Stamps Ahead

 A layout I have today created for a tic-tac-toe challenge at Soul Scrappers. The challenge grid. I selected stamping (2 favourite texture stamps applied with white paint and Arrows stamped in Archival Ink); Hexagons (die cut to various sizes - the smaller ones I scrunched up and applied Vintage Photo Vintage Photo ink to mimic the stones on the beach) and 1 photo of me taken on Llandudno Beach, Wales on 25th July 2024.    I used Unmistakable Creations Water's Edge collection papers and embellishments.   Thank you for looking, Margaret

 Here is a layout I have created today for a Tic Tac Toe challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges The challenge board - I choose twine, black and white photo and one-word sentiment. The photo is of our grandfather (Pop) standing beside the Crawford Road street sign.  I estimate the photo was taken in about 1970 or earlier.  Google tells me that Neptune Oil was sold to Shell in 1975. From Lake Macquarie Library community history an entry records "Crawford Road was named after a local resident in 1930's by R.H.Marshall, the timekeeper of the relief workers road gangs. A locally name road it appears to have been named officially in 1948." As a family, we know that our grandparents had a dairy and residence in Crawford Road. It provided an essential service during the wars providing milk and food to the good folk of Morriset and Cooranbong before moving to Asquith to run a general store.  It became of right of passage that we would travel to Morriset, often taking our...

 I created these 3 cards for another challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges The challenge? A lot of Christmas collections these day come with cut apart sheets.   You may use a few of these for your Christmas layouts but inevitably you will be left with a number of leftovers along with small paper scraps. The challenge was to use these to make THREE (3) Christmas cards. I used papers from DCWV 2018 Blue Noel collection. In there is 2 papers like this above - I had used one partially previously.  My grandmother would say I 'gussied' ( Smartened up, in a showy or garish way)   them up by adding Gold Kindyglitz, gold sequins and some of the printed cardstock with Gold Glitter included in the papers collection. Why not head over to Soul Scrappers Challenges by clicking on the link above and having a go at the scrapbook challenges and this month there is also 6 card challenges. Thank you for looking, Margaret

First off I need to say "I don't do Halloween".  There is a Pick 3 challenge over at Soul Scrappers Challenges  to create a pick 3 layout - more about the challenge below the layout I created The photo is not of me - it is of a friend of mine "J" that she posted onto her Facebook - it was taken at her workplace and she has given me permission to use it on my layout.   The Pick 3 challenge was to select 3 of the following - Halloween theme, people in costumes, pumpkins, black cat , candy, texture such as doily, cheesecloth etc, pictures showing outdoor decorations.  I used those highlighted.  The black cat stamp (where I will put my journalling) was the from a set of 8 stamps available from Kaszazz Happy Cats 2 uncut set (6065Q).  The background paper is also from Kaszazz Floral Stash collection - White Wash (7761) and is a favourite of mine.  I sprayed the cheesecloth with a spray I had in my stash (it was one that I had made up previously...

Here is a layout I have created for a challenge for Soul Scrappers Challenges For this months ONE word challenge was to chose from the aplphas "M", "W" or "U" for the title. Okay, so I used two words but they both start with M!  I went with a minimalist/clean and simple layout as I wanted the star to be the photo of my great-nephew and his dog Sebastian. I must say it was one of the hardest to put together - finding the patterned papers was the hardest. Thank you for looking, Margaret

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

On the 9th September, 2021 I went for a walk! To my beach - Umina Beach - it is just up the road and over the sand dunes.  I was feeling 'blah' and thought a little walk would do me good.  So off I set, well just as I made it over the sand dune, this glorious sunset was happening and I managed to capture a few photos.  Here is the layout I made today for a challenge over at Soul Scrapers Challenges: The challenge was one of my favourites - a tic tac toe board and I selected 3 photos, the colours of oranges, golds and browns and 3 word title. I used a newly released Kaszazz die - Colour Wheel and die cut the main wheel in the gold and the spokes in orange and brown. I also die the stars with a die that was in my stash. Thank you for looking, Margaret

SOUL Scrappers has moved their  monthly challenges to Facebook here.   This layout is for the Mystery challenge "Shapes" with inspiration of stars, hearts, crescents. I selected the hexagon shape.   I firstly used Distress Oxide Speckled Egg to create the background - smooched with pearlised water, then I used a The Crafters Workshop stencil (no name - but I will call hexagon) with the Distress Oxide ink.  The papers I have used are from Kaisercraft Serenity collection and I have die cut 6 hexagon and 1 larger for attaching the folded 6 hexagons. The finished shape looks like a star. I have put below a photo below of how I folded the hexagons.   A smattering of the smallest die and one for journalling then attached. Thank you for looking, if you like scrapbooking challenges head over the SOUL scrappers challenge facebook  and have a look.  Still in lockdown, Margaret

 Here is a layout I have created for a Lift challenge over at Soul Scrappers   A lift challenge is where you are to be inspired by a layout that is posted.  Here is the inspiration layout for this month. As soon as I saw this layout I knew that I had a photo that I wanted to scrap and was just looking for the right inspiration to get started.   I have painted a circle with pink watercolour paper (yes, it did warp the paper slightly).   I then flicked a very old Chalkboard spray called Strawberry Shortcake.  The flower cluster came from a previous prize from Soul Scrappers.   To finish up die cut my words and numbers three times to give them dimension and scattered rhinestones around the paper. The photo is of my sister (on the right) and I and was taken at one of the functions she organised for her 70th birthday in January.  Here we are enjoying the cake she requested - meringue layered with fresh fruit and strawberries.  Thank...

 It is New Years Eve (morning) and I have completed this layout for a challenge over at Soul Scrappers .  The challenge was a Christmas themed layout. These photos were taken on Christmas Day.  My sister came to my home and we had breakfast together. The first unexpected moment - apologies from my sister she left my gift sitting under the tree at her home. No worries, I said, we are heading over to yours after breakfast with our brother and sister-in-law.  The bottom right shows my table decorations, including the beautiful poinsettia I received from the executive of local community group where I lead the card classes. Now about the photos of my sister and I. The mask  was a gift from a friend, so the unexpected moment - I decided a photo of me wearing the fun Christmas mask was required to say thank you and I sent a photo message to her.  My sister, is displaying the Santa with mask decoration I gave her.  We are mask wearers and very aware of pr...

A clean and simple Christmas Card.  A challenge over at Soul Scrappers  was to use striped Christmas paper and bling on your card.  . This card was really easy to put together.  I cut papers from the same range, plus some bling glitter paper,  into strips, I did not mind if some were larger than others. I went with the red glitter paper as it fitted in with the coloured strips.  These were then adhered to a backing card stock (cut to same size as the front of your card).  The greeting was die cut from a sheet in the pack and then I die cut a green circle to finish off the card.   Below, are strips cut ready for my next card.  It would equally effective if you put the strips vertically or horizontally as well. Thank you for looking, believe in the magic of Christmas, Margaret

Well, reindeers are not native to Australia, of course they are in North America, Northern Europe, Siberia. However, they are a well loved icon of Christmas - Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, reindeers pulling Santa's sleigh are just two references.   Here is a card that my ladies made in the local community group where I lead the cardmaking:  The card was made using items from stash.   The ladies could add a greeting of their choice inside. This was a quick card to put together.   I am adding this card to a challenge at Soul Scrappers to add a reindeer to on a card. Thank you looking, Margaret

Today, I layout I have created for another Survivor challenge at Soul Scrappers . This time WATER.  Of course, any survival needs water. The rules were: You must scrap a page as long as it has a reference to water (in any form). Tick - on a walk early morning on a Coffs Coast beach, I found these footprints and a person fishing. Ah, the serenity of it all!! To make your page even more 'watery' (lol) you can add waves, rain drops, splatters, paint drips, bubbles etc. I started with gesso and a palette knife to create the effect of waves (May have got carried away there!) and sand. Next came various sprays from my stash which I sprayed and then used more spray water to get into all the nooks and crannies and elsewhere.  Here is a close up: All papers and embellishments are from Kaisercraft Paradise Found collection. The alphas from my stash.  I kept the layout rather simple as I called the layout Serenity. I love the beach, I live near the beach, I find places...

This layout is for a challenge over at Soul Scrappers . More about that later. The challenge was to use a close up photo of your eye/eyes on your page and to include a quote about eyes. My selfie photos were taken whilst I was getting ready for the wedding of a young lady I have known since the day she was born. I was staying in an apartment close to the wedding venue. I looked in the bathroom mirror and my first thought was "oh no it is true I have square eyes! What my mother used to say to us as kids came true!". Of course, that was a what we would now call an "old wives tale". In fact, what I saw was my reflection in the square mirror...an optical illusion!" Here is a one of the photos so that you can see those square eyes of mine - wow that sounds like a song title! My layout was initially inspired by a photograph in Art Journal Freedom a book by Dina Wakley...see below.    Whilst she used paints I got out my gel plate and acrylic paints...

Over at Soul Scrappers presently they have a challenge series they have called "SURVIVOR".  If  you have ever watched an episode of Survivor on the television you will know that participants are challenged throughout the length of the show.  The first Soul Scrapper challenge was SHELTER. Here is my layout: I first found a definition of shelter - something that covers or protects e.g. Someone made a shelter from branches.   My mind went into overdrive as I remembered that I had taken a photo many years ago whilst walking along a beach (name long forgotten) of a roughly hewn shelter on the beach. So off in search of that photo - nothing on the computer, pasted to facebook "No" etc. Off I head to my photos already printed after searching found the photo - happy face here :). The rules for the challenge were: You must add shelter My photo is of shelter - obviously created to protect from our harsh midday sun - why have a beach umbrella when you can have a hand...

What do you do when you have lots of scraps of paper that you have left over from your cardmaking or scrapbooking?  One suggestion is to make small gift cards - quick and easy they measure 3" x 3". Here are some I have just made. I have used a stamp from Kaszazz set - Succulents-uncut set and I have watercoloured the images. My sister came out of a short hospital stay yesterday and she gives a small gift to the staff when she is discharged....I gave her one of my cards to put with the shortbread biscuits she gave them. I am entering these cards in a challenge over at Soul Scrappers to create a Thank You card. And I am making a bunch to put into packs for a fundraiser. And THANK YOU for visiting my humble little blog. Margaret

This is another layout I have completed for a GRAB5 challenge over at Soul Scrappers . The idea of this challenge was to select 5 items from your stash (the older the better), photograph them, and then create a layout using items you have selected.  Here is my layout and following the items I selected from stash: My photograph was taken at Ala Moana shopping centre in Honolulu, Hawaii at the beginning of December whilst we were on holidays.  These arch type decorations were scattered around the centre. I used 3 of the papers from the paper pack (one I reversed to the kraft side), also several items from the old Stampin' Up! accessory pack from many years ago.  Unopened Kaisercraft wood veneers and paper flowers - both unopened - finally getting used.  Do any readers remember the alphabet rub-ons that I used, very popular and had so many of each letter? Thank you for looking, head over to Soul Scrappers and see the challenges they have. Margaret

This frame is a gift for a friend who tomorrow will commence a series of medical procedures.  She calls herself a "Warrior Princess.  I have selected words that will encourage her. I posted it off on Monday to her. She rang me today, loved it and thanked me for thinking of her. I have her approval to post to my blog. The papers I have used are from Kaszazz Whimsical Forest collection and I have used Kaszazz Stencils Destiny (selected words) and Leaf Vein.  Flowers are from Kaisercraft and Warrior Princess title using stickers from my stash.  I placed the layout into a Kaisercraft chipboard frame - I purposely left it au natural so that the emphasis is on the words.  When I sent to my friend, I suggested that she could add her own inspiration words into the hexagons. Flowers are great to use especially to hide some elements on your layout that look out of place, in this case there was a shopping bag full of shopping.! I have entered this layout into a...

My last card classes for the year at local community groups this week.  Here is a card I  designed for upcoming Thursday class.  It is a pop up card that will fold flat for postage.  I found the pattern for the base card on the internet.  This is what the card looks like on the side. I am adding this to Soul Scrappers challenge to use a poinsettia on a Christmas card. The papers, sequins and alcohol pens are all available from Kaszazz and the stamps are Kaisercraft. Thank you for looking, Margaret