Paperbabe Challenge ~ Flower/Garden

Happy Friday Creative Friends

It's Challenge time again over at Paperbabe Stamps 

and what better way can there be than to start the creative 

ball rolling by offering a Flowers/Garden theme Challenge.

Here's my Paperbabe DT creation and how it came to be... 

Onto a plain cushion cover I scraped on fabric paint, mark 

making by pushing those fabric paints through Paperbabe Stencils. 

Those pops of yellow remind me of bursts of springtime sunshine!

Stamping the Doll Face Stamps onto fabric gives strong 

guide lines perfect for a little embroidery.

The large Peony taken from the Peony & Bud set has been stamped 

onto rice paper and transferred onto the cushion cover using 

a washable fabric glue and painted with fabric paints.

I made a Peony fabric brooch embellished with beads and lace.

Sewing the embroidered face onto the cushion I added two rice paper 

Peonies to balance the design with the brooch taking centre stage.  

A flower border embroidered at the bottom helps to ground her, 

completing my Paperbabe mixed media Springtime cushion.

We'd love you to share your Flower/Garden designs over HERE,

Pop on over there's a Paperbabe prize to be won 

for one lucky participant.

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Creative Hugs

 Tracey xx

I'm sharing today's creativity with:

Kristin & Eva ~ PPF Wk8 Y9

TioT ~ Springtime

Bleeding Art ~ Add Stenciling

Altered Eclectics ~ April Challenge

Inky Messy ~ Challenge 30

Country View Crafts ~ Easter and/or Spring

A bit more time to Craft ~ #90 Anything Goes

More Mixed Media Challenge ~ ATG/Optional Yellow

World Wide Open Design Team Monthly Challenge #4 

What's on your workdesk Wednesday ~ 516

Hello Creative Friends,

Hope you all had a great Easter? 

Here in the UK we were blessed with sunshine what a glorious 

few days we've had, the past week has flown by and again it's 

Wednesday & time to share what's on our workdesks 

over at the stamping ground thanks to Julia it's 

WoywW #516

Having given myself the week off there's nothing creative to 

share but here's my latest Scrawlr box that arrived yesterday. 

Glad to say I have not got those pastel Ecoline's...

The larger canvas I was painting last week was the bathroom 😁

Did a little tiling too... or should I say recovering of tiles. 

Those stickers do a grand job of cheering up the place.

...and finally making sure there's something for our feathered friends 

after the wood pigeons and magpies have had their fill of the feed. 

I've been placing new feeders around the garden, 

they appear to love this little hidey-hole.

Sorry to those I missed last week..

I'll be sure to visit this week.

I'm sure there's lots to catch up on.

Take care everyone & stay safe..

Hugs Tracey xx

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday 515

Hello everyone ...

It's Wednesday & time to share what's on our workdesks. 

No creative desk from me today as i've been painting a larger canvas 

using up half pots of paint and catching up with jobs well overdue.

Thank you 

for your supportive words last week regarding our beloved 

Dog your all so kind. The house feels very empty without her 😢

Counting down the days till I can eat these again, help yourself 

but save me one please, I could do with the energy boost.

I'll catch up with you over at the stamping ground for 

WoywW 515 when i've finished those jobs of the day 

and washed the paint from my brushes and hair.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter.
I've heard the weather in the UK is warming up..

hope it doesn't melt my eggs 😁

Take good care of yourselves & each other.

Hugs Tracey xx

Reusing it bit by bit..

Hello creative Friends,

We all love to receive new crafty goodies but the amount of packaging 

used to keep our products safe as they make their journey to us leaves 

little to be desired. It's the downside of online shopping for me. 

Here's a project I created recycling a tiny amount of this 

weeks packaging and re-purposing found bits and bobs ...

Using a blank A5 journal cover I protected the holes with washi tape and 

scraped modeling paste through this fabulously detailed Stamperia stencil.

This plastic water bottle had blown into my front garden.
Cutting off the top and bottom I've used its plastic to cut three 

large stems and embossed using the first folder that came to hand.

Taping down those die cuts onto a dark background helped me to 

identify the embossed areas whilst dry brushing with white gesso.

 When removed they've certainly left their footprint... 

I'll recycle that background another day.

Along with buttons cut from old clothing, unloved prizes from 

Christmas crackers and poorly cut dies (my fault not theirs)...

this cover was ready to be transformed...

With the protective washi removed I covered in a coat of gesso.

A wash of diluted Black Soot Distress Oxide is painted over the cover 

and spritzed with water. A small amount goes a long way pushing 

that diluted colour around the page where it clings and defines. 

Found this strange shape amongst those Christmas cracker bits,

It brought a smile to my face reminding me of a cold wet dog nose.

Perfect find for my intentions...! 

Wrapped wire and buttons to embellish a warm blast with a hairdryer 

gently curls those water bottle flowers when glued down in place..

There's a hint to the right what i've used that #wetnose for 😀

It holds a re-vamped stubby little pencil perfectly..

What fun I had recycling and re-purposing...

I think i'll keep this journal just for those recycling arty days.

Wishing you all a super weekend what ever your up too.

Take good care everyone

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

I'm sharing today's creativity with:

Kristin & Eva: PPF Wk6Y9

Wen's Simply Neutrals #55

Tiot: Use a Stencil or Two

A Vintage Journey: Neutral Zone

*Art Journal Journey * Wendy's -Having Fun

Frilly & Funkie: Re-purpose, Re-use, Recycle

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: No Designer Paper

What's on your workdesk Wednesday #514

Hello Creative Friends

It's Wednesday that day of the week where creatives worldwide 

share their desks thanks to our host Julia over at the 

Stamping Ground.

WoywW 514

A scheduled post from me as there's been little time for crafting 

but here's two embroideries I made for Mom's on Mothering Sunday 

created from left overs, Linladan linen threads and help from 

Katrina Witten's Hand-stitched Landscapes & Flowers book.

Thank you to everyone who has left kind comments and best wishes 

regarding our dog Boni(ta) many know she had been very poorly. 

Recent tests confirmed there to be a tumour in her tummy 

and we sadly lost her on March 30th 😢

Here's a picture of her looking very regal at 4 months old, 

she never lost those puppy dog looks even at the age of 12.

The best companion, forever faithful with the waggiest of tails. 

She followed our children everywhere loving nothing more than 

sneaking into their warm beds on school days if given chance. 

Miss you little lady... until we meet again R.I.P xx

I'm a little fragile at the moment so please be patient with me.

I'll catch up with you all very soon to check out WoywW

Hugs Tracey xx

Mini Album Makers April Blog Challenge

Hello Creative Friends,

Welcome to another month and a new Challenge over at 

Mini Album Maker's as the Design Team bring you inspiration 

in the form of handmade books and journals.

April Mini Album Makers Challenge

This month see's Eileen Hull as our sponsor offering the prize 

of a $35 GC to spend in her Etsy Shop for one lucky winner.

Please pop on over to our Mini Album Maker's April Challenge, 

be inspired by the Design Team and share your ALBUMS with us. 

Here's what I got up to and how it came to be..

There's no measuring this month as Eileen Hull's 

Passport die kindly does all the measuring for us. 

Shamefully not having a scrap of grey/mount board left to hand I

had to improvise and use a cereal box and corrugated cardboard.

Cutting 2x inside cover's - 2 x outside covers - 

2 x spines each glued together to reinforce.

When constructed a mix of fibre paste and pearl medium was scraped on to 

those outer covers and painted with acrylics. A gypsy Soul laser cut was 

trimmed to size, painted in the same way then glued to the book front.

Cutting another set of dies this time using Kraft Card this helped

hide ribbon used as the journal closure, acts as extra support to 

strengthen the corrugated card and neaten everything inside.

Last year I came across this Vintage beaded necklace.

I'd Loved and looked at it but always intended to repurpose it.

With Easter approaching it seemed ideal for this project 

and the pendant size was well matched to that aperture.

Measuring the spine I cut an extra strip of card and glued down lengths

 of the vintage necklace to add a decorative edge to the spine cover.

Those pre-cut holes give us our thread guides 

which hold our signatures inside.

Gluing the outer spine in place I added the last of the outer 

detail by edging around the cover with gold ranger liquid pearls.

Spraying Eileen's credit card sleeve die cuts with 

Distress Oxide Spray, paint and a dab of gilding wax

they fit like a dream inside the front cover, 

holding those small tags to be used as page markers. 

Teamed up with Tim Holtz stitched slots they work in harmony.

Three signatures cut from Kraft card simply sprayed with Distress 

Oxide Spray I created three notebooks adding a word to each.. 

Hopes, Dreams and Fears.

If your like me it helps to write thoughts down 

and keep them close to hand.

Slotted neatly inside, each signature is 

held shut with a decorated paper clip.

Tied closed with ribbon 

my April Mini Album is complete...

Thank you for stopping by today 

it's always lovely to see you all here.

Please pop on over HERE and see what the 

Design Team have created for you this month. 

We'd love you to join in with the challenge

Our theme is anything goes... leaving you to create the magic!

Take good care everyone 

and look out for one another.

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

I'm playing along with:

Altered Eclectics: April Challenge

SanDee&amelie's: Anything goes - Steampunk/Industrial

Country View Crafts: Easter and/or Spring.

Paint Party Friday: Wk5 Y9

LTCCB #33 : April Anything Goes