What's on your workdesk Wednesday 512

Hello Creative Friends,

Another Wednesday another workdesk share 

over at the stamping ground thanks to Julia as it's 

WOYWW 512

There's no workdesk for me this Wednesday 

but my posts short and very sweet smelling...

I'm saying it with Flowers today as my blog visits 

have been sporadic of late due to life stuff... 

but lets not talk about that today.

So in preparation for Mother's Day this coming Sunday, 

for fond memories of people special to us 

or to those that just love flowers...

I'm sharing a surprise bunch I received this week.

Wishing you all a Happy one. 

I'll be round to visit asap.

Hugs Tracey xx

Hello Susan...

Hello Creative Friends,

When I asked my Mom for some photographs of me as a child 

I was surprise to find amongst the sorted bundle a letter 

addressed to her from my Grandad written the day I was born.

Today i'm sharing it's journey, project 

and insight into how it came to be...

Using photo copies of the original letter, envelope and chosen 

photograph I gathered elements I felt relevant including broken 

jewellery, die cuts, snippets, buttons and lace to help 

decorate and frame the design.

This photograph was taken in my Nan & Grandad's garden, a snapshot of 

my amazing Auntie and me in the middle being held by my sweet Mom.

Gluing those elements down I painted them all in a layer of Gesso 

leaving the first line of the letter uncovered.  The number 1 

represents my Mother *Susan* the firstborn and me 

the first of 16 Grandchildren.

With Mom being the Eldest of seven children the number 7 also

fits in well with the year this photograph was taken 1971.

A wash of Vintage Photo distress ink brings out the depth and 

dimension of those elements, with a whisper of gilding wax 

and a bunch of die cut wildflower stems. 

*My Mom adores Flowers of every kind*

and finally..

The number 3 represents the three of us in the photo and how we still 

look out for one another just like the day this picture was captured.

Sadly my Grandad passed away when I was only 16 but 

we know he'd be so proud his letter of Thanks is as 

cherished today as the first day it was received.

His letter has been with my Mom for 50 years and now with me, 

who knows it's future and journey over the next 50 years...

Thank you for sharing today's journey.

Take good care everyone.

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

I'm sharing today with:

Kristin & EVA: PPF WK3 YR9

Try it on Tuesday: Say it with Flowers

A Vintage Journey: Celebrate the Journey - Happy Birthday AVJ

Bleeding Art: March Challenge/Anything Goes
Wen's- Simply Neutrals 54

Country View Crafts: Letters and/ or Numbers

What's on YOUR Workdesk Wednesday #511

Hello Creative Friends,

It's time to share What's on our Workdesks as it's Wednesday.

Thanks to Julia over host over at the stamping ground 

giving us the platform for crafty friends to share what's 

been tickling our creative fancy... 

Welcome to WOYWW #511

Last week I visited The Creative Craft Show at the NEC with no intention 

of buying anything (honest) but whilst browsing around the exhibition I 

stumbled across a fascinating stall Linladan Scandinavian Threads. 

 I do not believe there was one single colour unavailable. 

Like a Vintage rainbow.. here's my box full of linen loveliness...

I can't share what I am up to as i'm working on some gifts but 

If you love textile history you may be intrigued to learn about the 

textile house Nordiska established in 1879, and it's lost archive. 

The exhibition from Linladan touched my heart as much as those linens. 

It's been another sad & wicked week in the world.

Take care everyone & look out for one another.

I'll be round to visit asap.

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

She Blooms...

Hello Creative Friends.. 

I'm sharing a play day today where I used *recently* new to me 

Karin brushmarker Pro's discovered first within my monthly 

Scrawlr box I've been slowly building up my colour collection.

The image is created using Jane Davenport stencils.

 Scribbling the markers onto a non porous surface I simply sprayed those 

scribbles with water, applying directly to the image with a paint brush. 

I love how adding white gesso into the mix can change the opacity.

Even when applied onto the skin tone those delicate colours peep through.

and outlining with a fine liner really defines those stencilled lines.

With so much open white space on this A3 page it needed something 

to bring it together without over powering the beauty of this image. 

As these markers are also calligraphy pens I scrawled words, drew around 

the edge of both script and image and used my favourite colour of the 

moment *Curry* to pull out the colour using a drenched paint brush.

There's something quite rewarding about watching 

watercolour expand and dance on an open page.

Bringing both white space and image together *She Blooms*

Thank you for sharing part of your day with me today...

Happy Friday everyone... the weekend awaits!

Wishing you all a wonderful one...

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

I'm sharing today with:

MOO-MANIA & More: #186 Close to Nature

Art-Journal-Journey: as the lovely Jo Host's HELLO SPRINGTIME

Kristin & Eva: WK2 Y9 PPF

What's on YOUR Workdesk Wednesday 510

Hello Creative Friends,

It's Wednesday again and time to meet up at the 

stamping ground as Julia hosts WoywW #510

Those new brushmarkers from last week have bred, life just 

wouldn't be the same without adding the skin tone set right?

I'm still discovering what they can do, a great way of 

finishing more toppers for my depleted Birthday card stash.

I'm in love with that curry colour..

Here's two cards for Birthdays this week, the first I may have 

shared before but the Birthday isn't until the 17th and the 

Play station controller I made for my Son who turned 22 on Monday..

...and finally i'll leave you with this little Lady caught red 

handed cleaning up a stray tissue as Hubby has the dreaded lurgy..! 

She's back at the vets next week regarding that rash and baldy belly.

Look forward to seeing what you've all been up to this week,

Sorry if I missed anyone last week it was rather a busy one.

Take care everyone

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

Party Time..!!!

Hello Creative Friends

It's Party Time with Kristin & EVA over at PPF
as Paint Party Friday turns 8 Today...

**Happy Birthday**

Whilst having a free afternoon last week I thought i'd have a 

play with some acrylics. Can't remember the last time I used 

acrylics solely on their own or attempted a self portrait, 

must be at least *AHEM... 30 years ago!

DH said he could tell this was me because of the glasses 😂

I laughed so much creating this the more layers I put down 

the younger I seemed to get, if only I could bottle that stuff.. 

Personally I think this needs a bit of tweaking but it's Party Time 

and those paint splodges and hat are a great distraction hee hee!!

Wishing you all a super creative weekend.

We've Birthday Celebrations and Family time this weekend, 

what ever you are all up too have a Happy & Safe one.

Creative Hugs Tracey xx

**As A Vintage Journey are celebrating their Birthday
i'm partying with them too.. Happy 5th AVJ**

What's on YOUR workdesk Wednesday #509

Hello Creative Friends.

Opps, i'm late up today, first lie in since 1994 I believe, i'm 

not even sure how to spell it let alone do it but I enjoyed it!

So it's Wednesday again... where did that last week go?

It's check in time over at Julia's Stamping Ground as it's 

WoywW #509 and time to see what's on other creatives desk.

I forgot to show you my February Scrawlr box last week.

Inside was a new discovery for me the Karin brushmarker Pro.

Being a bit of a pen/marker nerd these had passed me by... 

I had to buy more of those non toxic dye based inks with their Japanese

 nib and a clear barrel I can see exactly how much ink is left... Sigh!! 

I'm looking forward to seeing exactly what they can do. 

I've been paint pot sorting this week after discovering some 

that had seen better days. Thankfully my IndigoBlu paints are as 

good as new, good going as some must be at least 6/7 years old. 

Thank you for all your well wishes and remedies to help our 

wee Dog last week. After lots of research and phone calls 

she's now under a new Veterinary surgery who are interested 

in studying her case. I'll keep you all posted.

More Family Birthday celebrations this weekend.

Hope you all have a good one too.

Take good care everyone,

i'll be along to visit asap.

Hugs Tracey xx

P.S If anyone is having problems reading my new font size remember you can 

change the size by holding down the Ctrl key and using the + or - Key: 

+ to make it bigger and - to make it smaller of course 😊

Mini Album Makers ~ First on the First

Hello Creative Friends,

Back in January I was overjoyed to receive an email asking if 

I would like to join the *Mini Album Maker's Design Team* 

What an honour to be considered let alone be part of this 

amazingly talented Design Team, i'm really looking forward to 

sharing this stage of my creative journey with you all.

March Mini Album Makers Challenge

Well today I get to share my first creation on the First of the month 

as it's the start of a new challenge over at Mini Album Maker's. 

Here's a pocket album I created and how it all came to be...

There are so many fabulous tutorials on album making and dies that do the 

maths and measurement for us all. To start my Mini Album DT journey 

I gave myself a task to see what I could create using a sheet of A4 card.

I started by creating a template for a folded 5" x 3.5" album, 

"you can see all the measurements below..."

Cut out, scored and folded you can see the cover when folded 

and those left overs waiting to be used to create features and 

elements within the album.

Scoring and folding 1/4" apart down the length of one 

of those left overs the concertinaed card creates strength 

to the spine and support for the book leaves.

The pages of this album are created by sewing two pieces 

of card together leaving one edge unsewn so they slot 

easily on top to conceal those supports. 

I chose to have three pages in this album 

leaving space behind for up to three signatures.

Heavy calico helps create a sturdy cover with punched eyelets creating the 

anchor for elastic which holds up to three signatures within this album.

I couldn't resist decorating the cover using Tim Holtz Wildflower Stems #1 

Painting the wildflower's using Wendy Vecchi's enamel accents those 

raised areas are exaggerated by sprinkling on clear embossing powder 

activating with a heat tool. 

Pops of distress stickles create a little drama bringing us closer 

to Spring by complementing what will lie within this album.. 

Time to play, create and lose myself in the wonders of Graphic 45 

using Journaling and ephemera cards along with tags and pockets 

from their Floral Shoppe collection to decorate the album inside.

Ephemera cards sewn onto calico are glued onto the inside 

cover using book binding glue, continuing the natural theme.

Here's a flip through the pages...

Sewn corner pockets, flaps that conceal even more pockets and signatures 

used to hold important dates to remember... especially Birthdays!

... this little album really is bursting to the brim with Graphic 45.

Held closed with elastic, a Bee Brooch rests upon a handmade tag 

pillow completing my first Mini Album Makers Design Team project.

We'd love you to share your created albums with us over HERE 

as it's March and a new monthly challenge awaits with a fabulous 

prize on offer from our generous sponsors Graphic 45.

Do pop on over and check out all the loveliness from the Design Team.

Wishing you all a wonderful week and 

Thank YOU so much for stopping by.

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

I'd like to share today's creativity with:

Crafty Cardmakers ~ Flowers

Kristin & Eva ~ PPF

Try it on tuesday ~ Powder your..

Pixie's Snippets Playground ~ Challenge #346