Spring Garden Set 5

Inspired by an old watercolor of a country garden.

The blooming morning glory flowers are painted as being in the shade now, so the scene takes place one fine afternoon. That same lovely hue in the shadows near a mother and child in one corner of the yard is re-echoed throughout this refreshing old painting, including the cute watering can.

Please observe the red letter Guidelines at each post here at PPS, including this one. Thank you.

I've played on the theme this time in a few new ways. The buckles, for example, have changed completely. My old buckle was irregular in shape, as many early plastic products can be. This made it fun and quirky and even a bit whimsical, but I thought that it was really ready to be shelved.

The newer buckles had to be Photoshopped into existence by me. I made a template and tested it out, then refined it a bit more. This was later used on images of some very colorful and rare shells. Also made the same way are the newer buttons.

All of the colors in this set are made to play off each other, yet none would mix well enough with already existing sets, so I have included a brand new Background Page for download. In the process of creating that Background, I really began to feel as if I'd gone dotty!
:)

More Spring Garden Sets are due to arrive in the coming weeks. I've also got a few other projects in mind.

Meanwhile, time to set your printer to have 1/4 inch margins for this new set.

Thank you for stopping by and~
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Garden Collection Set No. 5

Example

Download Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Matching Background HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

This Set has copyrights

that allow free use.

You are free to:

use items from this set

in artwork that is to be kept, given or sold.

You are not free to:

ever sell any of the items here 

as they are now.

Thank you 

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Re-Post: Rainbow ATC Set

Every rainbow is a miracle of color and form, and every one is a little different. They never stay with us very long, and our wonder and awe at each sight of one makes this world seem softer or gentler somehow. 

It is a long time since I caught my last sight of one, probably nine months at least. I'm ready for a new one, aren't you?

Our trio for this month's first ATC Backgrounds Freebie is all about the wonder and color of rainbows. The painting in its original form is a watercolor. Unfortunately, I've no source for the painter of so soft and lovely a bit of ephemera, a print of which was in the pages of one of our antique books. There's no reference to this print anywhere in that volume.

Despite the whimsy of seeing one of the two rainbows depicted as having been painted (accidentally, one would assume) upside down,  our choice was to see how we might try and create some backgrounds for our ATC crowd. Now that we're done, I see it really doesn't matter whether everything's upright or upside down. Our work shows an idealized, fantasized creative landscape of color and joy. Guess science just doesn't play too big a role in artwork around our Studio! ;) 

NOTE: Rainbows can occur upside down at times, a fact unknown to me prior to writing.

Anyway, we really do hope you'll find lots of uses for this new trio. It's free to you, of course, a Plush Possum Exclusive design, with no strings attached.

Happy Creativity from all of us here in the Studio!
Rose

PPS ATC Trio: "Over the Rainbows"

Download HERE

Digital Brush Credits:

www.ObsidianDawn.com

Also, from www.Brusheezy.com, the following artists brushes were also utilized:

bsilvia, presity_9, digitalrevolution, starwalt, thekrako, midnightstouch, gojo123.

(If I've mistakenly forgotten anybody's name here, please forgive the omission)

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

You are free to:

use the above images or ATCs as intended,

for trade only, and never for sale.

Copyrights forbid any other style of trade.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Spring Garden Set 4

A slightly shabby 1870's Victorian embroidery pattern inspires this new set.

I've included a few changes to this one for the fun of it, and also for a little more variety.

Please see the red letter Guidelines at the bottom of this post. Thank you!

I've readjusted the vintage buckles from my own private collection very slightly to fit the trims a bit better. Also, the embroidery theme is followed through with the Butterfly patch. After all, what is springtime without pretty butterflies?
:)

Included in the first image below are 2 labels from my recently added Spring Garden Label Set from just a few days ago. 

Also, you'll notice how I've chosen to decorate the Background page this time with some specially designed (by me) "shabby" polka dots in neat rows. You'll see more things here based on that theme this year as well.

Mainly, while this set is all about Book arts from altered books and artist journals to smash books and scrapbooks, I could see parts of it being used in any number of other kinds of craft projects, such as a greeting card.

The Background has 1/4 inch margins, so perhaps setting your printer to have no margins at all might work better for you. All the same, it should work well enough for print.

Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Garden Collection Set No. 4

Display of possible Use

Download Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Shabby Dotted Background HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use the items in this set

in artwork

which may then be either kept 

or given or sold.

You are not free to:

ever sell anything from this set as it is now

for any reason.

Thank you 

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Seed Packet Garden Set

Shabby can be beautiful at times....

...so I've done less to the looks of the lovely old seed packet used for the design than I normally would have. I think that it already shows its age beautifully.

Please see the red letter Guidelines at the foot of this post. Thank you.

Sometimes it's fun to mix colors and to play with new ideas all at once. I've used a pink from the floral bouquet of the seed packet, and then added a soft cream color to the trims that is also in the same bouquet.

As usual with all of my Spring Garden Collection sets, there is a background included, as well as my favorite dragonfly, a sweet old celluloid button from my own collection, and a buckle (also my own) in 2 colors and 2 sizes. 

Shown first below is an Example Display picture of just a few of the many possibilities for such a set. Other accessories will surely soon follow, so be on the lookout for new items each week.

Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Garden Collection Set No. 3

Example of Ideas

Download Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Matching Background HERE

You are free to:

use items from this set

in the making of artwork and crafts

which are to be either given or sold.

You are not free to:

ever sell any items from this set

in sets of any sort.

Thank you 

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Rainy Day Coloring Page

A rainy day with a bustle?

I've used the word, "bustle" in two ways there. The mother and daughter are really in a serious hurry to get to where they are headed and out of the wet weather, aren't they? But both are wearing bustle era fashions that I find charming, if inconvenient. Their shoes do appear very impractical, but the mother's petticoats look even less practical under the circumstances, don't they? Both wear impractical bonnets as well. Without their umbrellas, things would have grown completely soggy for both.

Note: this particular coloring page has 1/4 inch margins instead of my normal 1/2 inch ones.

I do feel sad for the little rain drenched dog. The poor dear thing looks just miserable. Other people may be seen faintly in the background, shielded from our view by the rain, a tree, or an umbrella. It's like a moment in time, captured for us to look at and to wonder about. I always wonder about an artist's source for inspiration, don't you? Had the artist caught sight of the pair shown here? We will never know for certain, but we can guess that this pair actually had been seen and then captured in a few quick sketches prior to the finishing of this work of art.

But let's hurry out of the rain before we become completely soaked!
Happy rainy days Creativity!

PPSColorMe™ Rainy Day Mother and Daughter

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use this download however you like.

I have made some necessary changes for you

but am choosing to leave this one 

in the Public Domain.

Thank you

for helping me to 

keep free things free!

Spring Garden Label Set

Grow a green thumb with the new Spring Garden Collection here at PPS!

These two new label sets were a lot of fun to produce. Please see the red letter Guidelines at the bottom of each post, including this one. Where credits are given, please observe them. Thank you.

The first set is a simple, plain one, one with all of the possibilities in the world for handwritten or stamped or stenciled, etc. messages and mottos.

The second set has thoughts of spring, from Audrey Hepburn to William Shakespeare, and several more besides. As a small bonus, I've added a little watering can graphic to one of the labels.

Both sets match the previous 2 Book Artist sets in the Spring Garden Collection, as their Background pages have been used in this design. Also included is the tan Background page from the Red set from a few days ago. In other words, mix, match and contrast is what it's all about! 

You can look for more sets and accessories, etc. in the weeks ahead.

Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Garden Collection Label Sets

Download Set One HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Set Two HERE

Display version

(also lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use the labels in either of the 2 sets here

in artwork or crafting

that is either for fun or for profit.

Please be kind and attribute.

You are not free to:

ever repackage anything in either set

for the purposes of selling any of them.

Thank you 

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Pretty Spring Tags

Matching Tags for my new Spring Garden Collection

Please see the red letter Guidelines at the foot of this post. Thank you.

The butterfly tag at center is not  a matching part of any sets to this time, but I liked its old freckled face and charming handwriting. Someone once took the time to pen those words for someone special. The phrase reads: "A token of love from me to thee." This would be fun in a birthday card design, perhaps, or all on its own.

All 3 tags are meant to be played with using whatever will strike a downloader's fancy. I'd like to suggest using white card stock when printing this new tag set, but regular printer paper might do very nicely, too.

My 2 last posts here have mix and match styles and color ways that could go with the tag set. The first of those 2 has a lovely green background download, while today's more recent one has a lilac colored one.

As an added little bonus, I've also included 3 cute little colorful wheelbarrows for you to play with.

Happy Creativity!

PPS™Spring Garden Collection Tag Set No. 1

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use the items in this set

in works of art or craft

that may be given, traded or sold.

Please attribute to me here, with links.

You are not free to:

sell any of the items included in this post

as they may be seen here

for any reason.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free.

Shabby Chic Book Arts Set

A "Shabby Chic"style set of accessories for Book Artists of all styles.

This time, the basis for my design was a scuffed up remnant of some vintage patterned wallpaper. Added to this are matching bits, bobs and doodads, all for spring. I think that I like the friendly little dragonfly the very best.

Please see the red letter Guidelines at the foot of this post. Thank you.

As per usual, the colorful matching ephemera "belts" have been sized to fit their "buckles." 

The Background
Also included as an option is a new, plain Background to match the flowers in the wallpaper pockets. The margins for that Background are all 1/4 inch in size, so please change your printer settings to fit before you print.


Using the New Sets
One example of ways of playing with a set like this may be found in a previous post. Newer visitors to PPS might find it useful to take a quick look at that previous set by going HERE.

I do hope that this new set will provide lots of fun creative playtime for adults and children alike. It strikes me here how such a set might even be used in the making of a Birthday card for someone special.

Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Book Arts Garden Set No. 2

Download Set HERE

Display version 

(lower quality than the download)

Download Matching Background Page HERE

You are free to:

use the items in this set

in works of art or craft

that may be given, traded or sold.

Please attribute to me here, with links.

You are not free to:

sell any of the items included in this post

as they may be seen here

for any reason.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free.

Springtime Book Art Set

I know, I know. Spring isn't due to arrive for weeks yet.

Be that as it may, I simply couldn't wait for spring's arrival before sharing this spring themed set. Friday afternoon seemed about right, and just in time for weekend Book Art fun.

Please see the red letter Guidelines below. Thank you so much.

Pockets! I have become a pocket fanatic! (This actually inspired the entire Spring Garden Collection) LOL But who doesn't enjoy using tucking places in journals, altered books, card-making, scrapbooking, and so on? I'm really getting enthused about it all from a design standpoint.

Previous posts including fun colorful playthings for book artists may be found in my Book Arts Category HERE.

For this one, I've chosen to use a slightly textural effect on the illustration I've chosen. The background and all of the fancy bits and bobs (buttons, etc.) in the set are intended to color coordinate or work together well.

The lace covered ribbon in the set has been given a little extra green at the ends for tucking under before gluing. Two sizes of buckle are intended to fit the 2 ribbons in the set, or any other ribbons or paper strips you might happen to choose.

The flaps on the pockets are really self explanatory, aren't they? Simply fold them under and apply glue or double sided high tack tape to each one prior to adding to your choice of page.

So here is to enjoying thoughts of spring even as winter lingers on.
Happy creativity!

PPS™Book Arts Rose Garden Set

Download Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Matching Green Background HERE

(matches the ribbons in the set)

You are free to:

use the items in this set

in work that may be either given or sold.

You are not free to:

ever sell anything from this set in sets of your own.

Thank you 
for helping me to

keep free things free!

A Pocketful of Happy Ideas

Ready for Spring ~ a new Book Artist Set

I like the young lady's smile, don't you? Can her mind be turned to thoughts of the first spring breeze? Or could it be love? Or could it be that we will never know for sure?

This time, all margins are 1/4 inch wide (on all 4 sides) and at their narrowest points, so it's best to change your printer settings accordingly.

Please observe all Credits and red letter Guidelines at this blog, especially as they often will differ from post to post. Thank you.

Below please note the display of the full set, minus the silk covered buttons. This set has its very own color coordinated background page, in a separate download. It was designed to work well against a number of other colors, including white and cream as well, but guests may find that they already have other colors in their collections that will work very nicely, too.

This set has been designed to work for book pages of all sorts as well as either in or on cards and other projects. You can expect more sets in other themes and color ways shortly, some of them in other hues of pink and rose, so it might be wise to pencil the set's name onto the back of the Background, just in case. I'd file them separately, in fact, in my own home computer first.

Also offered is a separate download of the very same set, reversed or flipped around to face in the opposite direction. It is always nice to have choices, isn't it?

Note:
Some trimming might be required at the ends of the pocket's flaps before you tuck them under when gluing, depending upon how they are used. I thought it would be better to create them as wide as they are to allow for some custom trimming. Anyone can trim, but most of us simply cannot make too narrow a flap any wider than it already is.

Another Hopefully Helpful Hint:
Have you ever tried using MicroGlaze from Judikins? It is a really wonderful item to use in book arts, I find. I've used it to seal surfaces, to prevent pages from sticking together, and so on. It's got multiple uses. Tim Holtz now has his very own customized version of this very useful product, too. A very tiny amount does the job, so don't be fooled by the smallness of the jar it comes in. It's been worth every penny that I paid for it since I bought it, and I'm not done using all of my first jar yet.

I hope that you'll enjoy this new playful set with your family and friends while you share your
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Book Artist Set No. 8: Spring is in the air

Display of Ideas for Use (showing background):

Download the Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download the Set in its reverse look HERE

Download the background 

(shown in display at top) HERE

You are free to:

use the images in this set

in the making of art that is either for fun or for profit.

You are not free to:

repackage any of these items for sale as is,
even if you build on my design.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

New Red Book Arts Set

A set with a background 2 ways

I've been playing around using Photoshop for years, and it's always an interesting experience for me. This time, I've created something just a touch different, and all for those who enjoy the paper arts of art journaling, book altering, crafting, scrapbooking, and so forth.

Presented in this post will be some different ways in which to use this set. For one thing, I've added a plain background that is altered from a photo I've taken of some fabric. This comes 2 ways, one for home printers that will print with no borders at all, and the other for a border of 1/4 of an inch all the way around the outside edge. 

This plain background is intended to color coordinate to the pattern in the antique red floral of the pockets and belts. This is shown on display with the rest of the set. The downloads for this plain background may be found below. Please select carefully prior to downloading.

The buckles (in 2 sizes this time) also have been coordinated to work within the same color theme.

I hope that you'll enjoy this new set with your
Happy Creativity!
:)

PPS™ Book Arts Set No. 7: Red Floral

Display

(download links below)

Download the Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download the Background shown in the top display

With the Border HERE

and Without the Border HERE

You are free to:

use the items in this set

in art for fun or which is intended for sale.

You are not free to:

sell anything from this set in 

sets of your own.

Thank you

for respecting my free gifts

for the public's use.

Free Coloring Page: Stately Ladies on Horseback

A new coloring page today!

These very pretty and stately ladies are riding sidesaddle atop some lovely looking horse, aren't they? One of them is wearing her crown, so this must be a very regal occasion.

This had to be reworked in order to make better use of space on the average home printer page. It has also been cleared of messy marks for more coloring fun.

Happy Coloring Creativity!

PPSColorMe™: Stately Ladies Ride

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

This particular one is

Free for Public Domain Use.

Enjoy!

A Happy Shopping Trip for Victoria

Shopping for the fun of it.

It is a day off today for Victoria Lacey, and time for a special treat of shopping for her best friend and cousin, Mercy. You met Mercy last year HERE (that is a link).

Please see the red letter Guidelines below. Thank you.

Mercy's husband, young Mr. Thomas DeHaven, has been secretly planning a special birthday celebration for his lovely new bride. He and Victoria both have to keep secrets from Mercy for the sake of their surprise party that is soon to be held for her. Even the help of Victoria's grandmother, Mrs. Lacey has had to be enlisted for this adventure.

Victoria's shopping excursion has been a delightful way of spending free time away from school, books and homework. See how she has found a small gift today for Mercy! Can you guess what is inside of the little box that she is holding? (Sshhh! It's a secret!)
:)

Happy Playtime Creativity!

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria's Happy Shopping Trip

[Note: This time, it is best to not cut away the white areas between the doll's sides and her sleeved arms. This was an extremely difficult dress to fit for this doll. ]

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. 

Thanks for the courtesy.

Guidelines

You are free to:

play with or give or trade

this outfit.

You are not free to:

repackage it or alter it

for the purpose of selling it.

Otherwise, that would be selling 

my own hours of work and effort

(a form of theft).

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!