Madcap Manor

 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 witho...

 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 th...

 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

 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 anothe...

 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! 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 Gnom...

 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

 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 ...

 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! 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...

 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 t...

 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

 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 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 p...

 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! Welcome to another challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  where our theme is Holly. I used a very, VERY old stamp by Woodware for my first card.  It's so old that when I was peeling it off my Misti it tore!  I stamped the image in a pale grey dye ink and coloured it with Promarkers, then stamped again with Versamark and added gold heat-embossing.  I layered the image and the patterned paper (from stash) onto gold satin mirror card.  The sentiment is embossed with the same embossing powder and the berries have been Stickled. My second card is a bit cheeky - the 'Holly' element is mainly the sentiment! I used a 'bubble greetings' stamp by  Taylored Expressions  which is sadly out of print on their website.  I coloured it with Promarkers in a rainbow order and added stickles to the holly berries.  The patterned paper is from stash. Check out my teamies' creations on the blog and join the fun! Thanks for looking and ta...

 Good morning! It's another hot and sunny day here in S-E Hertfordshire - the perfect time to tackle Christmas cards! I know it's just my imagination, but making Christmas cards in the summer always makes me feel a bit cooler.  And  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge  is here to help with a new challenge! We also have a Design Team call.  Whether you're a beginner or a long-time crafter, if you'd like to try out a Design Team, contact our Jedi Master Marlene with pictures of 3 cards you've made.  Details are on the blog post linked above. I put together a piece of patterned paper from my stash and an old Simon Says Stamp die of candy canes. The die-cut outline is red mirror card and I inlaid white card to fill the spaces.  The banner sentiment came from Craft Creations - the website has moved and is now  Katy Sue Designs.   I layered a green ribbon over a red-and-gold one for the horizontal strip. Check out my teamies' pretty creations and...

 Hi there! Our new challenge at  My Time to Craft Christmas  needs a bit of clarification.  We'd like to see Christmas decorations or ornaments - but as images on a card, not the actual 3-D decorations. My first card is a 5" x 7" and uses a nesting ornament die by Spellbinders. I used papers from my stash, some matte gold card and some glitter cord. My second card is stamped and heat-embossed. The wreath is from the  Winter Whimsy  stamp set by Penny Black.  Since you can't use alcohol inks with embossing powder (it ruins your pens) I used my Misti to stamp the image in grey DYE ink.  Leaving the stamp in place, I coloured the image with Promarkers.  Then I replaced it in my Misti and restamped in Versamark, heat-embossing in the usual way in gold. I used a scalloped circle die by Spellbinders for the matte gold mat and popped it up with foam tape.  The paper is from my Christmas stash. Check out the challenge blog for some great inspira...

 Good morning! Yes, it's another Christmas card! We have a new challenge at  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge  to help you to get ahead with your festive creations.  In 5 months' time it will be Boxing Day, and you don't want to be panicking over your cards in December lol! I used  this sketch  by Jess Crafts.  It's one of her excellent 'no scraps' tutorials, this time using 8 x 8" paper.  If you haven't come across Jess yet, do check out her videos and blog, she is a great teacher! Here is my card, using patterned paper from an old First Editions pad. The horizontal strip is glittered, and I edged it with gold  peel-offs  by Love from Lizi.  The gold-embossed sentiment was loose in my Christmas Stuff folder - I think it's by Lil Inker Designs.  I added a mat in dull gold. Check out my teamies' makes on the challenge blog and get in some festive crafting! Thanks for looking and take care! love, Mags B x