Stamps Ahead

Another layout completed today (hopefully one more before the end of the day) for Recipe challenge 1-2-3 Cyber Crop Challenge at Mystical Scrapbooks.   The recipe was1 piece of chipboard (the table setting top right) add 2 photos and lastly a 3 word title.   Mel and I (bottom right) worked together and when Mel and family moved to North Queensland and then Sunshine Coast I have caught up with her and her family several times.  During my recent visit to Coolum with my sister, we had dinner with them one wet and windy night. It was fun to catch up and when I printed the photos we had a little photo bomber right in the centre of the group photo!  He was sitting at the next table with his family and during a short ceasing of the rain he and his sister went outside and walked the brick wall - he looked like he enjoying his moment in our photo! A little bit of stash busting here - papers, ribbon, and chipboard from Celebr8 Bon Appetit collection. Rubons and foam title...

A layout for 2nd challenge at Scrappingclearly Virtual Cyber Crop on this weekend: The challenge - Use paint, tissue paper, cotton thread, stamping and patterned paper on your project. This is what I did: Using Kaszazz watercolour paper 12" x 12" and some scraps and using watercolour paints (the round ones in those cute round towers) I created my background. with colours that I saw in the photo. The scraps I painted I used Sizzix Thinlet Poinsettia die to cut out flowers, leaves and flower centres. I took a piece of patterned paper from my stash that matched the colours and attach this to Tim Holtz Idea-ology plain tissue paper, sewn together with a black thread.   I fringed the tissue paper.  I did not want coloured or patterned tissue as I wanted the colours to remain in the tones selected.  Stamps are from an old Stampin' Up! set called Crazy about you. I used 1 strand of embroidery cotton  in each of the colours (or the nearest I had) and a little of th...

Two layouts I completed this weekend.  They are from my time in Southern Missouri and Arkansas this past June. This first shows my friends and I eating Possum Pie -  and no you are not eating Possum!!! It consists of a cracker type base, chocolate pudding (similar to a chocolate mousse),whipped cream and topped off with chocolate sauce.  David told me it was an institution in Arkansas and we found one in Eureka Springs where we spent the night before heading to Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, AR. Whilst I was away, it was International Dinosaur Day!  Surely a day to celebrate.  This dinosaur sits on my friends property in Missouri - it was rescued and repaired by David and he gave the name Faye.  The morning was misty and I love that mist through the trees. More layouts being completed. Thank you for looking, Margaret. :)

Since my last post, I have been very under the weather, however I am now back to creating and I love it.  Yesterday, I attended a 12 hour crop day (well, I managed 9 hours!) and I completed several layouts - two of which are below. Both were created from Paper Flourish kits and bits and pieces from my stash.. A little about this last photo.  I was rather limited in what supplies I had with me yesterday, and so the circles you see in brown, I stamped a soda can on the bottom and voila I have circles. I have another post coming up with another layout I completed - on a roll!!

Another challenge over at Soul Scrappers , this time we were challenged to use the word "MOVE" on a layout.  Here is my layout: These photos were taken when I visited friends in Queensland recently.  We had such a fun, laughter filled time playing Uno together.  I wanted to keep the layout playful with lots of colours. Uno, thank you for looking, Margaret :)

Here is another layout I have created recently.  I have decided to post it for a challenge at ARTastic - I hope they allow more than one entry as I have already done one layout for their May challenge - Scrap the Girls. This photo was taken when I met up with friends that I attended TAFE with many years ago.  We completed the Advanced Needlecraft Certificate at Hornsby TAFE and became firm friends during this time.   But as life goes on we lost contact - until Facebook got us back together 20 years later!..  They caught the train up and we had lunch and much catch up at my home before a walk on the beach.   Again here is the inspiration photo at ARTastic, the criteria Girls Only. I was further inspired by a layout by Emily Pitt found on   Debbie Hodge  from 2013 that I found whilst blog surfing. Thank you Debbie I have left some thanks for you on your blog. Thank you for looking, Margaret.

Here is a double page layout I completed towards the end of the weekend.  I had finished all the layouts I prepared and I was scratching around my limited supply of  papers (I bought for the weekend only a minimum amount) trying to find ones that co-ordinated with the photos.  I hand cut the leaves. This photograph of my sister (hatless) and our friends from Grafton when we did a walk along the water and bush at Red Rock, New South Wales.  It was a great walk, very quiet and we saw lots of interesting wildlife and flora.  I was inspired in part by a layout in a Simple Stories publication. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

These photos had been sitting for some time I was wondering what to do with them.  The photos here of Jason's shirt don't show the intensity of the flouro green that it was....Last night I took some kraft cardstock and with white gesso painted it.  After it dried (not long as we have been having some hot summer evenings here) I applied a mixture of green and yellow Gelato crayons to try and match the colour of the shirt.  Then into my stash I went and found Project Life Honey Edition papers and cards = perfect to match all the different colours in the photos. Stickers and drawn lines completed the layout. Thank you Bax family for your friendship and I love catching up with you when I am in Missouri and remembering the adventures we shared with many more to come I am sure.

I have used mostly Project Life (PL) papers on these traditional scrapbook layouts, they come from the PL range called Honey Edition by Becky Higgins. Not a good day for photography today in Sydney it is cold and threatening to rain!!!  A good reason to stay in and do more layouts.!!! This first layout is of my friends youngest son in Missouri.   I love how I could make the arrow with the journaling cards.  "awesome" is a favourite word of ours - it is chipboard that I have coloured with orange stamp ink. The dragon fly die is Elizabeth Craft Designs and I have embossed the wings before adhering.  You will see that I am also loving Studio Calico wood veneer stars at the moment. Love that Cole is growing into an awesome young man who has a natural affinity with nature. Here I am on the set of Friends at Warner Bros Studio in Burbank, Hollywood, Los Angeles.  I am sitting on the couch featured in the series.  Can you find the Studio...

I was away this weekend on a Scrapbooking Retreat and whilst there managed to get quite a few pages completed.  Here are some I am sharing with you.  Hope you enjoy scrolling down.  This first one is of my friend Reta and I - it was taken whilst we had lunch at a Cracker Barrel in  Kentucky. Reta is 91 years young and it has been many years of friendship between us. The papers and stickers are from Kaisercraft Tea Break Collection and the die-cut accents are from s.e.i that I won at the Mega Scrapbook. Love how the unrelated collections all come together.The inspiration for this layout came from scrapbook ideas magazine, page 78 layout by Karen Leonard. These photos were taken during my visit to Warner Bros Studio - by the magic of the green screen I am transported to the world of Harry Potter. I hand cut the arrow. Blanchard Caverns in Arkansas - a magnificent wander through these caves.  It was hot outside but in the caves it was 53f....

Wow, I am on a roll this week!!!  I am submitting this layout for two challenges. 1. Scrapbook Challenges had a challenge inspired by the word -  "TODAY".  They had a sketch (329) back in January, that incorporated the strips down the left side, I filed that in my memory and thought one day I will do that - well that day has come.  The photos were taken at Cracker Barrel Restuarant, in Paducah, Kentucky.   I had been staying with Carol and David (on the left) down on their farm in Missouri, and they drove me over to Paducah, on 20th November, 2012, to spend time with Reta in Paducah. We all had lunch together before Carol and David returned to their home. I found the antique type papers in my stash, and they fitted in with the decor that decorates the restuarant. The thin black strip is from Graphic 45 and it has the word "unique" and description of the word and Cracker Barrel is certainly unique.  It was in Cracker ...

Good afternoon, Have you discovered Scrapbook Challenges yet?  If you have followed my blog you will know that I love to get inspiration from the challenges that they post.  This challenge called "Kristine's April Number Challenge" had the following requirements - use 4 photos (check), 4 patterned papers (check), 2 sheets of cardstock (check - I used Kraft and a shiny brown bazzil) and at least 4 different embellishments (check). An impromptu photo opportunity - Jeffersons Landing, Jefferson City, MO Close up of the papers used. I love it against my brick wall. Close up of clockface (puchased in Paris flea market) and the great saying. These photos were taken at Jefferson's Landing, Jefferson City, MO. I was waiting for a train to Hermansburg and so we took the opportunity to take impromptu photos of each other.  

For sometime now I have been reading the blog of The Lollipop Ladies .  As they write on their blog they give you sweet-inspired themes to use in your projects.  Now as one to who has a sweet tooth I have finally been inspired to create a scrapbook page based on their current challenge, this photograph of rock candy plus music (rock music of course)!:  When I was in Paducah, Kentucky, USA visiting my friend for her 90th birthday this past December, we went to a Christmas concert by Annie Moses Band - a great rocking family band.  Can you see how I used the photo above for inspiration? The decorations on this paper (sorry, I don't remember the company name) that reminded me of the rock candy and the notes (that are dimensional stickers I purchased in USA and printed twill tape) wafting across the page have my feet tapping remembering this happy occasion.

Has it been over 1 month since I uploaded? Time flies doesn't it!!  I was inspired by a sketch (336) over at Scrapbook Challenges to complete this layout of an auction I attended in Arkansas, USA on my last holiday.  It was about an hours drive from my friends home, in Missouri,  to the auction that was held in a shed. We spent time looking at all the tat up for auction before the actual calling.  It was hilarious listening to the auctioneer and watching he assistants demonstrate some of the goods. They even played up to the fact that I came from Australia to their little part of the world. I have had this patterned paper and embellishments forever and I just could not throw it away, even though it is dated.  They were just waiting for this layout. The alphas were new, purchased during my holidays and I have gone around them with pen to give them depth and to make them stand out a little more. What else have I done?  Last week I went up to The ...

I am catching up with scrapbooking since I came back from holidays and I was over at Scrapbook Challenges and in November they had "Gratitude" challenges posted.  This challenge was to select at digi layout as inspiration and then interpret as a paper layout.  I was inspired by a layout by Tanyia. I liked the small squares of  patterned paper (PP).  What my photo does not show is that the floral PP has glitter and it really pops on the pages. I added some jewellery findings for additional sparkle. I am grateful for meeting my friend Reta from Kentucky.  We met over 22 years ago on a European holiday and I have spent many happy holidays with her in USA, and she visited Australia in 1995.  This month she celebrated her 90th birthday. 

I have started scrapbooking my photos from my recent holiday - a couple I did whilst I was away when I attended an all day crop in Jefferson City with friends. This double layout of the beautiful, fresh water Spring River Bayou Access. On 8th November my friends took me to this beautiful area of Arkansas (not far from their farm in Missouri).  I could not fish as I did not have a licence, so I had a great walk around the river area.  Each person can only catch 5 fish each. On 12 November (Veteran's Day in the USA) I travelled from Jefferson City, MO to St Louis, MO.  I have been to St Louis before but have never had the opportunity to investigate the Gateway Arch.  This layout features the professional photo taken as you go up to the top of the Arch. It was a beautiful day with hardly a cloud in the sky.  The views from the top were just amazing. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to go to the top of this landmark.  This layout is of ...