Stamps Ahead

In January of this year, the book club that I attend came to my home for lunch and after lunch a walk along the beach.  This layout uses all Stampin' Up! (r) product except for alphas and glimmer mist sprayed onto the cardstock.  Inspired by a layout by Sue Parsons p108 Celebrating Scrapbooking Memories Vol 15 No. 9  In October last year I attended a scrapbooking retreat run by SFS.  We were asked to go to an op shop and purchase an outfit for I believe $20.  All that I am wearing came from various op shops around where I live.  I love the skirt and as you can see I worked it - a full flared skirt.  I have kept the skirt and the two tops and wear them regularly.  The reminder I donated once again. I have attempted to replicate certain elements of the skirt on my layout - the colour, flowers and wavy lines. The photo does not show clearly that there are dots between the wavy lines on the skirt. I dabbed my gelato crayon o...

The current challenge over at Scrapbooking from Scratch is a 1-2-3-4 challenge.  For this first challenge: use ONE photo you need a TWO word title you need THREE embellishments (I have used rub-ons, pearls, washi tape of crowns) you need FOUR papers This photo captured the exact moment my aunt and uncle, who are celebrating 60 years of marriage this year, were told by their daughters that they had got a card from Queen Elizabeth. Hence the crown washi tape which my sister purchased for me in Hong Kong.. As well they got cards from local, state and federal members of parliament and Governor of NSW and Governor General.  They have had them all mounted in a frame with Queen Elizabeth's in centre. A special day and a definitely a special moment for them.

After a week and half of illness, I recovered sufficiently to attend this retreat this past weekend.  Here are a couple of photos of the sunsets over Lake Macquarie, where the retreat was held. There was still the smoke haze from bushfires in the area in the preceding week. Thursday @ sunset Friday @ sunset Saturday @ sunset (my favourite) As well as enjoying the sunsets I did manage to scrap some layouts - here is one, with more to follow in later blog posts. Cousins This layout was done in a class at the retreat.  The white CS had Gesso applied, left to dry and then Gelato crayon sticks used for the background (unfortunately it does not come up clear in this photo), the resulting streaks of Gelato's where then diluted with a baby wipe as I went around and around in a circle motion. Washi tape, a stamp of leaves coloured with Gelato's and a titlel complete the page of my cousin Julie and I. There is about 10 years difference in our ages (me being the elder) ...

Scrapbooking from Scratch (SFS) has a series of monthly challenges.  One of them is a quote challenge and the quote this month is "Life is good".  This is the first time I have participated in one of their challenges. In August I moved from Sydney to Central Coast of NSW and life is certainly good in this part of the world. My nephew, who stayed with me recently, took a series of photos of Umina Beach and Google created this montage of the photos he took - I love the photo and I hope I have done it justice with my layout. Firstly, I used a Clear Scraps mask called Chicken Wire and onto white cardstock I sponged it (well, really I used a makeup remover pad as I could not find my sponge!) with Stampin' Up! (SU) Brilliant Blue ink and then went hunting for papers that would add movement to my layout.  The papers come from various companies. I then tore the papers to reveal the white core - top to resemble the clouds and bottom to resemble waves.I then cut out some tull...