Favourite Holiday Photos - with Tracey Fowler

Hi Everyone,

It is fantastic to be back here at Imaginarium Designs sharing with you my projects and also to be creating again. I don't get much of a chance to spend time in my craft room over the summer school holiday break so it was nice to spend some time in their creating this week while the boys started back at school.

"Down By The Sea"

It only seemed fit to create a Summer themed layout since we have just finished the school/summer holidays. My younger son has a love of the beach, especially the waves!

To create this layout I chose a paper range that had blues, greens and hint of purple. I have used the Imaginarium Designs stencil Crosses Stencil IDMM006 and white crackle texture paste. Once this dried I used a teal blue spray to add colour into the cracks of the crackle paste. I have also used flicks of gold, gun metal spray along with adding random texture stamp using a black ink.

For the Imaginarium Designs title Down by the Sea, I have used a metallic black embossing powder. I liked how this embossing powder has some shimmer and sparkle which reminds me of the ocean.

I have heat embossed the Chevron Boarder IDB016, using an aged white with flecks of gold. I have then used a patina effect paints to give the chipboard a metal/rusty look. I have cut the Chevron Boarder IDB016,  into pieces and placed it on my layout.

I have created a cluster using pieces of metal and flowers. I have used the patina effect paints to bring all the elements together to create a unified look.

"Every Picture has a Story to Tell"

This layout I have used a photo of one of our most treasured family holidays. Yes it was summer time here in Australia, but while everyone was sunning themselves, we were rugged up in  Finland. 

I placed layers of tags, corrugated cardboard, tissue paper, vellum and die cuts under the photo.

For the ID Chipboard Title  Every Picture has a Story to Tell, have coloured it using a black stamp pad. I didn't want a raised or shiny finish on the title, I wanted it simply black.

 I have used a white embossing powder on this gorgeous  ID chipboard Flourish.

To complete the flower cluster I used Loolabelle's Cherry Blossom (3 in a board) IDD0068 and coloured them using a rose colour ink pad. 

Here is a picture of all the ID Chipboard that I used for my projects

 

Thanks for stopping by and looking at my projects. I am really excited about this upcoming year and sharing with you my creations.

Introducing the Master of Everything Vintage, Shabby and Chic that is Tracey Fowler

Hello Everyone
Today I am delighted to introducing to you all, the wonderful and talented  Tracey Fowler.
Tracey lives in Western Australia as yet we have not been able to catch up. She is proof that not all the design team are my personal friends! It's just that in the scrapbooking industry we make friends easily and after a few years on the same team, we become buddies.
I was so thrilled when Tracey told me she was  staying on our team. I love her work, anyone who is a Master of Vintage, shabby, and chic is a favourite of mine. She is another one of those designers who's work inspires me. I don't do shabby that well, but would love to be able to pull it off like Tracey consistently  does. She is also another Mixed Media Master, using  lots of different techniques and mediums on her work. We are glad that chipboard, is one of her favourite embellishments to work with.

 

 

I asked Tracey to tell us about herself. 

 Tracey lives in Perth Western Australia. She is happily married to Brad and has two boys who are her world. Ben is 13 and Jack 12. Tracey also adores her fur baby Bailey who is 18 months old and has her wrapped around his paw. Tracey started to dabble in scrapbooking and card making 13 years ago after Ben was born. She soon become obsessed with scrapbooking and craft in general. Tracey's style of scrapbooking has evolved over the years. She has a shabby chic, vintage, and uses modern styles along with forms of mixed media in her work. Tracey likes to work with lots of products but one of her favourite embellishments to work with is chipboard. Tracey has had work published, taught classes in various places in Australia and been on various Design Teams. Tracey was also named one of the Scrapbooking Masters for Scrapbooking Memories magazine in 2015. Currently Tracey is on the Scrapbook Store and Imaginarium Designs. Her most memorable moments throughout the 13 years that she has been scrapping is making life long friends in the industry, teaching at the Brisbane Expo, and going to Anaheim to the CHA in 2013.

 

So now I am going to share some of my favourite Tracey layouts.
Tracey has done a beautiful background for her "Reflections" layout. She has used textured paste and a mask to add a touch of damask to her page, along with some random marble stamping as well.  Tracey has edited her photo, turning it into a black and white, while still leaving the wreath flowers coloured.  She has then used her wreath colours to add paper flowers to create a 3d embellishment for her layout.  The wire frame she has made around her photo is perfect, not too heavy but draws your eyes back to the main focus of her layout. I also love the vellum photo matt, which along with touches of white paint on her bright flowers, help to create that shabby look she is famous for. Two chipboard leaves to "draw" her design out, helps to balance the bigger photo. Finally she has fussy cut out a couple of butterflies and chosen a beautiful chipboard word to finish her layout.

I think this one is my favourite. The photo is just glorious and I love the strong colours Tracey has used.  The "splash" of blue/green on her background is the perfect base for the strong browns,  gold flowers and metal charms that Tracey has used.
Natalie May's hand drawn chipboard leaves are a lovely touch. Tracey has cleverly layered up a heap of bits and pieces to create a frame around her beautiful photo.  Adding some of her chipboard words in white around her photo is an inspirational touch and off sets the 2 larger chipboard words she has coloured  black. With everything she has done on her layout, her photo remains the focus and "pops" off the page. You can see why I love it so much.

This layout is delightful, Tracey has done three elements on her page. This layout shows her skills as a  designer. Three elements is quite a lot to fit on a page, but Tracey shows exactly how to make it work.  The space around her photo is just the perfect balance for a large chipboard title.

Vintage, shabby and chic is quite hard for a male page. Every one thinks white, pale pink and dainty is the perfect shabby combination. .
But Tracey has done this one for her son. The vintage colours are beautiful and the strong red on the chipboard cogs really sets this layout apart. Again Tracey has done a mixed media background for her photo to sit on. A diamond mask and texture paste create a perfect foundation along with the splash of orange spray to give it a burst of colour. A lovely photo with a white chipboard word is the perfect combination for this lovely male layout.

Again another one of Tracey's vintage male layouts. It helps having two handsome boys who are also photographic.  Some random textured paste numbers, some brown stain and a cluster of bits and pieces make for a stunning page. The chipboard cogs in a rusty red colour, match the flowers and add that "pop" of colour that off sets the black and white photo so well.

This little person is real cutie, and deserves the full vintage, shabby chic layout that Tracey has done for her. Tracey has collected a little pile of bits and pieces, tags and tickets to add around her photo. Her choice of flowers and her chipboard title are perfect. The black of her title is balanced by the vintage creamy chipboard flourishes she has tucked under her main central design area.

 

Tracey has used a mix of embossing powders on her chipboard. The combination of cream and gold embossing powders adds a lovely touch and is complement by the gold beads in the centre of her white flowers. It is a beautiful layout and is an excellent example of Tracey's creative genius.

This last one I want to share with you, is another favourite of mine. Tracey has chosen a beautiful photo and framed it with a Louise Nelson hand drawn chipboard frame. Then tucked a heap of flowers and elements under and around her photo frame. Adding some corrugated cardboard along the left edge of her layout adds a shabby touch to her page. A beautiful chipboard phrase inked black is the perfect finishing touch for this layout.

You can see all the detail Tracey has done to her chipboard frame. She has used embossing powder to add a shiny raised surface to her chipboard. Love the little cream cherub, just sitting there among  Tracey's flowers.
With Tracey as part of our amazing  team for 2018, we are in for some very special projects being shared on our blog all year.
Please feel free to leave her a personal message welcoming her back to our team.
Tomorrow I have another one of our wonderful Design Team members to introduce to you. This one lives a long way from us here is Australia!
Thanks for looking
Jane

Love my Nieces to Pieces - with Tracey Fowler

Hi All,

I consider myself as one very lucky lady, to have these gorgeous and adorable young ladies in my life. I am also very lucky and privileged to be there Aunty. 

Here are two layouts of my beautiful nieces.

"Laugh Every Day"

I used a stencil and texture paste to soften the paper and added drips of yellow twinking H20's.

The ID chipboard  Clock Frame , Leaves,  Title, has been coloured using Tim Holtz distress paint.

 

"Beautiful Smile"

 Once again I have coloured the chipboard (Beautiful Smile, Kate Doily, Edward Relief) using distress paint and heat embossed the title.  I cut the "Kate Doily" in half and slipped in in behind the photo.

 

My Final layout to share with you this month is a layout of my two boys, walking around the walls of Chester in the UK. I adore this photo of my boys.

"Great Mates"

Once again I have used distress paint and embossing powder on my chipboard. As the background was very black, I swiped white gesso over the background to soften it.  Chipboard used is Peacock Feather by Louise Nelson IDDL0002 , Swirly Frame 6"x 4" IDFR0003 and Great Mates .

              

That is all I have to share with you today.

Take care xx

Best Friends Forever - with Tracey Fowler

There is something very special about the bond you share with your family pet. My son Jack and our dog Max shared a wonderful bond together. I would often look out into the backyard and see the two of them sitting down just like the photo in this layout.

"My Best Friend"

 I have used aged embossing powder to create the aged look on the chipboard.

Chipboard used for my layout - My Best Friend , Embellishments, and Nats Hearts 1.

"Mini Album"

I always admire people's mini albums. I have to admit it is something out of my comfort zone and I thought it was time for me to step out of it. I have completed the cover of a mini album and which I want to share with you and then next month I will share with you my completed album.

 Once again I have used aged embossing powders to cover the chipboard. I love how you get so much interest in the chipboard using this technique.

The Imaginarium Designs Chipboard used for this project Treasure word, Monarch Butterfly, and frames from Double Oval Frame.

  

That is all I have to share with you today. Take care and I hope that you find sometime to get creative.