Stamps Ahead

A selection of cards I made using left over pieces from making my art journals this week.  A couple have a simple greeting, and all others left blank suitable for many occasions. Thank you for looking, Margaret  

 In September each year Kaszazz issue a new catalogue and a team training day is held to introduce the new products.  This year, however, is different - and the world-wide Covid pandemic has changed all that. Most states in Australia are in lockdown and it impossible to get together as we normally would.   Whilst official events will not be running, consultants have decided to hold a challenge (usually set by Head Office) using any of our large background stamps.  Here is what I have come up with. The background stamps I have used are French Script Background (4926Q) stamped with Archival Ink Watering Can (AID39006) and Papillon Background (6600Q) stamped with Aquamarine Archival Ink (AIP30577).  The greeting is from Word Montage - Hero (6623M).  The die is Die-Layered - Butterfly (7926). Thank you for looking.  Margaret

Here is a clean and simple card to celebrate the birth of a new baby boy.  I am sending this to my sister-in-laws son and his wife who have just welcomed a little bundle of boy joy into the world 2 weeks ago. The card uses Kaszazz It's a Boy Un-cut Set (4 stamps - the two you see, a sweet little elephant and a drum).   I have coloured with alcohol markers bright colours.   I did stamp the little hearts onto the greeting as well. Change the greeting and you would have a card suitable for a birthday. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 Here is a card I created yesterday,  The stamp is a long retired Magnolia stamp.  The magnolia is not hand coloured...I stamped the image onto 2 patterned papers - one green (total stamp) and on the 'pinky' colour (just the flower).  I then fussy cut each of these and layered the flower onto the green leaves.   I made another version of this card and instead of Happy Birthday I changed to 'Thinking of you' with this card being sent to a friend doing it hard at the moment. My area is still in lockdown and will be until end of the month, after that who knows!  Take care all, stay safe. I see more creating in my near future. Margaret 

Later this week, my sister and I are heading to friends place for lunch.  I have decided to make 2 cards to say thank you.  Recently, trying to tidy up my stash I came across some paper that I had previously sprayed with Ranger Distress Inks.  So here they are being used.    I was inspired by a card I saw on Simple by Design , I have left a thank you on the blog.  The die was part of a give away in magazine in 2014.    Thank you for looking. Margaret

A clean and simple Christmas Card.  A challenge over at Soul Scrappers  was to use striped Christmas paper and bling on your card.  . This card was really easy to put together.  I cut papers from the same range, plus some bling glitter paper,  into strips, I did not mind if some were larger than others. I went with the red glitter paper as it fitted in with the coloured strips.  These were then adhered to a backing card stock (cut to same size as the front of your card).  The greeting was die cut from a sheet in the pack and then I die cut a green circle to finish off the card.   Below, are strips cut ready for my next card.  It would equally effective if you put the strips vertically or horizontally as well. Thank you for looking, believe in the magic of Christmas, Margaret

Here is a card I made today.  It is a case (copy & share everything) from a card I saw on Splitcoast Stampers by Heather Freeman . Thank you for your inspiration.  I loved the simplicity of the card and the fact that it could be used for many occasions. For the texture embossed centre I used Kaszazz stencil: Script - Strength with embossing paste. The squares I die cut using Spellbinders Classic Squares Small Nestabilities and the butterfly was die cut from Kaisercraft Decorative Die: Twin Butterflies.  I added some small pearls to the butterfly.  The small square I used mounting tape to raise the surface. I have left a greeting off the front to be applied later when I need a card. ater in the year, I will add this card to a class for my ladies (sorry, gentlemen in the class) to make. In this time of coronavirus pandemic I wish anyone who reads this entry a very happy and blessed Easter Season.  So different to many other years but a time to reflect o...

Another challenge over at Soul Scrappers this time to use snowflakes on a card.  I will say at the outset that this is not my original design....long ago I saw a card by My Card Attic (click here to see the card on her blog) on Pinterest and stored it away thinking one day I will make that.  Well the time came - I was short on 'mojo' recently and needed to make cards for the class I lead at a local community group - so finally I got the chance to make this card, with pink glitter paper: Well, I loved the card and just had to make another, showcasing snowflakes, and here it is: The ladies got to make both cards.   I would like to thank My Card Attic and have left her some thanks on her blog. They are fantastic clean and simple cards and would be just right for mass production.   Next year, I will make for Caring Hearts Card Drive - this year's drive has finished (and I did send other cards that I and others have made for this years drive.  Thank y...

A couple of cards I have made recently.  The first, below, is a technique called "Cracked Glass".  Now, I first saw this done many years ago, it one of those techniques that I kept on the back burner, I tried several times to get a result I was happy with.  This card I am happy with!!!  Glossy paper, distress inks, low tack tape and cotton balls to apply the coloured ink and a few stamps.   The card below is super, super clean and simple - bubble wrap inked up and applied.  How easy is that!  You could vary it by using another colour ink with it or even cut the bubble wrap into a heart, oval etc etc. Thank you looking. Have a great weekend, Margaret :)

For sometime now I have been playing with the idea of using my old tracing wheel on a card.  Today was the day.  Here is the card I created to share with a group of ladies at a local community craft group: A close up of the detail of lines created using the tracing wheel. This card is clean and simple and you could easily add more detail if you wanted - why not inks and ink splatters, a scissor charm, more stamping of a ruler or sewing lines - the opportunities are endless. My mother was a tailoress/dressmaker and she passed on her skills to me as a young child. I would read her Ladies Home Journal magazine from cover to cover many times over the years - the lady image reminds me of that time.  These magazines came complete with paper patterns and I recall that Mum made several of the family's outfits from them. I loved the stories that were of the film stars and the clothes that they wore.  I did sewing/needlework as a subject a school where we were t...

My camera is still not home, so these cards are once again photographed using my mobile/cell phone.  I wanted to share them with you and not wait for camera return. I recently went to Stampin' Up! (SU) card making at a friends place, and these are the cards we made.  They use some retired product (paper and ribbon).  The stamp set Butterfly Basics and also uses the Butterflies Thinlits Dies.  Of course, I did buy them - just could not resist.  First time I have ever used black cardstock on a card - I think I like it and may play around a bit more with it. This is a card I created for a class that I volunteer at (now really sorry for the colour - it is more navy than the blue here),  I have used Heartfelt Creations Jean Pocket/Ball Can stamp and the shells from SU By the Seashore. This is a great card for a male and the pocket could have a gift card or money put in it! This card was inspired by one I saw on the internet, now unfortunately after searchi...

Welcome to post 501.  Today I volunteered at a local community group card making class.  Here are the cards I designed for them to make.    Flowers are made with roughly cut out circles in tissue paper.  I have used a stamp for the stem and leaves however you could easily free hand draw these.  The white spots are acrylic paint dotted on with a toothpick.  There is a greeting inside. This is a colour blocked front with a flower and leaves created from dies.  Most of the ladies had never made this type of flower.  The greeting is tucked in under the flower.  Inside there are two simple strips of paper at bottom - that could also be used to tuck a little gift card or money if they wanted to. This card is the easiest make - it works best with printed cardstock as the base.   The heart (or whatever shape you want) is punched out and greeting applied.  The punched out shape - in this case the heart is app...

A clean and simple card I have created using all Stampin'Up! (r) products.  I have die cut the circle and the greeting/glitter flash.  It was inspired by a card that was in a previous SU publication.  The card is suitable for mass production - and this is just what I wanted as I put together kits for a group of ladies to make cards for a local church fete in May. You could change the greeting to suit your occasion.  Suitable for all skill levels. Such a bright and happy card. Thank you for stopping by, have a great day, a wonderful autumn day is shaping up here on the Central Coast of New South Wales.   Margaret :)