Stamps Ahead

Today a layout for a challenge over at The Memory Nest .  Here is my layout: The photos of my friends daughters Emma and Chloe were taken when we visited Mooloolaba Beach, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.  It is very close to their home and they love walking amount the rock pools and climbing the rocks and of course posing when there is a camera nearby. Can you believe that this photo was taken in winter!!!  I have used very girly colours to match the clothes they were wearing.  The speckled paper (made with sprays and gesso) I made for another challenge but ended up not using it but it fitted in perfectly with these photo. Click on the layout for a better view.  Here is the challenge layout. Thanks for looking, Margaret.  Cheers.

Another layout today for a challenge at Soul Scrappers  we were to be inspired by a layout from the wonderful Beck Beattie - here is my layout: and here is the inspiration layout I was inspired by the gesso/painted background, the colours Beck used on her layout (when printed out I saw she used pink as well) and the placement of strips of paper. My photographs were taken when I was visiting my friends in Buderim, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia recently.  Emma (aged 7) showed me how to download a photo collage app for my Samsung Tablet and she then walked me through how to 'work' it.  Yes, you can learn something new everyday.  I resisted putting dog ears and noses on us though.... For the layout I first used white gesso with an chicken wire type stencil, then sprayed with ink and dabbed with some green distress ink.   The flowers and stars are to represent the flowers in Chloe's and my hair and the crowns for Emma and Chloe. I hope you like this layout

Here is a scarf I have knitted for myself - it is made with Lang Yarns Sasha.  The yarn is fun with long strands (almost like dreds) and it is quick to make up in one night, only uses garter stitch. My sister found this yarn in Vichy, France and posted it to me. I love my scarves and this one is just so fun and warm. Thanks to my sister for finding the yarn.  Keep warm, Margaret :)

Here is a layout I created for a challenge over at Soul Scrappers  - it is a one word challenge and the word is 'listen'.   Here is my layout: On my recent holiday north I stayed a couple of nights in a cabin at Corindi Beach caravan resort on the way up and loved it so much I stayed for 3 nights on the way home. I left my home early and it was 2 degrees!!!  How do I know that?  Well, as I was driving a strange light came on dashboard of my car....my first thought......I paid so much to have my car serviced before I left, was is wrong? When I could I pulled over, checked the manual and the light comes on when the outside temperature is below 5 degrees....looked at the ambient temperature and sure it was 2 degrees.   It stayed that way until many kilometres up the motorway.   Arriving at Corindi it was 19 degrees!!!  So warm.  I had many beach wanders, I saw dolphins and whales in the distance.  Can you hear the waves?  I wish I could articulate just how beautiful the sound

I just could not resist doing another layout for ARTastic Challenge Blog .  This time I have gone for a fun layout.  At Maleny Dairy, in the hinterland of Sunshine Coast, Queensland they had this cut out where you could have your photo taken.  My friend Mel (right) and I (left) decided that we needed to be there and do that. Here is the layout: It still meets the country/rural theme of the challenge.  The colour in real life is much brighter unfortunately I have had to take this inside.   Thank you for looking, I hope you managed a smile looking at us being "udderly" funny. Margaret :)

Well, here I am back after some holidays - I headed to northern New South Wales and Queensland following the M1 motorway. Today, I have completed a layout for a challenge over at  ARTastic Challenge blog. We were to be inspired by a pastel landscape called "Spring Frost Study by Elioth Gruner, with the added criteria of country/rural theme.   My photo (photos I have used two 5" x 7") was taken when with friends I visited the Maleny Dairy, in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.  As soon as I saw these cows resting in the field I was immediately saying 'this is the photo I want for the challenge'.  Click on the image and you will see cows enjoying some winter sun. I have made the fringe to represent the grass.  The top fringe I made by swiping distress ink in two colour onto a light tan cardstock.  Here is a close up of the fringe, the twine in two colours just does not show up very well in this photo: Here is the inspiration photo, it w