Stamps Ahead

These photos have spent much of their life in one of those old magnetic albums, I recently rescued them. This is a photo of me in 1970 on my first ever snow trip. It was to Smiggins Holes in NSW, Australia. I remember searching for the red parka I am wearing-it was reversible and I loved the machine embroidered flowers down the front. I would like to say I was one of the beautiful people in red skiing in the other photos - but alas I spent all my time falling down and I have never mastered the art of skiing. I have used a sketch from Scrapbook Challenges for the layout. I have kept it rather simple to reflect the 70's. The Sparklet embellishments are from Kaisercraft and the remainder is from my stash of Stampin'Up! products. Thank you for reminiscing with me.  Margaret

The current sweet challenge over at The Lollipop Ladies is to be inspired by Musks with the additional challenge of Dots.  I love musk sticks and musk lollies and I hope I have interpreted the colour challenge sweetly. Here is my card that I made: This is a variation of the card I made for a class I taught earlier this month.  Unfortunately, the light has made the eyelets appear a different colour than pink but I assure you they are pink.  Inside I have placed three punched overlapping circles. Here is the challenge inspiration: Have a sweet week all.

I recently came across a blog hop at Paperhaus Magazine .  I was amazed by the magazine and the work of the contributors to the blog hop.  Several of the artists offered a random prize and I was lucky to receive one from Cathi  in Ireland and it arrived today. How exciting to get international mail.  Here it is (photograph by Cathi): Thank you Cathi, I cannot wait to start creating. Update 27 June, I shared some of these goodies with my sister - she found some tags just right for her current project.

I have been asked to teach tomorrow, Friday, at a Community Craft Group.  I have designed the following cards for the attendees to make. The first card is a variation on the card I made for my brother's 60th birthday.  Inside there is a pocket for a gift card or cash. They can either add a number or put on a Happy Birthday Flag.  I like to give participants a choice to make a card suitable for them. The next card uses punched circles and various embellishments. They can make in a variety of colours. For each class I teach I like to introduce a tag of some sort, I usually do this at the beginning of a class and is a good fill in waiting for latecomers. I was inspired to create this tag from an article I saw in a magazine and the stamp set was a free set that came in a Papercraft Magazine. I used the large Spellbinders Scalloped Tag die to make the tag shape.  Thank you for looking. 

Card designed by Margaret Crawford (c) I was excited  to win a guest designer spot with The Lollipop Ladies recently and I was asked to submit for Challenge #70.  The challenge is Bug Lollipops with the extra challenge of Nature. I was immediately attracted to the Lady Bug in the inspiration photo below. I used Elizabeth craft designs die 711 - Lady Bugs in black and red. The resulting bug is very small and I was perplexed as to how I would adhere the wings to the body - but a Quickie Glue pen came to the rescue.  The nature paper came from the Kaisercraft - Great Southern Land Collection.  The greeting is Stampin' Up! (r) from a long retired set, the words just seemed right for this card. And finally I used dimensional pops to raise the greeting and the bugs to give them the appearance of flying across the card. If you are inspired, why not head over to The Lollipop Ladies  and enter.  I found this quote on-line: I'm sending luck and w...

I came across this blog whilst out blog surfing one day and I was immediately drawn to the criteria at ARTistic Challenge - the use of recycled material to feature prominently on your work for their June Challenge. So I had a go! My sisters decorating style is shabby chic/French Provincial and so I have tried to capture these on the layout.  Many years ago whilst in US I purchased a bag of Bits of Inspiration - the bag contained bits of paper, antique labels, funky scraps, old postage, bit of metal and more! And I have used many of the bits on this layout. I laid the paper onto the backing from an old packet paper of Stampin' Up! - I would normally throw this out.  The Shabby Chic tag and pink ribbons are from some goodies she purchased on holidays this past month, the pin was from a clothes tag from a top I purchased this month, and a single diamante earring I had has been added as well.  The reference to Paris on a number of ...

Another birthday card made for my brothers 60th birthday.  Inside is a gift card for a movie and meal for 2. This card used some patterned paper that I have had in my stash for years.

I have just found out that my layout below, was selected as a Gallery Gem at Scrapbook Challenges for 19-24th May and also won me another guest designer spot at The Lollipop Ladies . You can read all about the layout by scrolling down on my blog or by clicking here I don't do this for recognition (and here is the but) but it is encouraging to think other people like your work. Margaret

I am so pleased to have been selected as a guest designer for The Lollipop Ladies current challenge - here is the inspiration photo. Lollipop bugs with the twist "nature". Why not head over to their website and participate - there is a chance to win a prize as well. My design will be published soon - so excited it is the first time I have ever been asked to do this. And guess what I was asked again to be a guest designer in an upcoming month. Margaret