Stamps Ahead

Looking for a card that can use up your scraps?  Well, I was.  This is the card that I made.  I was inspired by this vintage type card I found on Pinterest by Mona Pendleton .  I was inspired by the tape paper and the pennants below.  I just happened to have my sewing machine out so that came in handy as well.  Thank you Mona, I have left thanks on your blog for the inspiration. Thank you for looking.   Margaret :)

I found a great YouTube video by Sharon Bennett that uses paper napkins to create a card.  Here is my card inspired by her video. I purchased these beautiful paper napkins when I visited the house "Green Gables" of Anne of Green Gables fame in 2014. I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to create cards with them. Here is a close up of the mounted napkin.  What made it sheen?  Of course, it was Versa Mark and clear embossing powder. Thank you, Sharon for your inspiration. I was impressed that it used the permanent adhesive sheet and I did not have to use glue or cling wrap.   I want to try with iridescent powder some time in the future. For now, I love my card. Thanks for looking, Margaret. :) “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”  L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables.          

Another challenge completed for Scrap Girls at Home Easter Retreat. We were to be inspired by this mood board. How was I inspired?  I loved the colours (not normally colours I would use) and also the bunch of flowers in the face.   Textiles have played a major part in my life and I was mesmerized by this beautiful costume. My photograph of  the Anna Pavlova (the world famous ballerina) costume was taken at The London Museum.  The colour of the dress is actually white - however as I could not use my flash it has come out slightly dull in colour.   The costume was designed by Madame Mayna and worn by Pavlova 1923-1925.   I will add a small amount of journaling on the pink strip.  The papers were by Kaisercraft and the flowers by Melissa Frances.  I can just see Pavlova receiving the flowers at the end of a dance program. Thank you for looking, Margaret "The right to happiness is fundamental." Anna Pavlova.

I have participated this evening in a blind scrap challenge at Scrap Girls.   Here is the layout I have created: A little about the photo, it was taken in Berlin after a particularly windy afternoon.  I was walking down the street and found this winged horse on the ground.  Well, I all could do was smile!!!  A fallen decoration taking a rest and we all need a rest some time!!!  He was restored the next day with all his lights glowing.   The challenge required us to draw circles onto white cardstock,  I put the strokes onto the larger circles to represent the lights on the horse.    The little heart came from the cover of my 2015 diary - reuse, recycle and  rejoice. Here is a close up of some of the details of my layout. Thanks for looking, I hope you are enjoying your Easter break and get some time to do what you like to do and also find time to rest. Margaret :)

Here is a layout I have completed with scenes from various Christmas Markets that we went to in December 2015.  We went to many more - these photos are just a few showing the colours and atmosphere of the markets. I have used a Page Maps sketch from Shop and Crop Scrapbooking . I like the layout as it allows you the opportunity to put many photos on the page. 

Here is a layout I did for the "U" and underline challenge at Soul Scrappers , I wanted to use an unusual "U" word on my layout, so I headed to the internet and found "Ultimation" its definition is "process of bringing to a conclusion". Perfect - I found my word!!! Just right for this photograph (out of focus)  of the farewell dinner in Berlin for our Trafalgar Tour - Christmas Market Magic.  My sister and I made each person on our tour a little gift - a chocolate and tag and we gave them out at the dinner.  I have underlined my title with a word sticker and I have also underlined the date and the bottom quote .I am sure I will get lots of comments as people look through my album - what does that word mean!! Thanks for looking.  Margaret I love the quote on the left hand side below the photo - "The best journeys answer questions you didn't think to ask." Unknown.

For the past couple of weeks I have been leading a group of ladies, at a local community group, as they complete scrapbooking layouts.  I concentrated on showing them techniques they could easily replicate.  This week I wanted to include sewing machine stitching on their layouts. This is a layout I completed and it shows my sister and I enjoying pancakes with Raspberry Sauce in Berlin, Germany and yes we are still eating our way around Europe!!! Here is a close up of some of the stitching.   I went to Pinterest to locate a sketch that I thought would be ideal for including stitching for beginners onto paper. I wanted straight line stitching with no curves.  Here is the sketch I found.  It is from Shimelle . Thank you Shimelle for the inspiration. The other good thing about this layout was that I could show them how to use 6" square patterned paper and it would be a good way to use papers from your stash. Thank you for looki...

This is one of the last layouts I made at the scrapbook retreat weekend just passed. My sister will be travelling later in the year and I have made this layout as a gift for her.  She can add photographs, title and journaling on her return. It features her favourite colour - blue. I have used a sketch from a publication by Scrapbook Generation's called Sketch Fusion with Simple Stories. It is a good go-to resource when inspiration is needed.  Thank you for looking, and happy travelling to all - whether to work each day or to wherever you are headed.   Margaret :)

This layout was completed for challenges at ARTastic and Scrapbook Challenges.  The photos were taken when I was down Canberra way a couple of weeks ago.  We were in Hall for the markets and on our way to another location, when I spotted the beautiful sky overhead.  I stopped the car and just had to take some photos. The ARTastic challenge was to inspired by this photo and the criteria was wood veneer. My trees are wood veneer. I am also adding this to a challenge over at Scrapbook Challenges  where we were to be inspired by the sketch above: Why not head over to ARTastic  and Scrapbook Challen ges and have a go yourself with these challenges. Is that owl winking at you? Cheers, Margaret :)

This is a layout for Sketchy Board Challenges    We were to be inspired by this sketch and this colour palette. My photos were taken at London Museum, a great museum full of interesting exhibits.   This dress circa 1751 was beautiful. It is in a glass case hence the reflections.  If you want to read more about the dress click here .   I found these papers in my stash and whilst they may be later than the 1700's I felt they evoked an earlier age.  I had to goggle how to draw a five-point star. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Here is a double page layout I completed towards the end of the weekend.  I had finished all the layouts I prepared and I was scratching around my limited supply of  papers (I bought for the weekend only a minimum amount) trying to find ones that co-ordinated with the photos.  I hand cut the leaves. This photograph of my sister (hatless) and our friends from Grafton when we did a walk along the water and bush at Red Rock, New South Wales.  It was a great walk, very quiet and we saw lots of interesting wildlife and flora.  I was inspired in part by a layout in a Simple Stories publication. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

One more layout for Soul Scrappers I completed this weekend, The theme of the challenge was the word "REFLECT".   Some ideas: To reflect ( to think, ponder or meditate),  reflections (to reflect an image). You did not to use the actual word. I was instantly knew the photo I wanted to use - Reflections on a mountain lake in Engelberg, Switzerland.  We were on a sleigh ride around the village and we passed this beautiful lake. My journaling (taken from a dictionary)  says: Reflections on Mountain Lake, Engelberg, Switzerland the act of reflecting , as in casting back a light or heat, mirroring,  or giving back or showing an image; the state of being reflected  in this way. 2. an image; representation; counterpart. 3. a fixing  of the thoughts on something; careful consideration. Thank you for looking,  Margaret :)

Back with another challenge that I completed over at Soul Scrappers , this challenge is using letters of the alphabet and a word that goes with it.  This month it is "T" and  you had to use tags and a word beginning with "T".  Also, "U" and you had to use underline and a word starting with - you guessed it "U" - I have not done that one yet.   Here is my Tags with taste and tea. This photograph was taken at Berrima at a great little bakery called "Stones Patisserie"  if you are ever down that way, call in great food.  Here my sister and I are indulging in strawberry meringues with our cup of tea.  I have place little pearls on the layout as of course when you eat meringues you do get little pieces of meringue all over you! Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Another challenge at Soul Scrappers was to be inspired by Fiona Paltridge's layout FOX.  Here is my layout: The photograph was taken on my birthday at an evening concert in Vienna.  With me are Colette, our Trafalgar Tour leader, who had organized a cake to be sent to our table, and Julia from Better Homes and Gardens. Here is the inspiration layout by Fiona: Thank you for looking, Margaret :) I found this quote "Make a smile your signature accessory".

I am participating in a challenge over at Soul Scrappers, where the participants are all sent the same bundle of items, see below.   I must admit that when I got my envelope (see tucked behind with the USA stamps, they were not required to be included in the layout) I was not gushing over with ideas, so I let them stand for a while. The angel sticker really stumped me - as it is not an image I would usually select and use and on my layouts. This weekend, I attended a scrapbooking retreat and during the week I prepared the selection ready to put on a layout - at that stage I still had no firm idea of what I would be doing!!!!.   I got out my distress paints and went to town colouring everything either pink or blue or even a mixture of pink and blue. I had found an old photo back from in the days when they would colour photos-I have no idea of who these girls are, the photo was in a suitcase of old photos and memories I received when my uncle passed away many yea...

Getting my mixed media on!!! I had so much fun creating this page today.  I was wanting to use my lonely Gelatos I am sure they were feeling unused and unloved (Okay I know inanimate objects but you have to smile) when I stumbled across a You Tube video by Fiona Paltridge from May 2014.   I did Gesso the background paper before I started as past experiences with water on patterned paper have not been successful. What did I love about Fiona's layout - the washi tape border it is so reminiscent of the borders I do in my patchwork quilts and I wonder why I never thought of it before!!  I loved the layers of gesso, texture paste, gelatos and stamps. The photos where taken last year at Red Rock on the north coast of New South Wales and I had just successfully crossed a very small stream!!! on the way to the Red Rocks.  The photos are actually a mix of me going and coming back from the rocks. Thank you Fiona for your inspiration, I have left a thank ...