Madcap Manor

 Hello, my dearios! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that you're looking forward to the New Year. Our new Challenge at  My Time to Craft!  is Welcome, Baby.   It's a very useful Challenge for me, as I am to be a Great-aunt again at the end of February.  I don't know if it will be a boy or a girl, so I made 2 cards, both using die-cuts. I apologise for the glare, I used some beautiful matte mirror card and the day was very overcast, so the camera insisted on using the flash. The background paper is  Promises  by Nitwit Collections, so pretty! The lacy  frame is from the Square Fancy Frames set by Christina Griffiths.  The crib is cut with a die by  Tattered Lace  which unfortunately is out of print. Again I used an old Tattered Lace die.  The lovely cardstock is matte rose gold by Tonic Studios.  The heart paper is from my stash, and I used the  Complete 6 x 6 card and box set  by Card Making Magic to cut the mat and background. Isn't it interesting how one te

 Good morning! Are you all ready for the holiday? Presents all wrapped and under the tree? Cards delivered to the neighbours? No, me neither! Well, in a week's time we'll be getting ready to welcome in 2023, and so our new challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  is to make something for New Year's Day.  I have kept it simple, using die-cuts. I used an old layering cover die by Sissix, the bottom layer is matte gold card and the top layer is a rather pretty magents.  The numbers were cut with an old Memory Box numbers set.  Very easy - though it takes a long time to dot wet glue over the die-cuts! I hope you all have a lovely, relaxing Christmas.  American and Canadian friends, keep warm and safe in the awful weather you're experiencing.  Here in the UK we complain about the weather (It's tipping down with rain today) but we don't really know what bad weather is like in comparison. Thanks for looking, enjoy the celebrations, and I hope all your presents come wi

 Hi there! A quick post today about the new challenge at  My Time to Craft  - our theme is Other December Holidays  such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or New Year. My first card is about  Kwanzaa  which wikipedia tells us is 'an African-American holiday started in 1966'.  I really enjoyed the bright colours I used on this card! I used a die from Tattered Lace that came with a magazine, trimming the image to leave just candles and a bow.  Isn't it interesting how many celebrations at this time of the year include candles, or fire?  Think of the Yule Log of pagan Europeans, Diwali ('Festival of Lights') and  St Lucy's Day  when the Saint is shown wearing a crown of candles. Anyway, I found a really colourful background paper, which is spot-glossed, by First Edition and spelt out the word using the  Calligraphy alpha stamp set  by Altenew. My second card celebrates New Year. The papers and ephemera all came from the December 2021 kit by  Love from Lizi , which sadly is no l

 Hello, my lovelies! I hope you're all keeping well.  We had snow on Sunday - 9 inches overnight! It's more than we've seen in several years.  I know, I know, those of you in places where snow is much more frequent will be rolling on the floor, laughing, but here in the south of the UK we rarely get so much.  Everything looked very Christmassy on Monday morning. And now we have the last Challenge of the year at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge , which lasts until 8th January 2023. I apologise for the shine on the image, I had to use the camera flash, and all the papers are glossy.  Papers, ephemera, bow and sentiment are all from the November 2022 card kit by  Love from Lizi .  I used a tiny bow stamp from a very old Simon Says Stamp set and some pale pink ink to stamp on the card base to give more interest.  The sketch is by Jess Crafts, from her paper pad templates  here. I hope you are all getting organised for the Big Day without too many trials and tribulations,

 This Challenge lasts until January 9th 2023. Hi, guys! I hope you're all well.  This is the last Challenge of the year at  Dream Valley  and the theme is Christmas! We have three sponsors this time:  All Dressed Up ,  The Paper Shelter  and  Morgan's Art World I used Morgan's  Winter 10  digi stamp - the image looks like my neighbour, so that is who the card is going to. The papers come from an old paper pad by First Edition, and the chevron background is embossed.  I used an old Spellbinders Label die for the image, and Love from Lizi peel-ffs to edge the horizontal strip. There's still time to make a few more Christmas cards - or even start on the cards for next Christmas! - so I hope you'll join in the Challenge! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hi there! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We have had Christmas Parties as the Toddler Club this week, and planning meetings for kids' events at the end of term.  I know meetings are necessary, but I've never liked them much!! But my daughter and grandson are visiting from Ireland this weekend, which is going to be fun! Before then it's time for another Challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas!  We would like to see Candy Canes  this time - as an image or an embellishment or on patterned paper.  Lots of options there! I only had time to make one card this fortnight, and it's quite simple.  The patterned paper and die-cut came from an old paper collection by Papermania.  The sentiment is from an out-of-print stamp set by Reverse Confetti and the red-and-gold ribbon is from my stash.  I used Spellbinders' Labels One dies for the sentiment.  Everything is layered on gold and red card.  It looks much shinier irl than in the photo! Check out the Challen

 Hi, guys! We have a very unusual Challenge at  My Time to Craft!  which is - anything to do with Sheep.   Yarn, knitting, woolly sweaters and clothes, shepherds (good for Christmas cards!) or even... Sheep! I have 2 Sheep cards to show: one is fun, the other is romantic. This funny jumping sheep, and the punny sentiment, are by Paper Smooches (I still miss them!) The papers are from my stash, I edged the horizontal strip with scalloped borders and  Gold mirror moondust  peel-offs by Love from Lizi.  I added glitter Nuvo drops to the yellow dots on the background, but unfortunately they don't show in the photo.  Finally I added Glossy Accents to the sheep's nose and eyes. My second card could be for an engagement, a wedding or an anniversary! This card uses two adorable sheep from MFT's  Ewe are the Best  stamp set.  I masked the sheep and used an MFT  Cloud Stencil  to make a sky, and cut some pale green card for the hill.  Then I cut the scene out with a Hero Arts  Nesti

 Hi, guys! We have a new Christmas Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy  to give you extra inspiration for your Christmas creating! Every year I make a dozen tags for a very dear friend.  This year I knew I wanted to include a snowflake.  I was inspired by  this video  by Jess Crafts; and  this video  by Ardyth.  Check them both out on Youtube, they are so inspiring! I used scraps of mirror and holographic card, and an old Martha Stewart punch.  The frames were cut using Spellbinders square dies: I cut the larger die first, then lined up a smaller die in the middle to create the frame.  The white cardstock was cut with a wonky stitched square die from Craftstash (now out of print) and I used my Cropadile to punch holes for the ribbons. Check out our new Challenge and get Christmassy! Thanks for looking and take care. love Mags B x

 Good morning! To brighten your Monday we have a new challenge at  Dream Valley  which is Lots of Layers.   We are sponsored by  Polkadoodles  and the Design Team received some of their adorable images to work with. I have used  Balloon Days  which is so cute! This is a 5 x 7 card because I wanted lots of space for my layers of papers.  They all come from an old paper pad by Papermania, and the colours are so bright and cheerful.  I used  Sway peel-offs  by Love from Lizi to edge the long vertical strip.  The flowers came from The Range, and I added buttons to the centres.  The sentiment banner is an old stamp from Paper Smooches.  Finally I covered the balloon with Glossy Accents. Check out my teamies' creations using Polkadoodles images, get out your favourite papers and join the fun! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x.

 Q: Qhat do you get if you cross a Kangaroo with a Sheep? A: A Woolly Jumper. A very old joke.  (Here in the UK a sweater is also known as a jumper.) Our new challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  is to show winter clothing on your creation.  Scarves, hats, gloves, coats, woolly jumpers...  The papers and ephemera on this card are from the  Love from Lizi November 2022 card kit  which is called 'Cosy Christmas.'  The sentiment is from the  Perfect Sentiments Holiday  stamp set by Pinkfresh Studio, and I added Gold Coast Nuvo Drops to give some sparkle. My second card uses an old Memory Box die called 'Precious Mittens' which is now out of print.  I cut the first layer from pearlised white cardstock and also red paper, trimmed off the red mittens and glued them together.  The purple pearlised background has been embossed with a 'knitted' embossing folder.  Papers and ribbon are from stash and the sentiment is another old one by Love from Lizi. Check out my tea

 Good morning! Hooray and Huzzah, it's almost the weekend! There's great excitement here at the Manor, because our dayghter is popping over from Ireland to visit.  Tomorrow we go to That There London Town to see an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  I admit, I'm rather nervous, but I have a new mask and hopefully the trains won't be too crowded. Yes, there is a point to that tale: our new challenge at  My Time to Craft!  is all about Transportation.  Not just trains but cars, boats, aeroplanes, Santa's sleigh.....  I went with bicycles! I used a Memory Box die which sadly is out of print.  I used an old Spellbinders decorative circles die set for the lacy purple mats, and the sentiment is by MFT and also, sadly, out of print.  The rest is all from my stash.  I added gold sequins to the flower centres. This card is in a completely different style! The papers and image came from the October 2022 kit by  Love from Lizi.   The sketch is by  Jess  from Jess C

 Evening, all! Sorry I'm late with my post, I have been wrapping presents for Santa to give out to the children at the Toddler Club Christmas Party in 3 weeks' time.  It's always good to get Christmas preparations under way early! Speaking of which, we have a new challenge for you at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge!  I have made a CAS card. Once again I have used some older stash.  The background is embossed with an ancient Sizzix folder with Christmas words.  The vertical strip is a snippet from my Christmas papers, edged with Love from Lizi's  Gold holographic peel-offs .  The gold mirri sentiment is an old Love from Lizi die.  I matted the panel on some red paper before adding it to my card base.  Simples! Check out my teamies' creations on the challenge blog and get inspired to make a Christmas card! It's not long now until the Big Day! Thanks for looking, and take care! love Mags B x

 Good morning! It's a really autumnal day here in S-E Hertfordshire: misty, moisty, and the trees on the housing estate are showing off their beautiful leaves.  I love this time of year! Anyway, enough waffle, because we have a new challenge at  Dream Valley.   Our theme is Anything Goes  and it's Just For Fun. I fell in love with Papermania's  Modern Deco  paper pad and when I got it home, after admiring the gorgeous geometric patterns and the gold foiling, suddenly wondered - now, how shall I use this? Well, I came up with one idea - it's a birthday card for my son.  See what you think. Black, white and gold aren't colours I would normally use together.  The airship image is a very old red rubber cling stamp from  Whimsy Stamps , I stamped it repeatedly in black pigment ink - thank goodness for a Misti, which makes it so easy! I cut gold and patterned papers and the image with Lawn Fawn's  Stitched Rectangle stackables  to give a little more interest to the ed

 Good morning! I hope you're all keeping well.  We have a new challenge for you at  My Time to Craft Christmas  and we'd like to see Elves or Gnomes  on your creations! I have used Gnomes that came with an old Simon Says Stamp card kit. The Gnome, presents and sentiment are from the  Gnome for the Holidays  stamp set, though the trees are from a retired  Clearly Besotted  set.  I ink smooshed the card with Distress Inks to make the sky and the snowbanks were die-cut using Lawn Fawn's  Stitched Hillside Borders dies .  I added streaks of Stickles here and there to make the snow sparkle. I die-cut and paper pieced this cute Gnome die from Simon Says Stamp using scraps of Christmas paper.  Sadly, this particular die is no longer available.  The white oval and the background have a very subtle linen look, which doesn't really show up on the phot.  The sentiment comes from the previous SSS stamp set. Check out my Gnomies' - I mean my Teamies' creations and have fun w

 Evening, all! There's a new challenge at  My Time to Craft : Critters! I've used 2 old images from Paper Smooches, which is sadly no longer trading. I used a basketweave stencil and Distress Ink in Bundled Sage for the background, then coloured and fussy-cut the cute cat.  I love the sentiment, which comes from the same set.  I added gold glitter stickers for some bling. For this background I used a Tim Holtz/Sizzix embossing folder.  The dinosaur is from another Paper Smooches set, and I used the same flitter stickers.  The sentiment is by Taylored Expressions, from their  Simple Strips: Friendship  set.  I edged it with an alcohol pen to make it stand up more. Check out the cute critters on the challenge blog! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hi, guys! Welcome to another Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy ! I found a digi image of a Christmas present, but unfortunately I had forgotten to write down the source.  It's quite old.  If anyone recognises it, please let me know so I can give credit where it's due. I used papers from my Christmas stash, and coloured the image to match.  I added  Gold holographic peel-offs  by Love from Lizi to edge the vertical strip.  I also added  Bottle Green Nuvo Drops  to decorate the ribbon. Check out the blog for more Christmas inspiration! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hello! We have a new challenge for you at  Dream Valley  which is to use dies or punches - or both! Our sponsor is the fabulous  Polkadoodles . I have used  Octavia Frosted Winter . I used an ancient Spellbinders dieset for the circle mat and the strip of paper lace.  The flowers and leaves and the sentiment came from an old set by  Love from Lizi , and I added one of her peel-offs over the join between the lace and the paper.  The gold gems are from my stash. Check out my teamies' lovely creations and have a go! Thanks for looking and take care. love Mags B x

 Good morning, my lovelies! I hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend.  I shall be sorting, cleaning and tidying the guest room, because we're having a visitor next week who will be staying overnight.  The trouble is, I have chucked a lot of 'stuff' in that room, so it's going to take a long time..... Once it's done it will be  My Time to Craft Christmas!  (Do you see what I did there?) We have an unusual theme this time - non-Christmas winter cards! New Year, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Divali....  But keep it Clean and Simple. For a very useful list of CAS ideas, check out  this glossary  from the "Less Is More" Challenge blog. I have made a couple of Hannukah cards, using this lovely  Blessed Hannukah  stamp set by Altenew. I stencilled the background with Tumbled Glass distress ink.  The star is silver-embossed, and I used holographic card as my mats.  The sentiment is from an old Paper Smooches stamp set. My second card includes a scrap of water

 I am such a numpty! I was so sure that I'd scheduled my post for  My Time to Craft!  on Friday that I didn't check it on the day.  Massive apologies, everyone! Anyway, the theme is Wings  and I have used papers and toppers from a free gift of papers and toppers by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds which came with a magazine a few months ago.  My hubby and I have been members of the RSPB for many years, and it's lovely to see that they are now getting into card supplies! My first card uses a gorgeous kingfisher topper from the kit, it has some fabulous gold foiling on it. Our local RSPB bird reserve (Rye House) is notable for its kingfishers, which are even more beautiful in real life than this pretty image. My second card uses a dragonfly die by Love from Lizi, which is sadly out of print.  I cut it from blue mirror cardstock. The papers are from the same RSPB kit. Check out the fab creations thst my teamies have left on the challenge blog for more inspiration!

 Hello, my lovelies! I'm sorry this post is a day late, I managed to pick up a tummy bug which wiped out Monday and Tuesday this week! Well, it's one way to lose weight..... For our new Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy  I decided to make a stencilled background.  I used the Pretty Pink Posh  Layered Sunflower Stencils  to create poinsettias. It's an easy set to layer, and with different colours could be daisies or even Michaelmas daisies, I think.  I matted it on gold cardstock which I also used for the die-cut sentiment, which is an old one by  Love from Lizi .   In ;ess that 2 weks' time it will be November! Break out your Chrimbo stash and join in at the Challenge! You know it makes sense. Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hi there! It's time for a new challenge at  Dream Valley  and our theme is to use Pearls or Gems on your creation.  Our sponsor is Morgan's Art World. My printer is having a hissy-fit, so I was unable to print any of the gorgeous images that Morgan sent for the DT to use.  However, I had one of her images already printed - this is  Missy May. I used paper, ribbon and lace from my stash, and the flowers and leaves were cut with the  Stitched Blooms  dies by My Favorite Things.  The sentiment is cut with a die from the October card kit by  Love from Lizi.   The gems on the flowers are from my stash. Check out my teamies' fab creations, then join in the fun and scatter pearls or gems across yours! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hi there! Happy Friday! Check out our new Challenge at  My Time to Kraft Khristmas  where the theme is to use Kraft/Brown and White.  I love this combo! My first card is stencilled onto Neenah Desert Storm cardstock. I used Altenew's  Fancy Star Builder Mask and Simple Coloring Stencil  and white pigment ink for the first layer, then added sparkling clear embossing powder over the second layer.  White pigment ink stays wet for a long time, so it's easy to emboss with it. The sentiment is from an old Paper Smooches sentiment stamp set.  I added stich-lines with a white gel pen for the 'rays' and some clear sparkle Nuvo Drops. My second card has a stamped background: I used the  Deck the Halls Turnabout Stamp  by Concord & 9th and added the sparkle embossing powder to the final layer.  The  Label Die  is by Creative Craft Products and the sentiment is a very old one by Lil' Inkers. Check out all the lovely variations on the theme left by my teamies on the Challen

 Hi, guys! We have a new challenge for you at  My Time to Craft!  which is Geometrics.    My first card features circles, using a layering stencil.  Unfortunately I put the folder with all my stencils in a safe place and I just can't find it anywhere, so I can't tell you who made the stencils. My second card features triangles and an old Sizzix cover die. I used holographic card for the die-cut and sentiment, and inlaid some triangles with grey card.  A very masculine look, I think. Go to the challenge blog and see what my teamies have left to inspire you! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Good afternoon! I'm sorry my post is a wee bit late, it's been a busy day.  This morning was spent at the Toddler Club which I help to run at my church; then I had a dental appointment to have my gnashers cleaned; and then hubby and I had our Covid booster AND flu jab! Now it's time for a cuppa! Anyway, our new Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge  is under way.   I used an old die-set (now out of print) for the Snow person, it's so cute! I cut everything out of white card and coloured the pieces with copics.  The oval is die-cut from a scrap of embossed card, as is the sentiment, which is an old die by Love from Lizi.  The background paper and spotted card are from my stash. My stash of Christmas cards is looking quite healthy by now - although I will need even more to be sold at the Toddler Club for our funds.  It's a good thing I really enjoy making Christmas cards! Take a gander at the Challenge blog to be inspired by my teamies' creations an

 Good morning! Happy Monday! I am actually feeling quite happy today because my horrible cold (not Covid, thank goodness!) which I have had since Thursday, is finally getting better.  I have almost stopped sneezing! And it's time for a new Challenge at  Dream Valley , our theme is Favourite Colours. I went with Blue and Yellow (and a bit of green.)  I used cheap'n'cheerful acrylic paints, watered down a little, and scrunched-up clingfilm (saran wrap) to dab colours onto a piece of card.  There's a fuller explanation in  this video  by Sasha Reade. There is so much sparkle and shine on this card, but I just couldn't get a decent photo.  I spritzed the background with a mica spray, then once it had dried I stamped the flower in Memento Ink and coloured the little blooms with yellow centres and blue flowers, using Copics.  The leaves were coloured in a green-blue.  Then I put the panel back in my Misti and re-stamped using Versamark and embossed the image and sentiment

 Morning, all! Welcome to the new challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas ! Let's get cracking on those Christmas cards - it's not long until the Big Day! I used the adorable  Build a Snowman  stamp by Lili of the Valley.  Their images are always so sweet, perfect for kids! I added stickles to all the trim on the children's clothes and Glossy Accents to the holly berries on the snowman's hat.  The paper is from my stash, as is the holographic card. My second card is from a kit called 'Christmas Market' which came with  Papercraft Essentials magazine.   We have a funfair locally at Christmas, and the children so love going on all the rides! This is a decoupage image, which gives such great dimension.  I'd love to have a ride on this merry-go-round myself!! Check out our Challenge blog and see the various gorgeous creations that my teamies have made! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Well, autumn is definitely on the way! Tonight is the equinox, too, when daytime and nighttime are equal in length.  From today there will be less day and more night all the way to Christmas.  Wrap up warm! But we can enjoy the gorgeouscolours of Autumn in the mean time, and that's out theme at  My Time to Craft.   Becca has made a chart of autumnal colours to use: Pick at least three for your creation! My first card is a D/L or slimline design. I used beige, green, brown, purple, red, orange and yellow, with a gold sentiment.  The beige strip has a decorative edge cut with a  Slim Lacy Edges  die by PinkFresh Studio.  The leaves are cut with Lawn Fawn's  Stitched Leaves  oak die. My second card is made with patterned papers in purple, green, tan, yellow and red.  The papers are by P13 an unfortunately are out of print.  I used Jess' Crafts  Template 2  for the sketch. Check out your papers and cardstock in these fab colours and join in the challenge! Thanks for looking an

 Afternoon, all! I hope your week is going well and that you have time to craft.  Especially if you make Christmas/Winter cards - there's no time like the present for getting a satisfying stack of cards readybefore the panic sets in around 1st December!! Yes, we have another Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy  to entertain you. I am once again concentrating on using up my paper pads, and one of the best resources I've found is  Jess Crafts  on Youtube.  She also has a blog with templates, and this card uses  a template from her section on using up a paper pad.  The snowglobe sticker is also from my stash, and the sentiment is from the  Winter scripty sentiments  stamp set by Lawn Fawn. Check out our challenge blog and use up those patterned papers! Then you'll have room to store new ones!! Thanks for looking and keep smiling. love Mags B x

Good afternoon, all.  It's a sad day, saying goodbye to the Queen.  She has been a constant for my entire life.  I have also been remembering my own parents and grandparents, as I'm sure many others have done, too.  However, life does go on, and being creative, whether crafting or cooking, has always been a comfort in stressful times. So, we're back to normal with a new challenge at  Dream Valley , where our theme is Autumn Colours.   Our sponsor is  The Paper Shelter , whose images are so adorable.  I made my card before going on holiday a fortnight ago, so instead of the gorgeous image that the DT were kindly given I used another, equally gorgeous image:  Autumn is Coming . I love this image, the little girl is having so much fun throwing autumn leaves into the air! I used papers from my stash for the background and to die-cut the Lawn Fawn  Stitched Leaves .  The wooden flowers are from stash, with pearly Nuvo drops in the centres.  The sentiment is from an old stamp set

 Good morning, all! It's a lovely bright September day here in S-E Hertfordshire, but there is definitely a nip in the air.  Christmas will be upon us before we know it! Time to check out our new challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas!  and get some Christmas crafting underway! I love making Christmas/Winter cards, it's a theme with so much variety - almost anything goes! Even bikinis and beach scenes for those in the Antipodes!   Food and Drink at Christmas are vital, of course.  Chez the Manor we have always had salad on Christmas Day (followed by The Pud, of course!) partly because the family loves salad and partly because the prep and washing-up are so much quicker.  However, in my cards today I've gone with more traditional fare: mugs of hot chocolate, and Christmas Puddings! The die-cuts on this card came from a magazine, and the papers are from a pack by Echo Park called  A Gingerbread Christmas .  I used a  gold moondust peel-off  from Love from Lizi to cover the

 Hi there! I hope you're all keeping well.  We have a new Challenge for you at  The Holly and Ivy  where it's always Anything Christmas Goes. I have made a 5" x 7" card, using pieces from a kit which came with a magazine some months ago. There is some gorgeous gold foiling on the die-cut image, so I added gold mirror  peel-offs  by Love from Lizi to cover the join between the two papers.  The banner sentiment ('The reason for the season') came from the same kit. Check out our challenge and kick-start your Chrimbo mojo! Thanks for looking and take care. love Mags B x

 Good morning! We are back to our normal schedule at  Dream Valley  and our new theme is Embossing.   It can be either kind, whether using an embossing folder or a scoreboard; or using embossing powder and a heat gun. It's a very pretty pattern of butterflied.  I used pearlised pink card for the background, first spraying it lightly with water to make sure it didn't crack.  The butterfly die came from  Love from Lizi  a couple of years ago, and I used some of the circles of card that came out of the die-cut to embellish the top right corner.  I backed the butterfly with vellum to give more definition.  The sentiment is from the  Thoughtful words  die set by Christina Griffiths. Take a look at the Challenge blog for more inspiration and get embossing LIKE A BOSS! (My hubby has just sighed and shaken his head at that awful joke.) Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Yes, it's that time of year: the summer hols are over and a new school year begins.  That's the new theme at  Dream Valley   The challenge lasts one week, not two; but then we will be back to the normal schedule. This very cute image came from Bugaboo.  (I miss them so much!)  I coloured the lad and his huge pile of school items in Copics.  The papers are from a very old pad by Papermania - I thought the brightly-coloured geometric shapes of the background were suitable for school.  (Maths! Not my favourite subject!) I cut the letters from a dull silver-grey glitter card.  The misspelling is deliberate, by the way! Check out the challenge blog for more fun inspiration! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Hiya! I'm sorry I'm a bit late with my DT post for  My Time to Craft , I was doing the flower arrangement at Church this morning, and then I had a mammogram this afternoon (ouchies!)  But here am I, faint but pursuing! (My Grannie used to say that, it's probably Shakespeare.) Our new theme is Fantasy or Whimsy.   Fairies, magical beasts, mages, whimsical images of quirky animals or birds or people - whatever takes your fancy. My first card uses 'Magical Day', an older clear stamp from  The Greeting Farm .  This one is out of print, but if you check out the 'Fantasy' tab on their website you'll see another set of cute unicorn images. The papers are from an old First Edition pad which has a unicorn theme.  The background is glittered and I used pearlised card for the mats and  Love from Lizi sway peel-offs  in Teal Mirror, which give some lovely shine.  The sentiment came with the stamp set. My second card is more whimsical, using a very old (2009!) Hero