Stamps Ahead

A clean and simple Christmas Card.  A challenge over at Soul Scrappers  was to use striped Christmas paper and bling on your card.  . This card was really easy to put together.  I cut papers from the same range, plus some bling glitter paper,  into strips, I did not mind if some were larger than others. I went with the red glitter paper as it fitted in with the coloured strips.  These were then adhered to a backing card stock (cut to same size as the front of your card).  The greeting was die cut from a sheet in the pack and then I die cut a green circle to finish off the card.   Below, are strips cut ready for my next card.  It would equally effective if you put the strips vertically or horizontally as well. Thank you for looking, believe in the magic of Christmas, Margaret

Well, reindeers are not native to Australia, of course they are in North America, Northern Europe, Siberia. However, they are a well loved icon of Christmas - Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, reindeers pulling Santa's sleigh are just two references.   Here is a card that my ladies made in the local community group where I lead the cardmaking:  The card was made using items from stash.   The ladies could add a greeting of their choice inside. This was a quick card to put together.   I am adding this card to a challenge at Soul Scrappers to add a reindeer to on a card. Thank you looking, Margaret

This weekend Kaszazz is releasing a new catalogue (can't show you just yet - later today I will).  As part of the weekend I got to participate in a Team Training Day held by my upline, in her home.  We get to see new products, and for a small charge we get a project pack to make up on the day (again, more on that later).   Also, there is a team challenge if you want to participate.  This year was to use any of the Kaszazz Christmas papers, stamps, dies, chipboard etc to make a project.  Here is mine: It is a set of 3 split centre cards.  Here is what I used and I have added product numbers: SB Essentials paper - Olive (4921) SB Paper - Vanilla (1060) SB Pages - White Smooth (7197) Sketchy Kookaburra stamp (6440L) from Greetings from Australia collection Sketchy Emu stamp (6443K) from above collection Baubles and Bottlebrush stamp (6455K) from above collection Bottlebrush Un-Cut stamp set (6451M) from above collection and you get bottlebrush and a leaf ...

So today, I am trying something new for me - completing a one-sheet (12" x 12") of paper to make 14 cards.   I went with a Christmas theme. Here is what I made: With a one-sheet wonder you follow a recipe.   Here is the recipe I followed given by Lucy Jones, my Kaszazz upline:  I went with a Christmas theme (never too early) and the cards use all Kaszazz product.  Papers and stamps from Christmas Morning collection and stamps from Tis' the season collection. All dies are still current. A little secret - it has taken me 1 day to get my cards together!  I thought it would be quicker, and I enjoyed the process of using my stash to create the cards.  I went looking for my dies - saying (to myself) I know you are here, where are you, finally found exactly where I put them last time!!! Here is a close up of some of the cards - I have a ready collection of cards ready for when my community card classes do start up again.   Than...

What do you do when you have lots of scraps of paper that you have left over from your cardmaking or scrapbooking?  One suggestion is to make small gift cards - quick and easy they measure 3" x 3". Here are some I have just made. I have used a stamp from Kaszazz set - Succulents-uncut set and I have watercoloured the images. My sister came out of a short hospital stay yesterday and she gives a small gift to the staff when she is discharged....I gave her one of my cards to put with the shortbread biscuits she gave them. I am entering these cards in a challenge over at Soul Scrappers to create a Thank You card. And I am making a bunch to put into packs for a fundraiser. And THANK YOU for visiting my humble little blog. Margaret

My last card classes for the year at local community groups this week.  Here is a card I  designed for upcoming Thursday class.  It is a pop up card that will fold flat for postage.  I found the pattern for the base card on the internet.  This is what the card looks like on the side. I am adding this to Soul Scrappers challenge to use a poinsettia on a Christmas card. The papers, sequins and alcohol pens are all available from Kaszazz and the stamps are Kaisercraft. Thank you for looking, Margaret

Here is a card I designed for our Kaszazz team meeting make and take yesterday: I have used all Kaszazz products, that are available through me (yes I am a consultant) or your consultant of choice, on the card.   The card uses stamps and paper available with the Resort Collection.  As  you can see this card as a fancy fold - see below.  There is masking of leaves on the inside of the cards. Also, there is some fussy cutting involved.  The colouring has been done with Kaszazz Alcohol Ink markers and Aqua Noir black marker. Here are the images that will be fussy cut and applied to the card. Not sure how to mask? Firstly stamp your image onto a piece of scrap paper or post-it note cut around this just inside the lines.   You then place the masks over previously stamped image on your card (or scrapbook layout) as you can see I used a small piece of washi tape to hold down mask whilst I stamped the next leaf images - see first photo for the result....

Here a some cards I have created for class I lead at a local community group. Lately I've been inspired by flower stamps in my stash. Over at Soul Scrappers there is currently a card challenge to use flowers on your card. Perfect. I try to mix up techniques each week.  Stamping punched flowers and die cut.  Stamping and watercolouring. Yes, coloured outside of lines on purpose, great for those that don't like precision colouring! Stamping, punched squares layered and embossing. I am inspired by cards in Pinterest, in magazines, in nature, in my mind to keep my creative juices flowing. Thank you to all those that inspire me as I make 2 cards for each week of the year (ex school holidays). Thank you for looking and why not check out Soul Scrappers for this card challenge and also scrapbooking challenges. Margaret

I lead a community card class each Friday during school terms.   With Easter approaching I asked my ladies (there are no men attending) did they want to make an Easter Card.  Yes, BUT they did not want bunnies, chickens, eggs, yellow, pastel colours etc. So I came up with this card - they loved it. I found the design on Pinterest - it is a great way to use up scraps of paper. This card is going onto an Easter card challenge on Soul Scrappers. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

Latest challenge over at Soul Scrappers was to add 'snow' somewhere on your card. Here is my card: I have used a Kaszazz stamp - Silhouette Santa's Sleigh, and a Kaisercraft House die-cut.  For the snow effect I have used Stickles Star Dust Glitter Glue (again available from Kaszazz) to highlight the torn edges of my papers. I loved the way this card turned out and I hope you do as well. Thank you looking, Margaret Contact me by leaving a comment if you would like to know more about Kaszazz products available.

I am putting these 3 cards into challenges over at Soul Scrappers . As many know I lead a cardmaking group at a local community group and for several weeks we have been making Christmas cards.  The following are just some of the cards the ladies made.  Challenge was to create a card with a fancy fold.  Here is look at what card looks like when open from above. Another view showing the double cards that make up the fold. Papers (except glitter paper) and inks are from Kaszazz.  The "JOY" was lent to me from a friend. If you look closely you can see that JOY has been die cut many times - 3 times in black plus the centre "O" with manger scene once in red and the star at top of "O".   They were then glued together to form a raised embellishment. This challenge was to create a card with an added wreath.   All products are Kasazz.   The painting was done with Liquid Pearls and water. This challenge was to create a card that had holly added....

Another challenge over at Soul Scrappers this time to use snowflakes on a card.  I will say at the outset that this is not my original design....long ago I saw a card by My Card Attic (click here to see the card on her blog) on Pinterest and stored it away thinking one day I will make that.  Well the time came - I was short on 'mojo' recently and needed to make cards for the class I lead at a local community group - so finally I got the chance to make this card, with pink glitter paper: Well, I loved the card and just had to make another, showcasing snowflakes, and here it is: The ladies got to make both cards.   I would like to thank My Card Attic and have left her some thanks on her blog. They are fantastic clean and simple cards and would be just right for mass production.   Next year, I will make for Caring Hearts Card Drive - this year's drive has finished (and I did send other cards that I and others have made for this years drive.  Thank y...

Another challenge at Soul Scrappers this time to add a bauble to your card.  Here is my card: My card is very shabby chic looking.  I have used various stamps I have in my possession.  The ribbon on the side I have sewn a straight line with a running stitch -- not paying attention to the fact that each stitch was a different size, gathered and then attached with tape. Non-traditional colours used. Thank you for looking, why not head to Soul Scrappers , join up and make some cards. Cheers, Margaret.

Today I made this cute little card, I was inspired by a challenge over at Soul Scrappers  to use a reindeer and die-cut.  Well, I covered both of these with this cute die. I used a free die that was included in Di-cutting essentials magazine, which is probably still available at your local newsagency.  I had the background patterned paper I used in my stash - it has a design of trees on it.  Yes, appropriate.  I did die cut the tree in the cardstock and applied with dimensional tape.  Here is a close up of that element. Inside I placed some of the die cut stars onto white cardstock. I really like this die and I can see many more uses for it. Thank you for looking, and do yourself a favour head over to Soul Scrappers, join and take part in their challenges.  Margaret :)

Another challenge over at Soul Scrappers  was to use lace and/or ribbon on your card.  Here is my card, I went vintage style....  I was going through my stash of papers when I found a sheet of images in Meg's Garden, A Vintage Christmas Paper Stack - some larger and some with different images.  When I saw them I immediately thought I will go all out 'vintage'.  So I raided the lace stash and found some vintage lace, raided the button stash and found vintage buttons and the addition of a piece of twine (not vintage-haha) and added to the card.  Next I went on the internet to find a vintage greeting for the inside - see below - so perfect. No stamping, so good for those of you who do not like stamping, just a little bit of sponging. Thank you for looking.   Margaret :) It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

There are currently Christmas Card challenges over at Soul Scrappers  and I created this card for the challenge "add a wreath to your card".   Lots of fun punching out medium daisy punch from Kaszazz and manipulating them to have some dimension. I wanted it to be like a wreath hanging on a door. Thank you for looking, Margaret. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

For quite awhile I have been getting emails from Splitcoast Stampers (SS), I must admit that I usually just quickly peruse and think 'one day'.   Well, that day has come.  They are currently have some challenges running and this card is for one of them - Watercolour technique must use gold on your card.  Here is my card. It is similar to the one I posted earlier today - of course it is.  I made that card for SS challenge only to realise when I went to upload it to their blog I HAD NOT USED GOLD.   Okay, back to the paint and brush I went.  This time I have used gold embossing - challenge met (tick). It is wet here today so a great day to spend indoors creating cards and scrapbook pages. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

A layout I have completed Soul Scrappers challenge is my 601 blog post and here it is We were to be inspired by and scrap lift this beautiful layout below by Kim Ewins - Maggie and Ethan: The photo is of my sister and I celebrating her birthday in January of this year at what is now becoming a tradition - dinner at a local waterside restaurant for her birthday - 3 years in a row now. I was inspired by what appeared to be two layers of paper, maybe not, but that is how I interrupted the blue patterned paper.  I rolled up several sizes of paper and attached them, here is a close up: I am so pleased that my post  601 is a Soul Scrapper challenge as I love the challenges that they set and how they extend my creativity. Thank you design team. Why not head over yourself - click on the link - and participate. Margaret :)

Here is a card I created for a challenge over at Soul Scrappers  to create a card with a transport theme.   I used a patterned paper from Kaisercraft and have fussy cut one of the antique balloon and applied it to the front of the card.   Easy Peasy clean and simple.   Inside another of the images continuing the greeting to "Go explore". A fun bon voyage card.  Thank you for looking Margaret. 

Okay, had fun creating the cards below for challenges over at Soul Scrappers for their 6th Birthday Bash. Sit back this is a longish post showing all the cards I have made. Challenge - add stamping to a card.   For this card I have used a stamp set I purchased in England recently by Woodware Craft Collection called Square Garden.   I have coloured in the image with my Faber-Castell coloured pencils. Challenge - add a number.    This card is heading to Wales, next year for a friends 90th birthday celebrations.   The dotty image is a Kaisercraft Card Creations die - you can cut, emboss and stencil with it.  Challenge - Using Die Cuts.   A really easy card to put together, I used Kaisercraft Take a Note die cuts.  I good way to use up all those die cuts in your stash. Challenge - Masculine card.  I have embossed onto some core co-ordination paper and then rubbed with sand paper to expose inside core. This is t...