Stamps Ahead

I spent a couple of nights in Hong Kong enroute to Xiangtan. Here are some photographs.

Well I never, it looks as though I can access blogspot here in China. I will try to upload some photos later.

I return to China this evening and will not be able to post to this blog whilst I am there. I will be back in January. In the meantime check out my adventures at http://margaretinchina.spaces.live.com/ or if you have Facebook I am on there. Thanks for visiting...........Xiangtan here I come.

In an earlier post I wrote about the challenge set by Jayne to use layout from p17 of current SU mini catalogue. Here is the card I received from Jayne. She has used the Always set available in the catalogue. Her message on one of the circles - celebrate spring. Thank you Jayne. Images: (c) 1990-2008 Stampin' Up! (R) Artwork: Jayne Mercer Spring is coming so I have also been trying out my new camera and here are some photographs I have taken, on the macro lens, of flowers around my garden.

In an earlier post I wrote that I was making Christmas Cards to be donated, well I have been busy since then making cards. Today I got out the Bloomin' with Beauty set and my Stampin' Write Markers and set about watercolouring the images. The large greeting stamp (on the single flower card) is a SU stamp set from the USA that I was given as a Christmas present from a friend in the USA last year and is not available here. These are non traditional cards and I hope you enjoy viewing them. Oh and I photographed them with my new digitial SLR so I am getting used to using the different lenses. Images: (c) 1990-2008 Stampin' Up! (R) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford

The INKlings group that I belong to has weekly challenges set by Jayne. This week it was to use the same layout that is on pg. 17 of the current Mini Catalogue. We were to make 2 cards - one to post and one to be sent to the next person on the list. We could change the colours but I decided to go with the colours shown as I do not use them very much - Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Ruby Red, So Saffron and Soft Sky. I made one exception and used Very Vanilla instead of Confetti White. For inking I used my Stampin' Write markers. Oh and one other thing....... we were to make them both in 15 minutes ....... well I failed that big time. The stamps are from Simply Sent Kit - Simply Delights and the scroll from Baroque Motifs for one of the punched circles. I added additional texture by using Ruby Red to stamp word "You", 3 staples and ribbon along Sky Blue strip. Just to show that I did indeed make two cards here are the photographs. Images: (c) 1990-2008 Stampin' Up! (R) A...

Each year a fellow cardmaker organises a collection of cards that will be sold to raise money for The Haemophilia Foundation of NSW. I got into 'inspiration' mode today and made several cards to be donated- here are some I made. The first uses Fabulous Flowers (with Real Red ink) and the second Happy Christmas, Mate and I have watercoloured the images. Images: (c) 1990-2008 Stampin'Up! (r). Artwork: Margaret L Crawford

What do Baroque and Boronia have in common? Well they both start with "B". Here is a quick and simple card I have made using Baroque Motifs stamp set. Images: (c) 1990 - 2008 Stampin' Up! (r) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford The Australian wildflower Boronia has been a long time favourite and I took this photograph at Vision Valley where the retreat was held last weekend.

One challenge was to use the colours - Groovy Guava, Blush Blossom, So Saffron and Wild Wasabi. Here is my card, I used the stamp set "Pick a Petal". If you look closely you will see that I distressed the edge of each petal. Images:(C) 1990-2008 Stampin'Up(R) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford

This weekend I had 2 days of cardmarking and scrapbooking,with fellow members of The INKlings. I participated in a "card in a box"and this is the card I created. It is a very easy and quick card to make. I have used the star from stamp set Nursery Necessities, and Purely Pomegranate and Garden Green Inks. Simply stamp 1st star onto a Love Notes card and back of its matching envelope. Stamp 2nd star onto scrap paper and then punch out using Star Punch. Adhere already stamped image then stamp greeting. Done. I will post more photographs later. Images:(C) 1990-2008 Stampin' Up! (R) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford