Stamps Ahead

I am trying to catch up with a few March challenges today, it is cold, wet and windy outside today, so a great day to be doing it! This layout was for a challenge over at White with 1  where the challenge is to use white with black. Inspiration mode board to be inspired by. The photo, of my sister (sitting right) and I would have been taken circa 1952 - 70 YEARS AGO!!! We are sitting in a bush furniture bench that our Dad and Grandfather would have made.  It sat for many years on the front verandah of our home.  My sister and I were usually dressed alike, in clothes made by our mother,  and we would have been celebrating a birthday I am sure - I have a few more photos showing us on the bench through the years. Our younger brother would join us a few years later. Here is a close up of the photo on my layout.  I found it difficult locating just the right papers for this layout, and in the end found the background paper you see here (it had a grey tinge that I felt...

 Here is my layout for the 3rd and final challenge at White with 1 Earth cyber crop. This was a Tic Tac Toe challenge (one of my favourite forms of challenge criteria).  Here is the board.  I selected straight down the middle - wood veneer, earth theme and stencil background (texture paste mixed with Bundled Sage Distress Oxide Ink).  I search my stash for any wood veneer flowers and the hearts and any other wood veneer I thought would work.  You may be able to see that I also added a shimmer to give that extra sparkle!                                                      I have had this photo of water lilies forever!  I took it years ago when my father was alive and I took him for a drive and if memory serves me well it was in the Hawkesbury area. I decided to search the internet for some interesting facts about water lilie...

 This layout I completed for a challenge at the White with 1 Earth cyber crop. The challenge White with green. Nature themed leaves or trees and product to be used was fibres of some sort. I took this photo at sunset at Uluru during a visit in September 2019.  After I stamped the trees with Distress Oxide Peeled Paint I sprayed water over the trees.  Two of the trees I did stamp separately and then die cut.   I was going to put hessian/burlap under the base of the photo but it looked too heavy so in a spurt of inspiration I frayed it and used it under the entire photo.   To finish off I took a marker and added some darker green to the trees. This was indeed a beautiful moment and one not to be forgotten for a long time. Thank you for looking, Margaret

In December, 2015 to be exact.  Here is a double-sided layout I created for challenge at White with 1.   The challenge was to use CRIMSON TIDE  and the sketch provided had to be used this month - either as a double page or a single page selecting one side for your layout. I went with double page layout.     One morning, I travelled by train, from the hotel where my sister and I were staying, near Heathrow, so that I could be first in the line and for a journey on The London Eye. It was a great decision as it was not crowded and it was a beautiful morning, you could see forever.  The zoom lens on my camera allowed me to catch up close photos. It has 6 long years to get these photos scrapped. That is not me waving from one of the carriages of The Eye! Now about my layout, this proved to be one of the most challenging all year - that colour.  You would think it was easy, however I searched my stash for colours that I could work with.  Remember, that ...

Lockdown is over, restrictions are reducing and a slow return to regular activities. On Saturday 13 November, my sister and I took a drive to Yarramalong (just up the M1) and whilst there we relaxed and had morning tea.  Here is layout I have created for Hello Spring Cyber Crop at  White with 1 challenges.  The challenge: So often we are behind the camera so please 'put yourself in the picture'. Take a selfie, ask a friend or family to snap a shot of you.  Add one colour of  your choice and be sure you add some flowers to your layout to give it a 'Spring' feel. My sister took this photo of me in the sunshine, reading a magazine and enjoying a cup of tea and a pastry. Afterwards we browsed the gift store and then headed on a round trip back home fitting in a spot of shopping! I firstly swiped Bundled Sage Distress Oxide onto an acrylic block and then smooched to my white cardstock. I then used all the stamps in the JOFY102 stamp set from Paper Artsy. Flowers, bra...

 I am a guest designer over at White with 1 challenges this month.  Here is my layout: The challenge was to use white with Lilac Lullaby colour and to use at least one of the following from the moodboard.  My first thought - oh no! Not a colour I usually use! I firstly sprayed my paper with Distress Oxide Ink sprays - Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violet.  I also sprayed cheesecloth, paper flowers and cotton thread with a mixture of the sprays and allowed them to dry. The photo is of my niece at age 4 (she is now a mother of a 3 1/2year old) playing with her dolls. This challenge made we wonder what her dreams were at that age. I recently got the Kaszazz Dreamcatcher die and stamp combination (KSK7300) and it seemed just right for this layout. Other Kaszazz products I have used are papers from the Nature Lover collection, Pearls Sticky Gems, Archival stamp inks, laces and ribbon and the Crafters Companion Dream die. A small stamp, from my stash, randomly applied completed...

White with 1 winter cybercrop challenge No1 was to use the colour Smokey Blue/Grey and fabric.  Here is my layout  My photograph was taken during a Danube River dusk/evening cruise in Budapest.  It was winter and it was cold!!  This cruise is one of the highlights of my travels across the world.  You may recognise this as the Parliament building. On the way back the building was illuminated and that is another 'wonder' moment. I have used Kaszazz stamps from Destinations collection and a small amount of paper from Writers Block Collage pad.  The fabric is calico that I sprayed with Dylusions Pure Sunshine ink spray then lightly washed and allowed to dry. I also frayed the fabric and used the threads as to give added wistfulness to the beautiful scene. The background is texture paste coloured with Stormy Sky distress oxide ink. Thank you for looking and remember - never lose your sense of Wonder - wherever and whenever we can!   Margaret

 Way back on 8th May, 2007 I started this blog.  It has been a journey of change and experiences that I never ever thought I would have.  Thank you to those who have read my blog and I hope there are still some out there who do.  For my 1,000th post my scrapbook layout is about change. Like the quote here, that I found on the internet - If I never changed from how I did things back in 2007 I would not have grown as an artist, teacher or indeed as a person. I have been retrenched (not the worst thing in the world as it turned out), travelled extensively, had my own business, worked in a call centre or two, went back into a financial role, left became a carer, and then working in China teaching English for a year. Moved to Central Coast of NSW.  Finally, retirement! Retirement - never!!  Not afraid of change!!  This week, I even started a Facebook group so that ladies in my classes can share what they have been doing and connect during the lockdown here ...

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

There is currently a challenge over at White with 1 challenges  - white with Midnight Black and to use one of more of stars, frames or black pen.   Here is what I created: Why you might ask "has she forgotten to add a photo"....no that is the actual photo I got when I took a photo of the full moon/lunar eclipse on 26th May this year.  There were so many fabulous photos taken by others and posted on social media but mine...well!   And to think I stood outside in the cold to get this photo. Earlier in the night there were stars in the sky so my layout references that time. I used a very old piece of black spotted paper, to represent the moon, and Thicker alphabet from my stash  I used a star stencil with Black Gesso to create the small stars and die cut the larger stars. Thank you for looking, Margaret Added 15 August, 2021: I am excited to say that I won a Guest Designer spot on the September White with 1 challenge blog - so getting my ideas together - ...

The 3rd and final Easter challenge over at White with 1 .  Here is my layout: Why 280 Degrees West as the title?  Last night, I looked out my side door and saw the most beautiful colours - quickly got my camera and headed out to take some photos. I then moved to smaller garden area I have facing west - therefore 280 degrees west refers to the compass direction from which I took the photo. I also managed to photograph the flowers blooming on my Camellia tree.  I must say it was the first time I have used the compass on my phone - much easier than trying to read an old fashioned compass!  Now the challenge was to use: 5 circles  4 stars 3 word title 2 patterned papers 1 photo To be honest this challenge took a little longer than the others as I searched my stash for just the right embellishments to use. Here is another photo from the sunset last night taken from the other garden area I have. "Sunsets are not only beautiful, but they also have so much meaning....

 Here is a layout I have completed for another Easter Challenge over at White with 1 The challenge?  Choose one colour from the Easter egg wreath and create a page that must have leaves on it like in the wreath.   I choose the pastel green colour. Now, I rarely wear or create with pastel colours, so this was a challenge. As you can see, I do not have a photo on my layout. Recently, I came across a photo of me that was taken at Hotel Nikko, Darling Harbour in the early 1990's.  The outfit I wore was the colour I have selected. I purchased it at a then well known dress shop in Gordon, NSW.  It was a brocade jacket with a soft floaty skirt.  Where is the photo?  Somewhere in my stash, I recently came across it and probably put it in a safe spot to quickly find later to scrap!!!  These challenges finish shortly and I wanted to be sure I got my challenge in.  I will find it!! The flower and leaf dies and papers are from Kaszazz.  The oth...

You probably first thought - what why head to the office when things are not going as planned!  No worries, this office overlooks the beautiful Ocean Beach, Umina Beach, Lion Island at the furtherest point is Palm Beach.  Someone obviously had a sense of humour and it is in a popular spot when you walk along The Esplanade.  I took this photo at the beginning of Covid 19 in the summer of 2020 during one of my walks. I completed this layout for a challenge over at White with 1 Summer Cyber Crop . This is for the first challenge which was to select ONE colour used in the word board below to be added with white and then select ONE of the words which must be included in the title.   I selected the yellowish colour and then the word Lemonade and I made play on "When life.......lemons" I used all Kaszazz products on this layout (with the exception of the black alphas and retired alcohol markers) from Kaszazz Mediterranean Collection.    Thank you for looking,...

This is a clean and simple layout I have completed for a challenge at Whitewith1 - this time the colour was Mandarin.    This is a photo of my friend, Trish and I in December, last year.  We both have birthdays around the same time and our friend presented us with this cake when we were at her home. I had to go back and look at the photographs after I took a photo of the layout as I thought I got the sun on the photos as it looked blurry - alas,  no the photographs show it was the candles alight that was causing the blurriness - well let's not talk about the combined ages will we!!! I did keep the layout rather clean and simple, I used Kaisercraft Marigold collection and fussy cut the roses then I used a Chinese Orange (sorry no mandarin found) alcohol ink marker for the dots you see.    Thank you for looking, Margaret

 This month the challenge at White with 1 is Lemon Bliss.   Here is my layout: Captains Log 5th August, 2020.  I posted this photo and the words to my Facebook page.   Every year I get a small bloom of these mini-daffodils.   The background with the yellow spray was something I created for another challenge but discarded it was just right for this. Thank you for looking, Margaret

I am participating in several challenges over at White with 1 Facebook page this weekend. Here is my layout for challenge 3. The challenge was To be inspired by the one of the colours in the background of your photo. I was inspired by the brown colours of the hills and area around Canberra in Australian Capital Territory. Use at least 3 photos. Yep.  The photos are of my friends from Canberra and were taken in March 2019 when I was visiting them.  We went to Arboretum and Rock Garden this day. Use an embellishment that does not really 'go' with the theme of your layout. To me this could be the old fabric doily I found in my stash.  What about the key? Or the paintbrush on the word authentic? Or even the star? Use a doily or mixed media (or both)   I used Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Spray in a smooching technique  Robyn and Colin are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary later this year.  I have known Robyn since High School.   Thank you for lo...

This weekend I am participating in the June Cyber Challenges over at White with 1 Facebook page.  Here is my layout for a scavenger hunt, more about this below: The scavenger hunt - we were to search our stash and find the following: 12 x 12 patterned paper from a manufacturer of two words (eg Jillibean Soup). Manufacturers name to be shown.   Something you can use to get messy A journal card Something felt A tag A word in any form 1 piece of 6 x 6 paper Some bling. Here is what I sourced out of my stash: The hardest and longest to find was 'something felt' finally found those blue stars squashed into a corner.  In making the layout, I added other papers and stickers from the Echo Park Magical Adventure range.  Thank you for looking, I love Disneyland and my photos show what the daily line up for both parks looked like each day.  The last time I visited was in May, 2018.  Thank you for looking, Margaret Crafting in the time of Coronavirus.

Just down the street where I live there is this beautiful flowering gum.  I could not resist taking a photo on one of my Covid19 walks.  This layout is for challenge at White with 1 Facebook group.  The challenge was White on White. Simple I hear you say!  I needed to scope out white things in my stash.  Here is what I did: Using Kaszazz Wood Grain stencil and texture paste apply the stencil to the white cardstock (CS). Let dry. Kaszazz Flowering Gum stamp (Flora and Fauna collection), Versamark and white embossing powder apply at various places on the CS.  I still had lots of white space and so using Kaszazz Grungy dots stamp from Collage Stamp- Image stamp set (Destinations collection) I again embossed with white embossing powder. I then took the Kaszazz  'beautiful' chipboard and brushed over gesso and then whilst wet applied the white embossing powder.  I did this twice as I wanted a great coverage of white. Whilst, I had the gesso I edged my ...