Stamps Ahead

I was asked by my sister to make a large congratulations card for a friend of hers who is celebrating 20 years of missionary work overseas.    Here it is: To make it I used 2 A4 sheets of cardstock.  The card is for a male and I did not think flowers etc would be appropriate.  I got out my favourite Stampin' Up! stamp set - Gorgeous Grunge and my Ranger Distress Stains and created this card hoping that you can see that I was aiming for fireworks! The die cuts are Kaisercraft for words and a long retired Stampin' Up! die for numbers. The fold on left hand side is to enable to card to be opened and his friends/family/supporters to sign inside. I hope he likes it. I am going to add this to the "You Color my World" challenge at Paper Wishes (Friends and Fans) over on facebook, why not head there, join the group, and see their fabulous challenges. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Here is a card I have designed using all products available from Kaszazz for the class I lead at local community group. The ladies could choose what colour alcohol ink they wanted to use. The card uses stamps and papers from Distress Surfaces range, I admit I have really used this range a lot recently, not only this card but also scrapbook layouts I have previously posted. Thznk you for looking, Margaret.

The penultimate port on our cruise was Tauranga, and on this day it was also my sister's birthday.   After the ship docked and breakfast we headed to Tauranga via the local tourist shuttle.  Our first stop was definitely always going to be this mural.  I have loved it since I first saw it myself last year and I just had to go there with my sister this year.  Here is a layout I have created with the both of us posing as 'angels': I was inspired by a layout I saw in a 2013 Creating Keepsakes layout to create the almost wing like strips of paper.   I love how the black cardstock really pops the photos. This is a great way to use up scraps of paper that you may have.   We went on to have a walk around the shops, and a great cup of coffee (tea for me) with some delicious slices before heading back to the port and further adventures before the ship departed for Auckland later in the day. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

On my recent cruise, at each port at breakfast ship photographers would be waiting outside the eating area ready to pounce and take photos dressed in all sorts of weird costumes.  I tried as I could to avoid them BUT this person dressed as dolphin, as we arrived at Akaroa, New Zealand port, followed me and insisted I get a photo - no, no, no.  The costume was dirty and I am not one to hug and cuddle people dressed as animals!  So I got one photo just to get them off my case - as you can see I was not all that interested. Here is the layout I created: The background is gesso applied haphazardly and I have used a stencil to create the grid pattern over the gesso. Thanks for looking, Margaret