Stamps Ahead

It has been awhile since I last posted - where does time go?  I recently developed and run an introduction to junk journals and embellishments.  I donated part of the small cost to the Community group where I lead classes for their mission efforts. Here are some photos of what I prepared for the participants.  The journal cover was constructed from one 12" x 12" (30cm x 30cm) folded into a smaller size.  My sample shows cotton fabric I coloured with distress and alcohol inks.  Students received tea dyed ribbon. Cover plate features cheesecloth and lace behind the main image - bird from a magazine. The journal on the right was completed by one of the participants in the workshop. We started with a simple tag seen on the bottom.  Next was a simple to construct belly band.  Clusters can also be made along the band and then cut off later for clusters to be used in the journal.  I love the simplicity of these bands that are great for decorating book pa...

Not quite a card (although) it has the same measurements as a card.  I have created a fridge magnet and will be making several more for a local fundraiser next weekend. It is a great way to use up bits and pieces you may have in your stash.  Thank you for looking, Margaret

I am leading a scrapbooking workshop this coming Saturday.  It is a fund raiser that will assist raise funds for a school in Kenya.   The ladies, most of whom I know, love to use new techniques to them. A long post follows, so please stay with me. The first is a single page layout and they will be making the following layout, which I have shared previously on my blog: The ladies will choose their own Dylusions Spray Inks to create their own background to match their photo of choice. The next session on the day will be a double page layout: This is a based on a technique called "bookending or bracketing" that I found on the website of Debbie Hodge .  It is a mixture of two of the layouts in that article - Katie Scott (I love the use of multiple photos on her layout) and the layout created by Gretchen Henniger (I was inspired by the wide papers bracketing the lay out and the use of paper doilies).   I sought further inspiration for the photo frames I have crea...

I have been making some craft items to sell at a local fete that will be on in a couple of weeks.   Firstly, some inspirational stones made using rub-ons from my stash.   After cleaning the stone and applying the rub-on I then do a quick spray with fixative.   Love the "Love" on top right - just the right stone. Then, I was in our local Kmart recently and saw these tiny acrylic bottles - what could I do with them I found myself thinking as I stood there - yes, just right for MESSAGES IN A BOTTLE.  Of course, I read the packaging and that is what they suggested, so there readers not an original idea!! I have printed out a warning advice - that these are not suitable for small children due to the smallness of the stones. See what I did with them. Too cute - I love them. I searched my 'stash' and found some long ago purchased Micro Beads, that were on special - of course, who doesn't like a bargain - they eventually come into use...

Well, what weather have we been having here in Australia - on 13th November hail, 20th November was the 2nd hottest November day in history, and today cool verging on cold.  Add to that telecommunication access problems - no local phone no internet since 12th it has been an interesting time - did get back today. I was at a local art exhibition and I rescued an old patchwork kit and I made this - it will be donated.  Now, if I could only draw faces they would be smiling -  I am practicing and will have it down pat before I hand it over next year. I want to share with you some of the photographs from the recent hailstorm we experienced.  It was short and savage.  The leaves you see are from stripped trees in my yard and from a gum tree 2 houses over!!!  A pool of water also congregated and had fun ruining my plants.  Here you can really see the hail coming down. I opened the door to take the photo and was hit on the hand with a piece of fl...

LOAD Challenge has a facebook page that I came across where we are challenged to do a LOAD monthly challenge... LayOut A Day... not to hard... cards, layouts.. let's get them done!!! Christmas and New Year - check Sister out of hospital and rehab. hospital - check Scrapbook layouts started again - check Pages for SCKC (Southern Cross Kids Camps) started - check My sister arrived home from hospital and subsequent rehab hospital on 21st December, Christmas this year was at her place.  This pages shows the swimming noodles I have her and my sister-in-law who kindly bought and made lunch for us.  The swimming noodles!!!  Well my sister and I have started swimming each day in a local heated pool.  Good for her and good for me. Showing the double page layout.   Now the Christmas title looks a little tilted - no alcohol was involved (I don't alcohol - except alcohol markers!!!!) just my bad.......... I used glue to adhere an by the time I reali...

With the assistance of friends supplying their excess scrapbooking materials and making some of the pages I am pleased to advise that I will handing over 2200 6" x 6" scrapbook pages (i.e. 100 books) to Southern Cross Kids Camps next week. I thank everyone involved. As you can see I have packaged them in plastic and labelled for boy or girl.

My good camera is still being looked after by Nikon repairs, so these photos from my mobile phone show me doing some recent scrapbooking. I have been making 6"x 6" scrapbook pages to be given to an organisation that runs camps for kids. On this day my sister and a friend came to my place to help me. My friend had never scrapbooked before and she really enjoyed creating her pages. This week, I am heading to a local craft group and they will also be helping to make more pages. I would also like to thank my friends who gave me some of their excess supplies and this has helped to make many pages that will be handed over at the end of the month.

Yesterday, I had a great day making christmas cards for Aussie troops to send back home to family and friends. We were all excited to get a visit from some serving troops during the day. Here is just one photo from the day. A bit blurry but you can see we were having a good time/laugh. Also, in the photo is Julee who is our contact at Defence. Thank you to Karen for your continued organisation of this event and for the photos- for more photos go to Karen's blog here

I have been making christmas cards for Cards for the Troops - check out the details here if you would like to be involved in this, making cards for Australian troops to send back home at Christmas. And, I have been also making cards to sell as a fundraiser as my sister's church. They raise funds for ongoing mission work. Here is just one of the cards I am currently making. I have stamped the image with Stazon onto Very Vanilla cardstock, the photo comes out quite white and then coloured with my very limited collection of Copic pens. There is a message inside. I like it and I hope you do as well. Have a happy day.

Jayne's final challenge for the night was to find a card, in current SU catalogue, that you like and turn it pink! You can substitute other stamp sets too. Just use the card you choose for inspiration. My inspiration came from page 90, top right hand corner, the one with hearts. Doesn't it look great with the flowers from my garden.

Challenge 2 - Sketch Challenge. Simply turn to page 56 of the current Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalogue.Using the card with the pram on the front for inspiration, create your own card or scrapbook page. I have called mine "Pink Paris" appropriate given that my sister has recently returned from Paris. You cannot see it clearly but I have used Glimmer Mist Chalk spray.

Last night, I and my sister headed out for a Girls Night In at Jayne's. . My sister is a breast cancer survivor and I was so pleased she could come with me this year. I am happy that I can support and donate to this worthy cause year after year. Jayne had prepared several cards for us to make and set several challenges for us to complete. Challenge 1 - Create a card, scrapbook page or 3D project using the following colours: Pink! Ok, you can add a neutral colour to the mix too! Mine is a 2011 calendar. These are the cards we made whilst at Jayne's. The flowers are from my garden. If you would like to support this worthy cause you can do so through Jayne's fundraising page here .

Today,I headed to Rozelle to finish off making my Christmas cards for the Australian troops. Paper Lady has been organising this effort and all cards will head overseas for the troops to send back to their families. You may remember an earlier post when cards I made last year made it to Jordan and I got a lovely thank you postcard from the troops there. Here I am creating. the cards and close up of three of the cards I made today. Images: (c) 1990-2010 Stampin'Up!(r) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford

Images:(c)Stampin'Up! 1990-2009(r) Artwork:Margaret L Crawford Well, I had the pink designer series paper out so I completed the final sketch challenge at Helping Hudson . As my card was not a square I put the strip of paper at bottom rather than the side. It has been fun creating again.

Images: (C)1990-2010 Stampin'Up!(r) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford A group of heartfelt stampers created a blog Helping Hudson to help a young boy Hudson get a Kid Walker. Over the past weeks there has been challenges and competitions. Here is a card I created for the final colour challenge - Pink with one neutral colour. Well done to all the organisers as Hudson is to get his walker.

Images: (c) 1990-2010 Stampin'Up (r) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford After a short break I am back again creating and I hope to do more this coming week. I am making these 2011 calendars (they have a magnet on the back) for a street stall to be held in Grafton in December to raise funds for a mission in Kiev, Ukraine. They are really quick and easy to put together. I have used a stamp set (Blooming with Love) that was not available in Australia - the images are just right for a little bit of watercolouring. I am going to make more with different stamp sets so that buyers can have a choice of images and colours.

The final layout for The 21 Challenge. I have finished off with a recent photo of me. I have kept it simple and put in one of my favourite quotes that I have tried to live by: Whatever you are - be that! Whatever you say - be true! Straight-forwardly act, Be honest - in fact, Be nobody else but you. I would like to say thank you to everyone who has encouraged me, sponsored me and donated to The 21 Challenge. It is not to late to donate - just click on the link on the top right of my blog. Tonight is the longest night of the year in the southern hemisphere and I am blessed that I can spend it in the warmth of my home and that I have the warmth of my family and friends at all times - others are not so blessed, that is what this challenge has been about for me - making a difference in other people's lives.

The penultimate page. I have had some brushes with fame over the years - When I was bank teller Johnny O'Keefe came in for his banking, I cashed his cheque and he said "Thanks love!!!. I remember one time I had flown from New York to LAX, the plane was late arriving at LAX and even later leaving for Sydney that meant many hours waiting at LAX - when in came Hugh Jackman and he was rushed through to First Class - no doubt spending time in some first class lounge beforehand and not with me in Cattle Class. This page is dedicated to one other of my brushes with fame. The journaling reads: " My brush with fame. June, 2009 Great American Scrapbook Convention Arlington, Texas. When I first started scrapbooking I bought 2 books by Joanna Campbell Slan that are full of journaling hints and tips. Imagine my delight when I am came across her signing two recent novels, with a scrapbooking theme. I was starstruck! I bought and she signed the books and I told her I had her other boo...

This is my Grandfather (we kids called him "Pop") standing beside Crawford Rd sign, in Morriset NSW. He and my Grandmother moved from Hornsby to Morriset in 1930. This road was named after him, as he was a representative on the Morriset Farms Estate during the depression. This company used to show people farms that were for sale, selling off plan in Corranbong and Morriset and surrounding districts. He had a dairy up the road and used to supply milk during the depression - my Dad spent his younger years on the farm and would always tell us tales of life on the farm. In 1947 Pop and Grandma would leave Morriset and settle for the rest of their lives in Asquith. This photograph would have been taken in the 1960's - and yes the road is still there. As children we would many times make the journey to Crawford Rd, we would take friends and family to show them the sign. We would all have our photos taken to record the occasion (just can't find those photos). Towards the end...