Stamps Ahead

I recently posted a baby girl card I made and I wrote that I would be making a baby boy card - so here it is Again using all supplies from Kaszazz (with exception of the congratulations stamp and die).   Thank you for looking, Margaret

What do you do when your brother rings and says "have you got any new baby cards?"  Friends of my brother and his wife have recently welcomed a new baby girl into their family.  No worries - I say - I will make one tonight for you.   Here is what I created It is no secret that I loved creating the Christmas starburst cards.  This card uses papers and a cut out from Kaszazz Spring Meadow collection. The little fox is cute and I would not be usually using this image however it was just right for this card. Rhinestones add a little bling. The greeting and die cut around it are from my stash.  I really liked making this card and I need to make a card for new baby boy so I am sure I will use this design again - with a teddy bear that is one of the other die cuts in the set.   Thank you for looking, Margaret

Another of my layouts has been accepted by Kaszazz for publication on their website. It is my fun interactive layout.  I have previously posted about this layout, some 4 months ago.  I needed to make a few changes as some of the embellishments are no longer available and I added photos of flowers from my garden over the past year. You lift the front flap and there is room to add more photos and journaling. Here are the products I used.  5218 SB Essentials - Mushroom 4933 SB Essentials - Denim 7910 SB Paper – Pretty Posies  7911 SB Paper – Scattered Posies  7912 SB Paper – Stay Awhile 5976 Embellishment – Shell Buttons – Round (12)  5391 Embellishment – Butterflies (2) 7743 Waxed Twine – 5mm – Black Thank you for looking, and a quote I found  "You are the creator of your own garden. Plant kindness and compassion. Water with love and gratitude. And you will enjoy beauty all the days of your life." -  Julie Parker.

I created this layout for a challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges.  It was a mystery bag challenge - the mystery was to create a layout using 'baubles"  This is my new small tree for this year - it is only about 30cm high.  I went into my box of decoration memories and choose those with red in them.  All my decorations are special to me - there are some from holidays, some given to me by my sister, some I made and some given by friends.  Each decoration has a memory attached to it. I searched all my dies looking for Christmas themed ones that would suit my layout.  I also added some wood embellishments in red or unpainted. Thank you for looking, Margaret

In December, 2015 to be exact.  Here is a double-sided layout I created for challenge at White with 1.   The challenge was to use CRIMSON TIDE  and the sketch provided had to be used this month - either as a double page or a single page selecting one side for your layout. I went with double page layout.     One morning, I travelled by train, from the hotel where my sister and I were staying, near Heathrow, so that I could be first in the line and for a journey on The London Eye. It was a great decision as it was not crowded and it was a beautiful morning, you could see forever.  The zoom lens on my camera allowed me to catch up close photos. It has 6 long years to get these photos scrapped. That is not me waving from one of the carriages of The Eye! Now about my layout, this proved to be one of the most challenging all year - that colour.  You would think it was easy, however I searched my stash for colours that I could work with.  Remember, that it is a white with 1 challenge and rule

This year I handed out these little bags of positivity to the ladies in my card class at a local community group.  This year was different to past years - lockdowns meant that we could not meet however we tried to keep in contact with each other.  Also, have some for another team that I meet with - sssh don't share if you know what team! And here is what I put in each bag. I did not make the calico bags - I picked them up from K-mart years ago and they may still be available.  I did iron them so that I had a flat surface on which to stamp. Also, I cut out a small piece of cardboard the size of the bag so that I could insert as I stamped and coloured each bag. Here is what I used available from Kaszazz Archival Ink - Jet Black - Code AID3892.  Archival ink is a permanent ink that provides a crisp image that won't bleed. Tea Set - Uncut Set (2) Code 6536M - I used the cup and saucer and there is also a teapot. Mini - Messages - Tea Party Uncut Set (9) Code 6542K,  Trellis Border

 Here is a layout I have created today for a Tic Tac Toe challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges The challenge board - I choose twine, black and white photo and one-word sentiment. The photo is of our grandfather (Pop) standing beside the Crawford Road street sign.  I estimate the photo was taken in about 1970 or earlier.  Google tells me that Neptune Oil was sold to Shell in 1975. From Lake Macquarie Library community history an entry records "Crawford Road was named after a local resident in 1930's by R.H.Marshall, the timekeeper of the relief workers road gangs. A locally name road it appears to have been named officially in 1948." As a family, we know that our grandparents had a dairy and residence in Crawford Road. It provided an essential service during the wars providing milk and food to the good folk of Morriset and Cooranbong before moving to Asquith to run a general store.  It became of right of passage that we would travel to Morriset, often taking our gran

Lockdown is over, restrictions are reducing and a slow return to regular activities. On Saturday 13 November, my sister and I took a drive to Yarramalong (just up the M1) and whilst there we relaxed and had morning tea.  Here is layout I have created for Hello Spring Cyber Crop at  White with 1 challenges.  The challenge: So often we are behind the camera so please 'put yourself in the picture'. Take a selfie, ask a friend or family to snap a shot of you.  Add one colour of  your choice and be sure you add some flowers to your layout to give it a 'Spring' feel. My sister took this photo of me in the sunshine, reading a magazine and enjoying a cup of tea and a pastry. Afterwards we browsed the gift store and then headed on a round trip back home fitting in a spot of shopping! I firstly swiped Bundled Sage Distress Oxide onto an acrylic block and then smooched to my white cardstock. I then used all the stamps in the JOFY102 stamp set from Paper Artsy. Flowers, brads and d

One of the projects I was working on over lockdown here on the Central Coast of NSW, was a journal for a friend, Jo, who was earlier in the year was gifted a selection of papers, maps, serviettes, a coaster etc. and Jo then subsequently gave them to me to see if I could do anything with them.  Here is what I came up with (a longer than normal post of photos follows) - a fun journal project. For the journal I used a Kaszazz chipboard mini-journal kit (7795) comprising 6 chipboard pages and 3 hinged rings. I created each page differently. Front covered with a serviette napkin, embossed with texture paste, inks and a cluster made with bits and pieces from my stash.  Throughout the journal  you will see tulle featured.  The tie closure has been made with torn calico and the hinges decorated with torn calico and tulle. I also used this project as an opportunity to try out new techniques to me.  On the left you can see a snippet roll I made.  These two pages have sections where journaling or

 I completed this layout today.   The designer of the layout was Natalie May (2017) and I purchased it in kit form - the kit included the paper, stencil, chipboard and hardware.   Everything else I used came from my stash. The photo is of my great nephew doing a spot of whale watching.  Thank you for looking, Margaret

Here is a Christmas Card I have made using JOFY for PaperArtsy JOFY 107, I loved the look of this set as soon as I saw it.  I have used only a portion of the largest stamp in the collection and coloured with alcohol markers. Now a serendipity moment - I had decided to use Gold KindyGlitz (as it was on my table from a previous card) and it went 'gloopy' on me.  My first thought "NO !!!!" waste of a card but then the thought that I would smoosh that gloop around and added more and got a lovely glittery background. The card below, hopefully shows you the glittery background. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Today, I have made a card using a stamp from JOFY from PaperArtsy 102.  It is not a Christmas stamp, however I was drawn to the colours on the packaging to make a Christmas card. I also made a small gift card - this was my practice piece before I started on the main card.  I also used bits and pieces from my stash. I coloured with alcohol ink markers. Below is the packaging for the stamp set.  I can see more uses for the set. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 I created these 3 cards for another challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges The challenge? A lot of Christmas collections these day come with cut apart sheets.   You may use a few of these for your Christmas layouts but inevitably you will be left with a number of leftovers along with small paper scraps. The challenge was to use these to make THREE (3) Christmas cards. I used papers from DCWV 2018 Blue Noel collection. In there is 2 papers like this above - I had used one partially previously.  My grandmother would say I 'gussied' ( Smartened up, in a showy or garish way)   them up by adding Gold Kindyglitz, gold sequins and some of the printed cardstock with Gold Glitter included in the papers collection. Why not head over to Soul Scrappers Challenges by clicking on the link above and having a go at the scrapbook challenges and this month there is also 6 card challenges. Thank you for looking, Margaret

First off I need to say "I don't do Halloween".  There is a Pick 3 challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges  to create a pick 3 layout - more about the challenge below the layout I created The photo is not of me - it is of a friend of mine "J" that she posted onto her Facebook - it was taken at her workplace and she has given me permission to use it on my layout.   The Pick 3 challenge was to select 3 of the following - Halloween theme, people in costumes, pumpkins, black cat , candy, texture such as doily, cheesecloth etc, pictures showing outdoor decorations.  I used those highlighted.  The black cat stamp (where I will put my journalling) was the from a set of 8 stamps available from Kaszazz Happy Cats 2 uncut set (6065Q).  The background paper is also from Kaszazz Floral Stash collection - White Wash (7761) and is a favourite of mine.  I sprayed the cheesecloth with a spray I had in my stash (it was one that I had made up previously) - it was the chees

A longer than usual post today. I was recently asked by a friend, also called Margaret, to design six Christmas cards for her to make this year.  Here are the cards and more about the request below. Due to an operation on her spine and then an operation on her right thumb and index finger with Margaret still recovering from her operation on her right hand fingers and having physio she has been told not to use this right hand for several more months - very hard for a right-handed person.   Eager, to get back to making cards, with her left hand of course, for family and friends this Christmas and being able to colour in, use a tape runner and get her husband to help with if needed. It was a great exercise as it made me think, as I made each card, if it was appropriate for her to make.  Several times on each card I would use my left hand - not my dominant hand!  I did the die cutting and stamping for each card, I also offered alternate instructions for her to consider for example, on the

Here is a layout I have created for a challenge for Soul Scrappers Challenges For this months ONE word challenge was to chose from the aplphas "M", "W" or "U" for the title. Okay, so I used two words but they both start with M!  I went with a minimalist/clean and simple layout as I wanted the star to be the photo of my great-nephew and his dog Sebastian. I must say it was one of the hardest to put together - finding the patterned papers was the hardest. Thank you for looking, Margaret

A friend asked me to make a 21st birthday card for her grand daughter - after discussion about the gift she was giving it was decided that I would make a card featuring silver.  Here is what I came up with  I have used a very old Stampin' Up! set/alphas, silver embossing powder, rhinestones and silver paper.  I hope she loves it.   It was very hard to photograph all that silver! Thank you for looking, Margaret

Here is a layout I have created for a Tic Tac Toe challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges   The challenge was to select a line from the grid below - I selected die cuts, doiley and clock. I found the old Heidi Swapp clockface overlay when I was searching for anything clock related in my stash.  The paper I used is retired from Kaszazz collection Papillon. The chipboard heart is available Kaszazz (Scribbly Shapes 7949) as are the die cuts (Papillion 7914). The die cuts had a white outline so I cut around them and chopped into some to add there is also a large amount of fussy cutting on the embellishments.    The photograph is of my parents on the day they got engaged in 1947 and was taken at Luna Park in North Sydney, New South Wales. I loved the wording on the overlay and it is one of my favourites "life is not measured in minutes but moments". Both of my parents are no longer alive and it is memories and moments that you remember. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 This layout was a challenge at Soul Scrappers  challenge group on Facebook  The challenge was to be inspired by the this layout by Jane Howden  The criteria - use this scape page to inspire your own scrap page.  You may be inspired by the torn papers, the shapes, the tag, fence, the creepy Halloween feel, spider web or pumpkins etc.... Not being a fan of Halloween I did not take that inspiration, however, I did love the background colour and the basic layout of Jane's.   With New South Wales beginning its partial exit out of Covid lockdown restrictions tomorrow, I am sure many people are wondering/imagining "Where to next?" as they think of  possible future travels.  Myself, I can see me travelling more in my own country and my sister is considering a trip to Paris and beyond in 2023. I searched my photographs and found this photo that I took when we both visited Europe 2015. Thank you for looking, Margaret

New South Wales' nearly 4 month lockdown is coming to an end!  Partial opening starts on Monday 11th October.  I wanted to remember what my hair looked like.  I usually have short spiky hair and currently it is a 'mess' - a first world problem I know! Here is a layout I have created for a challenge at Kraft Plus: The challenge was be inspired by Manga. Not a challenge that would normally inspire me to create a layout. My first thought was "what is manga" an internet search provided this information - Manga are Japanese comic books or graphic novels with a twist, serialised in newspapers and magazines.  Manga is storytelling through pictures, where images rule supreme. The Japanese characters for manga translate as 'pictures run riot or pictures unbounded'.  My inspiration - it was obvious to me that hairstyles play an important part in manga drawings.  Perfect way to remember my comical 'lockdown' hair and expression.  It should be said that my usu

 Where does this inspiration for the card below come from? and the inside once you lift the card out of the flap top right: On the 24th June I blogged about an interactive birthday card  that I created for the card group that I lead at a local community group.  One of the ladies commented that it would make a great Christmas card.  Therefore, my inspiration has come from revisiting that card.   I did watercolour the images however any colouring medium will work. Thank you for looking, Margaret

On the 9th September, 2021 I went for a walk! To my beach - Umina Beach - it is just up the road and over the sand dunes.  I was feeling 'blah' and thought a little walk would do me good.  So off I set, well just as I made it over the sand dune, this glorious sunset was happening and I managed to capture a few photos.  Here is the layout I made today for a challenge over at Soul Scrapers Challenges: The challenge was one of my favourites - a tic tac toe board and I selected 3 photos, the colours of oranges, golds and browns and 3 word title. I used a newly released Kaszazz die - Colour Wheel and die cut the main wheel in the gold and the spokes in orange and brown. I also die the stars with a die that was in my stash. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 I am a guest designer over at White with 1 challenges this month.  Here is my layout: The challenge was to use white with Lilac Lullaby colour and to use at least one of the following from the moodboard.  My first thought - oh no! Not a colour I usually use! I firstly sprayed my paper with Distress Oxide Ink sprays - Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violet.  I also sprayed cheesecloth, paper flowers and cotton thread with a mixture of the sprays and allowed them to dry. The photo is of my niece at age 4 (she is now a mother of a 3 1/2year old) playing with her dolls. This challenge made we wonder what her dreams were at that age. I recently got the Kaszazz Dreamcatcher die and stamp combination (KSK7300) and it seemed just right for this layout. Other Kaszazz products I have used are papers from the Nature Lover collection, Pearls Sticky Gems, Archival stamp inks, laces and ribbon and the Crafters Companion Dream die. A small stamp, from my stash, randomly applied completed the layout. Here i