Stamps Ahead

Here is a layout I created for Soul Scrappers Challenges .  It was a mystery bag challenge and to be inspired by anything Christmas.  Christmas was rather quiet in the lead up to Christmas Day.  My sister had tested Covid positive a week beforehand - and we were not sure if we could celebrate together.  Our brother and sister-in-law were travelling down to Sydney to spend time with her family, so we initially decided we would get together on 23rd for dinner at my home. Oh, well that did not eventuate.   The good bit - my sister tested negative on Christmas Eve, and therefore,on Christmas Day, our brother and sister-in-law came for morning tea (seeing as negative result) then returned to their home to await their visitors. I hastily put together a cold salad with ham and other bits and pieces and my sister and I enjoyed lunch together and exchange of presents. She then went home to rest. In the afternoon, I drove around to her place and made a stop at the beach, just up the road from me

Laly Mille has a free art journal workshop over on her blog - Poetic Secrets - using images from magazines and words from books and/or magazines.  Here is what I came up with  The quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a favourite and it was on the front of an old card.  I cut out the "W" and "R" and applied over original bright colours.   There is a secret opening - lift this flap and discover more I love the image of the drawers from a magazine - I loved that it fitted in with "compared to what is in us".   A little bit of whimsy with the bird and little insect also from a card front. This is what Laly had to say about her process  "Storytelling might be the most magical part of the creative process, especially in an art journal. So, what if we invited words to weave themselves into our art? What if it sparked inspiration for a page or a painting? Let's invite serendipity and watch the story unfold! In this intuitive activity, I share my favourite pr

 I have made these gifts for the ladies at my Friday card class.   Each pocket is 3" x 4" and there is a small turnover at the top of front and back.  Then I have used my sewing machine to complete the pocket. All embellishments came from my stash - amazing what you find and finally a glittery pipe cleaner added and a roll of washi tape added. A close up of several below, Thank you for looking, Margaret

I have a friend turning 70 in November, so I have made her a mini-journal as a gift.  I have known her since we both worked together many, many, many years ago. Even though we don't see each other very often, we know that when we do get together it is as though we just saw each other yesterday.  So many memories and I have been fortunate to be able to also celebrate many of our life milestones together. There are lots of tags, for her to slip out and record some of birthday memories. Papers, lace and embellishments from my stash. Simple saddle stitch holding the pages together.  So, please sit back and look at the pages I created. It will be presented to her in a drawstring bag. On the back cover there are two quotes - keep-sake:treasured reminder, token souvenir. 1. to keep alive the memory 2. a memento to remember a person, place or event.   And, past: a life lived, memories in time. 1. time gone by 2. the path has been walked.   Thank you for looking, and happy 70th birthday Mar

Yesterday, the time had come to welcome 10 ladies to my Creative Canvas workshop. Please enjoy their beautiful and colourful work.  Rather than compress the photos I am giving them to you in all their glory.   I want to thank Laly Mille for her Art Soul Retreat back in July that has inspired me greatly. I have sent a thank you to her for this inspiration.  Want to know more about Laly why not check out her website   A big thank you also to the ladies who attended - for all this was a new creative experience - I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did putting it all together for you.  Margaret and to quote Albert Einstein Creativity is intelligence having fun.

It is 12.32am here on East Coast of New South Wales and later today I will be leading a workshop with some local ladies on the Central Coast.  They will be creating a mixed media collage/abstract art canvas.  More on that later in another post.  Here are some of the items I have prepared for them..                                                       For each participant I created this little folder of goodies and a name tag.  Each person was asked their favourite colour and I have prepared a kit for them in that colour.  Each kit contains papers (including some tea dyed papers I made), fabric and lace pieces, bits and pieces. Inside also includes a small vellum envelope I madethat holds the lace and smaller surprise items. The back holds more 'yumminess". The folder is held together with a tea dyed torn calico tie. The folders grouped together. I also made them each a small notebook so they could make notes during the workshop.  To create the covers I made two masterboards o

Whilst web surfing I came across a Life Book 2023 free taster session.   Tutors for 2023 are participating in free taster lessons for a short period of time.   The 4th video was with  Kit Dellow  called everyday inspiration.  I thought interesting - so I gave it a go and here is what I came up with Sketch everyday items - this one was a waffle tea towel - see photo below.  First sketch, then play with the sketch.  I did then use a Posca white marker and applied to a previously paper that I created with a National Geographic (NG) magazine page and degreaser fluid (from Bunning's here in Australia).  I love this one. This sketch was the bottom of a jar of Paw Paw cream - when I turned the jar upside down I was surprised at the design.  Again, a page from NG created previously.  Also, looked liked buttons!! This sketch is the spine of the sketch book I was using.  Another NG creation and when I was using the Posca pen ink spurted out from bottom - go with it Margaret, so I folded the

My sister recently led the youth group (teenagers up to age 14) at her church and the activity would be that they would make gratitude journals.  Here are the sample covers that I designed for them.  They had to be quick to put together and interesting enough that they would enjoy making. My sister and I cut out the strips and stamped sayings - many choices for them.   They were each given a pack containing a note book  the strips that we cut.  They then selected the sayings they wanted on their journal and finally they added the circle stamps to finish off their journal.  Feedback was that they really enjoyed this activity with several of them even putting some of the sayings onto pages in their journal. This is a great way to use up scraps from other paper crafting projects. Thank you for looking, Margaret

I was recently asked to make 2 confirmation cards (which I can now show you as their confirmation has been held).  The requested colour was silver.   The recipients were 7 year old twins - a boy and a girl. I cut the die 5 times in white cardstock and 1 in silver and then joined them together.   Feedback is that they loved their cards. Thank you for looking, Margaret

In my Pinterest feed I have been getting lots of prompts regarding 100 day challenges, 30 day challenges and even 1 year long challenges.  You know the ones where you post each day!! Well, I set myself a challenge create something each day that can be used in my junk journals - no prompts, no guidelines. I am not including the cards I create for classes - but leftovers may appear at some stage. Day1 - using paperclip to create a small holder for and even smaller notebook.  Size is 6mm x 6.5mm. I also challenged myself to use what I have on my table at the time. Show the reverse, with paper clip glued in and small notebook that can slide into the pocket. Day 2 - folded pocket from one sheet of paper with tags inserted. Finished size 10mm x 7.5mm. See the compass and back tag - they came from a 2004 Stampin' Up! kit  - amazing what I find that I have saved!  The tags up close and personal that I slipped into the pockets. I am not setting myself a target - I may last just a few days o

It's official, I love Junk Journals. I love the collecting of bits and pieces, the putting together and the discoveries along the way. This journal contains die cuts left over from scrapbooking projects. Enjoy I used one 12" x 12" (30cm x 30cm) scrapbook paper for the journal.  The tie is made of a torn piece of cotton fabric that I dyed with tea.  All edges in journal I edged with Vintage Photo ink. The book paper is from a French book - Life in a French town. This journal I used a sewing machine to attach the pages.  For the pages I used my tea-dyed paper that I made, the scrapbook page and a piece of handmade paper from my stash.  Lots of room for journaling or additional bits and  pieces.   I "smooched" additional Vintage Photo ink on the right hand page - loved the result. Left hand page I attached a small piece of torn fabric ruched up and I love that little bit of thread hanging off it. Small bits of washi tape left over from card kits I prepared for comm