave a little sparkle wherever you go.'  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B x

Good morning! I hope you've all had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft to entertain you: we would like to see Texture on your creations!  I was inspired by This video by Christina Griffiths and decided to CASE her card. She used dry embossing, ribbon and butterflies on her card; I used heat embossing, glitter washi tape and flowers, and also a different border die by Spellbinders. Check out her channel, she makes beautiful cards! I embossed the white card with Ivory Pearl powder by Love from Lizi and an old floral background stamp from Simon Says Stamp. The mesh flowers and washi tape are from my stash. The ombre die-cuts are only glued along the top, so that the edging is raised up a bit. The image and sentiment are from a 'Downton Abbey' collection by Crafters Companion which was a magazine freebie.  Go and see my teamies' creations for more inspiration!  Thanks for looking and keep well.  lo...

  Good morning! It's Christmas time again on my blog because there's a new Challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge.   I had a very old 12 x 12 paper pad from Echo Park called 'Merry Christmas' and I only had a few sheets left, so I was determined to use them up. With the help of Call Me Crafty Al's Sheetload of Cards sketch and instructions for November 2021 here I did it! As well as the papers I used clear iridescent glitter peeloffs by Love from Lizi, they transformed some slightly dull papers with lots of sparkle! I added silver glitter snowflakes behind the silver-embossed sentiment and a few sequins for even more sparkle! I made 9 of these altogether! Using up an entire paper pad is so satisfying!  Go and see what my teamies have made and get Christmassy!!  Thanks for looking and keep well.  love Mags B x

  Hi there! I hope you're all keeping well. We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas which is Vintage Christmas. I mage another mini slimline which is 3" x 6" and the perfect size to fit my image. I used an old 12 x 12 paper pad from First Edition called Village Christmas which has several sheets of vintage images, so I just cut one out. The holly strip above Santa is glittered.  The background paper is from the same pad, I went round the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink,  and the ribbon is from my stash.  Check out my teamies' work on the blog and have fun going vintage on your Christmas card!  Thanks for looking and take care.  love Mags B x

Good morning! Welcome to a new Challenge at Dream Valley . We have this fab sketch: Our sponsor is the wonderful Polkadoodles . I used Maddie Twirling Curls - isn't she adorable? And so satisfying to colour, since like all Polkadoodles images it indicates where the shading is.  My papers came from an ancient pad by K & Co and I took the pink and green colours from the paisley background. I used a Cheery Lynn doily die and pink vellum for the circular element. The sentiment is Birch Press's Hello Sugar Script Die which I coloured with Copics.  Go and see what my talented teamies have done with the sketch!  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B x

  Hello, my lovelies! TGIF! We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft which is New Home. I have made a mini-slimline card. The patterned paper came from an old First Edition pad, and has a canvas texture. I coloured one of the houses with Copics and added an old sentiment from Lili of the Valley. A very simple card - it took longer to find the paper and sentiment stamp than it did to make the card! I really must sort my craft hovel again!  Go and see the sweet inspiration that my teamies have posted on the Challenge blog!  Thanks for looking and stay well.  love Mags B x

  Hiya! It's exciting here at the Manor, as my dayghter and grandson are over here from Ireland! My goodness, my grandson is getting tall! He's 5, but he's wearing age 6 clothes! He's grown so much since December 2019!   I'm snatching a few minutes to post about the new challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge . I used MFT's Quilt Square Cover-up die and inlaid the frame with paper by Nitwits. The Stitched Snowflakes by Lawn Fawn are cut from silver mirri card. The background paper is also by Nitwits - unfortunately the collection is no longer available. I'm doing quite well with my Christmas cards this year! If you haven't started yet, hop over to our challenge for some inspiration and have a go! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

Whaddaya mean, 'Christmas Transport'? At least, that's what I thought when I saw what today's challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas was to be.   Well, with a little guidance from my lovely teamies I understood that it means: Santa's Sleigh; Sledges; Trucks bearing Christmas Trees; Snowboards; Skis; maybe even the Three Ships that come sailing by on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day. (I love that carol!) I went with a sledge. This adorable image is by Penny Black (unfortunately it may be out of print, as I can't find it online.) I coloured the sweet hedgies with Copics, and added Diamond Stickles to their hats and the snow. The holly paper is an old digi-paper from Lili of the Valley which is also out of print, but check out their pretty background digi papers!  The chipboard sentiment came from a magazine several years ago, the green script matches the background paper very well. The red and gold ribbon is from my stash.   Sledge across to our new Challe...

 Hello! We have a new Challenge at Dream Valley which is Circles. I may have gone a little over the top with the amount of circles on my card!   Our sponsor is Rachelle Anne Miller and I have used her adorable Ballerina digi stamp. I used the Mod Circle Frame Die by Simon Says Stamp and inlaid it with a textured patterned paper from my stash. I used the same paper as a mat for the image.   With the offcuts of the white card and patterned paper I made a second card, adding a Vintage Bicycle die-cut in silver - the bicycle shows up rather better in real life! Gotta love a 'twofer!'   Take a look at my teamies' creations for more circular inspiration!   Thanks for looking and take care!   love Mags B x

  Evening, all! We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft which is to make a Halloween card or to use Autumn Colours.   I used papers from my stash and the October sketch by Alicia of Call Me Crafty Al on Youtube. I stamped some tiny leaf sprigs on the yellow background using Mustard Seed Distress Oxide ink to give a bit more interest. For the leaves I ink-smooshed Distress Inks onto watercolour paper and die-cut leaves with Lawn Fawn's Stitched Leaves dies. The die-cut sentiment is made with an old MFT die, and the ribbon behind the vellum circle focal point is from my stash.   Go and see the inspiration my clever teamies have left on the blog and join our topical Challenge!  Thanks for looking and take care!   love Mags B x

Good morning! We have a new challenge at The Holly and Ivy and this time I have made TWO cards! I used a kit that came with Papercraft Essentials Magazine no 203 . There was a sheet that included these homely pictures of a door and a fireplace, as well as several pages of die-cuts to decorate the backgrounds. I trimmed down the edges of the die-cuts, as the white borders were quite wide, and went to town! I t was much quicker and easier than the annual house decorating for Christmas! The sentiments read 'Deck the Halls' and 'From Our Home to Yours.' I like having sentiments and images that aren't 'Christian' as I have several friends of other faiths - and none.   Go and see my teamies' sweet makes, and join in the fun!   Thanks for looking and take care.   love Mags B x

  Good morning, all! It's been a morning full of excitement - we found petrol! There was no queue, either - for the first time in a fortnight! It's so good to be able to go to the town without being caught in traffic jams!   The second exciting thing about today is that it's time for a new challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas where we'l like to see Sparkle and Shine. I tried several times to take a picture that shows the sparkle on the Lawn Fawn Giant Let it Snow die cut, but the light just wasn't good enough.  I cut the sentiment in glitter cardstock and stacked 2 layers of white card behingd it, then added it to a card front made with snowflake paper from my stash.   When I had done that I noticed that the glitter was shedding, so I covered it with Glossy Accents. Now it sparkles AND shines!   Check out my teamies' sparkly, shiny creations!   Thanks for looking and take care.   love Mags B x

  Evening, all! We have a new Challenge at Dream Valley - we'd like to see lots of squares!  Our sponsor is Morgans Art World and I have used Stardust and Pumpkin 2 which is so cute. The patterned papers are from my stash.   Check out the Challenge blog to see my teamies' gorgeous work and join in! BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!   Thanks for looking and take care   love Mags B x

  Hi, guys! We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft which is Get Well Soon.    I love this image from Tiddly Inks Ricky Hanging Around. I have him as a clear stamp which includes the sentiment I used. I stamped one of the cute birds onto the branch, just for fun! The gorgeous background paper is from my stash, and I added a strip to decorate the inside. Check out my teamies' lovely creations and have a go at our Challenge!   Thanks for looking and take care.   love Mags B x

  Good morning, my lovelies! I hope you're all keeping well!   Before I get on to our new Challenge at The Holly and Ivy , I have some news! I am going to be a Grandma again next March! My daughter in Ireland has finally given me permission to make the announcement. It's so exciting!   Now back to our normal service. I apologise for the naff photo, the colours are brighter irl. I used an adorable older stamp by Meljen for Whimsy Stamps - I'm glad to say that her images are available through Whimsy Stamps in digital form - though unfortunately not this cute mouse.   The background paper has been hanging around my stash for years, it includes some festive silver glitter. I matched the stripes on the mouse's hat to the colours on the patterned paper to make a change from traditional Christmas colours. The sentiment strip came with a magazine a long time ago, and matches perfectly. I love it when a plan comes together!   Do scurry across...

  I apologise, folks, I thought I had scheduled my post for My Time to Craft Christmas but I mucked up the scheduling.  Our new challenge is Christmas Critters and I used an old stamp from Penny Black of the cutest singing mice! I painted the image with Distress Inks (I really need to practise my watercolouring!) I channelled my inner Cathy Zielski and included a wide margin around the panel. Finally I added a few clear sequins for a touch of bling.  Dig out your cutest Christmas critter images and have a go at our Challenge!  Thanks for looking and take care.  love Mags B x

Hello, my dearios! I hope you all had a good weekend! To start the week we have a new Challenge at Dream Valley which is to use at least 2 patterned papers on your creation. If, like me, you have stacks of patterned papers, this is a very useful Challenge!   Our sponsor is Di's Digital Stamps and I have used Scarecrow Bear - he's on sale on the website at the moment if you want to check him out! My 3 papers are from an old pad by Kanban - the brown background has a subtle ombre effect which doesn't really show in my naff photo! I used sketch #16 by Jess Crafts - she has a Youtube Channel with loads of great ideas for using 6x6 papers.   Have a look through your papers and use some up in our challenge!   Thanks for looking and stay safe!   love Mags B x

Hello, my dearios! I hope you're all looking forward to an enjoyable and relaxing weekend. We have a new challenge at My Time to Craft to keep you entertained!   Our theme this time is Embossing either heat-embossing or dry-embossing. I went with both, following This video from the lovely Natasha Foote. The technique begins at 3 minutes 10 seconds. I used an embossing folder and brayered white pigment ink over the raised side. (Natasha used Versamark, but pigment ink was easier to see to make sure I had good coverage - and since it stays wet for longer than dye ink it's fine for heat-embossing.)  I used an embossing bag on my plain cardstock to prevent powder from sticking where I didn't want it and ran it and the folder through my Cuttlebug. Then I sprinkled on gold embossing powder and heat-set it.   The gold embossing sits in the debossed pattern and gives a very pretty look, though the photo doesn't do it justice. A sentiment and some gold ribbon...

  Hello! There's another Challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge where it's always Anything Christmas Goes. My image is from Bugaboo - I am so very sorry that the store has closed, I adore Jodie's stamps, they are unique.  This is one of my favourites. The papers came from my stash, I didn't add a sentiment because 'Merry Christmas' is printed on the paper.  I used both blue and silver card to mat and layer. Check out our Challenge blog and join in! Thanks for looking and stay safe. love Mags B x

Hello, my dearios! I hope you're all keeping well this Friday evening and looking forward to a relaxing weekend.   We have a new challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas which is to use a very yummy photo as the inspiration for your creation. You can be inspired by the colours, the biscuits, the patterns or the sweets - as many or few as you choose!  I went with the Gingerbread and Candy canes!  I stamped Gingerbread people on my background, using a pale beige ink which did not want to be photographed clearly, chiz.    The focal point is a die-cut from an old Simon Says Stamp kit, inlaid with red holographic card, and the green bow is from the same die-set, cut from a scrap of green satin gloss card - I always keep scraps of speciality card, they come in useful so often!  The circle die-cut is made with a very old doily die from Cheery Lynn and the sentiment is by Paper Smooches. I am 'shopping my stash' (using what I already have, in other wo...

Hi there! I'm getting back into the swing of things after a week's holiday in the glorious Lake District. Fresh air, gorgeous scenery and delicious food - perfick!  Now it's time for a new Challenge at Dream Valley where we'd like to see you use a digi. Our sponsor is the fabulous All Dressed Up and Wendy kindly let the DT use some of her sweet images for the Challenge. I went with Autumn Leaves. So cute! I used autumn-coloured papers from the Snippets drawer and the sentiment is from an old Simon Says Stamp set. I can't quite get my head around the fact that it's September, and Autumn is here!  Check out my teamies' creations and dig out your favourite digi and join in the fun!  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B x

  Evening, all! Ye Olde Manne and I have just returned from a week's holiday in the English Lake District. It is so beautiful - we went for long walks along Lake Windermere and in the fells around. Our first holiday in two years! Unfortunately the place we were staying at had no wi-fi, which is why I'm posting this quite late on Friday evening.  Our new Challenge at My Time to Craft is Travel or Transport. Once again I have used older items from my stash which sadly seem to be unavailable now. The image is embossed in Platinum embossing powder from Simon Says Stamp. The map paper is from my stash. I went around the edge of the oval die-cut with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink, which matched the blue card I used for a mat.  I'm rather pleased with this, it's going to a friend who is retiring from his job soon.  Check out my teamies' fab work and have a go yourself!  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B x

  Good afternoon, my lovelies! Here's another Christmas card, because we have a new Challenge at The Hollyand Ivy Christmas Challenge.    I took my inspiration from This video by the very talented Natasha Foote. I used papers from an old pad that was a magazine freebie and the Christmas tree and bling are from an even older sticker sheet! I also used Peel-offs by Love from Lizi where the papers joined.   My hubby said: "It's very.... pink!" when he saw it!   Check out the challenge blog and be inspired to make Christmas cards - in 4 months' time it will be Christmas Eve!!!!!   Thanks for looking and take care.   love Mags B x

  Good morning! I hope you're all keeping well. We have a new Challenge at Dream Valley which is Back to School. Our sponsor is The Paper Shelter and they currently have a sale on for their school-related images!   I didn't use the image they sent, because my printer has been misbehaving, so instead used a very, very old rubber stamp from The Greeting Farm. I used more papers from the snippets drawer. The sentiment is from an old set by Clearly Besotted which sadly is out of print. It reads 'Best Teacher' - because teachers have to go back to school, too!   Go and see what my teamies have made with the cute image from The Paper Shelter, they will inspire you!   Thanks for looking and take care!   love Mags B x

Good morning on a muggy, grey August day in Hertfordshire! I just hope that there is more sunshine by the end of the week, when we go to the Lake District for a week's holiday! It's our first in 2 years, and I can't wait!   I don't think we'll be spotting any Mermaids in Lake Windermere, but we have plenty of mer-mazing cards at My Time to Craft as that is our new Challenge.   My only Mermaid stamp set is an old one from a Smon Says Stamp card kit from a couple of years ago. Very cute! I used a die from Ptretty Pink Posh's Stacked Edges 1 to cut strips of card which I paper pieced to make the background. I fussy-cut the images, then added sparkle pen to all the shells.   Check out the mermaids swimming around on the Challenge post, they are all so varied and pretty!  Thanks for looking and take care!   love Mags B x

Hello, my dearios! Welcome to another challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas. Our theme is Off the Page - that is, have your focal point overlapping the edge. Check out my teamies' creations for some ace examples. I went with a Z-Fold card. The topper is another Hunkydory Magazine die-cut and the papers are from my stash.  I used a dull gold cardstock for layering and also for the 'Noel' sentiment (an old Sizzix die) and the heart on a ribbon (an even older Memory Box die.)  The brown pearls are also from my stash, I had to glue them in place because they had lost their 'stick'! I hope you're all looking forward to a happy weekend.  Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

  Good morning! It's time for more Christmas crafting at The Holly and Ivy. As usual, Anything Christmas Goes.   I have used up more of the items that came with a box magazine from Hunkydory at the back end of last year. Their kits are so gorgeous! This gnome is so cute! I raised the silver-foiled topper and the sentiment on foam pads and added some blue glitter bakers' twine.  An easy design, but quite effective, I think. Go and see the cards and tags that my teamies have made and be inspired! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

  Good morning and Happy Monday! We have a new challenge for you at Dream Valley where we'd like to see embossing - either heat embossing or using an embossing folder. Or both!   I did both!   We were to be sponsored by the wonderful Bugaboo Stamps, but unfortunately the site is unavailable for now and so this challenge is Just For Fun. This cute image is called 'Cupcake Tower.' I coloured it with Copics for a particular friend who has been under the weather recently. The background is pearlescent card dry embossed with a very old folder and the patterned paper strip is a snippet from my stash.   The sentiment 'Friends like you are far and few' is also ancient and I heat embossed it with gold onto vellum. Finally I added some purple sequins.   My teamies, as usual, have made beautiful cards to inspire you, go and see!   Thanks for looking, my dearios, and take care!   love Mags B x

Hello, my lovelies! We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft!  which is this fab sketch: I have made yet another Christmas card, because I found some darling metal glittered snowflakes in my stash and thought they'd suit the sketch very well. I used some gorgeous Tonic Speciality paper which I can't find on their website, so it may be unavailable. The striped paper is from my stash.  I layered everything with silver mirri cards for some festive bling. The glittered blue and white bakers' twine is from my stash.  This sketch is so versatile, and my teamies have pulled out all the stops to showcase it! Go over to the blog and take a look!  I hope you're all keeping well and looking forward to a great weekend!  Thanks for looking and take care!  love Mags B 

  It's another Christmas card! Yes, we have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas and our theme is Plaid or Gingham. I love Plaid (aka Tartan) on Christmas cards, it makes me think of a snuggly warm rug that I can wrap myself in when the weather is cold! I have once again made a 5 x 7 inch card, and I have also used older items from my stash - it was a New Year's Resolution to USE MY STUFF but I still have so much left that I suspect I'll be making the same Resolution for the next five years! The background tartan paper came from an old pad by First Edition, it has a lovely canvas texture.  The adorable image is by Elisabeth Bell from the late, lamented 'Whiff of Joy' shop, and I coloured her with Copics and added Diamond Stickles to the fur trim on her coat. I layered the image and the paper on red and then gold Mirri card. I used some holographic gold peel-offs from Love from Lizi along the edges of the green paper and the stars in the corners are also so...

 Yes, it's another Christmas card, this time for  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. This card design is another of Alicia's 'Sheetload of Cards' - this one is for July 2021 and instructions can be found on Youtube Here. The front opens to show the space for a message like this: I used papers and twine from my stash - I've used up quite a bit of my papers this year, but I still have so much more that I've been hoarding!!!  Check out my teamies' cards and join in the Challenge - in 5 months' time Christmas will be over! Now, that's a scary thought!  Look after yourselves, my lovelies!  love Mags B x

  Hello, my dearios! Good news - Dream Valley is back after a summer break and our first theme is Christmas in July. This 5 x 7 card is made with items from a magazine kit from last year by Hunkydory Crafts. I layered a patterned paper from the kit onto silver mirri card from my stash then added the die-cut frame with one layer of foam tape and the innermost arch with two layers of foam tape, so it has lots of dimension.  The sentiment says 'Festive Wishes' and also came with the kit.   My teamies have made some gorgeous cards to inspire you, check them out! I love Hunkydory, especially their Christmas designs, the foiling they use is definitely fetive! Thanks for looking, stay safe and well, and Happy Christmas! love Mags B x

  Good morning! I hope you're all keeping well. We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft and this time we'd like to see  No Patterned Paper. Instead you can use dies or an embossing folder or simply stamp an image and sentiment onto plain card.  I used a die-cut, this is an old Simon Says Stamp die called 'Rose Flower Frame.' I cut the die from a square of white card and coloured the flower with Copics. I layered it on more whte card and then on some textured gold cardstock. The sentiment is from the Simple Pleasures stamp set by Love from Lizi and reads 'You've Got This.' My teamies have left some great creations on the challenge blog to give you some ideas!  Thanks for looking and stay safe!  love Mags B x

  Evening, all! We have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas and you have probably realised, from the atrocious puns in my heading, that we'd like to see kraft on your kreation!  I absolutely love white heat embossing on kraft cardstock, so that's what I did. I used a lovely stamp by Penny Black of snow-covered trees. Unfortunately I put the stamp away in a safe place and now can't find it. Sigh. I need to tidy again, don't I?  After embossing the image I added splatter in white watercolour and perfect pearls.  Go and see what my teamies have done with kraft kard and be inspired!  Thanks for looking and stay safe.  love Mags 'I'm not giving up my mask!' B x

  Hi, guys! Just a quick post about the new Challenge at My Time to Craft where our theme is Use a Ribbon and/or a Bow.   I have used papers, ephemera and a die from the June kit by Love From Lizi. This is a mini slimline card, sized 6 x 3 inches.  The hexagonal sticker reads 'Let's Go Wild!' I apologise for the glare on the flamingo, I'm not a very good photographer! I hope you're all keeping well and staying safe.  I, for one, will not be abandoning my mask, handwashing and Social Distancing any time soon, in spite of the so-called 'Freedom Day' on July 19th.  If I ever gave someone Covid I would never forgive myself! Anyway, thanks for looking! love Mags B x

Hello, my lovelies! I hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend. Our son will be visiting for a few days, as he has a hospital appointment in London, so when I did the weekly supermarket shop this morning I made sure to buy some BEER so that he and his Dad can bond over the football on Tuesday! It seems quite strange that we are now halfway through the year. It'll be Christmas before we know it! To help ease the pressure we have a new Challenge at My Time to Craft Christmas and our theme is Clean and Simple : about two thirds of the card should be blank (technically known as 'white space' though it doesn't necessarily have to be white.)  I made two cards to the same design. and I was originally going to inlay the green die-cut (an old Simon Says Stamp die) with the green, but decided they looked better without. I gold-embossed sentiments and added gems from my stash and they were done!  If you need more details of what's considered 'Clean...