Stamps Ahead

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

 I live in a beautiful area of New South Wales, Australia - Umina Beach.  Here is a layout I have created for Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) today.  I am going to put as #3 of 52 Friday Favourites. Danielle Dunlop was live on their facebook page with a challenge that she called 2021.  2021 you say - the challenge use 2 wood veneers (check - I used Heidi Swapp wood veneers); 0 was circle (check - got that covered - more later about that); 2 flairs (Check, okay, so my stash had no suitable flairs so I used 2 curios from Kaisercraft Paradise Found) and finally 1 use a stencil (Check one from my stash with ink and outline in pen). Now the circle story. I started out applying Distress Oxide Ink peacock feathers and water (that I had added some Perfect Pearl powder, onto an acrylic block and then smooching onto my white cardstock (CS).  I had a little more liquid than planned and I found that I was able to rotate into a circle movement on my CS.  A circle appea...

Here is another layout I have created recently.  I have decided to post it for a challenge at ARTastic - I hope they allow more than one entry as I have already done one layout for their May challenge - Scrap the Girls. This photo was taken when I met up with friends that I attended TAFE with many years ago.  We completed the Advanced Needlecraft Certificate at Hornsby TAFE and became firm friends during this time.   But as life goes on we lost contact - until Facebook got us back together 20 years later!..  They caught the train up and we had lunch and much catch up at my home before a walk on the beach.   Again here is the inspiration photo at ARTastic, the criteria Girls Only. I was further inspired by a layout by Emily Pitt found on   Debbie Hodge  from 2013 that I found whilst blog surfing. Thank you Debbie I have left some thanks for you on your blog. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

This past week I went down to 'my' beaches - Ocean Beach to Umina Beach taking my Samsung Tablet with me as I wanted to take a panorama shot.  This is the view I have after I have walked just 100 steps from my front gate and up and over a small sand dune - I never tire of this view. I have completed this layout for a challenge over at ARTastic Challenge Blog .  The challenge was to be inspired by the following artwork  -Bondi Scene by Isabelle May Tweddle. The criteria was Summer. Some particulars - I have raised the main photo with foam tape - both the photo and the corrugated blue mount. In real life it gives the impression of raising above the sand image on the patterned paper. I have used paper, stickers and die cuts from Kaisercraft Sandy Toes collection and scattered hessian twine, pearls and sparkles randomly. I love both the quotes - so I used both - I hope not too much.  At the bottom (for photographic purposes only) you...

Another layout completed on the weekend.  This layout was for Scrapbook Challenges Sketch 442. On 21st April, the Central Coast of New South Wales, was hit with the wildest storm and wet weather for years.  Umina Beach was hammered with rain and waves and when I ventured out I was amazed at just what was going on.  The sand eroded from sand banks and oh yes, the sand was blowing all over the roads and into my face.  I think you can see just how cold it was!!!.   So different from my last post which showed the beach in all is beautiful summer glory.  The photo was taken on my mobile/cell phone and was all grainy so I printed the photo onto Very Vanilla cardstock as I hoped it gave that windy and rainy day feel. Thank you for looking,  Margaret :)

After two fabulous sunny days over the weekend, today is wet, miserable and cold and therefore my photo below has not been shown in its true colours - believe me when I say it that the colours are more vibrant in real life. Another layout completed on the weekend and another challenge completed at Soul Scrappers.  Here is my layout and the inspiration follows: The recipe consists of your layout having at least the following ingredients (you can have more or additional elements as well): NO visible journaling - tick - it is on the tag slipped under the photo Kraft/tan background - tick One photo only - tick - photo of wattle growing alongside Umina Beach at least one tag - tick Ribbon or twine - tick - to both Leaves - stamping or embellishment - stamped leaves/dots & dashes from Dylusions Simply Borders set. In addition, I started with a light spray of oil (not really it was a green glimmer mist) and have used embossing and die cut embellishments. I mus...

Settle back this is a long post. Soul Scrappers have a song and lyric challenge this month.  Ends tomorrow so I have just made it in time.  The inspiration was Words by F.R. David, come on sing-a-long: Words, don't come easy to me How can I find a way to make you see I Love You Words don't come easy. The criteria You must use a word....OR a couple of words...OR a sentence OR even the song title on your page. My inspiration was the word "words.  Here is my layout: These photo's were taken at Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri. I have kept the layout clean and simple - as it is the words that I want people to read.  You can see that top right that I have made a flip out tag to record my journaling.  Now what are the words that are have been placed on the image of Winston Churchill in that photo?  A chance to know the man better. Brain - Keen intelligence Eyes - Far sighted vision Ears - Hears different drummer Nose - Nose for news ...

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...