Stamps Ahead

Sharing today a card I designed for the ladies from the class I lead at a local community centre.  I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest . This artist, Anne Tuck, had in turn been inspired by a card she found on Pinterest. Her card used paint card samples - I went with cardstock and glossy cardstock. My card uses die cuts for Butterfly (Stampin' Up!) and Delicate Fern (Memory Box Inc).  The leaves, in the background, were squares with 2 opposite corners punched with corner rounder. The butterfly was created using glossy paper with Distress Oxide Inks rubbed onto it and then die cut. There is a card challenge over at Soul Scrappers to use die cut on a card...I think this one meets that criteria. Thank you for looking. Margaret 😊

I completed this layout for a sketch challenge at Soul Scrappers.  The photograph/s are of my sister and I catching up with Ali (our second cousin) in London in December, last year.  Ali, who is a qualified primary school teacher, made the big decision to apply for and was subsequently successful at obtaining a teaching position at a school in Staines, on the outskirts of London (very near to Heathrow Airport) Knowing we were travelling we arranged to have dinner with her at a restaurant near where she lives and we bought with us Christmas gifts from her family back in Australia.  She was so pleased to see us - to see family from Australia and to receive the gifts that she did not know were coming.  After dinner she took us back to her lodgings and we met one of her housemates. Ali, it was great catching up with you - I hope you get a chance to read this blog - all the best for your continued success in London and all the new experiences that are to come yo...

Do you have stamp sets that you just can't part with?  I do and one of them is this Beautiful Season set from Stampin' Up! (SU)  I think it is long retired but I love it - and with colouring all the rage now why not sit and colour in and de-stress at the same time. And a recent set from SU is called Butterfly Basics (with co-ordinating butterfly dies) and I have used recently retired in-colours.  The small butterfly uses a punch and I have added some antique ribbon top left.  I love how feminine I was able to make the card.  The background was inspired by a card by Lisa Cornwall that I found whilst blog surfing. Thank you for looking, have a great weekend, Margaret :)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend most of the day creating.  Here are some pages I have created for challenges over at Soul Scrappers: This was for challenge CC44 - where we were required to make 3 cards with frames as the main feature. I have called my collection - "Variations on a theme".  I have used Sizzix Photo Frame Die, and Stampin'Up! (r) word dies (never used before and now retired), their beautiful Butterly Die and cardstock.  The patterned paper is from the a range by Inspired by Stamping.  Next is a layout for their MYC19 challenge - Picnic (indoor or outdoor). One beautiful day earlier this year my sister and I decided to pack an impromptu picnic and head to beach for lunch.  Time to relax - just read, walk, and photograph.  Looking forward to more warmer weather shortly after a very cold winter here in Australia. The next layout was for Challenge FS2S8 Surf's Up challenge. For this one I went for a double...

Next weekend I am hosting an afternoon tea and it is time to get out the 'good cups and saucers" aka Royal Albert crazy sets; the fabric napkins; the cake forks; the best table cloth and china.  I have made a table favour for each person, to take away with them: I first scoured the internet for quotes involving tea and I then printed them onto Very Vanilla cardstock and cut out with Stampin' Up! (r) Deco Labels dies.  I made an envelope for a small packet of tea and to decorate with the wonderful Butterfly Die from SU and all tie together with ribbon. Here are all the elements for the favours - each person will get two of the quotes. Thank you for looking - here are the quotes I used.  Off to have a cup of tea myself now. Have a great week.   Margaret :) "There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."   Henry James, 'The Portrait of a Lady' "If you are cold, tea will warm...