Stamps Ahead

The challenge over at ARTastic Challenges , this month,  is to be inspired by this work by Barbara Hanrahan called The Dog, The Cat.  Criteria was to use a quote or saying. This month at Book Club we were to read a book with a one word title.  I knew in my book collection I had just such a book and so I read "therapy" by Jonathon Kellerman.  A psychological mystery. I was reading Chapter 22, when I saw the quote on my layout - instantly it reminded me of the photos I took on Christmas Day 2014 of Umina Beach, the time was 8.30am.  I then saw this challenge - the mind clicked into gear "that's how I can capture the feeling of this day. Here is my layout: A very clean and simple layout to achieve - of course it is - but it took me a long time to actually get to this point and then today - it all came together.   On typing the quote into my computer I was drawn to part where he writes "The trees were black sentries".  Sentries are defined in...

Wow, Batman - two posts in one day!!!  Yes, that is true......this time I was inspired by a challenge over at ARTtastic Challenge to be inspired by the photo of the children dressed as Batman and Robin below. I have just looked at it more closely and it is street art by Fintan Magee - amazing! I have always been a movie fan and my favourite trivia questions are Movies and TV, so I was like a bat in a batmobile when I toured Warner Bros. Studios last May.  Pure Hollywood!! Perfect for this challenge.  The cardstock is from Stampin'Up! (r) and the word and film embellishments are from Paper Loft Accessory Sheet called Shades of Gray. I love the "Be" words and they sum me up perfectly. Die cut stars and a bit of bling rhinestones complete the page.   One of my favourite quotes that I have loved and lived by for many many years is: Whatever you are--be that: Whatever you say--be true: Straightforwardly act-- Be honest--in fact, Be nobody else but you ...

Over at ARTa stic Challenge Blog their current challenge inspiration is this photo with the criteria -striped patterned paper and bright cheerful colours. My layout was inspired by the stripes in the deck chair on the poster.  I have used striped paper from a Project Life range called Sunshine (also appropriate don't you think for the poster). In a moment of creativity I realized I had a pot of fine glitter somewhere in my stash. Off I went to find it.  I ran lengths of double sided tape in 2 sizes (mimicking) that deckchair horizontally and vertically onto striped paper and then on removing top tape I liberally applied the glitter.  Result - glitter all over the place - oh well, who does not like a bit of bling. I have also made my own brads and circle embellishments from the off cuts of the "blingy bits" another inspired moment - I remembered I had the fixings for the brads again somewhere in that great stash in the hope that one day I will use it!!...

I am a guest designer over at ARTastic Challenges   this month.  The inspiration is this mixed media work titled Listen by New Zealander, Jenny Grant.  The criteria for the month was free choice, make of this what you will. Mixed media (according to Ebay) is loosely defined as any work of art that uses more than one medium.  I loved the colours, the writing you can see peeping through and that hair effect.  I am relatively new to this mixed media application for scrapbooking and initially I was what - 'scared' to put ideas onto paper. After deciding to use a brick stencil/mask, Impasto medium and Gelato's painted on after medium had dried and then sprinkled with salt.  I played around with three variations of these until I got the background I wanted. In this case a patterned paper already with writing and flowers on it and a thick layer of Impasto medium. I wanted to match the different clothes and hair colours of us all.   These are some ...

I have just received an email  from ARTastic  saying that I have been invited as a guest designer in November, for a scrapbooking layout I submitted in September - Elephant Appreciation Day .  Of course,  I said yes.  Love elephants even more now...haha.  I am feeling rather poorly today - head cold etc so this made my day. Margaret

Over at ARTastic Challenges their current challenge is "quirky and fun". Now this did stump me for awhile. So off to do research I went.  First I looked up quirky and found the following definition "having or full of quirks",  not much help there.  So I looked for words that would describe quirky and came up with far-out, kinky, off-beat, way-out, odd, bizarre, off-the-wall, peculiar, strange, unconventional, unusual, wacky and weird. Okay, feeling more inspired. Next, the word bizarre kept jumping around in my head - then why not bizarre holidays in September. So off to I went to research bizarre holidays in September.  2nd September National Beheading Day - I think not!!!  22nd September Elephant Appreciation Day.  Appropriate as I had photos from a trip to San Diego Zoo in November 2012 yet to be scrapped. Again back to Google this time I typed in words to describe elephants and found the words above that I printed onto Grey cardstock together wit...

I came across this blog whilst out blog surfing one day and I was immediately drawn to the criteria at ARTistic Challenge - the use of recycled material to feature prominently on your work for their June Challenge. So I had a go! My sisters decorating style is shabby chic/French Provincial and so I have tried to capture these on the layout.  Many years ago whilst in US I purchased a bag of Bits of Inspiration - the bag contained bits of paper, antique labels, funky scraps, old postage, bit of metal and more! And I have used many of the bits on this layout. I laid the paper onto the backing from an old packet paper of Stampin' Up! - I would normally throw this out.  The Shabby Chic tag and pink ribbons are from some goodies she purchased on holidays this past month, the pin was from a clothes tag from a top I purchased this month, and a single diamante earring I had has been added as well.  The reference to Paris on a number of ...