Stamps Ahead

 I just realised I had not posted my 1st week of February Friday Favourites at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) and I wanted to keep on top of documenting my life.  Well, better late than never. Here is what I have created as #5/52 (not a scrapbook layout this time). Recently several of my family members have become interested in family history and are completing family trees.  They are from both sides of my family - my cousin taking on my mother's side (she was one of 8 children) and my niece researching my father's side.  I have been assisting both of them with photos and information that I have.  It is easy to get caught up in the research. The photo above (I took a photo of the original and then copied myself) is of my maternal great-grandparents John and Agnes Orr.  The Orr's lived in Launceston, Tasmania and this is where my grandmother grew up.  A lot of the photographs I have are from an old suitcase that came to my father and I when his broth...

There is a challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends & Fans) called Scrabble.  The criteria was to purge your Thickers collection and show just how fun  your title can be. Create an intersecting tile or use alpha tiles on your page.  Well, I may have gone 'off-piste' with my entry.  Here it is: This morning whilst out in blogland I found a blog  called A bit of everything.  Lorna had created a mixed media notebook (click on the link above) and I was inspired to create something similar with whatever I had in my stash. I have wanted to use up the so many chipboard alphas that I have for some time.  I was originally going to do a book cover as well - however, I remembered I had many a small canvas sitting idle for so long.  I thought start small and see how it goes. I got out my supplies of texture paste, black gesso, collage paste, other glues, brushes, Dylusion sprays, and 3 jars of Metallic Gilding Powder (I am sure that I purchased these in US...

In my last post I wrote that it was my sisters 70th birthday this week.  She has a lot of activities planned the first being an afternoon tea on 18th January with our brother and sister-in-law.  We went to Saddles, at Mt White.   I ordered the cake she wanted (and it was the most expensive cake I have ever bought!) and it was delicious.  Here is the layout I have created with her and the cake. We had this afternoon tea earlier than her birthday as our brother and sister-in-law were due to head toTasmania on holidays, however it was cancelled due to Covid restrictions at that time. So, we went ahead anyway and met up for a great afternoon tea. In my stash I found a previous watercolour and texture paste background I had created and it was just right for this layout.  The heart is a nod to the heart locket my sister is wearing.  It belonged to our mother and my sister recently had it cleaned and started wearing it again.   Yes, I did make a boo...

 I live in a beautiful area of New South Wales, Australia - Umina Beach.  Here is a layout I have created for Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) today.  I am going to put as #3 of 52 Friday Favourites. Danielle Dunlop was live on their facebook page with a challenge that she called 2021.  2021 you say - the challenge use 2 wood veneers (check - I used Heidi Swapp wood veneers); 0 was circle (check - got that covered - more later about that); 2 flairs (Check, okay, so my stash had no suitable flairs so I used 2 curios from Kaisercraft Paradise Found) and finally 1 use a stencil (Check one from my stash with ink and outline in pen). Now the circle story. I started out applying Distress Oxide Ink peacock feathers and water (that I had added some Perfect Pearl powder, onto an acrylic block and then smooching onto my white cardstock (CS).  I had a little more liquid than planned and I found that I was able to rotate into a circle movement on my CS.  A circle appea...

 Here is another layout I have completed for a challenge at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) .  The challenge is called Operation - challenges this month are named after games.  The criteria is "Pull out those surgical instruments and put those motor skills to the test! Show us your fussy cutting skills, use your die cutting machine, or show us how well you can sew up your layout".  I went with fussy cutting.  The papers and stamps are from Kaisercraft Serenity Collection .  I have added some die cuts from another Kaisercraft collection Fleur. Ink is Ranger Distress Oxide speckled egg.  The chipboard is from Kaszazz. The photo is of my sister (left) and I.  I would say we are 10 and 11 years of age (yes, we are very close in age - just 13 months difference).  Our mother made all our clothes, as I remember it these dresses were a green velveteen. We were dressed for a Sunday School anniversary - look at our hats and gloves! We are leaning up ag...

 2 days ago I posted a layout made with Project Life cards and in it I had mentioned that I was playing with upcycling some more cards.   Here are three I have made and I can see more on my horizon: I love them and I love upcycling - it is something that I am passionate about.  I am adding to the challenge at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) .  These tags share a common theme - I used what I had close to me - well, I did have to find the old dictionary and book in my stash.  Sometime last year I purchased at an op shop the book "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" as I had seen some Pinterest posts of people using it.  The book was of poor quality, previously loved and showed signs of aging.  The lace was given to me by a friend who knew I loved lace and would find a use for it.  The tags could be used in cardmaking, scrapbooking, in junk journals or really anything.  Thank you for looking, Margaret I found this definition on the web...

 Here is the 2nd layout I have completed for the 52 Friday Favourites challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) facebook page.  I am not waiting until Friday as I do not think I will take a greater photo than this one this week.  I would normally just leave it on my camera.  This miniature Calla Lily was a Christmas gift in 2019, unfortunately it quickly wilted and died and as well seemed to have some issues with the soil in its pot. I tipped it out onto my garden, covered with fresh dirt (no burial rites given) and there it stayed.  Well, January 2021 saw it bloom again, more leaves than ever and looking very healthy.  Amazing, would you agree? I have used an old Kaisercraft range called Sage & Grace from my stash to complete the layout. Thank you for looking. Margaret ps: My paternal grandmother had large white Calla Lilies as her bouquet in early 1920's.  

 This is a layout for a challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans)   My layout, was inspired by a quote a friend posted on her Facebook that was from Sweatpants and Coffee - I loved it and it seemed to be just the right words for 2021, so I retyped on white cardstock.  I decided to create a layout in gentle colours and I have used papers and embellishments from 49 & Market - Vintage Artistry - Sky.   I did get out my sewing machine and stitched around main papers and then edged with Speckled Egg Distress Oxide.    This layout will be my 2021 title page for the 52 Friday Favourites - we are challenged to create just once a week with this challenge.  You can use a TN (traveller's notebook), mini album, tag, planner, or even a full 12x12 pages. Just pick your favourite thing or things from the week and document it and share it.   I am thinking I will stick to 12x12 - but hey, you never know where your inspiration will lead you!...

 This layout I created today for a challenge over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) . The challenge was to inspired by this monochromatic mood board: The colour of sea foam is muted on my layout and unfortunately it does not show up the colour to its best advantage.  The papers and embellishments (except for pearls) are from 49 & Market -Vintage Artistry - Sky. The photograph is one of many vintage photos I want to get into album as quickly as possible.  Ena was my maternal grandmothers younger sister. Unfortunately, the photo does not have any details on it as to when or where it was taken.    I remember my dad, talking fondly of his Auntie Ena.   Thank you for looking, Margaret 

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 ...