Stamps Ahead

 Another layout for CSI Challenge 468 - January 2026. Here is my layout: Here is the inspiration photo: Here are the clues: In 2012 I was sent a Christmas card from my friends in the USA.  It shows her 2 boys on the cover - those boys are now adults and just as happy and love live as the 2012 photo.  I have used the following clues to complete my layout: winter/Christmas theme, stripes, labels, people, white gesso as snow falling, whimsical font (my friends writing on the card greeting), journalling in a plastic envelope (I could not find my vellum) and circles.   I look forward to what challenges are available in February and the remainder of 2026.  For more information visit  http://csichallenge.blogspot.com/ Margaret

 It is New Years Eve (morning) and I have completed this layout for a challenge over at Soul Scrappers .  The challenge was a Christmas themed layout. These photos were taken on Christmas Day.  My sister came to my home and we had breakfast together. The first unexpected moment - apologies from my sister she left my gift sitting under the tree at her home. No worries, I said, we are heading over to yours after breakfast with our brother and sister-in-law.  The bottom right shows my table decorations, including the beautiful poinsettia I received from the executive of local community group where I lead the card classes. Now about the photos of my sister and I. The mask  was a gift from a friend, so the unexpected moment - I decided a photo of me wearing the fun Christmas mask was required to say thank you and I sent a photo message to her.  My sister, is displaying the Santa with mask decoration I gave her.  We are mask wearers and very aware of pr...

This is another layout I have completed for a GRAB5 challenge over at Soul Scrappers . The idea of this challenge was to select 5 items from your stash (the older the better), photograph them, and then create a layout using items you have selected.  Here is my layout and following the items I selected from stash: My photograph was taken at Ala Moana shopping centre in Honolulu, Hawaii at the beginning of December whilst we were on holidays.  These arch type decorations were scattered around the centre. I used 3 of the papers from the paper pack (one I reversed to the kraft side), also several items from the old Stampin' Up! accessory pack from many years ago.  Unopened Kaisercraft wood veneers and paper flowers - both unopened - finally getting used.  Do any readers remember the alphabet rub-ons that I used, very popular and had so many of each letter? Thank you for looking, head over to Soul Scrappers and see the challenges they have. Margaret

This is the 21st layout I designed for the Kissi fundraising event yesterday.  It uses paper and stamps from Kaszazz Christmas Morning collection.   All product is available from Kaszazz.  The ladies used stamp ink to colour their chipboard pieces. Again another layout that enables many of those Christmas photos to be added. A good time was had by all and they all enjoyed learning new skills - even those that have done many scrapbooking classes with me. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

This is a double page layout using Kaszazz Tis'the Season collection of stamps and papers.  It is a modified version of a layout by Kerry Collins, a fellow Kaszazz Consultant.  Yesterday I lead a fund raising day of scrapbooking to raise funds for Skills for Life, Kissi Kenya.  The ladies completed two layouts this was the second one. All products available from Kaszazz. Yes I am a consultant.  Love the almost rustic nature of these papers.  Close up of left hand page. Close up of right hand page. These layouts give the opportunity to add a lot of Christmas photo memories. Thank you for looking, Margaret

It has been so hot here in Australia today, no doubt the news will tell us it was a record breaking heat. So after leading the card class I have each Friday at a local community group I quickly put together this layout. This is a clean and simple layout that uses Kaszazz stamps and papers from the Christmas Morning collection. A great way to use up scraps - these were left over from a double page layout I have created and will publish later - it is for a scrapbooking workshop I am leading at the end of November. The photo (of me) was taken 5 years ago when I visited an evening Christmas Market in Germany with my sister. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

Last Sunday, I went for a walk along the beach that is just up the road from me.  I was having morning tea at the beach café when I saw Santa coming onto the beach (from a surfboard I believe), I quickly grabbed my camera, of course!  Here is the layout I have completed: I am adding this to a Tic Tac Toe challenge over at Soul Scrappers , here is the grid we were given. I selected the left hand column. This Santa arriving reminded me of a Christmas that I had in Hawaii a couple of  years ago.  One of the highlights was seeing their Santa arrive, by inflatable lifeboat, and the faces and smiles of all the young kids and the not so young. Thank you for looking, Margaret

The next layout was for sketch challenge at  Soul Scrappers . Here is the challenge sketch that we were to be inspired by: The photos are of me singing Christmas Carols at the local community group (Pastimes) where I am the currently table leader for the card table.   A wonderful group of ladies.  These were taken at the break up party last November.  The musical note paper and the Kaisercraft music stamps were just calling out to be used on the layout.  Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Here is a layout I have created from a sketch at The Memory N est - Make it Monday No.82 Christmas Day lunch was at my sisters home, we invited 3 other friends to join us.   This photo is fun, as it captured me with my paper hat on but look to the left - I have just about the same pose of the Queen Elizabeth magnet attached to her wall! I have used papers and embellishments from Paper Flourishes September Kit and the clusters of ribbon and die cuts top and bottom were inspired by a layout idea that came with the kit.  It is all blue and sparkly - you can see the sequins glistening on this close up of the page. Here is the sketch from The Memory Nest. Thank you for looking.  I have more photos to get onto paper from our lunch, they will follow. Margaret

One of the fun things I got to do on my recent holiday was ride a South Devon Railway steam train with Santa!!!  Even got to have my photo taken! I have seen many grid type layouts recently on the net and this is my take on one.  I have completed this for a Using Up Scraps challenge at Soul Scrappers with the added criteria of using 8 of something - I have used 8 (really 9) stickers and together with the papers they (with exception of all aboard and departure time stickers) came from an old Kaisercraft range called Christmas Carol.  I now only have one and bit sheets of paper and a few stickers that were not suitable for this layout left. The return train ride was from Buckfastleigh to Totnes in Devon, I got to have a warm fruit juice drink and mince pie as we rode along.  All the passengers made their way to the back of the train for a photo with Santa and the kids all got a gift.  It was great to see such happy faces as they made their way back to ...

My sister and I celebrated Christmas Day 2015 in Singapore on our way home from our European/English holiday.  Of course, we needed our hotel room to be decorated.  I had bought the small foldable tree at Kmart before leaving, the banner I made several years ago and it came in my luggage as well. Around the tree we put mini-gingerbreads we purchased in Austria and chocolates from Brugge.  There is also a small knitted stocking made by my 89 year old neighbor and we filled it with candy canes given to us.  A small tree but a tree nevertheless. The layout is for a Soul Scrappers challenge MYC23. Thank you for looking, come back later and see more of my layouts from my holiday.