Stamps Ahead

Yes 800 posts! I do not know if anyone reads blogs these days but I like to post as a  journal of my papercrafting journey. I was recently asked to see what I could do with some old unused wooden stamp mounts.  Here is what I did with them.  This is just a small portion I have completed more. I scoured Pinterest to find ideas on what to do with the blocks and these are the results of looking a many sources of inspiration.   Firstly I got a friend to put the screws on top.  Then used black gesso to coat the blocks.  The watercoloured paper was from previous experiments I have done with watercolouring  with a bit of dry white gesso added to soften.  Then added some lace and bits and pieces and then white gessoed chipboard and applied with gel medium.   Used up ribbon I had in my stash to complete. Here are a few of the above up close and personal! I love them and I hope readers you do as well.   They are off to fete craft st...

My layout for another challenge over at Scrappingclearly Share & Inspire Group on Facebook. The challenge was an Easter Hunt.....here are the guidelines:                                              It was hard to select just 5 different colours - I think I managed to get all colours onto my layout. Hidden journalling was the white flower tucked into bottom right of photo. Butterfly bottom right ticked off the adding of an animal - well hope that counts as an animal. See hidden journal tag below. The photo is of my sister in the gardens of Larnach Castle, Dunedin, New Zealand.            Thank you for looking, Margaret 

Another layout for a challenge at Scrappingclearly Share & Inspire facebook  page. Challenge 6 was 'soft and whimsy'. This photo of my great nephew, celebrating his first Easter this year, is just so adorable. I asked my niece if I could use it for this challenge. I loved the cuddliness of that rabbit so I wanted to somehow get that feeling across on my page.  So, what did I do - use white tissue applied with white gesso to white CS.  I then sprayed with Faded Jeans Oxide Ink spray and as I wanted it lighter I also sprayed a little water that I had added Perfect Pearls to, that dabbed with a rag to remove most of the colour.  Here is a closer look: I am not one to do whimsy - I could find nothing in my stash that remotely said whimsy to me and then I remember the tissues my sister gave me as an Easter gift this year.  Voila, separate the plies and adhere with mat medium.   Here are the tissues: When everything was dry I added paper layers, do...

Here is a layout I have created for a challenge over at Scrappingclearly Share & Inspire Group on Facebook. It was challenge No 2 be inspired by Cadbury Colours.                                              I had lunch yesterday with my brother and sister-in-law and they gave me a box of Cadbury Easter eggs to celebrate Easter.  I think they shook their heads when I said "take a photo there is a Cadbury colours scrapbooking challenge on!"  Here is the box of yumminess. Now, purple is a rarely used colour for me - so off I went in search of purple cardstock and embellishments.  The actual packaging I received had lots of hexagons and circles and some purple/mauve so that is the direction I went for my layout. Even, the sequins had a hexagon centre….imagine that I had never seen that on previous uses of these sequins! I did add some gold paint thro...

Here is a layout I have created using a new Kaszazz collection Flora and Fauna. The stamped and gold embossed sentiment says "It's the friends we meet along the way that help us appreciate the journey."   This is a photo of one of my longest lasting friendships.  We were in the same year, however not the same class, but surprisingly we never met at school and it was only after we left that we met.  Robyn and her husband live in Canberra and over many years I have travelled down or they have travelled up and we have caught up all over again.  In March this year I travelled to Canberra and we went to the Arboretum for lunch and a drive around this fabulous place. True friends. Here is a close up of the stamped sentiment also showing the simple machine stitching I did on the layout. Here is the chipboard eucalyptus leaf I have double embossed - that is, I embossed first and when dry I embossed again giving a deeper coverage. All products I have used are availa...

This is a layout I have created for an ad-spiration challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) facebook page. Here is the advertisement we were to be inspired by:                                                          What did I draw from this - the water view, the umbrella and on the bottom of the ad the advertising blurb.  In my photos from our cruise to New Zealand earlier this year I had this photo of a pier on the sea wall in Napier and when I was looking for photos I was drawn to the similarity of the canopy to the umbrella in the photo.   I journaled using my Dylusions Paint Pen in white - I have usually stayed clear of this pen as it can be temperamental in letting ink out of the nib - not today so pleased. This is a clean and simple layout - I have used all products that are available from Kaszazz.  I...

Today, I delved into the world of mixed media again.  Here are two tags I made testing out the skills required as I have a larger project in mind. In real life they have a sheen courtesy of Pewter Ranger Distress Spray.  Here is what they looked like before I added the spray inks over the gesso. I was inspired by this blog I found whilst looking for ideas.  It has been a great starting off point for me.   I have used Dylusions Sprays and finished the tag off with a spray of Pewter Ranger Distress Spray. Now I have the confidence to go further with the idea I have in my head. Thank you for looking,  Margaret

In my previous post I wrote of winning a prize on the Unmistakable Creations cruise I took in January with my sister and friends to New Zealand.  Here is a layout I have created using the Paisley Days collection I received. The photo was taken at Larnach Castle, Dunedin, New Zealand and with our friends we are having morning tea in their beautiful tea rooms.   Below is a close up of the texture of the background. More on that below. I was inspired by a layout by Lisa Amiet on the Kaisercraft blog. I have left her some love on the blog. I was really taken with the background technique. The background was fussy cut from 12" (30cm) sheet of paper in the pack and smaller pieces adhered with foam tape to create raised surfaces.  I have also raised the photo and several of the smaller embellishments.   Thank you Lisa. I have decided to add this to a Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) Scraplift Sunday (7th April) Challenge - check them out and join the group for ch...

On the scrapbooking cruise in January, to New Zealand there was a prize pack given away of Kaisercraft Sample Pack that contained samples of quarter releases of new collections. Here is the box that I received: It contains Rosabella, Paradise Found, Breath, Green House, Two Souls and Paisley Days releases. Does not include Clear Stamps, Dies and full paper packs.    I let my sister, who was on the cruise with me, to choose one pack for herself - she chose Two Souls and she loved the colours and lacy patterns in this collection. My next post will show a layout from the Paisley Days release. Thank you so much to Melissa Kennedy of Unmistakable Creations (and her husband who pulled my name out of the hat) for this generous prize. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

Here is a layout I created for a Background Noise challenge at Paper Issues (fans and friends) Facebook page What I hear you say is Background Noise? It could be background created with paints/inks/stamps or maybe using a busy background as the base of your layout. I had these 3 photos from the Unmistakeable Creations scrapbooking cruise my sister & I were on to New Zealand in January this year. The photos on the left were before classes  began, all set ready to go, nice and neat! The photo on the right we were busy and well into scrapping on one of the at sea days!! I have used leftover Penelope Dee range Summer Breeze (that I used on a previous cruise) torn and distressed. The chipboard are actually leftovers from Celebr8 range Set Sail that we are using in the photo on the right! Thank you for looking at my noisy background, Margaret

                                    This is a card I have designed for the class I lead at a local community group - this is for the upcoming Friday class. When I go looking for ideas - I search many places the internet, books, magazines, blogs etc etc. For this one I just happened to search my own blog and found a card that I made exactly 10 years ago - serendipity!  Here is the 2009 card: I decided to recognize my growth in the 10 years and updated the card design.    I have used a new released Kaszazz stamps - Flowering Gun Un-Cut Set that has 3 images and the greeting is also Kaszazz from Mini Message - Notes.   A little more texture this time around. The 2009 card was sent to friends in US and I think I will send them the new version after the class as well. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

I lead a community card class each Friday during school terms.   With Easter approaching I asked my ladies (there are no men attending) did they want to make an Easter Card.  Yes, BUT they did not want bunnies, chickens, eggs, yellow, pastel colours etc. So I came up with this card - they loved it. I found the design on Pinterest - it is a great way to use up scraps of paper. This card is going onto an Easter card challenge on Soul Scrappers. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

Okay, something different I am participating in a Grab 5 challenge over at Soul Scrappers.  The challenge is to grab 5 older items from your stash (the older the better) or anything you are about to use. There other rules: Take a photo of your items before you start You must use one or more things from each item. Or use a new tool you are yet to try out. Here is my layout: Here is a photo of my before items......I went deep into the bowels of my stash for these! There are 12" square fabric sheets (some sheets had been used as there are scraps in the pack); remnants of a Club Scrap kit from February 2006; Big Honking stickers; Rusty Pickle buttons unopened; Shell stick pins from Jenni Bowlin, also unopened.  With the exception of Club Scrap remnants how long I have had the rest is anyone's guess. I have used the fabric paper for first 2 layers - the fabric paper was not square I just went with it. I have also fussy cut several of the flowers from the fabric pape...

Here is a mixed media A4 canvas I finished yesterday. The canvas was designed by Melissa Kennedy and instructions were provided on our Unmistakeable Creations cruise to New Zealand in January... yes I have just got around to starting and completing it. Such fun to play with the techniques used. All products (except canvas) are from Kaisercraft  - Scrap Studio collection papers and stencils. Interested in doing a cruise, Melissa is the owner of Unmistakeable Creations   and has cruises covering scrapbooking, cardmaking and patchwork. Check out her link. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) Facebook page there is a challenge every Sunday called Scraplift Sunday. The idea is to draw inspiration from the layout and create your own. And here is my take on the layout from 18th March.  I was firstly inspired by the word 'create' and then sought out photos of our class on board Radiance of the Seas in January, 2019 when my sister and I were on a scrapbook cruise to New Zealand. These photos are of all of us creating in one of our classes at sea. I have used papers and embellishments (except alphas and little ship bottom left) from Set Sail collection from Celebr8.   I used up the leftovers from the kit received on this cruise. The photos were taken by Melissa Kennedy, teacher and owner of Unmistakeable Creations. Here is the Scraplift Sunday 18th March inspiration layout: Why not check out both Paper Issues for layout inspirations and Unmistakeable Creations for future cruises. Thankyou for looking Margaret