Madcap Manor

I'm sad to say that My Time to Craft is having a break until August. Check out the blog for the details. Hopefully we will all be in a better place in 6 months' time.  In the meantime, here is the card I originally made for the challenge 'Black and White.' The technique is inspired by This video from the ever-inspiring Natasha Foote. She used dies but I used a stamp and heat-embossing. The image was a Simon Says Stamp/Gina K design for Stamptember a couple of years ago. I stamped and heat-embossed twice, using my Misti so it would be at the same place on the black card and the white. Then I cut up the images and pieced them together on some copy paper and finally adhered the panel to my card. I added some white pearls from my stash for an embellishment.  Thanks for looking and keep well!  love Mags B x

  Ho, Ho, Ho! There are only 11 months to go until Christmas! Yes, there's a new challenge at The Holly and Ivy! Let's get cracking on making Christmas cards! I mean, it's a whole month since Christmas, I'm sure everyone has recovered! ;) Here is a CAS card made with a Sizzix die by Tim Holtz called 'Woodlands.'  I inlaid the green outline onto a panel of linen-effect card and pieced the white cut-outs back into the frame.  It looks like snow on the branches! I added gold Nuvo Drops and a gold-embossed sentiment made with a Taylored Expressions stamp and matching die. I love die-cut inlay for a CAS card, and of course it makes it much easier to post. For more inspiration check out my teamies' work on the blog! Thanks for looking and keep well! love Mags B x

Hi, guys! We have a new challenge at Dream Valley and the theme is Lurve! Our sponsor is Crafty Sentiments and the Design Team were given some adorable images to play with! I used the gorgeous Bundle of Hearts digi. I'm sorry that the sentiment is a bit wonky, I didn't notice until I had already uploaded the photo! It's centred now.  The background paper came with a magazine, it's so pretty!  I fussy-cut the bear (his name is Benson) and raised the blue mat behind him on foam tape.  The twine is from my stash.  I added pink Nuvo drops to the centres of all the flowers. Check out the cute cards that my teamies have made, they will definitely put you in the mood for love! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

  Hi there! I hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend! To encourage you to keeeeep craftin'! (Sorry, 'Strictly' I couldn't resist!) there is a new challenge at My Time to Craft which is: Floral. So dig out your pretty stamps, dies, papers, stencils and go to town on a flower project!  I received Altenew's Peony Dream Layering Die Set for Christmas which I used for a Thank you card. It's quite easy to fit the pieces together, and you can make a smaller and larger flower from the same set. I used scraps of cardstock, which is always very satisfying! The background is made with a leaf stencil and two shades of green ink. I loved putting this card together, the flowers are so dramatic!  Check out the blog to see my teamies' fab makes!  Thanks for looking and keep well!  love Mags B x

 Good morning, good people! I hope you're all keeping well. It seems quite a while since Christmas, I have finally got back into the daily routine now that all the decorations have been put away and the dead needles from the Christmas tree have been swept up! However, we can bring back the excitement of Christmas by making cards all year round! Yes, The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge is back! I apologise for the shine in the photo, it's been very grey weather-wise, and the flash on my camera reflected from the embossing on the card.  I used an old stamp from Bo Bunny for the image and the sentiment is by Clearly Besotted.  Everything has been embossed with copper embossing powder, I like how it goes with the vintage style of the image. For some wonderful inspiration check out the challenge blog! It's never too soon to begin making Christmas cards! Thanks for looking and take care. love Mags B x

Good morning, my dearios! Welcome back to Dream Valley! It's a new year, so our theme is Anything New. Our sponsor is All Dressed Up Stamps and I have made a New Baby card, as my niece is expecting a baby in March. I used Night night Little One - so cute! The papers are from ye olde snippets drawer.  The sentiment is from an old Paper Smooches stamp set, and the ribbon is also from stash.  Yes, once again my New Year's Crafting Resolution is to Use What I've Got!  I had a clear out over Christmas and two carrier bags of crafty things have gone to my local Hospice shop, which is glad to receive craft items!  I still have an awful lot of things remaining - after 10 years of crafting I have amassed quite a collection! Go and see what my teamies have left on the Challenge Blog using some of Wendy's adorable images! Thanks for looking and Happy New Year! love Mags B x

Hi there! Happy New Year! Now that the celebrations are over and life is returning to normal (or as normal as possible considering we are still coping with Covid!) we are back with the first Challenge of 2022 at My Time to Craft Christmas. It's an unusual challenge: Something beginning with 'S'   While thinking about this I came up with Snow... Santa... Sleigh... I asked my hubby for more suggestions and he said 'Stuffing!' I don't think he's quite got the hang of papercrafting...  Anyway, I have made a Shaker Tag with a die-cut Snow Scene. I inked some watercolour card with Speckled Egg, Peacock Feathers and Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxides. The scene die is an old one by Love from Lizi which is sadly out of print. I cut it from some white non-shed glitter card by Tonic. The sequins are a mix from my stash, when they fall down to the bottom of the tag they show through the cut-out pieces and look very sparkly!  For more inspiration check out my t

 The best New Year poem ever, and even more appropriate now than when it was published in 1850.   In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells] Alfred Lord Tennyson  - 1809-1892 Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,    The flying cloud, the frosty light:    The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new,    Ring, happy bells, across the snow:    The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind    For those that here we see no more;    Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause,    And ancient forms of party strife;    Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care, the sin,    The faithless coldness of the times;    Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out false pride in place and blood,    The civic slander and the spite;    Ring in the lo