Stamps Ahead

 Here is a layout I have created for a Lift challenge over at Soul Scrappers   A lift challenge is where you are to be inspired by a layout that is posted.  Here is the inspiration layout for this month. As soon as I saw this layout I knew that I had a photo that I wanted to scrap and was just looking for the right inspiration to get started.   I have painted a circle with pink watercolour paper (yes, it did warp the paper slightly).   I then flicked a very old Chalkboard spray called Strawberry Shortcake.  The flower cluster came from a previous prize from Soul Scrappers.   To finish up die cut my words and numbers three times to give them dimension and scattered rhinestones around the paper. The photo is of my sister (on the right) and I and was taken at one of the functions she organised for her 70th birthday in January.  Here we are enjoying the cake she requested - meringue layered with fresh fruit and strawberries.  Thank...

On 10th June this year, I flew from Minneapolis/St Paul to Los Angeles.  It was a perfect day as we flew over the Grand Canyon, Arizona.  I quickly grabbed my mobile phone and took these photos.  Truly spectacular and awesome. I have completed this layout for another challenge over at Scrapping Clearly cyber challenge. This time it was a sketch challenge.  Here is my layout: I searched my stash for the right papers and embellishments, stashbusting, amazing what you find when you look! Here is the inspiration layout: 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...

We are expecting record high winter temperatures here today, so why not a bright layout. This is a photo of my sister taken on our cruise in April this year.  My sister is currently overseas and she found a scrapbooking magazine in France and posted it back to me.  She had handwritten a note on a layout she found in the magazine - see below.  (note the other handwriting is mine translating the ingredients for the layout) So I accepted her challenge and my layout is the result.  I used Dylusions Paints and pages from an old dictionary on which to apply the paints.  My stash provided everything else. Thanks for looking, have a bright day, Margaret :)

Today I created another layout from our cruise in April.  Here my sister and I are dressed for a cocktail party that our group had on our final evening of cruising.   I was inspired by a 2013 layout by Marie-Pierre Capistran   that I found whilst web surfing. Thank you for your inspiration and I have left her some thanks on her blog. Using Distress Stains I diluted them and applied to paper with brush in long random strokes.  A Mason Jar Stamp by Heartfelt Creations was then added when the ink had dried.  At the same time as painting I also painted onto a scrap of paper to use for embellishments.   Splotches of the paint were added randomly. I do not usually work in pastel colours and overall I love the result.  I just need to add some journaling. Thank you for looking, Margaret :)

This weekend I am participating in an "at-home" retreat on their Facebook page.  They have several challenges that you can complete and some Bingo games.   Here is my layout for the Challenge 2. The photographs were taken at a restaurant/beer hall in The Vienna Woods - I naively thought we were headed to a forest!!!  Am sure there were woods somewhere close but we did not see them, it was night as we headed out of Vienna into what seemed just like an outer suburb.  There was this accordion player who played for our group - all night - he was a character.  I loved his playing and got into the spirit of the evening - singing along and providing some antics - I am not sure what song he was playing but it had a great beat and just called for some fun times. My title - I do not drink alcohol what you see is a glass of Diet Coke.  As my sister, says "it is only Diet Coke - imagine if she did drink alcohol!!" Back to the layout - we were required to d...

One of the most beautiful days I have ever spent was at Mt Titlus in the Swiss Alps.  Endless snow and views for miles.  This photo was taken from a cable car as you wind your way up to the top. I called this mountain here "My mountain" as it was viewable from just about everywhere from Engelberg to the top of the Mt Titlis. I was inspired by a Tic Tac Toe challenge at Soul Scrappers  to create this mixed media page.  Here is the challenge: I selected the right hand column. I first put white gesso onto the patterned paper, let it dry and then sprayed with gold, when this dried I applied a chevron mask and used Distress Ink. The image is definitely frosty/chilly.  For the something recycled I have used the white paper that you get as inserts when you purchase inserts for your layouts - this is sprayed with the gold spray and cut into 2" strips.  I have also used buttons from my collection that I have found at op shops/fetes over the years and...