Madcap Manor

 Hiya! I hope you're all keeping well.  We have a new Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge  - it's less than 6 months until Christmas! I don't know where this year is going! I used some old stamps from a Hero Arts set in shades of green and added Icicle Stickles to the ornaments.  I matted it on gold mirror card and added it to a paper from my stash that is layered onto gold and green (I cut the paper a bit too small, hence the 2 layers!) The sentiment is from my stash. Check out the challenge, it's so satisfying to have a decent pile of cards ready well before Christmas! Thanks for looking and take care. love Mags B x

 Good morning! We have a new Challenge at  Dream Valley  which is All Occasions.   Think of events like birthdays, anniversaries, a new baby or a new home..... Our sponsor is  The Paper Shelter  and I have used  Ellie .   The papers are from my scraps drawer and I trimmed the striped one with  Love from Lizi peel-offs  to give a bit of shine.  The mats are Tonic Studios  Glitter card  which is non-shed! I scratched at it with a fingernail and not one speck fell off.  It's the best out there! Check out the Challenge Blog for more inspiration, then make something for a special occasion and join the fun! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

 Good morning! Welcome to another Challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  where we'd like to see what you make when Inspired by a Christmas Carol or Song.   A very versatile theme, I think.  I chose a Christmas carol, but of course you could choose a song like 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland.'  I'll keep you in suspense as to what I chose until later - though I bet you'll all guess! Card 1 is an upcycled Christmas card from last year, I trimmed it down until only the image was left. There's some lovely delicate foiling on the image.  I used foam tape to add it to a dark blue mat and then glued it to a 5 x 5 inch card base. Card 2 used the  Star layering die-set  by  Sasha Reade  (that's a link to her Youtube Channel.)  The star is part of a limited edition set and may not be around for very long! I used shades of blue card and silver mirror for shine.  The tiny star gems are from my stash.  I didn't have a stamp with a quotation from the carol, this an

 Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to add tomatoes to a fruit salad. Good morning! Yes, our new theme at  My Time to Craft!  is Fruit.   Oranges, lemons, strawberries, melons, kiwis, pineapples, pears, grapes, mangoes... So yummy! The June kit by  Love from Lizi  includes some fab melon paper and a cut-apart, so I used those for my first card. I used pale blue pearlescent card as my mats and added some blue Nuvo drops as decoration.  I think it looks very refreshing for a hot day! My second card is made with one of my favourite stamps by Simon Says Stamp , the 'One Cool Pineapple' set, which I'm very sorry to say is no longer available.  Chiz. The background paper is from stash, and the fruit bling is from the June '22 kit by Love from Lizi.  The cool shades came with the stamp set, I embossed and fussy cut them and glued them in place. Check out the fruity cards that my teamies have made to inspire you! Thanks for looking and take car

 I am so sorry, my lovelies, I thought I had scheduled this post for Monday 13th but.... didn't.  Well, better late than never. The new Challenge at  Dream Valley  is to Add a Sentiment.   I went the whole hog and used a sentiment as my focal point AND I made 2 cards at once (often called a 'Twofer.'  Twofer one - geddit???!!!) Here is the first card: I used the Lawn Fawn  Giant Thank You die  and some bright paper from my stash for the sentiment.  I also cut 2 extras from white cardstock and glued them behind to give dimension.  To position the die-cut I made a template the same size as my white stitched rectangle background and cut the die in the position I wanted it to be, then glued the words in place and removed the template.  Finally I added a few sparkly gems. The second card: As you can see, this is the reverse of the previous card and made in much the same way.  Because I had cut the sentiment from the middle of the patterned paper it was easy to add three layers o

 Well, it's a beautiful summer's day here in S-E Hertfordshire, the sun is shining and the sky is blue.  A perfect day to talk about Christmas! Yes, we have a new Challenge at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge  where Anything Christmas Goes. I used  James - Wrapped in Tinsel  by LotV - I have him as an unmounted stamp, but I'm glad to say that he's still available as a digi. The papers are from a VERY old pad by Dovecraft which is now out of print.  I matted the snowflake layer onto another paper from the pad and then a scrap of purple pearlised card.  The ribbon is from my stash and the sentiment is an old one from Simon Says Stamp.  Finally I added  Plum Pudding Nuvo Drops  for a bit of shine and Icicle Stickles to the tinsel on the image. Check out the Challenge blog and my teamies' inspiration! Thanks for looking and take care! love Mags B x

Hello! I hope you're all keeping well and finding time to craft.  Even in the summer I make Christmas cards, it saves so much wear and tear on the nerves in December! To inspire you to do the same we have a new challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  where our theme is Candles or Lanterns.    My first card uses an old die by  Tattered Lace  which I think came with a magazine.  It took several passes with a shim to cut it - my dear old Cuttlebug's life is drawing peacefully to its close.  But it's so gorgeous it was worth the hassle! The background is a speciality paper from  Tonic Studios  which seems to be out of print.  I added a silver mirror border, and the card base is made from the same blue card that I used to back the die-cut.  The silver-embossed  sentiment is by Taylored Expressions. My second card is heat-embossed in gold, with a gold mat on a 5x7 card.  The image is by  Woodware  but unfortunately it's also out of print.   Check out more inspiration from

 Hiya! My friend   Becca Sadler  from My Time to Craft and My Time to Craft Christmas has started a new challenge blog called  Farm Quest Challenge Blog  aka FQCB.  She asked me to make something for her Challenge starting on June 6th.  It has to include foliage or herbs and a clay pot. I made an ATC: Recently I followed the Spring Card Camp lessons at  Online Card Classes  and there was a technique for stencilling over a clear heat-embossed background.  Rather than stencilling I used stamps and dye inks over an old Rose Trellis background by Simon Says Stamp.  The sentiment and white ribbon are from my stash and I used Nuvo Drops in the top right corner. Do take a look at the Challenge Blog and see if you'd like to have a go! It doesn't have to be a card!! Thanks for looking and Take Care! love Mags B x

 Hello there! I hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend.  Here in the UK we are celebrating the Queen's 70 years on the throne.  My church is putting on a Fun Day on Friday, so I am scheduling this post.  I hope I've got it right! The theme of our new challenge at  My Time to Craft!  is A Bird or Birds on a nest, in a cage or with a birdhouse.    I found this chipboard image in my stash and thought I'd have a go at a shabby chic card.  Not my usual style! The background is made with Nuvo Shimmer powders and has a lovely sheen.  The doily, scrap of pink card, lace and ribbon are from my stash.  The wooden word is from the poundshop and I swiped it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink to age it.  Finally I added a dazzler to the middle of the bow and a few pearls here and there. This card is the complete opposite! I used an old stamp set from Clearly Besotted and a variety of inks to stamp on a panel.  I tore a piece of copy paper and used it as a mask for the grass