Stamps Ahead

This is a layout I have completed today, it uses product from Kaszazz Beachy Boho collection  Whilst Kaszazz no longer has any consultants they have released this collection Beachy Boho that is in their webstore .  There is a great bundle available with papers, stencils, chipboard and more. Check it out and there is reduced price on a lot of other products. I love anything beachy - and this photo was taken, by my sister, on a recent beach walk along Coolum Beach Queensland Sunshine Coast.  I had a great time making the beach chipboard - I mixed up texture paste and Liquid Pearls to make the rustic sign.   Do you know the meaning of the name Margaret?  It is derived from Latin Margarita which from the Greek Margarites meaning 'pearl.  So, I was very happy to see a pearl on one sheet of the paper  I highlighted the pearl with some Glossy Accents.  Thank you for looking, Margaret  

 Here are the two cards I prepared for the local community group today A card that really displays the woodgrain paper beautifully. Minimal stamping. This card has a 'wow' - when the recipient opens the card there is a great fold.  I was inspired by a card I found on the internet. I needed to make a few changes to the measures to fit Australian measurements.      A Pop Up Card Idea with All You Need to Make an Amazing Surprise (simplysimplestamping.com) Thank you Connie for the inspiration.   This could be a birthday card, anniversary card, wedding card, etc.  The stamps are Kaszazz Silhouette Garden and FSJ Make Amazing Happen with die cut.   Thank you for looking. Margaret

 Sharing a "Z" card I made last week for the community group that I lead  The ladies loved making it. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Here is a card I made today to send to my cousins daughter who now lives in England.  She recently purchased her own 'end of terrace' home. Butterflies hold a significant importance in her life, so I just had to incorporate one on the card. A card like this is a great way to use up scraps of paper, instead of the chipboard a simple greeting could be added. All papers and chipboard (7916 Home Sweet Home) are from Kaszazz Home Sweet Home collection.  Thank you for looking, Margaret

Yippee, card classes that I lead at a local community group are back!  All be it adhering to Covid restrictions in place.  2 of my ladies (sorry, no men in the class) are not back due to recent falls that have put them out of action for several more weeks.  Here, is one of the cards I have prepared for next Friday's class. The card uses Kaszazz Layer Die cuts 7830 - Spring Flower and 7829 - Leafy Sprig. The greeting is from 6297Q Floral Paradise Un-cut set (5 stamps).   That beautiful 1079 - Powder SB Essential paper, that I have used for the mat and top of blue flower, sets off the die cuts wonderfully. Thank you for looking, have a great week ahead, Margaret

 Here are the projects I created using the newest release from Kaszazz - Serenity  3 small gift cards 3" square. Products used: 6675K Just Because Lily Un-Cut (3) set, 6681M Enjoy your Day Girl Un-cut (3) set - greeting used, 8040 Stencil - Triangle Cluster A set of 4 mixed media cards 6" square. Products used 8039 Stencil - Organic Shapes - Large, 6688L Organic Spots stamp, 6691H Small Organic Dashes stamp, 6689LLarge Organic Dashes stamp, TDO72683 Distress Oxide Inkpad - Prize Ribbon, 8069 Chipboard - Organic Branches, 8038 Vellum Stickers - Serenity (32 stickers, 2 of each). A close up of each card follows Below is an 8 pages journal I created with papers and embellishments left over from various projects.  I will post a separate blog post showing the individual pages. Serenity is a great range and would be great on travel photos, masculine layouts, and mixed media. Some of the paper  is above. Thank you for looking.  Margaret

This past weekend Kaszazz released 3 new collections. Following are projects I created using the Golden Sunflowers collection.  Long post as I have indicated the codes for the products I have used for each project. So please come with me on my creative play.  Another post later with another new release. 8076 Bumble Bee SB Paper (Sunflower side), 7616 Chipboard - Hello Wreath - Large coloured with TDO56317 Ranger Distress Oxide Vintage Photo. 6704E Hello Sunshine stamp coloured with 5475 Watercolour Pencils and 7896 Water Colour Brush Set (6 brushes) using the finest brush  6712K Happy Birthday Sunflowers Un-Cut stamp set (2), 8619 Stencil - Sunflower coloured with Ranger Distress Oxide Inks TDO56348 Wild Honey and TDO56317 Ranger Distress Oxide Vintage Photo. The bee was fussy cut from scrap piece of 8076 Bumble Bee SB Paper.  8076 Bumble Bee SB Paper (Sunflower side),  6704E Hello Sunshine stamp, 6702D Just to say hello stamp.  Thank you for looking Margar...

This weekend Kaszazz released a new January flier and as a team leader I was able to hold a team training day (TDD). I will share layouts and cards I created shortly.  One of the optional activities are that participants can participate in a challenge using criteria set by Kaszazz.  This TDD the challenge was to use any of the Collage Paper Pads.  Here is what I created using Floral Splash Collage Paper Pad. The photographs were taken at Kirkton Park at Polkobin in the Hunter Valley of NSW. It was a my birthday celebration gift from my sister.  It was lovely to take time out and enjoy the hospitality and ambience of Kirkton Park.  Except for the two main background papers everything else came from the Collage paper pad. If you are interested in purchasing any of the Collage paper pads that Kaszazz has in their range please visit my website  www.kaszazz.com/cart?consid=110787  and type into search bar "Collage Paper Pad" and see the range of paper pads ...

I recently posted a baby girl card I made and I wrote that I would be making a baby boy card - so here it is Again using all supplies from Kaszazz (with exception of the congratulations stamp and die).   Thank you for looking, Margaret

What do you do when your brother rings and says "have you got any new baby cards?"  Friends of my brother and his wife have recently welcomed a new baby girl into their family.  No worries - I say - I will make one tonight for you.   Here is what I created It is no secret that I loved creating the Christmas starburst cards.  This card uses papers and a cut out from Kaszazz Spring Meadow collection. The little fox is cute and I would not be usually using this image however it was just right for this card. Rhinestones add a little bling. The greeting and die cut around it are from my stash.  I really liked making this card and I need to make a card for new baby boy so I am sure I will use this design again - with a teddy bear that is one of the other die cuts in the set.   Thank you for looking, Margaret

Another of my layouts has been accepted by Kaszazz for publication on their website. It is my fun interactive layout.  I have previously posted about this layout, some 4 months ago.  I needed to make a few changes as some of the embellishments are no longer available and I added photos of flowers from my garden over the past year. You lift the front flap and there is room to add more photos and journaling. Here are the products I used.  5218 SB Essentials - Mushroom 4933 SB Essentials - Denim 7910 SB Paper – Pretty Posies  7911 SB Paper – Scattered Posies  7912 SB Paper – Stay Awhile 5976 Embellishment – Shell Buttons – Round (12)  5391 Embellishment – Butterflies (2) 7743 Waxed Twine – 5mm – Black Thank you for looking, and a quote I found  "You are the creator of your own garden. Plant kindness and compassion. Water with love and gratitude. And you will enjoy beauty all the days of your life." -  Julie Parker.

This year I handed out these little bags of positivity to the ladies in my card class at a local community group.  This year was different to past years - lockdowns meant that we could not meet however we tried to keep in contact with each other.  Also, have some for another team that I meet with - sssh don't share if you know what team! And here is what I put in each bag. I did not make the calico bags - I picked them up from K-mart years ago and they may still be available.  I did iron them so that I had a flat surface on which to stamp. Also, I cut out a small piece of cardboard the size of the bag so that I could insert as I stamped and coloured each bag. Here is what I used available from Kaszazz Archival Ink - Jet Black - Code AID3892.  Archival ink is a permanent ink that provides a crisp image that won't bleed. Tea Set - Uncut Set (2) Code 6536M - I used the cup and saucer and there is also a teapot. Mini - Messages - Tea Party Uncut Set (9) Code 6542K, ...

Here is a layout I have created for a Tic Tac Toe challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges   The challenge was to select a line from the grid below - I selected die cuts, doiley and clock. I found the old Heidi Swapp clockface overlay when I was searching for anything clock related in my stash.  The paper I used is retired from Kaszazz collection Papillon. The chipboard heart is available Kaszazz (Scribbly Shapes 7949) as are the die cuts (Papillion 7914). The die cuts had a white outline so I cut around them and chopped into some to add there is also a large amount of fussy cutting on the embellishments.    The photograph is of my parents on the day they got engaged in 1947 and was taken at Luna Park in North Sydney, New South Wales. I loved the wording on the overlay and it is one of my favourites "life is not measured in minutes but moments". Both of my parents are no longer alive and it is memories and moments that you remember. Thank you for looking, Margaret...

 This layout was a challenge at Soul Scrappers  challenge group on Facebook  The challenge was to be inspired by the this layout by Jane Howden  The criteria - use this scape page to inspire your own scrap page.  You may be inspired by the torn papers, the shapes, the tag, fence, the creepy Halloween feel, spider web or pumpkins etc.... Not being a fan of Halloween I did not take that inspiration, however, I did love the background colour and the basic layout of Jane's.   With New South Wales beginning its partial exit out of Covid lockdown restrictions tomorrow, I am sure many people are wondering/imagining "Where to next?" as they think of  possible future travels.  Myself, I can see me travelling more in my own country and my sister is considering a trip to Paris and beyond in 2023. I searched my photographs and found this photo that I took when we both visited Europe 2015. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 Where does this inspiration for the card below come from? and the inside once you lift the card out of the flap top right: On the 24th June I blogged about an interactive birthday card  that I created for the card group that I lead at a local community group.  One of the ladies commented that it would make a great Christmas card.  Therefore, my inspiration has come from revisiting that card.   I did watercolour the images however any colouring medium will work. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 I am a guest designer over at White with 1 challenges this month.  Here is my layout: The challenge was to use white with Lilac Lullaby colour and to use at least one of the following from the moodboard.  My first thought - oh no! Not a colour I usually use! I firstly sprayed my paper with Distress Oxide Ink sprays - Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violet.  I also sprayed cheesecloth, paper flowers and cotton thread with a mixture of the sprays and allowed them to dry. The photo is of my niece at age 4 (she is now a mother of a 3 1/2year old) playing with her dolls. This challenge made we wonder what her dreams were at that age. I recently got the Kaszazz Dreamcatcher die and stamp combination (KSK7300) and it seemed just right for this layout. Other Kaszazz products I have used are papers from the Nature Lover collection, Pearls Sticky Gems, Archival stamp inks, laces and ribbon and the Crafters Companion Dream die. A small stamp, from my stash, randomly applied completed...

The newest Kaszazz collection is called "Colour your world" and here a few projects I have created with the products in the new flier.   A double layout designed by Kaszazz consultant - Cheryl Devlin.  Features photos of my niece when she was 3 and 4 (now a mother herself with a 3 year old). Close up of the journal card in pocket. Journal card opened with room for me to write up the stories. A card, inspired by one of Cheryl Devlin's however I choose to sprinkle our Metallic Pan watercolours unto the background, and paint the greeting.  I also added a pink mat.   For this one I used a die cut Silhouettes-Butterfly Wreath-White (also available in black).  The Silhouettes are available in other shapes Sunny Rainbows,  Titles, Hearts, Tags. I used the Metallic Pan watercolours to colour my wreath.  It has a real shine using Metallic Pans that is not obvious in the photo.  Love this photo of my niece's son looking up high.  Just right f...

 Another, Cute Owl spam card.  This time a Christmas Card.  Kaszazz has released a $49.95 Stamp Value Set - Cute Owls (7992), this is the largest stamp in the set. There is a total of 9 owl stamps, ranging from small to largest owl.  There are also some cute greetings in the set.I have coloured with Kaszazz Watercolour pans (7632)  Thank you for looking, hoot hoot, Margaret

Here is card I have made this yesterday. It is headed to a friend. Kaszazz has released a $49.95 Stamp Value Set - Cute Owls (7992) and this is the largest stamp in the set.  There is a total of 9 owl stamps, ranging from small to this largest owl.  There is also some cute greetings in the set.  I have coloured with Kaszazz Metallic Watercolour pans (7895) and the card has a delightful sheen which this photo does not do justice too. As a Kaszazz consultant we have access to cards designed by other consultants and below is a card I also made that was designed by Julie Storti, a fellow consultant. Again, I used the Metallic Watercolours and I made a few small changes to the card published by Julie - mainly colours and greetings. This card uses the 3 of the medium owls. Thank you for looking, hoot hoot, 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