Having a Dabble with a Gypsy Chick

Just a little over a week ago, I came home to find an exciting brown package had arrived for me, all the way from America. I knew it was coming and also who it was from and the contents within. Inside my head I could hear the joyous, child like excitement, telling me to rip it open. But I paused, took a breath and a couple of minutes to grab a photo of it first. Then I carefully slipped a craft knife through the clear tape and gently removed the wrapping.

Inside, this wonderful book/DVD combo awaited me.

It's a new publication (Amazon link here) from my wonderful & talented friend, Jodie Lee Patterson aka The Gypsy Chick.

Inside are 135 pattern designs and 40 textures with which to blend with them. And I have to say, I've had great fun tinkering around and creating my own papers. I have sat engrossed at my computer, into the night, photoshopping my heart out, until my eyes have grown too heavy and my brain has finally had enough and demanded sleep.

So here's a batch of three paper designs I started out with. I went with a grey palette plus a touch of blue.

And then, after I had ensured a photo was snapped, I began to convert them into a shabby vintage card.

Before gathering together the scraps that were left over and turning them into a tag.

And there you have it. My first dabble with Jodie Lee's printable papers. Such an easy way to produce instant designs in the style and colouring of my choosing. I always love it when a design idea I hold in my head is close to the resulting project I finally see in front of me.

And if you like Jodie's vintage style, check out her blog and you'll see that she has just released two new design collections with Prima. Such a perfect collaboration. I cannot wait for them to hit our UK shops.

Right, that's all for now. After taking more time out to craft than I really ought, I'd better slip back onto the computer and do something which more closely resembles work lol.

Have a wonderful, creative day peeps. Pxx