Stamps Ahead

I recently purchased from Scrappingclearly a June kit for a Junque Art Book. Yes, that is the spelling of the kit - great name don't you think: Not quite a bound journal that it was supposed to be but more a tag book - why? A couple of happy mistakes! First, I suppose I can own up to not reading the guide all the way through before starting!!! I get to the end of creating each page - why do I still have blank white cards? Reading how to use the binding fabrics - oops that won't work - you may have guessed that I glued front and back pages onto one card and not one card/one page that would be bound together with fabric bindings at end! What to do and then I remember I had a round "thingy" in my stash, so I used hole punch and more of the ring reinforcements for stabilisation, I love how it turned out and the good thing is I now have more pages I can make with leftovers and add to the ring later. A project that combines fabrics, papers and ephemera so beautifully, ju...

Today I completed the following layout for a purple challenge over at Scrapping Clearly to use the colour purple: Purple not a colour I use a lot of. I used all Kaszazz product on this layout, with the exception of the small purple enamel dots bottom right. Thank you for looking, Margaret :) Crafting in the time of Coronavirus.

A layout for 2nd challenge at Scrappingclearly Virtual Cyber Crop on this weekend: The challenge - Use paint, tissue paper, cotton thread, stamping and patterned paper on your project. This is what I did: Using Kaszazz watercolour paper 12" x 12" and some scraps and using watercolour paints (the round ones in those cute round towers) I created my background. with colours that I saw in the photo. The scraps I painted I used Sizzix Thinlet Poinsettia die to cut out flowers, leaves and flower centres. I took a piece of patterned paper from my stash that matched the colours and attach this to Tim Holtz Idea-ology plain tissue paper, sewn together with a black thread.   I fringed the tissue paper.  I did not want coloured or patterned tissue as I wanted the colours to remain in the tones selected.  Stamps are from an old Stampin' Up! set called Crazy about you. I used 1 strand of embroidery cotton  in each of the colours (or the nearest I had) and a little of th...

This weekend, I am participating in challenges over at Scrappingclearly Virtual Cyber Crop.  Here is an art journal page I created for Challenge 1:  The challenge was to use the Maya Angelou quote, on my page: For my background I: took a page from an old dictionary, tore in half and applied to my page with Ranger Mat Medium. after allowing it to dry (well with the help of heat gun) I then applied Dylusion Paints - polished jade and peony blush with an ink blending tool randomly a baby wipe then applied to soften the colour and also to wipe over a circle stencil to obtain small circles and bring out some of the dictionary text.  Allowed to dry again. using Kaisercraft Designer Template and texture paste applied that to bottom left of my page. I printed out the quote and then coloured up with the paints, cut and then applied to page with a black mount.  The white dots were created using a correction pen. I then added larger circles to my page and then d...

My layout for another challenge over at Scrappingclearly Share & Inspire Group on Facebook. The challenge was an Easter Hunt.....here are the guidelines:                                              It was hard to select just 5 different colours - I think I managed to get all colours onto my layout. Hidden journalling was the white flower tucked into bottom right of photo. Butterfly bottom right ticked off the adding of an animal - well hope that counts as an animal. See hidden journal tag below. The photo is of my sister in the gardens of Larnach Castle, Dunedin, New Zealand.            Thank you for looking, Margaret 

Another layout for a challenge at Scrappingclearly Share & Inspire facebook  page. Challenge 6 was 'soft and whimsy'. This photo of my great nephew, celebrating his first Easter this year, is just so adorable. I asked my niece if I could use it for this challenge. I loved the cuddliness of that rabbit so I wanted to somehow get that feeling across on my page.  So, what did I do - use white tissue applied with white gesso to white CS.  I then sprayed with Faded Jeans Oxide Ink spray and as I wanted it lighter I also sprayed a little water that I had added Perfect Pearls to, that dabbed with a rag to remove most of the colour.  Here is a closer look: I am not one to do whimsy - I could find nothing in my stash that remotely said whimsy to me and then I remember the tissues my sister gave me as an Easter gift this year.  Voila, separate the plies and adhere with mat medium.   Here are the tissues: When everything was dry I added paper layers, do...

Here is a layout I have created for a challenge over at Scrappingclearly Share & Inspire Group on Facebook. It was challenge No 2 be inspired by Cadbury Colours.                                              I had lunch yesterday with my brother and sister-in-law and they gave me a box of Cadbury Easter eggs to celebrate Easter.  I think they shook their heads when I said "take a photo there is a Cadbury colours scrapbooking challenge on!"  Here is the box of yumminess. Now, purple is a rarely used colour for me - so off I went in search of purple cardstock and embellishments.  The actual packaging I received had lots of hexagons and circles and some purple/mauve so that is the direction I went for my layout. Even, the sequins had a hexagon centre….imagine that I had never seen that on previous uses of these sequins! I did add some gold paint thro...

Another layout completed for the cybercrop over at Scrappingclearly share and inspire facebook group. This was for a scraplift challenge with a layout by Marelle Jackman in at 6" x 12" layout format. I was drawn to the mixed media elements especially the paints and colourful layout. I started out attempting a 6" x 12" layout however I just could not come to grips with it, so I added this smaller piece to a piece of red CS. My photo was taken just prior to leaving my hotel and heading for Disneyland for the day.   Here is a close up of my detail in the middle piece. I love the transparency of the paint over my inked background of heart shaped bubble wrap. Thank you for looking, have a great day.   Margaret.

Another challenge completed for the Scrapingclearly cybercrop - this time Minimalist. My favourite Disney character is Minnie Mouse. I purchased this sweet treat - a strawberry, coconut, white chocolate and cream macaron for morning tea when I visited Disneyland this past June. Served on a gold paper plate.  I found a lovely spot in the shade, ate my treat and cup of tea and watched the world go by. This layout uses all Kaszazz product.  Papers and stencil from Serendipity range, lace, chipboard, pearls as well as the doily die-cut.  I have sewn down the papers and lace with my sewing machine. This was definitely an unexpected moment in Disneyland. Thank you for looking, cheers Margaret :)

On 10th June this year, I flew from Minneapolis/St Paul to Los Angeles.  It was a perfect day as we flew over the Grand Canyon, Arizona.  I quickly grabbed my mobile phone and took these photos.  Truly spectacular and awesome. I have completed this layout for another challenge over at Scrapping Clearly cyber challenge. This time it was a sketch challenge.  Here is my layout: I searched my stash for the right papers and embellishments, stashbusting, amazing what you find when you look! Here is the inspiration layout: Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

One more layout before I head back to bed for a nap and too keep warm - okay, I was out late last night at a 6 hour crop -6pm to midnight - and sleep is calling me back. Here is a layout I created last night, for a cyber-crop challenge over at Scrapping Clearly Share & Inspire Group on Facebook. Check them out they have some great challenges at present and you have until 15th July to submit. This double page layout was for "inspired by music" challenge" I, of course, had to use the lyrics to Yellow Submarine written by John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney - my apologies to them as I changed one word - live to TOUR. The photos were taken at Catalina Island, California on my recent holiday - this is a place I have wanted to visit ever since my first visit to USA many years ago.   The submarine tour enabled me to view fish living in the waters surrounding the islands. The submarine did not actually submerge but you got the feeling that it did indeed do just that due...

Well, I did finish all 6 Australia Day challenges over at Scrappingclearly .  Here is my layout for the final challenge The photograph is of a friends granddaughter and was taken when we all went to a park in Queensland. I have loved the bright colours of Isabelle's skirt and top and was just waiting for the right time to put it onto a layout.   Well, this challenge below Now, I am going to admit that I found this one to be the most challenging for me - I did not have any leather or cork or such and the colour of the challenge board had me thinking neutrals.  So I went off in search of what I could use, I found some calico and twine I had previously dyed with Tinby watercolour powders - YES and then found some hessian (or burlap as they say in USA), that had a previous life as a wrap around a bottle, with pink lace on it - perfect for the photo.  Perfect and together with some old old stickers that co-ordinated I completed the layout.    O...

I am on the penultimate challenge over at Scrappingclearly .   Here is my layout: I had the opportunity to teach English in China in 2008 (check out my posts for this year by clicking 2008 on front page) and I must say this was one of the most special desert plates I had when I was there.  The challenge: Of course, I did go for the green and gold (with a touch of brown). When I was out in my garden today there was another little touch of green and gold - Crocus plant blooming. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Time for challenge no. 3 over at Scrappingclearly .  Here is my layout: The challenge was to create an inspirational layout inspired by famous Australian landmark.  I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to many places in the world and flying back into Sydney over the Sydney Harbour Bridge says "I am home". As I was creating this layout I was reminded of the John Williamson song "Give me a home among the gum trees" (written by B.Brown and W.Johnson).  So of course, I had to use some of the lyrics and added my own touch.  The layout design is a favourite 'go to' Simple Stories sketch. The photographs of "The Bridge" or "The Coathanger" as it is often called were taken many years ago, Barangoo had not been started (or even approved for construction I would think), it will be interesting to see if in the future it becomes an iconic landmark of Sydney. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Another layout completed for Scrappingclearly  Australia Day challenges (2 out of 6 completed for me so far). This time, it was a sketch challenge, here is my layout:  Here is the sketch layout: A little about the photo of the koala.  When I was on holidays on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland last year, I set about looking for a toy koala, that was small and was made in Australia.  Eventually, I found this little guy at Maroochydore and he needed a rest before he was packed up and sent to Michigan in the United States of America.  The shows the detail of the gold embossing ink I applied over the corrugated paper. I tried to use papers and embellishments that tied in with the tree itself. I separated some of the corrugated paper to mimic the lost bark on the tree. The flag pennants and stripe paper had some Spun Sugar Spritz spray Spun Sugar to give it more texture. 2 layouts down 4 to go before Monday - I will do it. ...

Australia Day here in Australia today.   I am participating in some on-line scrapbook challenges run by Scrappingclearly and here is my layout for their first challenge: Create a layout using product from any or all of these Australian Companies - KaiserCraft, Flutterby Design, Cocoa Vanilla. My layout uses all product by KaiserCraft: In December, 2015 my sister (in the photo) and I spent some time in London - sightseeing, visiting a family member, shopping.   On this day we were headed for the Museum of London, and we found this little park area just down the street from the Museum.   Loved the plinth and we had fun posing around it. I have used KaiserCraft 13th Hour collection of papers, chipboard, stickers, and rubons.  Now, a little about this collection.  Do you love a bargain?  Well I do, and I came across this collection at a bargain price on-line - when I got it - you guessed it I did not like it, seemed dark, halloweenish, ...