Stamps Ahead

This is a layout I created for this month's challenge at White with 1 . Our challenge was to use shades of brown with a white background and to include vintage book pages on the layout. The photos were taken at a recent retreat I attended and the Saturday lunch was a high-tea Alice in Wonderland style - with tables decorated and several people dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. I have created a collage of papers from an old Alice in Wonderland book - Chapter 5 A Mad Tea Party. Some stencilling and stamping in Ranger Distress Oxide Ink Ground Expresso.   I loved this quote in Chapter 5, it put a smile on my face.  'Up above the world you fly, Like a tea-tray in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle .......'" Thank you for looking, Margaret

This is my layout for this months challenge at White with 1  challenges.  The challenge be inspired by a Monopoly board - could be the game itself, or houses or cards or going to jail even. Create on white cardstock and select one colour from the image (red, blue, green, yellow or silver). I went with blue. I found in a local op-shop at u-build Monopoly game that was just right for this challenge.  All embellishments are from the game. Photo was taken at The Lock-up in Newcastle, NSW during a visit there in September 2025.  It is a heritage building/jail (1861) and is now an arts space and creative hub.   Why not check out White with 1 challenges they have a new challenge every month. Thank you for looking, Margaret 

Here is a layout I have completed for White with 1 challenges . The March challenge was to use white with green and twine. In May 2024, I spent time with my friends in Doniphan, Missouri.  Their property is largely self-sufficient, they grow vegetables, mushrooms and more and they have a pig that is raised for meat - this day the time had come to load the pig onto truck for its journey to where it was to be butchered for its meat.  Well, did we have fun that day - the men took charge of transport from pen to truck - requiring many changes of plan of attack. The ladies well we took photos and provided encouragement and laughs along the way. Thank you looking, Margaret

This is a layout I have created for this months  White with 1 challenges  - Burgundy with Flowers Other layout from my visit to Epcot, Walt Disney Resort, Orlanda, Florida USA on 22nd May, 2024 with my friend Kathy, who lives close to the resort and visits often.  This beautiful display of living flowers, leaves and cacti really caught my eye.  It was part of EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival Topiaries - every Disney character and one-off displays, like this one, were throughout the Resort.   For my layout I have used a very old Kaisercraft collection called Treasured Moments - one of my favourites and I will be sorry when I have used it up.  Flowers are a mixture of embellishments from the collection plus fussy cutting from some of the pages.  I did use Aged Mahagony Oxide ink for the scattered dots using another favourite stamp set.  Thank you for looking, Margaret

 The April challenge over at White with 1 is green with nature.  Here is my layout  The photo was taken during a walk around Constable Country - where artist John Constable based a lot of his paintings.  We took this walk after visiting Flatford Mill in Sussex England last year. A clean and simple layout using paint applied with credit card and finished with a randomly drawn edge. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 This clean and simple layout was created for a challenge at White with One . We were to be inspired by one colour in this mood board and it was to be a summer theme.  The photo is of my amazing great nephew and taken on New Years Eve 2024. Now if you squint into the Kiwi drink, top right I was inspired by the 2nd layer of colour that just happened to match the sunset in the photo.   I firstly sprayed 2 sheets of white cardstock with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Grape Ape (a very old bottle in my stash).  The second sheet I cut into strips and used punch on one edge of paper and then I simply scrunched up the strips before adhering to the layout alternating sprayed and white. My arthritic fingers were not happy I am sure - but I persevered! Thank you looking, Margaret

Another layout for the numbers and letters cyber crop with White with 1 Challenges . Challenge 1 BIG LETTERS. In May this year I visited with my friend Kathy in Florida USA.  On 16/5/2024 we went to one of the recreation centres in The Villages where she lives to play Bingo - her regular table players welcomed me and were very interested in Australia, several having visited over the years. It cost US$17 for two cards plus several smaller cards. Very different to how I remember playing Bingo in the past and it took me a bit of time to get the gist of the games.  It was fun and much laughter.  I did not win but Kathy and several of the other ladies were lucky.  We did go back later during my visit again no wins! The only big letters I had in my stash were these from many years ago and as I did not have an entire alphabet had to make some creative adjustments.   Thank you for looking, Margaret

This is a layout I have created for White with 1 challenges - this month it is to use Orange (or any of its tones) and to use stamping.  There was a mood board for inspiration. This was the mood board: My inspiration - the windows in the building bottom right. A clean and simple layout.  I stamped the squares and needed to highlight them by going around with a black pen.  I used Abandoned Coral paint for stamping/chipboard and I did check and Coral is an orange tone (it is also in the pink tones but stronger as an orange tone). This mood board is also working, in conjunction, with Soul Scrappers this month so I have also posted to their challenges as well. Thank you for looking, Margaret

On 16th July, this year my sister and I visited Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northern UK.  Here I am climbing the steps onto the city wall that overlooks the Clyde Estuary. So much history. This layout was completed for the August challenge over White with 1 challenges on Facebook. The challenge was to be inspired by this mood board - Slate Grey with a splash of another colour. I was inspired by the top middle photo of what looks like brick tiles - perfect for my photo, my splash of colour of bit of green to represent the moss on the walls. Thank you for looking, Margaret

I have finished the final two challenges at White with 1 plus their monthly challenge as well.  It is cold and wet here on The Central Coast so a perfect day to scrapbook 'some' of my holiday photos. Challenge 3 - We all have them in our stash - long saved collections from manufacturers no long around. Stop hoarding and get creating - we want to see these lovelies in your albums not still in your stash. I used Kaszazz - one of their last collections Beachy Boho!  Photo was taken on my last day in Florida when with my friends we visited Cocoa Beach and had lunch on the pier.  This is a companion piece to my layout in monthly White with 1 challenge. My colour was ice/sky blue (I hope you can see the stencilling behind the photo etc) and I used yellow as an accent.   Challenge 4 - was to use metal, metal and a bit more metal. Yep, brads, paper clips, eyelets, charms, vintage essentials, clocks, tags and mechanicals - it it's made of metal we want to see lots of the...

2nd challenge over at White with 1 cyber crop I completed this layout.  The challenge was to get out those gelatos, crayons/and or watercolour pencils and create an amazing background for your layout. The finished layout - Just as I was taking the photo today the sun went away!!! Below are some photos of the process I used.  I used my long forgotten Ranger Distress Crayons and first drew circles on my background.  I then applied Ranger Distress Collage Medium over these circles. I was wanting texture that could complement the Epcot tower. The collage medium acts like water diluting the colour. Look at all that yummy texture I achieved.  I added some bits and pieces from a Kaisercraft Collectables Act of Life that I had stored away.  My journalling is tucked under the photo and can be pulled out to view the story. I was going to leave it like this but felt it need more - so I diluted the crayons with water and then flicked them on to the layout and further reduce...

 I participated in a cyber challenge over at White with 1 - Everything old is new again. Here is my layout for challenge one. The challenge was to use up buttons from your stash - a minimum of 10 and hopefully more. I am definitely in the more mode. The photos were taken during a recent visit to Kansas City, Missouri to see friends.  I found a kids Alice in Wonderland exhibition - well this big kid decided to take "The Yellow Brick Road".  It was so colourful and lots of little things that kids could do along the way.  As I took the photos I thought, to myself, just in case one day there is challenge I am ready for it! Little did I know they would be perfect for this challenge.  In the button box I also found the button with a tag attached perfect! According to a goggle search Dorothy represents the goodness and the innocence of humankind. Thank you for looking, Margaret

 Here is a layout I have created for the July challenge at White with 1 .  Here is the challenge mood board.  I was inspired by the lace and the tan colours in several of the photos and of course the grid itself.  They led themselves to a vintage layout. I recently participated in a free abstract art on-line course with Laly Mille and for this layout I have drawn on the skills I learned in that course.  I love the abstractness of the collage elements I have added The photograph is of my sister (sitting ) and I with our mother.  It would be around 1953 and probably taken in bushland near Berowra, New South Wales where our uncle lived at the time.  I seem to remember that rock! A couple of close up shots  Why not consider checking out what challenge they have for August...will be available on 1st August. Thank you for looking, a quote I found " The memories we make with our family is everything" Candace Cameron Bure Margaret 

Here is a layout I completed today for a challenge over at White with 1 challenges.  They currently have a 'water' cyber crop.  Challenge 3 theme was "Children having fun with water" and the colour to use was either blue or green. I have gone for a minimalist design inspired by the beach ball I am holding in the photo of my sister and I taken when we were much, much younger.  The papers come from various collections in my stash on a white background (even though in the photo it appears blue).  Thank you for looking, Margaret

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...