Stamps Ahead

Here is a layout I have completed for an October challenge at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans ) facebook page.  The challenge is all about the colour black. Stick with an all black palette while minimizing other colours. Black is associated with power, fear, mystery, strength, authority, elegance, death, aggression, rebellion and sophistication.   I took this photo of a leaf with raindrops several weeks ago as I walked to my car.   Take time to enjoy the small moments - that inspire or take your breath away. Onto my black textured cardstock I used Heavy Black Gesso through a stencil and roughed it up with my palette knive to give it more texture.   I finished the layout with a chipboard 'moments" that I coloured with black ink and then applied Glossy Accents over it.  The added addition of some black rhinestones provided the sparkle I was looking for. I have kept the layout simple as the photograph to me is the 'star'. Now, what did I learn about ...

A layout for the "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" challenge at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) facebook page: The challenge was to create a paper project using 2 alpha fonts; chipboard - I used Kaszazz chipboard and coloured with Plum Archival Ink; Florals; Patterned paper only; black and white photo. Papers and stickers are from Kaisercraft Treasured Moments collection and flowers and wood veneer from my stash. About the photo - in February US-owned General Motors announced it was pulling the plug on its Australian operations and this saw the end of on our most iconic brands.  The 160 year old Holden name, as much a part of our cultural fabric as meat pies, football and kangaroos. Our family car, at one stage, was the one in the photo - it had a pink strip along its side - sorry don't know the model number. The photo shows from left - me (aged about 15); my sister (aged about 13) and our brother (aged about 10) in the drivers seat.   It was taken in the backyard ...

My second layout for challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) facebook page. My name is Margaret and I am a reader!!!   The top photo shows books lined up ready to be read (confession - I have more in another room) and I am currently reading Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman which seemed quite appropriate when I saw the title and description of this challenge. Twitterpated - Create a paper project about something you are obsessed with or make a layout about something or somebody you are obsessed with. In another ironic moment ABC news on-line just published an article From crime fiction to true crime - why we cant get enough of the genre.   I have added extracts of that article to my page.   On the tag I have written: I like most genres of books, except Sci-Fi, Fantasy etc. My favourite genre would be crime! Is it because I am the daughter of a policeman?  I am also obsessed by crime shows - on Investigation & Discovery and Crime Channel.  I like...

Today, I am completing some challenges over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) facebook page - Spring 2020 Crop.  Okay, so in Australia it is not spring but that does not matter.  This layout is for "Over the Rainbow" The challenge was to create a paper project using a rainbow, a Paper Issues cut file or rainbow colours. This photo was taken on 16th March as I was driving back to my home along the road that passes the beach.  For those who don't know, this is Ocean Beach on Central Coast of NSW, it is just up the road from home - walking distance.  I feel truly blessed that this is on my doorstep.  I stopped to capture the rainbow as it dipped into the water. The rain fell as I was taking the photo. I debated for some time if I was going to use rainbow colours, but they just did not suit this photo so went with a moody capture of what I saw.    The papers are Kaszazz and all the bits and pieces came from my stash. Thank you for looking. I will be...

Yes, that heat I wrote about yesterday is still with us and today there are strong winds forecast as well - just starting to get them. Just heard sirens, hope it is not fire as it is perfect conditions for bush fires. Here is a layout I have created for a challenge over at Paper Issues - the challenge, called Creature Feature, was to use a pet or animal on a layout. I have no pets, so  chose this photo of an Emu taken in Central Australia 2 years ago. This layout uses all Kaszazz product - paper from Australian collection, stamps from Flora and Fauna collection, die and stamp from Nature Lover collection and the fabulous chipboard leaves, that I love.  Archival Ink in Coffee, Leaf Green and Jet Black complete the layout - oh forgot about the scrap of blue paper from Distress Surfaces that I used. I want to recognise the inspiration for the stamping of the emus was a fellow Kaszazz consultant Yuna. Now, as I was outside taking the photo of my layout - looked up and saw ...

This is a layout I have created for an ad-spiration challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) facebook page. Here is the advertisement we were to be inspired by:                                                          What did I draw from this - the water view, the umbrella and on the bottom of the ad the advertising blurb.  In my photos from our cruise to New Zealand earlier this year I had this photo of a pier on the sea wall in Napier and when I was looking for photos I was drawn to the similarity of the canopy to the umbrella in the photo.   I journaled using my Dylusions Paint Pen in white - I have usually stayed clear of this pen as it can be temperamental in letting ink out of the nib - not today so pleased. This is a clean and simple layout - I have used all products that are available from Kaszazz.  I...

In my previous post I wrote of winning a prize on the Unmistakable Creations cruise I took in January with my sister and friends to New Zealand.  Here is a layout I have created using the Paisley Days collection I received. The photo was taken at Larnach Castle, Dunedin, New Zealand and with our friends we are having morning tea in their beautiful tea rooms.   Below is a close up of the texture of the background. More on that below. I was inspired by a layout by Lisa Amiet on the Kaisercraft blog. I have left her some love on the blog. I was really taken with the background technique. The background was fussy cut from 12" (30cm) sheet of paper in the pack and smaller pieces adhered with foam tape to create raised surfaces.  I have also raised the photo and several of the smaller embellishments.   Thank you Lisa. I have decided to add this to a Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) Scraplift Sunday (7th April) Challenge - check them out and join the group for ch...

Here is a layout I created for a Background Noise challenge at Paper Issues (fans and friends) Facebook page What I hear you say is Background Noise? It could be background created with paints/inks/stamps or maybe using a busy background as the base of your layout. I had these 3 photos from the Unmistakeable Creations scrapbooking cruise my sister & I were on to New Zealand in January this year. The photos on the left were before classes  began, all set ready to go, nice and neat! The photo on the right we were busy and well into scrapping on one of the at sea days!! I have used leftover Penelope Dee range Summer Breeze (that I used on a previous cruise) torn and distressed. The chipboard are actually leftovers from Celebr8 range Set Sail that we are using in the photo on the right! Thank you for looking at my noisy background, Margaret

Over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) Facebook page there is a challenge every Sunday called Scraplift Sunday. The idea is to draw inspiration from the layout and create your own. And here is my take on the layout from 18th March.  I was firstly inspired by the word 'create' and then sought out photos of our class on board Radiance of the Seas in January, 2019 when my sister and I were on a scrapbook cruise to New Zealand. These photos are of all of us creating in one of our classes at sea. I have used papers and embellishments (except alphas and little ship bottom left) from Set Sail collection from Celebr8.   I used up the leftovers from the kit received on this cruise. The photos were taken by Melissa Kennedy, teacher and owner of Unmistakeable Creations. Here is the Scraplift Sunday 18th March inspiration layout: Why not check out both Paper Issues for layout inspirations and Unmistakeable Creations for future cruises. Thankyou for looking Margaret

I was asked by my sister to make a large congratulations card for a friend of hers who is celebrating 20 years of missionary work overseas.    Here it is: To make it I used 2 A4 sheets of cardstock.  The card is for a male and I did not think flowers etc would be appropriate.  I got out my favourite Stampin' Up! stamp set - Gorgeous Grunge and my Ranger Distress Stains and created this card hoping that you can see that I was aiming for fireworks! The die cuts are Kaisercraft for words and a long retired Stampin' Up! die for numbers. The fold on left hand side is to enable to card to be opened and his friends/family/supporters to sign inside. I hope he likes it. I am going to add this to the "You Color my World" challenge at Paper Wishes (Friends and Fans) over on facebook, why not head there, join the group, and see their fabulous challenges. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Here is a layout I have completed for a sketch challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) on facebook. Kaisercraft papers and embellishments.  Photos to be added later. Here is the completed layout with photos added.  The photos are of my sister and I enjoying morning tea in Napier, New Zealand with a plate of mixed lamingtons. Thank you for looking, Margaret 

Time to spend now on some scrapbook challenges.  This layout was for a challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) - check them out on facebook. The challenge - We WANT you to put Baby (and everything on your page) in the corner. Focus on all 4 (or one (lol) corners of your project and keep the centre clear!   Here is my layout: The photos, taken Boxing Day 2017,  are of my friends grandchildren and I playing Rip-Spin Warriors - a game where you wind up these spinning characters (really a fly-wheel) and let them loose on the surface of the board area.  This lets the characters spin all around so you can pit warriors against each other to see who's the first to be knocked out.  Just pull the ripcord and get them spinning. We had lots of laughs and I even won a round!  Spin-tastic. I wanted to convey the feeling of movement with my embellishments. I nearly went spinning into the middle! Off to do some more challenges. 2nd day of summer here in...

Here is a layout I created today based on a challenge at Paper Issues . I came across this fabulous floor and sign as I entered one of the exhibitions at California Disney.  I love visiting Disneyland when I travel to USA (This was my third visit and the first to California Disney).  I have gone a little 'off piste' as they  say but I did not want to cut my photos down. I was inspired by the stars on the sketch and went with that them to fit in with my photo - some texture paste coloured with gold and applied through a star stencil, and then bits and pieces from my stash. The dark patterned paper whilst it does not have stars was a perfect match as the flowers looked like stars! Here is the sketch at was the inspiration for my layout: Why not head over to Paper Issues in the link above and join as they have great challenges every month. Thanks for looking, Margaret :) “Once upon a time is now.” ― Emilie Autumn

Recently, I shared a layout I created for a challenge over at Paper Issues whilst I was overseas.  I am now back home and finished off the layout. The photo was taken at Fourche Lake in Missouri.  With my friends Carol and her husband David we did a morning tour around several of the areas near to their home.   This area was just so peaceful.  David has been here to fish and camp with their grandkids over the years.   Here are several other photos of the area I took.  Isn't it beautiful. Peaceful indeed and a great place to stop and have morning tea. Margaret

Another layout created whilst on holidays. Photo to be added later where postcard is. This layout uses My Mind's Eye range called Wander by jen allyson.  Paper Issues currently has a challenge called "Put it on an Angle" and this was my interpretation of the challenge. Thank you for looking, Cheers Margaret 

One of the fun things that my sister and I did when we were in New Zealand at the beginning of this year was a ride on the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway.  This just had to make you smile as the train went past this "Lavatree", in a private garden, on the side of the railway line. Yesterday, I posted a layout on which I had created lines of acrylic paint - this morning I decided to try it with my Dylusions paints and ink sprays.   I have kept the layout simple to show off the background. I am going to add this to Paper Issues Spring Crop. Below are the layouts before I added the photos and alphas.  Not colours I normally use, so it was good to get out of my comfort zone. Thank you for looking and smiling, Margaret.

Here is my second layout for cyber crop over at Paper Issues - it was called 'Frost the Cake' and the requirements were to use strips of different paper or stripes of different paints on the background. I went with bold stripes of acrylic paint applied with a credit card to white cardstock.  Here are the tubes of nothing fancy colour (which I have had forever) that I used as well as a photo of the background before adding photo etc. I love how the colours blended into each other.  The hardest part - waiting for it to dry!!! The photo was taken on the wharf of  Nukuʻalofa, in Tonga  with the locals greeting us as the ship docked there.  So colourful and such warm and happy people. I have used a favourite stencil by Tim Holtz and I applied Opaque Texture Paste to it. I want to finish with a fantastic quote I found: "Paint your life in bright colours and bold strokes."  Hallmark Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

This weekend I am participating in an on-line spring crop run by Paper Issues.  Check them out on facebook. Here is my first layout: In this crop we were to be inspired by the work of Cassie Box and I selected her layout posted on 18th April, 2018 as inspiration. I am preparing for a visit to Disneyland later in the year so there is no photo on my layout as yet.  I used patterned papers and stickers from Simple Stories Say Cheese 111. Sequins and cardstock from my stash. Thank you for looking, off to do more layouts this weekend, as it seems Autumn has finally arrived in my neighbourhood here in Australia, good to stay indoors away from the cold and rain - not complaining we really need it here, even in the more populated areas. Margaret :)

This morning, feeling creative, I looked at Paper Issues facebook page and found a sketch challenge. Why not check out their website and join their facebook page to participate in some fun challenges. Here is my layout: Here is the sketch: This is a companion page to a layout I completed for their Fall into Line challenge.  I have kept the scrappy look behind the photos - papers/embellishments were changed either because as I used scraps the first layout used all that I had of a particular paper/embellishment or due to the colours of the lights being different colours.   Here are the two layouts together.  Serendipity is a wonderful thing - look at the blue star paper about half way down on both layouts - even though they were completed separately when I put the two layouts together that strip of blue matched!!! Photos are of the magnificent Field of Light display at Uluru, Northern Territory - I loved the rays made by the lights that guided you around the dis...

Another layout today for Paper Issues challenges.  This challenge called "Fall back in time" - use old techniques to create a layout. My layout incorporated torn paper, fussy cutting, a sheet of old rubon alphas and eyelets.  I really had fun creating this layout of Melissa Kennedy, owner of Unmistakable Creations, scrapbook teacher and creative designer for Kaisercraft.  I had the opportunity to attend a class with Melissa in country Victoria recently. Melissa loves fussy cutting and most of her classes include this technique - so this is my homage to her!!! The papers are Kaisercraft.   A close up - what is interesting the eyelets are years old and as soon as I started hammering the paint start of come off - that is how old they are! Before die cuts became to popular and available fussy cutting was the way to go! Thank you for looking, Margaret