Stamps Ahead

Last night I attended a local youth club and together they each created an Easter card to be given to residents at local retirement villages and others.   Here are the cards they created.  My thanks to my sister (mentor to the group) for her assistance and making card inserts to write their name. The card I designed for them uses a reverse stencil technique.  They first inked up Distress Oxide ink onto a craft sheet/acrylic block/plastic then sprayed with water.  Next, place the stencil into the water/ink and then lay it onto the white cardstock and then press to transfer the inks and dry with a heat gun.  The tag/cross I prepared for each card.  The cross die was a long ago free purchase with a magazine.  The youth enjoyed making their card for donation Thank you for looking, Margaret

I have begun creating Christmas cards for Rural Aid christmascards4farmers 2021 campaign.   I have want to go with an Australian theme for most of the cards I make.  Here is one of the designs I am using. Aren't they cute! The card has a'smooched' background and it means every card is different.  I have used Ranger Distress Oxides in candied apple and mowed lawn - however, any combination of red and green inks will work.  You can also use non-Christmas colours.   I have used Kaszazz Sketchy Emu (6443K), Sketchy Santa Hats (6445H 2 stamps) and Greeting (from Word Montage-Merry Christmas 6 stamps) .Thank you for looking,   Margaret

I have made 30 thank you cards that are to be given to volunteers at our local hospitals to say thank you for all that they do.  Here are just a sample of some the cards I made multiples of: Believe it or not these cards are the same size! Techniques - blue card made with embossing paste and watercolour paint. Butterfly card made with Distress Oxide sprays onto a mat then butterfly stamp pressed into the sprays.    Dark pink card made with Distress Oxide Inks sprayed onto watercolour paper, the light pink/mauve card uses Distress Oxide Inks "smooched" onto glossy cardstock and then buffed off. Blue card made with Distress Oxide Inks (can you see I love them!) applied over embossed flower images.  The top right card I made using one of my all time favourite stamp sets (no longer available) Gorgeous Grunge by Stampin' Up! (r).  The bottom card is one of my new favourites after designing this card the stamps (excluding the Thank You) are from Kaszazz Cla...

For several years I have been making cards for Caring Hearts card drive....handmade Christmas cards that distributed to residents of nursing homes internstionally. I work with several groups to make cards for nursing homes in Australia. This year here are the cards I designed and put kits together for them to make. Glossy paper, Distress Oxide inks, Kaszazz Christmas Bell die (or Merry Christmas die not shown) and stamp from stash.  Another....just love this technique.  Impression Obsession die and stamp from stash. Washi Tape and ornament punch. Embossing folder, die and stamps from a magazine.   Thanks to all who contributed in making these cards and others that they gave me for the drive. A special thank you to a friend for donating the supply of coloured cards and envelopes that we used...a fantastic contribution. Another shout out to my sister for the donation of washi tape we used. These cards were suitable for makers with varying experience in...

Today, I lead several children aged 6 - 12 in making cards for a local church fete later in the year.  As I prepared for today I wanted cards that were easy enough for the kids to make, held their interest, and allowed them some scope with creativity and their own ideas.   I must say the cards they created were fantastic. They created over 20 cards and also a small notepad (no photo unfortunately - to busy helping them!!) Here is photo of some of the finished cards with the designs I prepared for them. The monster card (already packaged up ready for the fete) is one that I love - great for working with kids.   The Crazy Birds Stamps and Die (Tim Holtz) card uses washi tape and the participants had the choice of using coloured pencils or markers to colour their bird of choice. 

I recently became aware of a group that distributes handmade Christmas cards that spread cheer to residents of nursing homes. Here are some cards I have designed that will find their way to this group.  I have made up several packs of these and the ladies at a community craft group, where I lead a class, will make them up A very simple and easy way of spreading Christmas Cheer.  It runs from 1st November to 14th November, 2016 This card drive was started in the USA 7 years ago.  The first year they collected 750 cards and each year it continues to grow.  Last year they received over 22,000 cards and they are distributed to over 100 nursing homes throughout USA, Canada and yes, Australia.  And this year they are branching out to UK and Europe. If you are interested and want to participate please click on this link to find out more. Updated 28/10/16 to show the ladies of Pastimes Craft Group, Ettalong Beach making their card for the dri...

Yesterday, I participated in a cardmaking fundraiser for Kisii, a school in Kenya.  Here is the card I created for the ladies to make. It uses Tim Holtz Crazy Bird stamp and die, the background is Gorgeous Grunge from Stampin' Up! (SU) and the greeting also is SU.  I pre-stamped and cut the die before including in the bundle of goodies to make the card.  The bird has been watercoloured using SU markers. I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest - however despite searching for over an hour I was unable to find the original creator of card that inspired me - it had been copied and saved to many boards. So if you are out there and happen to read my blog, thank you. I love the Gorgeous Grunge stamps as you do not have to be precise in the placing of stamps, excellent for beginners and experienced cardmakers alike. Close up of that Crazy Bird.  Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Last week I made some Christmas cards for the Australian Troops Overseas with a group of ladies from a community group.  This is one of the clean and simple cards I designed for them to make. I have used Dove of Peace stamp set by Heartfelt Creations.  Now, I did not have the coordinating die so it was back to cutting bird by hand and the greeting with a punch.   After stamping and cutting the bird ink was sponged around the bird and greeting - a great way of disguising maybe an imperfect cut!!  The card base is white. Thanks for looking and no I do not think it is too early to start on Christmas cards.    Margaret :)

My camera is still not home, so these cards are once again photographed using my mobile/cell phone.  I wanted to share them with you and not wait for camera return. I recently went to Stampin' Up! (SU) card making at a friends place, and these are the cards we made.  They use some retired product (paper and ribbon).  The stamp set Butterfly Basics and also uses the Butterflies Thinlits Dies.  Of course, I did buy them - just could not resist.  First time I have ever used black cardstock on a card - I think I like it and may play around a bit more with it. This is a card I created for a class that I volunteer at (now really sorry for the colour - it is more navy than the blue here),  I have used Heartfelt Creations Jean Pocket/Ball Can stamp and the shells from SU By the Seashore. This is a great card for a male and the pocket could have a gift card or money put in it! This card was inspired by one I saw on the internet, now unfortunately after searchi...

Welcome to post 501.  Today I volunteered at a local community group card making class.  Here are the cards I designed for them to make.    Flowers are made with roughly cut out circles in tissue paper.  I have used a stamp for the stem and leaves however you could easily free hand draw these.  The white spots are acrylic paint dotted on with a toothpick.  There is a greeting inside. This is a colour blocked front with a flower and leaves created from dies.  Most of the ladies had never made this type of flower.  The greeting is tucked in under the flower.  Inside there are two simple strips of paper at bottom - that could also be used to tuck a little gift card or money if they wanted to. This card is the easiest make - it works best with printed cardstock as the base.   The heart (or whatever shape you want) is punched out and greeting applied.  The punched out shape - in this case the heart is app...

A clean and simple card I have created using all Stampin'Up! (r) products.  I have die cut the circle and the greeting/glitter flash.  It was inspired by a card that was in a previous SU publication.  The card is suitable for mass production - and this is just what I wanted as I put together kits for a group of ladies to make cards for a local church fete in May. You could change the greeting to suit your occasion.  Suitable for all skill levels. Such a bright and happy card. Thank you for stopping by, have a great day, a wonderful autumn day is shaping up here on the Central Coast of New South Wales.   Margaret :)