Stamps Ahead

Sharing today a card I designed for the ladies from the class I lead at a local community centre.  I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest . This artist, Anne Tuck, had in turn been inspired by a card she found on Pinterest. Her card used paint card samples - I went with cardstock and glossy cardstock. My card uses die cuts for Butterfly (Stampin' Up!) and Delicate Fern (Memory Box Inc).  The leaves, in the background, were squares with 2 opposite corners punched with corner rounder. The butterfly was created using glossy paper with Distress Oxide Inks rubbed onto it and then die cut. There is a card challenge over at Soul Scrappers to use die cut on a card...I think this one meets that criteria. Thank you for looking. Margaret 😊

This card was inspired by a card by Lydia on altenewblog   which she called Corner-Stepped Back Sentiment Strip.  Again, I found this card by blog surfing looking for ideas.   Do you ever make a card and go "wow" I love it.  Well, I did with this card.   I have used an Altenew stamp set and die called Christmas Rose that came with a card magazine some time ago. It is 2 step stamping. I also used an old favourite 2004 Stampin' Up! set for the thank you - it was one of the first sets I ever purchased from them called Wonderful Words - and I just can't seem to part with it.   I also, added some Perfect Pearls in Brass for that extra pop.  Thank you Lydia for the inspiration.  Inside of the card. The following card was the first one I made - again it uses an Altenew set called Build-a-rose.  My ladies in the group have various levels of stamping experience and this one uses a 3 step process and in the end I decided that 2 step was the mos...

Here is a card I made to share with ladies at my card group at a local community group. The front - but wait until you see the layers of the card that follow:  The card opened shows 3 distinct layers,  The middle The greeting on final layer. One of the things that I find challenging is coming up with 2 cards each Friday for the ladies to make. This one was a hit.  I was inspired by a card I found whilst on blog surfing the card is called a Double Front Card and I want to give thanks to Lisa Curdo for the inspiration. I have used product from a few sources on this card - Mint Macaroon paper, Ink and ink markers from Stampin'Up! (r), Mandala stamp from Kaszazz and greetings from a free set of stamps in a magazine that I have long ago discarded.  I love how they all come together united by colour. I will be back later with another card I created for the same class. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Yesterday, I was the class leader of a scrapbooking day that raised funds for a school in Kissi, Kenya. Here are the layouts that I taught. Many people also contributed to the day with food, donations of goods etc. Thank you to everyone. I do not represent any particular company and use product from many sources.  Where possible today I have indicated those sources.  Melissa Kennedy owner of Unmistakable Creations kindly donated packs of Kaisercraft Marigold papers and stickers to the event.   Here is the first layout that they got to make  - now several of the ladies wanted to make a 'boy' page and in the pack was paper suitable for them to create a male version of the page.    The photo on my layout was taken on our April Cruise with Melissa - why not check out her website Unmistakable Creations  and see what cruises she has coming up. Thank you Melissa for your donation - the ladies loved the papers. This is the second layout they ...

I wanted to share with you some cards I have designed recently for a card class I lead each Friday for a local community group. These two cards were made using handmade paper, distress inks (run across a clear block and then spritzed and applied to the paper) and a mixture of stamps I found in my stash.  I love them - the way that the distress ink reacted with the paper is 'magic'. This card uses a Darkroom Door stamp of the lady. Other embellishments were from my stash. This reminds of the old Ladies Home Journals that my mother, a dressmaker/tailor,  collected - they contained pattern paper of some of the clothes in the magazine.  I remember as a child being mesmerized by the images of film stars and their stories, the clothes.  Background paper was old pattern paper that I have collected over the years. In a recent post I share how I made a scrapbook layout using the technique of what I am calling faux watercolouring - I just new it would work on a ca...

Last night Melissa Kennedy of Unmistakable Creations held a class called Perfectly Incomplete.  Now Melissa lives in Victoria and I live in New South Wales - so I decided to work on my own incomplete masterpiece at home.  Here is what I did and further explanation follows this photo, and it is somewhat a long post: Class description - play with mixed media products you may not use. For those doing a page for an art journal we will be focusing on a theme for a bit - Accepting ourselves as we are faults and all and BEING UNMISTAKEABLE CREATIONS as well as hopefully creating some.  Bring along a QUOTE that means something to YOU based on the song Masterpiece by Jessie J.    I chose the words "Got a way to go, but it's worth the wait."  Google the song to see the full lyrics. I decided to go with an art journal - something I have seen quite a lot of on the internet etc, and never had the 'guts' to start one.  Here is what I started with Dyl...

Here is a fun and glittery card that I designed for the class I lead.  Check out my glittery fingernail as well!!! Just could not crop that out!!! For this card I used a very old Stampin' Up! set called Circle Circus, I recently purchased this from a friend who was destashing.   I wanted the card to have a more contemporary look so I have also used Confetti Plate die from Celebrations by Richard Garay for Spellbinders, and the sentiment comes from Richard Garay Make Amazing Happen collection.    I played around with colours and ultimately decided on this soft blue.  Add some old silver metallic thread (from my machine embroidery days) and pearls and the card is finished off.    I love it, the ladies loved it and I hope you my readers do as well. Thank you for visiting my blog,  Margaret :)

I have recently agreed to lead a class of cardmaking at a local community group once a week.  Here are a couple of cards that the ladies made with me last week. For the first card I was inspired by a video by Sandi McIver .  I have had the Stampin' Up! Pleasant Poppies stamp for ages and have never used it.   It is a background stamp and is full of lots of poppies and I think that is what held me back.   I love this card, it uses the faux letterpress background and have used markers to colour the images. The ladies also had the option of changing the greeting to suit their needs.  Thank you Sandi for your inspiration. The second card also uses an old retired stamp set by Stampin Up called Easter Blossoms, I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest by Sarah Milbourn .  Thank you Sarah for your inspiration.  Now, some of the ladies, did not want to do an Easter Card so they had the option of punching out some small flowers for ...

Yesterday, I participated in a cardmaking fundraiser for Kisii, a school in Kenya.  Here is the card I created for the ladies to make. It uses Tim Holtz Crazy Bird stamp and die, the background is Gorgeous Grunge from Stampin' Up! (SU) and the greeting also is SU.  I pre-stamped and cut the die before including in the bundle of goodies to make the card.  The bird has been watercoloured using SU markers. I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest - however despite searching for over an hour I was unable to find the original creator of card that inspired me - it had been copied and saved to many boards. So if you are out there and happen to read my blog, thank you. I love the Gorgeous Grunge stamps as you do not have to be precise in the placing of stamps, excellent for beginners and experienced cardmakers alike. Close up of that Crazy Bird.  Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Looking for a quick and easy card.   Here is one I made this morning using Stampin' Up!(r) set Work of Art. Don't forget to decorate your envelopes.  Thanks for looking,  Margaret :)

A couple of cards I have made recently.  The first, below, is a technique called "Cracked Glass".  Now, I first saw this done many years ago, it one of those techniques that I kept on the back burner, I tried several times to get a result I was happy with.  This card I am happy with!!!  Glossy paper, distress inks, low tack tape and cotton balls to apply the coloured ink and a few stamps.   The card below is super, super clean and simple - bubble wrap inked up and applied.  How easy is that!  You could vary it by using another colour ink with it or even cut the bubble wrap into a heart, oval etc etc. Thank you looking. Have a great weekend, Margaret :)

Okay, had fun creating the cards below for challenges over at Soul Scrappers for their 6th Birthday Bash. Sit back this is a longish post showing all the cards I have made. Challenge - add stamping to a card.   For this card I have used a stamp set I purchased in England recently by Woodware Craft Collection called Square Garden.   I have coloured in the image with my Faber-Castell coloured pencils. Challenge - add a number.    This card is heading to Wales, next year for a friends 90th birthday celebrations.   The dotty image is a Kaisercraft Card Creations die - you can cut, emboss and stencil with it.  Challenge - Using Die Cuts.   A really easy card to put together, I used Kaisercraft Take a Note die cuts.  I good way to use up all those die cuts in your stash. Challenge - Masculine card.  I have embossed onto some core co-ordination paper and then rubbed with sand paper to expose inside core. This is t...

Soul Scrappers is celebrating 6 years and as part of the celebrations they are holding several card challenges.  This is my entry for the Funny saying or image category. Looks a bog standard card with no greeting on the front doesn't it?   Well open the card and there it is!!! I have used a retired Stampin'Up! called Blast Off.   I loved the images when I bought the set BUT if have never used it - until today.   I have lifted round stamped images with foam tape. You can also see I have used a small star punch just to add something extra. I hope you find the sayings funny...I did! Off now, to have a go at doing some of the other card challenges.  Margaret :) p.s I have decided that this card will be made by the ladies (alas no gentlemen attend) at a local community group where I volunteer as table leader for cardmaking later in the month.

Here is a card I made today - I used a Die-namics die called contempo cage (and bird).  The embossing folder is an old Stampin'Up! (r) one called Petals-a-Plenty.  I love how non-Christmas themed items can be used to create a seasonal card.   Too cute..... Thank you for looking,  Margaret :)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend most of the day creating.  Here are some pages I have created for challenges over at Soul Scrappers: This was for challenge CC44 - where we were required to make 3 cards with frames as the main feature. I have called my collection - "Variations on a theme".  I have used Sizzix Photo Frame Die, and Stampin'Up! (r) word dies (never used before and now retired), their beautiful Butterly Die and cardstock.  The patterned paper is from the a range by Inspired by Stamping.  Next is a layout for their MYC19 challenge - Picnic (indoor or outdoor). One beautiful day earlier this year my sister and I decided to pack an impromptu picnic and head to beach for lunch.  Time to relax - just read, walk, and photograph.  Looking forward to more warmer weather shortly after a very cold winter here in Australia. The next layout was for Challenge FS2S8 Surf's Up challenge. For this one I went for a double...

Next weekend I am hosting an afternoon tea and it is time to get out the 'good cups and saucers" aka Royal Albert crazy sets; the fabric napkins; the cake forks; the best table cloth and china.  I have made a table favour for each person, to take away with them: I first scoured the internet for quotes involving tea and I then printed them onto Very Vanilla cardstock and cut out with Stampin' Up! (r) Deco Labels dies.  I made an envelope for a small packet of tea and to decorate with the wonderful Butterfly Die from SU and all tie together with ribbon. Here are all the elements for the favours - each person will get two of the quotes. Thank you for looking - here are the quotes I used.  Off to have a cup of tea myself now. Have a great week.   Margaret :) "There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."   Henry James, 'The Portrait of a Lady' "If you are cold, tea will warm...

Today, I have been playing around with a new die, new stamp set and papers and ribbon from my stash..  I have seen the butterfly die used singularly however this card lacked a 'punch' so I decided that it needed a double butterfly - just right!  I used the little pearls - they are more pinker in real life. Thank you for looking, off to 'flutter' some more.  Margaret :)