Stamps Ahead

The weekend I am participating in an on-line virtual retreat with Hillbilly Scrappin"  called Do you see what I see (DYCWIS). I have signed up for several of the classes.  Here is a journal page I have created with a class led by Marlene of ART BY MARLENE (ABM). A little out of my comfort zone - but hey need to do that sometimes!   Mostly using paints and pencils from my stash.  I did use ABM Paper Pad Multi Color Madness (ABM-26-DPP417) and ABM Sticky Multi Glue 28ML - all available from Hillbilly Scrappin'. We were encouraged to free-hand draw our options for how we would tackle this - Marlene provided some examples in her video.  Well, all I can say is I could not draw regular looking faces - below see how I started off - scary stuff!!!  I was inspired by a kid's You-tube!! On the right I tried another drawing same as the first by cut down middle! Scarier!!!   So, I was not happy - so I went with geometric shaped face and features!  ...

Hillbilly Scrappin' has a virtual retreat called Merry & Bright Downunder coming up.  There was a warm-up challenge before the event starts.  The challenge was  ... " create something merry… without using traditional Christmas colours".  Here is what I created We could make a small background, tag, journal page, card front - using no red, no green, and no snowflakes! Think Aussie summer colours, beach days, faded eucalyptus, ice-cream pastels, sunburnt skies..or anything not a usual Christmas palette.  There was an optional extra challenge to add one that that says Aussie Christmas - a gum leave, thongs, flies, maybe a cold drink ring mark on the page.. interpreted however you wanted.  As you see I created a square card front. I must admit that I sat on this challenge for at least 3 weeks - nothing would come to me - and then this morning I went to my Colour Cube box and selected a card that inspired me. I loved the leaves strung along the line and the ...

 In April this year I purchased a kit from Hillbilly Scrappin  of the Stamperia Romantic Collection - Journal with instructions by Jenny Curthoys to make this double page interactive layout. Following are individual pages. Hopefully you will stay with me to the end. At this stage I have not added photos to my layout. On the left are two little books that are slipped into the pocket underneath. Great to add journalling or more photos. There are also two blank photo mats included in the pocket. I made the photo matt to flip back so I could add more photos or journalling underneath. These flips have a belly band and waterfall flap placed on its side. This is the front of the flip you see above. I had 1sheet of patterned paper left over and I made a companion or stand-alone layout page. I love interactive layouts as you can add so many photos.  Also, the kit is no longer available from Hillbilly Scrappin! all sold out! Thank you for looking, Margaret

 Have you heard of paper netting?  I came across a video by Francisca Nunes where she explained and demonstrated her technique. Here is an art piece I made for a warm up challenge at Hillbilly Scrappin' for the upcoming virtual retreat.  This will be a long post - I hope you stay with me. I had not heard of this technique, and it reminded me of when I made patchwork quilts (the stitching of course). The paper here is a page from The Country Diary of Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden  I placed onto a paper bag, which I have left open as I intend that this will be a cover for a junk journal - cardboard can be tucked into the bag to make it more rigid. Now, I got to this by experimenting and I have included my inspiration  Many years ago, my sister gave me an old hexagon quilt top she had found - I would say probably fabric from the 1960's.  It has sat in my quilt collection for many years and as soon as I saw this technique it reminded me of the quilt. A few pho...

 This weekend I attended the inaugural ScrapKat's retreat in Goulburn, NSW.  The landscape garden features a stationery Southern Aurora Railway carriage on its own private railway platform. Here are layouts I completed - sorry/not sorry long post: For a challenge over at Soul Scrappers - One word title starting with either 'D', 'A' or 'S'. Photos from my time in Florida in 2024 with my friend Kathy - taken a few different places.  The bottom left photo was a 'highway' of alligators, I had never seen so many together. Completed for challenge with Hillbilly Scrappers - a virtual mixed media retreat starts at end of the month and this was a warm up challenge - Monochromatic.   Photo taken last year, again in Florida when we visited Russell Stover Chocolates outlet. They are the makers of Whitmans Chocolates that are available in Australia and were a favourite many years ago.  Yes, I did purchase a supply. Completed this over the weekend - a layout desig...

Over the next 3 days I am participating in a virtual scrapbook event. Here is the layout from the class I did today. The retreat is being hosted by Hillbilly Scrappin' - The Great Papercraft Caper Virtual Retreat. The tutor for this class was Jo Johnson from 3Quarter Designs and the collection is called Mocha Fix. The photos were taken when my sister and I were in Bath, UK last year and we headed out for breakfast on our 2nd day to a local cafe - I know not 2pm as my clock face shows on the layout - a little bit of creative licence.  My sister loves her coffee, and I am a tea drinker. She gave the coffee a thumbs up!  Thank you for looking, Margaret.