Stamps Ahead

 This is a layout I have created using Unmistakeable Creations Aussie Adventure collection. Last month I visited The Australian Age of Dinosaur Museum in Winton, Queensland.  This board, located just outside the Museum, is updated daily with the latest fly warnings - lucky for us there were not many of them this day however it was windy!.    Patchwork/quilters may recognise that my grid is a pattern called "Shoo Fly" it seemed appropriate for this layout.  Thank you for looking, Margaret

Inspired by 12 days of Scraplift 2025 - Day 1. Find the challenge over at Scrap Squad on Facebook.  I created this layout. The photo of my sister and I, taken by on-board photographer, last weekend during our 3-night scrapbooking cruise on The Anthem of the Seas Sydney > Eden > Sydney.  Papers and embellishments were created especially for the cruise are from Unmistakeable Creations and they will be released to the public at some time in the future. You can see from the inspiration photo below that I adapted the layout to be able to put on the larger photo without losing the essence of the grid design. Thank you for looking more layouts from our cruise adventure to come.  Margaret

Melissa from Unmistakable Creations Group on Facebook  set an interesting challenge (more later) here is my layout  Melissa has recently seen a number of layouts using embossing folders as backgrounds.  Her challenge was to use our embossing folders with white cardstock and create your background and then create a layout using one of the Unmistakeable Creations collections.  I used the Water's Edge collection. Thank you for looking and why not visit Unmistakeable Creations and check out the ranges.  Margaret.

I love making accordion books - they are great as gifts or for recording your own thoughts. Here is one I have created from scraps from Unmistakeable Creations - A Grand Legacy Collection - Card/Elements  pack and some of the 12" x 12" (30cm) cardstock.  Book measures 4" x 4" and has 6 pages with both front and back of each page decorated. Lots of tags, collage, pockets and much more.  Photos follow. Above is the back page and below it has a flap that opens for photos etc. Thank you for staying with me - click on Unmistakeable Creations link above to see the entire Grand Legacy Collection. Margaret

 I am leaving a jet plane-----no I am leaving on a South Pacific cruise.  It is a scrapbook cruise with Unmistakeable Creations . One of the fun things to make are ATC's to swap and here are mine  We swap ATC's with each person (it is optional to participate) however I like to give one even if a person is not participating.   We do make them at little bigger than regular ATC's so that they fit into a pocket style page.  For mine I have used the following: a neutral kraft coloured cardstock. Edged with Distress Ink. torn corrugated card (mine came from a cut down delivery box). Edged with Distress Ink. tape I made with Distress inks and stocks (you will find this on the right-hand side of each ATC) tea dyed cheesecloth (was white but I dyed in a cup with hot water and about 5 tea bags, left for a while, removed and washed, then dried. 8 images from Darkroom Door Sheet (purchased at Wrapped in Paper, ACT) and 3 images that have been in my stash for ages - sor...

This week I am departing on my scrapbooking cruise with Unmistakable Creations . We had been provided with a small mini canvas and easel to create a name tag.  We could use any technique and here is what I created. It will sit on our table in our conference room onboard. I wanted to try a something I had not done before, so off I went to internet to do some research and found Ranger Distress Glaze resist technique.  I must say I loved the result and I added a small cluster to top right so that I could incorporate my name and to cover up and area that I was not all that happy with. I used the following products: I sprayed the canvas with Dylusions Ink Sprays - Calypso Tea, Peony Blush, Vanilla Custard several times onto the canvas until I was happy with the result, drying in between and dabbing with a paper towel if too much water. Allow to dry. Note: I did not gesso the canvas beforehand. Next, I used Ranger Distress Glaze through a stencil in places on the canvas. I must conf...

Today is International Scrapbooking Day (ISD) and I am participating in several challenges over the web.  Here is a layout I have created for White with 1 challenges .  Whilst, it is not technically a challenge for ISD they have combined with their sister site ARTastic challenges to incorporate their monthly challenges, for this month, for ISD. Here is the White with 1 challenge Mood Board for this month - we were to be inspired by the board and to incorporate items seen and inspire you - perhaps a grid pattern, see circles or rectangles or  watercolours or inky backgrounds, inspired by threads or leaves or glass beads?   Use any colour blue with white. My photos of a recent beach walk, whilst on holidays, on Coolum Beach in Queensland.  I was, of course, inspired by the grid pattern.  I was inspired by the grid pattern. I have used many bits and pieces from my stash - Unmistakeable Creations Cruise Collection for papers and die cuts, Mintay Papers Sea...

I recently wrote about a Blind Challenge I was doing with Unmistakeable Creations.  I was lucky enough to win a great paper set by AB Studios called Old Dreams.  Here is a mixed media layout I created with the papers and other bits and pieces from my stash:  The photograph of me was taken on 19th July as I was going out for my second Covid-19 jab.  As we were (and are currently) lockdown so I decided to get "dressed up" for my journey out of the house.   Thank you for looking. Take care all. Margaret 

Today, over at Unmistakeable Creations, Melissa set up a lockdown blind scrap challenge.  Here is my layout: A blind scrap is when you are given steps to create your layout in timed intervals - about 15 minutes between each instruction.   The first instruction was to use white cardstock, 3 patterned papers one of which needed to be the oldest in  your stash.  I used 3 patterned papers from this kit that has lain dormant in my stash for ages - I must have used some of it in the past as several of the papers were not in the packet.  Melissa tells me it is from 2008!   Then came the remainder of the requirements - 3 photos 7cm x 10cm one of which must include yourself.   The step that gave me the most time to complete was making the 5 embellishments that were to be handmade - I had fussy cut some of the images; made suffolk puffs from tulle and using a fluffy fancy knitting yarn that I attached to a round punch. This was a fun lockdown acti...

 Here is a layout I have completed for a challenge over at Unmistakable Creations on Facebook. The challenge was to use these papers created by Melissa the owner of Unmistakable Creations.  I had to download them from the website  and print on white cardstock.   Our mother passed away in 1974 at only 49 years of age.   My memories are strong of the short time that we had with her.  She was a constant inspiration, her life was plagued by ill-health but she always managed to bounce back with a smile and an overwhelming desire to get in the car and drive again.  I do not have many photos and those that I have are gradually being put onto scrapbook layouts.  This photo is of my parents wedding day in 1948 as I could not find a suitable photo of just Mum alone. Anyway, it is apt as both of them helped me to be everything I am today.  Our father passed away in 2007.   The layout uses two stencils available from Kaszazz - Rose an...

In my previous post I wrote of winning a prize on the Unmistakable Creations cruise I took in January with my sister and friends to New Zealand.  Here is a layout I have created using the Paisley Days collection I received. The photo was taken at Larnach Castle, Dunedin, New Zealand and with our friends we are having morning tea in their beautiful tea rooms.   Below is a close up of the texture of the background. More on that below. I was inspired by a layout by Lisa Amiet on the Kaisercraft blog. I have left her some love on the blog. I was really taken with the background technique. The background was fussy cut from 12" (30cm) sheet of paper in the pack and smaller pieces adhered with foam tape to create raised surfaces.  I have also raised the photo and several of the smaller embellishments.   Thank you Lisa. I have decided to add this to a Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) Scraplift Sunday (7th April) Challenge - check them out and join the group for ch...

On the scrapbooking cruise in January, to New Zealand there was a prize pack given away of Kaisercraft Sample Pack that contained samples of quarter releases of new collections. Here is the box that I received: It contains Rosabella, Paradise Found, Breath, Green House, Two Souls and Paisley Days releases. Does not include Clear Stamps, Dies and full paper packs.    I let my sister, who was on the cruise with me, to choose one pack for herself - she chose Two Souls and she loved the colours and lacy patterns in this collection. My next post will show a layout from the Paisley Days release. Thank you so much to Melissa Kennedy of Unmistakable Creations (and her husband who pulled my name out of the hat) for this generous prize. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

Here is a layout I created for a Background Noise challenge at Paper Issues (fans and friends) Facebook page What I hear you say is Background Noise? It could be background created with paints/inks/stamps or maybe using a busy background as the base of your layout. I had these 3 photos from the Unmistakeable Creations scrapbooking cruise my sister & I were on to New Zealand in January this year. The photos on the left were before classes  began, all set ready to go, nice and neat! The photo on the right we were busy and well into scrapping on one of the at sea days!! I have used leftover Penelope Dee range Summer Breeze (that I used on a previous cruise) torn and distressed. The chipboard are actually leftovers from Celebr8 range Set Sail that we are using in the photo on the right! Thank you for looking at my noisy background, Margaret

Over at Paper Issues (Friends and Fans) Facebook page there is a challenge every Sunday called Scraplift Sunday. The idea is to draw inspiration from the layout and create your own. And here is my take on the layout from 18th March.  I was firstly inspired by the word 'create' and then sought out photos of our class on board Radiance of the Seas in January, 2019 when my sister and I were on a scrapbook cruise to New Zealand. These photos are of all of us creating in one of our classes at sea. I have used papers and embellishments (except alphas and little ship bottom left) from Set Sail collection from Celebr8.   I used up the leftovers from the kit received on this cruise. The photos were taken by Melissa Kennedy, teacher and owner of Unmistakeable Creations. Here is the Scraplift Sunday 18th March inspiration layout: Why not check out both Paper Issues for layout inspirations and Unmistakeable Creations for future cruises. Thankyou for looking Margaret

Recently I have written about the cruise that my sister and I took in January - and as well as the layouts we completed as part of our scrapbook cruise we also had some challenges that we could complete if we wanted.  This layout was for a bingo challenge and I took the line Chipboard, Mixed Media, Single Photo and Ribbon. I completed it on the cruise with left over papers and bits and pieces and little blue organza bag with ribbon I had with me (of course I gut it up to add additional texture behind the photo of me on the tender from boat to Akaroa, New Zealand. I took a sheet of the beautiful Kaisercraft paper from their Scrap Studio Collection and then brushed it all over with Dusty Attic Gloss Varnish - it gave it an almost leather like feel and made the paper stronger.  Paint, adding other images from papers were given, glossy accents gave the layout its finished look. Here is a close up look - what looks like stamps are actually images on acetate that I had left over...

The penultimate port on our cruise was Tauranga, and on this day it was also my sister's birthday.   After the ship docked and breakfast we headed to Tauranga via the local tourist shuttle.  Our first stop was definitely always going to be this mural.  I have loved it since I first saw it myself last year and I just had to go there with my sister this year.  Here is a layout I have created with the both of us posing as 'angels': I was inspired by a layout I saw in a 2013 Creating Keepsakes layout to create the almost wing like strips of paper.   I love how the black cardstock really pops the photos. This is a great way to use up scraps of paper that you may have.   We went on to have a walk around the shops, and a great cup of coffee (tea for me) with some delicious slices before heading back to the port and further adventures before the ship departed for Auckland later in the day. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

On my recent cruise, at each port at breakfast ship photographers would be waiting outside the eating area ready to pounce and take photos dressed in all sorts of weird costumes.  I tried as I could to avoid them BUT this person dressed as dolphin, as we arrived at Akaroa, New Zealand port, followed me and insisted I get a photo - no, no, no.  The costume was dirty and I am not one to hug and cuddle people dressed as animals!  So I got one photo just to get them off my case - as you can see I was not all that interested. Here is the layout I created: The background is gesso applied haphazardly and I have used a stencil to create the grid pattern over the gesso. Thanks for looking, Margaret

I have just returned from a scrapbooking cruise, with Unmistakable Creations , leaving Sydney and arriving in Auckland 10 nights later.  Also, my sister and I spent 4 more days in Auckland before heading home.   One of the highlights of the cruise is making little 4" x 3" cards that are exchanged with others in our group.   Here are mine: I used glossy paper, Ranger Distress Inks, and Ranger Micro Glaze. See my earlier post on how I created the backgrounds - magic!  Stamps and stencil I have used are all available from Kaszazz.  Here are just a few of the 30 plus I created.  All different - amazing.  Close up of a couple Close up of a couple more. My sister also came on the cruise as part of the scrapbook group and here is the card she created. She was looking for ideas and found a card in the current Kaszazz catalogue by Alannah May and together we came up with this card for her - again she needed to make 30 plus.  Again all pr...

Here is the title page for my scrapbook layouts from the above cruise.  It was designed by Melissa Kennedy of Unmistakable Creations .  It was the very first layout we created in our classes whilst at sea.  Here I am ready to start the classes and wearing the apron that Melissa gave to each of us.  Papers are from Kaisercraft (with a note that Melissa specifically arranged for the paper with our ports of call to be included in our kit). Thanks for looking, back to creating, Margaret :)

One of the reasons that I joined the Radiance of the Seas cruise that left Sydney on 3rd January, 2018 was that this cruise was a once in a lifetime chance to visit Tonga.  Tonga, featured largely in my childhood, it was a mission outpost and we regularly heard tales of this friendly island in my Sunday School days. Our first port of call in Tonga was Vavau. Settle back sail with me, it is a long post. Vava'u is a group of more than 50 islands, either coral limestone or coral atolls. The main town of Neiafu (known as the Port of Refuge Harbour) is a common destination for yachties sailing the South Pacific.  The waters are known for their clarity, it being said that you can see the bottom at 40 metres. Lots of places to explore tropical forests, limestone cliffs and caves to explore and traditional villages.  Yep, book a tender from ship to Naiafu in the morning and start exploring. The Cruise Compass magazine delivered to the cabin the night before had a forecast of...