Stamps Ahead

Today, I am participating in a Winter Cyber Crop at White with 1 challenges .  Here is my layout: The challenge was to be inspired by the photo below using colour of your choice and to include stitching I was inspired by the grid pattern and the sashing lines on the photo.   In September, 2019 I took a holiday to Uluru - and one of the things that I did was go on an early morning sunset tour of Uluru.   I have loved these photos but could never get the inspiration to do justice to them on a scrapbook layout.  This was the challenge for me to use them.  There is a fabulous quote (anon) that is very apt as Australia works it's way out of our pandemic lockdown: May every sunrise bring you hope. May every sunset bring you peace. What is not too clear on my layout is that I have placed a very old metal embellishment "HOPE"  top left that I found in my stash.  Thank you looking, Margaret

This morning, feeling creative, I looked at Paper Issues facebook page and found a sketch challenge. Why not check out their website and join their facebook page to participate in some fun challenges. Here is my layout: Here is the sketch: This is a companion page to a layout I completed for their Fall into Line challenge.  I have kept the scrappy look behind the photos - papers/embellishments were changed either because as I used scraps the first layout used all that I had of a particular paper/embellishment or due to the colours of the lights being different colours.   Here are the two layouts together.  Serendipity is a wonderful thing - look at the blue star paper about half way down on both layouts - even though they were completed separately when I put the two layouts together that strip of blue matched!!! Photos are of the magnificent Field of Light display at Uluru, Northern Territory - I loved the rays made by the lights that guided you around the dis...

Here I am back with another layout I have completed for Paper Issues weekend challenge, this time the challenge was called "Fall in Line" - layout was to have a line of something on your page - papers, embellishments, photos etc. This is my layout with a photo of Bruce Munro's Field of Light, Uluru, Central Australia. I have kept the layout simple - a black cardstock background with strips of co-ordinating paper from my stash under the photo and rhinestone/enamel dots scattered around. If you thinking of visiting Uluru the Field of Light installation will be available until 31 March, 2018. It is a magnificent display at sunset, you get to walk a path through the lights - truly inspirational and with the starry sky above simply magical. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

It has been a while since I posted, I have been out of action with neck and elbow issues, now on the mend. This weekend I am participating in challenges over at Paper Issues (check them out Facebook - you need to join the group to participate).  The first challenge I have completed is a "Think outside the box" challenge i.e. no squares or rectangles allowed!!! Here is my layout: I have used triangles and one centre circle to hide all the connection points in the middle.  I have made cards using this starburst technique and I though why not try it on a layout. The photos were taken on my walk around Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia earlier this year. The photos are of the Kantju Gorge first stop on the Uluru Base Walk. I will be back with more layouts from this group later this weekend. Thank you for looking.   Margaret 

Another layout to share with you today, this was for a challenge over at Soul Scrappers . It was a lift challenge where you are given a layout (this time by Melissa Kennedy, see below) and you can take from the lift to create your own layout.  You can be inspired by whatever  you see in the layout...stamping, using stencils, texture paste, sprays, a nautical theme, inks, distressing or anything else that you see in the layout. I decided to not go with a nautical theme but take the basic concept of the layout to create mine.  Lots of stash used.  I wanted papers that had a resemblance to Indigenous design on them. This photo of me was taken after I had completed my 3/4 circuit of Uluru recently.   I was truly exhausted, hot and relieved to have a sit in the shade waiting for the shuttle bus.  It was an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed and getting to see Uluru up close and personal was a joy. Here is the inspiration layout by Melissa Kennedy. ...

To say that I loved the sunrise at Uluru on my recent trip would be an understatement.  Recently, I went down to Melbourne for Paperific and did a couple of classes with Beck Beattie . Here are my layouts of course getting home I realized that I used 2 more sunrise photos. This layout is on craft coloured cardstock - it uses Distress Oxide Inks and Distress Inks and lots and lots of layers. This layout uses Beck's Color Crush watercolour powders - check them out at Scrappy Chat Designs . She has added more colours to her range.  This layout after applying the Color Crush that had been watered down and sprayed on we used all those stamps that you might have in your stash to create a unique background.   Big stamps, small stamps, script stamps, etc etc they all can be used. Close up of the background I created. Now a little story - when I got back home I went looking for these two layouts, oh no!!! Where are they I shouted to myself, checked my bags again not ther...

Sharing a few more layouts I created this past weekend at the retreat I attended.  Uluru, Central Australia.  Created with Close to my heart patterned paper and arrow adhesives. The stamps I used for the photo and Australia were borrowed from a friend on the same table. Remember is a Tim Holtz die. I think it came together well. I took these photos to show the rock face at Walpa Gorge, Kata Tjuta, Central Australia. Conglomerate rock - I remember this from school day lessons.   In March this year my sister had friends over from England, and it was decided that we would hire a BBQ boat and enjoy a cruise and BBQ with our cousins as other friends - well what set out as a "3 hour tour" was only 30 minutes in duration due to the weather.  We had been assured by boat shed attendant only light rain - haha, it did not take long for it to pour down in buckets, from every angle. We all got wet, the food got wet, the boat got wet - it was decided to abandon and head...

My last post for today - I need to unpack my supplies from the weekend, have dinner and settle down to watch some television. Another challenge at Soul Scrappers this time my favourite - a Tic Tac Toe challenge. In my last post I shared photos of my camel ride at Uluru Camel Farm - well all was not lost there was this fantastic quintessentially view in the grounds.  Look you can even see Uluru.  I was inspired by a layout I found at Dark Room Door .  Now the challenge grid looked like this: I selected stamping, 3 photos and 2 pattern papers. I also created the background on the white cardstock using Distress Oxide Ink and gold spray.  The windmill stamp is by Kasazz and I have stamped random words also on this background.  My stash provided the remainder of the embellishments. Thank you for looking, more later.  Cheers mates, Margaret :)

Layout completed for another challenge over at Soul Scrappers. This time a 'random word' challenge. For this challenge, a letter is picked from the alphabet and then you are given some random words starting with that letter - you select one of the words and create a layout using that word. So the random words this month - fear....fearless, feisty., fly.....flying, fabulous, family...friend, fresh. I selected fearless and here is my layout. In July, I spent 3 nights at Uluru in Central Australia.  I did lots of interesting and varied things whilst I was there. I contemplated taking a sunset camel ride.....now never having rode a camel, a horse many years ago yes, I decided to do a 15 minute camel ride to see how it went.  Fearless - NO. It took ages to get my legs up and over the beautiful Bonnie and I then held on for dear life, forcing a smile for the camera.  Well, I can say I have now ridden a camel (for 15 agonizing minutes) but that sunset ride - it never became a...