Stamps Ahead

Another layout for the numbers and letters cyber crop with White with 1 Challenges . Challenge 1 BIG LETTERS. In May this year I visited with my friend Kathy in Florida USA.  On 16/5/2024 we went to one of the recreation centres in The Villages where she lives to play Bingo - her regular table players welcomed me and were very interested in Australia, several having visited over the years. It cost US$17 for two cards plus several smaller cards. Very different to how I remember playing Bingo in the past and it took me a bit of time to get the gist of the games.  It was fun and much laughter.  I did not win but Kathy and several of the other ladies were lucky.  We did go back later during my visit again no wins! The only big letters I had in my stash were these from many years ago and as I did not have an entire alphabet had to make some creative adjustments.   Thank you for looking, Margaret

White with 1 challenges , had a Letters and Numbers Cyber Crop last weekend with entries due by today.  Well, it has been a hectic couple of weeks and I could only manage one entry this time around: This was for Challenge 2 - Highlight numbers.   This is my Great Nephew (aged 6.5 years old) and he is showing a great aptitude and love of Maths.  He started school this year and they are not even up to doing Math at the level he is showing.  He has a large book, his Mum (our niece) sets the problems to be solved and he is off.  When we caught up for dinner last weekend he was able to finally get "5" around the right way - so it was high 5's all around.  And, he loves to read as well as you can see by the books on the table - currently he likes books about rocks and science!  Proud Great Aunty here!  The coloured chipboard was a challenge trying to get it to match the shirt - there is 4 layers of different oxide inks and I still not get the colour I wanted.  So, I found a nea

The Scrappy tags workshop I developed was held today and here are the participants tags they created.  I was able to handover $275 to Pastimes Craft Group Ettalong Beach for their continued mission support.  A good time was had by all and a great morning tea (sorry no photos).  This photo above shows the messy mat I made for each participant - a little bit of Oxide Inks though a small stencil in top left corner.. Love that little heart on the house 2nd from right. Thank you for looking and remember 'It's beginning to look like Christmas".  Margaret

 Christmas tags that I have created for a workshop I am leading tomorrow at a local community group: It was fun to put each kit, that participants will receive, together.  I used supplies from my stash so each person's tags will be constructed with different patterned paper. These tags using a stamped edge of stitching rather than using a sewing machine.  I am donating the entire cost of the workshop to the group for their continuing work with mission support. Tags can be used for gift giving, scrapbooking or junk journalling.  Thank you for looking. 

This is what I made on Saturday - I was inspired after watching a great video from Shanouki Art thank you. The video showed how to use a full 12" page of scrapbooking paper.  The video showed how to use a full 12" page of scrapbooking paper. I was so inspired I put my hand on the first piece of Christmas paper I could find (it was not the full 12" as it had been previously cut into) but I went with it.  I have used other items from my stash as well.  Here, are a few other photos: Reverse with small pocket. All the items.   Thank you looking, I will be back shortly with more Christmas ramblings. Margaret "It's beginning to look like Christmas, everywhere you go" - Lyrics by Meredith Wilson  The shops are beginning to decorate, the internet is a "buzz " and YouTube is wild with ideas - ramblings from Margaret Crawford!

Here is a pin I have created this afternoon suitable for wearing as brooch or in a junk journal. For the past week I have been sorting through patchwork fabrics and packing them up into packages for a local charity shop and as I worked through them there was so many beautiful small pieces of fabrics, and it got me thinking what could I do with them. So, I head to Pinterest/Instagram and found some beautiful pins by Anna-Karin Sjoqvist  from way back in August 2019 and from this photo (see link) I created my pin. Of course, I needed to make one immediately as I was inspired.  I have left thank you on Instagram.  Do yourself a favour head over to her site she has so much inspiration - I could have spent hours looking at her work. Thank you, Anna-Karin, I love it and I used some slow stitching on mine and added beads to the pin. I love the frayed look. In all it only took a very short time to make, and I can see me making many more in the future. Thank you for looking, Margaret   

I recently purchased from Scrappingclearly a June kit for a Junque Art Book. Yes, that is the spelling of the kit - great name don't you think: Not quite a bound journal that it was supposed to be but more a tag book - why? A couple of happy mistakes! First, I suppose I can own up to not reading the guide all the way through before starting!!! I get to the end of creating each page - why do I still have blank white cards? Reading how to use the binding fabrics - oops that won't work - you may have guessed that I glued front and back pages onto one card and not one card/one page that would be bound together with fabric bindings at end! What to do and then I remember I had a round "thingy" in my stash, so I used hole punch and more of the ring reinforcements for stabilisation, I love how it turned out and the good thing is I now have more pages I can make with leftovers and add to the ring later. A project that combines fabrics, papers and ephemera so beautifully, ju

This is a layout I have created for White with 1 challenges - this month it is to use Orange (or any of its tones) and to use stamping.  There was a mood board for inspiration. This was the mood board: My inspiration - the windows in the building bottom right. A clean and simple layout.  I stamped the squares and needed to highlight them by going around with a black pen.  I used Abandoned Coral paint for stamping/chipboard and I did check and Coral is an orange tone (it is also in the pink tones but stronger as an orange tone). This mood board is also working, in conjunction, with Soul Scrappers this month so I have also posted to their challenges as well. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Junk Journal Ideas and Inspiration Facebook group currently have a BINGO 2024 challenge.  They provide prompts, just like a Bingo card.  It runs all of this month.  Yay, I started with 'make 3 pieces of ephemera from your scraps', here is what I made 3 Christmas tags.  Yay, I started - make 3 pieces of ephemera from your scraps. A set of Christmas tags that could be slipped into a journal. Now, whilst doing these I had a brainwave and decided to make a few more sets to sell as tags at a local spring here this coming Saturday - I decided that the backs will be covered as I am sure not everyone understands 'grungy' or junk journalling like I do, and it also reinforces the machine stitching as well. #junkjournalbingo2024 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...too early!  Well, the shops are getting their Christmas on so why not! Thank you for looking, Margaret  

My sister and I managed to fit in some time to do some scrapbooking whilst on holidays - usually in the evenings.  Here is 49 and Market Kaleidoscope album I created and finished today back home. A few of the pages follow. I love Kaleidoscopes and I admit that when I see one in shop I always put up to my eye and am bewildered by the patterns they make. So, when I saw a kit with this name and colour of course had to purchase it - in USA when I was there in May this year.  I precut all the paper before I left Australia so that I could carry it easily and be ready to start.  You will see that there are no photos yet, I still need to print some out.   The album has lots of interesting bits and pieces - on the left at the top there is a pocket - I have raised it for the photo.  I can add more photos onto this also photos will be put into the frames.  Throughout the album you will see white and black photo mounts. Another pocket full of lots of embellishment and tags for adding notes. These

This layout was taken at Chatsworth House Farm shop, in the Derbyshire Dales, on a bright and sunny day in July.  Unfortunately, for us not many sunny days during our 5 weeks in UK, so really put on a summer dress to celebrate.  I have just received a beautiful dress (not the one in the photograph above) I ordered from lovenelli.com.au  and included was this wonderful card - just perfect for adding to this layout. The produce in the cafe and shop was from the Chatsworth Estate, a wonderful way to spend a lunch. After lunch we went on further to Chatsworth House with more from there to come. Thank you for looking and I hope you find some colour in your day today.  Margaret

This is a layout I have completed documenting our first day of our journey around the United Kingdom in July/August this year.  My sister was the designated driver and I was navigator! I used lots of bits and pieces from my stash. I was inspired by a layout from Kisha over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) Facebook.  We were invited to do our own take on the layout - large title and pretty flowers!  No flowers on mine as I wanted it to be more travel related.   I did like the layout idea and may use in upcoming layouts.  Thank you for looking, Margaret

On 16th July, this year my sister and I visited Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northern UK.  Here I am climbing the steps onto the city wall that overlooks the Clyde Estuary. So much history. This layout was completed for the August challenge over White with 1 challenges on Facebook. The challenge was to be inspired by this mood board - Slate Grey with a splash of another colour. I was inspired by the top middle photo of what looks like brick tiles - perfect for my photo, my splash of colour of bit of green to represent the moss on the walls. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Back in Australia from my UK holiday and jet lag is “the pits” up early early this morning so why not start Day 1 of #jjiioutwithabang with Junk Journal Ideas and Inspiration over on Facebook. Here is what I created. Inspired by You Tube video by Junk Journal Joy I have made a small and quick accordion fold journal. The joys for me are incorporating fabric and paper into my projects and that I can add extra pages as I record some of my travel happiness this year. Opened showing front and back pages. Opened showing centre pages. Thank you for looking and thank you to Junk Journal Joy for inspiring me.  Margaret "A joy that's shared is a joy made double" Unknown.

I have finished the final two challenges at White with 1 plus their monthly challenge as well.  It is cold and wet here on The Central Coast so a perfect day to scrapbook 'some' of my holiday photos. Challenge 3 - We all have them in our stash - long saved collections from manufacturers no long around. Stop hoarding and get creating - we want to see these lovelies in your albums not still in your stash. I used Kaszazz - one of their last collections Beachy Boho!  Photo was taken on my last day in Florida when with my friends we visited Cocoa Beach and had lunch on the pier.  This is a companion piece to my layout in monthly White with 1 challenge. My colour was ice/sky blue (I hope you can see the stencilling behind the photo etc) and I used yellow as an accent.   Challenge 4 - was to use metal, metal and a bit more metal. Yep, brads, paper clips, eyelets, charms, vintage essentials, clocks, tags and mechanicals - it it's made of metal we want to see lots of them on your pa

2nd challenge over at White with 1 cyber crop I completed this layout.  The challenge was to get out those gelatos, crayons/and or watercolour pencils and create an amazing background for your layout. The finished layout - Just as I was taking the photo today the sun went away!!! Below are some photos of the process I used.  I used my long forgotten Ranger Distress Crayons and first drew circles on my background.  I then applied Ranger Distress Collage Medium over these circles. I was wanting texture that could complement the Epcot tower. The collage medium acts like water diluting the colour. Look at all that yummy texture I achieved.  I added some bits and pieces from a Kaisercraft Collectables Act of Life that I had stored away.  My journalling is tucked under the photo and can be pulled out to view the story. I was going to leave it like this but felt it need more - so I diluted the crayons with water and then flicked them on to the layout and further reduced the colour by blotting