Mini Zig Zag Book: Victorian Garden from Dusk till Dawn.

This Mini Zig Zag Book was created for a group swap challenge. 

It's 3.5" x 3" in size and made from one sheet of A4 Kraft card, folded and scored with two lengths glued together creating more pages. Gesso is painted on both sides with the front and flip side cover stamped and embossed using the Flutterby stamp. 

The flaws in this were not apparent to start with, all seemed well until my slap dash coating of Gesso was dry and I noticed that the edges had started to crack! Now i'm not too sure why this happened, was it the quality of Kraft card I was using or had I over scored it..?? 

I have no idea but as this would be flying off to a new home I didn't want it to fall apart. 

So I decided to strengthened the folds with masking tape 

decorated with the script stamp before adhering.

Using Tim Holtz Distress Oxides, I stamped and clear heat embossed  a scene of flowers using stamps by IndigoBlu from the Victorian Garden set. I found the Kraft card buckled and bent during the heating process with me again questioning it's quality 

but I do love the look oxides leave when clear embossed as it wakes their colour up.

Spectrum Noir Moonstone sparkle pen has been brushed across the skyline 

creating the look of dawn and its first light.

   

The flip side has been stamped using Butterflies from the Victorian Garden set and heat embossed in clear and white. The Butterflies have been gently coloured using sparkle pens and the background coloured using Faded Jeans Distress Oxide and darkened with Chipped Sapphire distress ink to give the look of dusk as night begins to fall.

  

I (tried to) replicate the body of a Butterfly by altering the shape
of a large paperclip and wire wrapping red agate around it. 

This is a removable fastening that holds the book closed.

Sentiments used are from the fabulous Victorian Garden stamp set 

Designed by the super talented Kay Halliwell-sutton of IndigoBlu.

Although this little Zig Zag Book raised some concerns along the way, even photographing it was difficult, I do like the effect of the finished piece and hope its recipient likes it too.

Now my mission is to throw a few more ideas onto my Kraft Card and test its stability 

and if all else fails... source some more!!

Thank you for your company today, wishing you all a bright and sunny weekend.

Hugs Tracey xx

Crafty Supplies:

IndigoBlu Victorian Garden Rubber Stamps

IndigoBlu Flutterby Dinkie Stamp

IndigoBlu Script Dinkie Stamp

Gesso 

Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens Summer Collection

Kraft Card/Masking Tape/Embossing Powder/Archival Ink

Tim Holtz Distress/Oxides

Mini Scraps Journal

Hello creative people, I hope you are all in fine fettle??
I start today with a question.. Do you save your off cuts, scraps and 

tester pages that are just too nice to throw away?

I try to use as many of mine as I can for backgrounds, projects and even create elements
to add to my projects but the scrap paper mountain never seems to go down much.

Here's my quick solution to keeping them more organised using some of these goodies.

Using a White/Greyboard panel size 2.96 in  x 5.52
from That's Crafty I dry brushed on Ranger Dabber Paints.

Pushed textured Sand Paste through a TCW Mini Texturized Stencil..
(I love this stencil..)

When dry added colour to the textured sand and

stamped Trish Latimers Word Girl One rubber stamp using black archival 

onto the painted panel and coloured using Posca pens.

Dotted, dabbed and coloured areas to replicate flowers within the open space, 

adding a tiny touch of gilding wax for shimmer.

This decorated panel has now become the cover for my scraps book and with a hole punched in the corner and scraps added, it's all held together with a book ring making it much easier to flip through and find a background. 

I already have quite a few of these mini scrap journals near full but I'm sure you will agree

 they look much more appealing than a mountain of paper and are a lot easier to store.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope your day is a creative one.

Take Care until next time..

Hugs Tracey xx

Crafting Supplies:
StarTrish Design Word Girl One

That's Crafty Surface White/Greyboard Panel 2
TCW 6x6in Mini Texturized Stencil
Ranger Paint Dabber
Posca Marker Pens

April Tag.. bitesized.

Can't believe we are nearly one third of the way through the year and i'm here today sharing my April tag following the 12 week Tag challenge instructions.

Here are those how to do's in words and pictures..

I painted a 35 mm  x 70 mm Tando- Creative size 1 Tag in White Gesso
then a layer of IndigoBlu Lime Marmalade.
Covered with IndigoBlu Stroke of Midnight making
squiggly marks whilst the paint was still wet.

I Pressed Decoart Modelling paste through a TCW Stencil, added Lace for Collage
and covered in a layer of DecoArt Transparent Yellow Oxide

Dripped Lime Marmalade paint over the tag and sealed with matte medium when dry.

As this tag is small I thought it would be so quick to follow and administer
all the instructions from the 12 week challenge but how wrong I was.

I realised that it would be an art form in itself to deliver each instruction as my focal image would cover most of the tag up. I decided to forfeit any stamping on the tag as my focal image is stamped using Rubber Dance Textured Flowers stamps.

Doodles have been added to the focal image, wired embellishments, words of wisdom 

and a bulldog clip gives this mini tag a little more height. 

As you can see from the penny beside it the tag is quite small.

This tag now has some magnetic sticky strip added to the back
making a rather nice fridge magnet.

Thank you for popping on over. Have a great weekend and I look forward to sharing some more creativity with you very soon.

Hugs Tracey xx

Crafting Supplies:

Size 1 Tando Creative Tag 
IndigoBlu Lime Marmalade
IndigoBlu Stroke of Midnight
TCW Mini Texturized Stencil
DecoArt Modelling Paste
DecoArt Transparent Yellow Oxide
DecoArt Matte Medium
Rubber Dance Stamps
Rubber Dance Textured Flowers Stamps UK

Double Faced Dolly

Hello creative people, I hope you all had a great Easter weekend and found time to chillout, relax and maybe even a little creative time? Mine was spent with family and being Mom.. so now i'm trying to play catch up with everything not so Mom..!!

Last month some of you may remember that I made my first ever Art Doll a challenge set in a FB group, It was optional to swap our Dolls but as mine was my first I didn't put her up for Swaps as I'd became quite attached to her.... I felt so mean but as the challenge date had been extended I decided to make another. 

Here in small words and lots of pictures is my *Art Doll take Two* how to do's..

Using a wooden Peg Dolly I painted and covered the lower half with patterned paper.

I cut a circle to create a skirt base to wrap around the Dolly to build up the skirt.

Concertinaed brown paper was glued around the skirt base

and lace added for detail.

A top layer was created in the same way making sure the circle was large enough 

to pleat around the base. Paint had been dabbed on to add interest.

Lace is glued to the top half of the Dolly and pinned (ouch) to hold until dry.

Wooden 1" circles had been glued to create a larger face area. May I add I only decided to create a *Double Faced Dolly* at this stage as it seemed to balance it all a little better.

Stampendous stack art stamps create the faces and were coloured boldly.

The upper lace was painted to coordinate, arms, party hats and embellishments added along with a few dots of versamark pen and a sprinkle of embossing powder on their faces to add to their imperfections... 

and my Double Faced Dolly is complete.

Can't help be reminded of the Doctor Who Episode *Night Terrors* 

when I hear the word Peg Doll. Hopefully these are not quite as scary..?

Thank you for dropping by I look forward to sharing more creativity with you soon 

and hope you can join me.

Creative Hugs Tracey xx

Crafty Supplies:

Wooden Dolly Pegs

Stampendous Angel Wings Stack Art Stamps SAS01

Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabbers

Versamark Pen

Stamps Away Clear Embossing Powder

Paper, Lace and embellishments are home based bits & bobs..

Easter Blessings

Wishing Easter Blessings to you all..

I'm sharing two quick, clean and simple cards this Easter. 

Stamped, coloured, mat and layer..

Happy turned Hoppy

Whether religion plays a part in your life Easter for me is a good time to reflect, rewind, roll forward and be Thankful for the family and friends I am proud to have around me.

May your weekend be Peaceful, Safe & Happy this Easter .. 

Hugs Tracey xx

Craft supplies.

Sue Dix stamps: Easter set 1 (Personal Impressions)

Darice: Crosses embossing folder

Spectrum Noir Colorista Alcohol Markers

Crafters Companion Centura Pearl Gold Card

Lacquer look Book Box..

I do so love this stamp by Paperbabe, I had used it in a project earlier in the year 

but whilst having a clean up & recycle this week I came across this image I had already coloured hiding in a Graphic 45 Book Box. This is what I created using it.. 

Lacquer look Book Box..

I distressed around the image using Tea Dye Distress ink then cut the image to size. Creating faux stitching around the edge I then triple embossing the whole image. 

When dry I created cracks in the embossed image by bending it gently and stained 

them with gathered twigs distress ink to add age.

The image was edged with Stampendous Gold embossing powder and glued onto a 5x7 canvas board that had been painted with gold paint, edged and scribbled over with a wax tealight to create a resist  and black gesso painted on top. When dry areas were sanded back to expose some of the gold underneath.

A layer or two of Mod Podge helps create the Lacquered look.

A panel was created for the spine of the box using a distressed paper off cut.

I stamped the Flower from Paperbabe oriental Zen stamp set as it is the same stamp that is in Mae Lee Dees hair. and used the same colours to replicate the design. The triple embossing & cracking technique was repeated along with the gold embossed edges and distressing of the cracks to marry up both front and side designs.

Ribbon coloured to coordinate with the flower was tied around the box 

to act as a closure and the canvas glued onto the box front securing the ribbon.

Modelling paste has been scraped around the edge of the box using a comb to resemble book pages and left to harden. When dry I covered with a layer of black gesso and highlighted all the raised edges with gilding wax.

A final layer of Mod Podge and brass brads complete the finished design..

I'm using my book box to store inchies i'm creating for a 365 days of inchies challenge and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that It will hold all 365 of them by the end of the year..

Thank you for stopping by, wishing you all a super weekend.

Hugs Tracey xx

Creative Recipe:

Graphic 45 Book Box
5x7 Canvas Board

Paperbabe MayLeeDee Clear Stamp
Paperbabe Oriental Zen Clear Stamps
Stamps Away Embossing Powder
Pebeo Gilding Wax *King Gold*
Spectrum Noir Illustrator Pens

Pebeo Black Gesso
Pebeo Gold Paint
Modelling Paste
Mod Podge

Extra Large Mixed Media Blue & Ochre Tag..

The current colour scheme of the PaperArtsy Challenge is so Alluring, I was inspired from the onset by Chris Cresswell and her Art Journal spread. With the element of surprise behind the doors and Chris's attention to detail; something close to my heART.. I just had to create something using those given colours of Blue and Ochre.

Here in words and pictures is my creation...

For my surface I used an Extra Large Tag (147mm x 296mm) by Dali Art. 

I squeezed a blob of Midnight Blue, Indian Turquoise, True Ochre and Yellow Ochre Americana Acrylic paint randomly onto it. The paint was spread over the surface from side to side with a piece of card and marks made into the paint using a comb to create some texture.

IndigoBlu Super Thick Slapiton was pushed through a Dina Wakley Stencil.

I Stamped Kim Dellow EKD06 stamps with versafine and coloured with pencils and illustrator Pens, some of the flowers I cut, shaped and layered to change their dimension.

I chose a selection of lace, ribbon and Sari border to coordinate with the colour way and used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Fossilized Amber to tone down the whiteness of the lace.

After the Lace, Ribbon and Sari border had been adhered to the tag I used *Deep Blue and Sicilian Yellow Inktense pencils to add light and shade to areas of the tag adding water over the pencil areas to make the ink permanent.

Flat back pearls, micro beads and wire all add to the detail.

With Glossy accents and white  Posca Pen helping to highlight the finer details 

my mixed media tag is complete.

I've really enjoyed gathering colour coordinating materials and piecing together this mixed media Tag . I hope you like my creation and entry into The PaperArtsy Colour Challenge Topic 5: Blue and Ochre

Wishing you a wonderful day what ever you are up too..

Creative Hugs from Tracey xxx

Crafting Supplies Menu: 

DaliArt Extra Large Tags

Derwent Inktense pencils

DecoArt Americana Acrylics

Kim Dellow Eclectica EKD06

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad

Dina Wakley Mosaic Swirl Stencil

Spectrum Noir ColourBlend Pencils

Spectrum Noir Illustrator Marker Pens