Turning 18...a whole NEW world!

Hello Crafters

Welcome today to my page with something really NEW from my side for this new year!

The challenge this month at Anything But A Card ChallengeBlog is “ NEW BEGINNINGS”. You can create anything your heart desires EXCEPT a card and do stick to the theme!

I thought turning 18 opens up a whole new world for any kid and couldn’t resist sharing what I made for that milestone birthday!

If you have read the title and are wondering even remotely, if it’s ME…NO..NO! I wish I could get back to 18…such wonderful, carefree days, Do you ever feel that anytime or is it just me???

Well, coming to the project, I made this for a mother who wanted to gift something “unique and special” to her daughter on her 18^th birthday! She wanted her daughter to treasure it for a long, long time and I just knew I had to do this one..

Have a look…I made a pocket album with lots of inserts, tags, photo mats, spaces for journaling, stamping and of course to showcase a bit of my handmade embellishments too!

Since it was for a “little lady” I stuck to pastel colors and a floral theme which I guess will appeal to her in the years to come too! I have used papers from Recollections paper pack.

I have layered 2 empty cereal cartons to make the album cover, they really get sturdy there!

There are in all 5 main pocket pages, all with different colors, have inserts in them and some inter active elements too.

Album making is a new experience for me, this is probably my 3^rd in the last one month, yes I am addicted to making these now!

I love to have sentiments and quotes as inserts inside the album. It throws up a nice surprise while you are actually browsing thru your old memories…I hope you get the picture here!

I have used a lot of stamps from TH, Heartfelt Creations, Fiskars and Paper Artsy for the quotes.

I dint want to get too vintage with the album, keeping the age in mind so just got about distressing the edges with co coordinating DI.

On some pages I have a mini accordion fold out held together with a satin ribbon which can hold smaller pictures.

On the whole the album can hold up to 40 photographs…Am sure the mom is going to have a great time filling it up and I can also imagine how the young lady is going to feel when she actually receives it! I am feeling emotional here…

For the closure, I have use a broad nylon ribbon and stained it with matching DI and this makes a lovely big bow when tied up, just like a little girls pig tail!

For the front cover, I have layered some cheese cloth, a doily and then the title is on corrugated cardboard panel, torn in places and egged with gesso for the shabby chic effect!

The lovely lavender flower too is from TH tattered florals and have edged it with Prima chalk edgers in grey for that chalky look and some twisted rose buds add that perfect feminine touch…what say???

A little resin butterfly in blue hovers around too.

On the spine I have some beaded danglers made with glass beads and baubles and have told the mother to attach some of her favorite charms or pendants. She was so excited with that option.

So, that brings me to the end of the album tour! I feel I have finished off very early…feels like I haven’t shared enough!

Cheers to “New Beginnings” and hope to see you all play along. Do visit here to see some amazing inspirations from the team.

I would like to enter this album in the following challenges..

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge – Anything Goes

OLLCB – words to inspire (there are whole lot of them inside!)

Shopping Our Stash Challenge – Use something New – (new paper artsy and heartfelt creation stamps)

The Crafters Café Challenge Blog-something new

Take It Make It Challenge – anything goes, take a stamp
Frilly 'N' Funkie - Anything Goes

Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving your thoughts here…I love to read them all.

Until my next creative journey…

Happy Crafting and Re cycling.

Big Hugs.

Secret Garden Memories

Hello Crafters,

Thank you all for your visits and valuable comments on my rustic candle holder! Today I have something just the opposite, a colorful mixed media canvas…a long time on my “to do” list as you can see I mostly do altered projects only!

This is my DT project for Scrapping4Fun  challenge#28 where it is “Anything Goes” and we have this picture inspiration...which means leave it to your imagination and creativity and see where it takes you!

You can create just about anything…

My imagination landed right in my Garden..Lol ! I am a nature lover and spend my first half hour in the morning with my “cuppa” in the garden…it’s an absolute bliss out there…total unwinding and a lot of creative thinking! Do you do that too..I just love sitting by the window and watching the greens…my studio too over looks the garden…I have to thank my husband for that who sacrificed his garage for me to have the “creative space”!

With all that said, I just took all the bright colors from the palette and went ahead with my garden story! Nothing in this planned and I just went with the flow…what ever my heart and soul had to say about my “garden memories”.

Join me in the nature walk…

For once, I have used a real stretched canvas…no hidden box or carton…so no surprises, Lol!

A coat f gesso and my canvas was ready to take the textures I wanted. I painted with acrylic tubes in blue green and yellow and then used a rose stencil and” wiped off” color using a baby wipe! This left a lovely pattern revealing the canvas beneath!

I then took out my granite texture paste and created random textures with the palette knife. Tore out some pages from an old “romantic” novel and edged it with walnut stain, DI and adhered it with gel medium. The stamped image is a cute Micia rubber stamp( my first stamp)! I kept this side in brown tones and the rest of the canvas has all the bright colors. The little girl is in a hammock just reflecting my thought of spending time in the garden, she swings and I just sit, that’s the difference!!! I have created a nest using coconut coir and some hand made flowers completes the look.

I then stenciled a big flower using home made texture paste and colored it too. Stamped randomly on it and also created textures with bubble wrap. I had some red ink running down and rubbed yellow paint all around the canvas with my fingers. Loved the mess..

The TH tattered clock is just an indication of how time flies and with all the hustle and bustle of the every day regime, take time to follow your passion! I have also added some lace beneath the clock and finally added a bling flourish swirl to add that sparkle!

A TH corrugated flower with the quote says it all! My garden is my fav space and the place that kindles my creative soul..so “Dream on”…have colorful memories.

So friends, Thank you so much for joining me in the walk, do let me know what you think of it. Always love reading what you have to say.

Hope this inspires you to play along at Scrapping4Fun…would love to see your take on this.

I am entering my “ Garden Memories” in the following challenges…

Alphabet Challenge –“R” for round or rectangle ( round clock , lots of bling and bubble wrap texture)

Artistic Inspiration- Make your own background

Make my Monday – Numbers (the clock)

The Artistic Stamper _ Memories

Divas by Design

– Texture( Loads of it here…stencils, texture paste, lace, coconut coir, bubble wrap)

Lessology- beautiful scenery(coconut coir, novel pages and bubble wrap are up cycled)

Until then,

Happy Crafting and Re cycling.

Hugs.