Stamps Ahead

Here is a layout I have created today for a challenge on ARTastic Challenge Blog  facebook page. The challenge was to use pen work.  We were to be inspired by this work by Thea Proctor called "The Game". Now anyone who knows me that sport of any kind is not really my thing, okay, maybe several years of playing social squash in the distant past with friends - does that count!  Remember the game of squash? I believe it has largely disappeared as a sport. I was not sure if I would enter this challenge, the thoughts of pen work did not just come to me easily. And, then I remember 'zentangles'.  What are zentangles?  They are a fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns - tangles. You use combinations of dots, lines, simple curves, s-curves etc.  I have not done much in the way of zentangles so this was indeed fun to do. I  did a goggle search and was inspired by many of the search results to draw my zentangles. This photo of me was taken last year d

The local community group, where I lead card making, has made a return, albeit following Covid-19 restrictions.  Here is a card I have created for class this week. The card uses all Kaszazz stamps and papers from their Classique Collection with brad and frayed tape also in the catalogue. I got a little creative and photographed this card on my magnolia tree. Thank you for looking, Margaret A great quote by Georgia O'Keeffe an American artist known for her paintings of enlarged flowers. "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower.  I want them to see it whether they want to or not."

It is a rainy Sunday here on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. A day perfect for staying in and creating. No fishing here today! Here is a card I have made, perfect for my brother when his birthday comes around next year.  I was inspired by a card by Sona D on The Male Room blog.  I just loved her card and decided I had to make it! Yes, I have left a thank you for Sona on her blog (link above).  This is a 15cm (6") square card.  I have used various items from my stash: Kaszazz - cardstock, die greeting happy birthday, rhinestones, small background stamps and papers for small banner and light blue. Kaisercraft - fish, circle die the brown banner paper. Unknown - that piece of blue I found lingering away in my stash and it was just the right colour. How long it has been there? I don't know! Thank you for looking, Margaret

Here are two cards I have made - I was amazed at the result.  Why - see below. Cards have been created using products all available from Kaszazz.  Stamps are from Destinations Collection.  The stencil is called World Map.   Alchemy is described as - a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation or combination according to web dictionary. So how is appropriate to my cards?   Let me explain my process of creating the background. Using white cardstock (CS) I sprayed Distress Oxide Inks randomly on to the CS. I then applied texture paste through the stencil.  And then the alchemy, magic or serendipity happened - I could not believe my eyes.  The texture paste absorbed the oxide inks and created the most special background that you see. When dry - cut the CS into 2 mats as my background base. The tags I created using Ranger Black Soot Oxide Ink and clear embossing powder. One in an offcut of patterned paper in the collection and one an offcut of Mushroom CS.  Finished off with go

Another layout I have completed today for a challenge over at Karen's Scrapping Challenge on Facebook. It was for her Load Mini 720 challenge - Scrap the Rainbow Spectrum. The challenge story was "When light passes through a prism we can see the entire spectrum of the rainbow. Scrapbook about something beautiful you may not see/notice at first." Technique was use a rainbow of colours on your layout. My story:   in May 2018 I was staying my friends down on their farm in Southern Missouri. This bird feeder is outside their front door and it always fascinating to watch the many birds (and squirrels) that feed here during the day.  I took this photo early morning and when I was looking at the photos on my digital camera after I saw that the camera had provided a prism of light onto the feeding Cardinal bird. Yes, truly beautiful. My technique: firstly I painted my background with watercolours onto white cardstock..  I remembered the old ROYGBIV chant from school days as I pai

I am participating over at White with 1 challenge Facebook page again this month.  The challenge was to use Cranberry with white. Here is my layout: In 2007 Stampin" Up! had a colour called Cranberry Crisp - it was one of my favourites at the time. I still have the inkpad and reinker in my stash.  So out they came! So first, it was time to reink my stamp pad and then I added some of the reinker to water in a spray bottle.  Then using stamps from the newest Kaszazz collection "Destinations" I went to town with background stamping.  I was inspired by a layout by Karen Schultz on Scrappingclearly   blog where she used stamps and other techniques for her background - I have just gone with stamping and misting.  I have given her a shout out on the blog.  Thank you Karen. I found a little piece of paper to mat my photo as it needed lifting from the black and white of the photo.   The stamps are from Kaszazz Destinations collection. A little bit of black pen to highlight a coup

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will have noticed that I made two 90th birthday cards recently using the die set - Tim Holtz Wildflowers 1.   Here is another card I have made today: When I was making the earlier cards I had in mind that I would love to make a card that the ladies in my community card class would love - I have had to hold off on that idea due to coronavirus pandemic. But wait, the good news after the current New South Wales school holidays we will be resuming....albeit in a format that adheres to current guidelines and restrictions. As a result, I will be doing all stamping, die cutting, misting etc and making up a pack for each person to make in class, with photo and simple instructions to complete if appropriate.   For this card they will need to do watercolouring - lucky for me I have numerous media to use for watercolouring so that there will be no need to share.    I love the simplicity of this card with it's 'with love' die cut.  Just perfec