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

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

  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

  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...

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

  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! 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...

  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

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

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...