Daisy Chain Spring Garden Set + Backgrounds

An antique Victorian embroidery pattern is the basis for this new set.

This blog post's entire contents have copyrights. Please respect the rights of every artist whose work has made this project possible. Guidelines are located at the foot of the post. Thank you.

Did I mention before how much I love to garden? Or that I enjoy almost every color of green that nature shows me? Or that I also like a good, deep, earthy chocolate brown color as well? (I know that most of you would already know how very much I like antiques!)

I've combined all of those fun things into one set. This time, the pocket (or pouch) has a whole new shape for guests to play with. I chose not to make any of the basis for it look too perfect, as I really like that old fashioned appeal as well. Despite its Victorian charm, I confess that I have added just a touch of Art Deco appeal for the fun of it, as you will see in the first image (Example display) below.

Please observe the red letter Guidelines to this post, found underneath the last image shown in the post. Thank you.

This took a lot of work. The initial image had a few quality issues, and needed to be remade entirely before it would fit the idea I kept having.

For the background pattern, as well as for the main trim, I used a copyrighted digital brush set by MelsBrushes (to find the site, guests can follow the link HERE). 

The new pouch shape comes in 2 parts, with one base and one top. Both have flaps. (I guess we could even say that even my pocket flap has its own flap! LOL) These will naturally need to be folded under prior to gluing to the chosen surface. The buckle was added to the opening cover or top bit in order to simplify the construction process for you, but I have also included the same buckle separately with accessories. 

July 2017 Update: My thanks to All Free paper Crafts (just click on their badge, upper left of this blog to see what else they feature) for promoting this set of downloads. 
:)

The Backgrounds come 4 ways this time. The chocolate brown one comes with either white or green daisies and the green one comes with either brown or white daisies. All of it is meant to follow the same theme and to mix and match or contrast. 

I could easily see one of the 4 Backgrounds being used for a lining to the new Pouch style Pocket. Also, I could see this set used with other sets from elsewhere.

Actually, I could even see a tiny hand bag being sewn using both pouch parts, but printed onto an iron on fusible material of some sort. The reverse side of such a little bag could be one of the backgrounds below. It might look really cute! If anyone chooses to try such an idea, I do hope that they will let me all know about it so that I can add their pictures here. That would be a lot of fun for me!
:)

Happy Spring and Thank You for stopping by with your~
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Garden Collection: Daisy Chain

Example:

Download pouch or Pocket Top HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download pouch or Pocket Base HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Accessory Set HERE

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Download Background 1 HERE

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Download Background 2 HERE

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Download Background 3 HERE

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Download Background 4 HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

This set is copyrighted 2 ways.
You are free to: use the items shown here in
this Daisy Chain Set in art or craft projects
which may be either given or sold.
If you sell any finished project that includes
any of the items in this set,
copyright law dictates that credit must be given to both www.plushpossumstudio.blogspot.com
and
www.melsbrushes.co.uk 
You are not free to: ever sell any of the items shown here
for any reason, either as is or in any sets
(digital or already printed) made by you,
even if you build on any of my designs.
Thank you for helping me to keep free things free!

Paper Doll Room 3

Victoria's Aunt and Uncle Lacey do have a very grand place to call home, don't they?

Aunt and Uncle Lacey have invited the entire family to spend all of Sunday afternoon with them. Victoria's new dress will look bright and pretty alongside the highly decorative furnishings in their very stately home.

Please see the red letter Guidelines beneath the Download section of this post. Thank you.

There are two old fashioned forms of dress in the Display picture below. The most obvious one is worn by Victoria herself. The second one is in the grand old Conservatory in the distance. The statue which is on display wears a simply cut Greek or Roman style dress. Many refined homes during the Victorian era had statues in them. This one is kneeling in an indoor garden. Such gardens were often called "conservatories" because they acted like greenhouses by conserving (or preserving) exotic plants of all sorts.

For instructions for assembly of this room, please follow the link HERE.

This particular finished Room measures 19 inches across by 14 inches high, without the white margins. I recommend leaving around one half inch white margin space on every outside side, but trim away the ones where the 4 pieces will meet at center.

Below you will find the Display first, followed by 4 separate Download links, each one labeled as its position in the 4 piece "puzzle."
Margins in the downloads are wider than the average. Please measure carefully when cropping and do follow the tips and hints listed via the instructions link above.

I've waited for months before adding this new room to the collection. It's nice to finally reveal it!

Happy Playtime Creativity!

PPSPlaytime™: Paper Doll Room Number 3

Display version:

Download Upper Right HERE

Download Lower Right HERE

Download Lower Left HERE

Download Upper Left HERE.

You are free to:

 use this Download Set for creative playtime, 

although never for sale.

The original, unrefreshed look of the room 
is in the Public Domain at Wikimedia Commons.

Thank you for helping me
to keep free things free!

Special New Paper Doll Dress

Victoria's pretty new best Sunday dress

I'd been putting off doing any new paper doll things for a while. I think we all needed a bit of a change for a few weeks, don't you?
;)

Please observe the red letter Guidelines at the very bottom of today's post. Thank you.

This special dress is a gift from Grandmother Lacey. Victoria is very pleased and grateful for this new addition to her wardrobe. She is especially pleased with the floral pattern in the fabric of the dress. 

There is to be a splendid dinner at her Aunt and Uncle Lacey's this coming Sunday. For her younger cousins there will be games and playful music. If it rains, the children's gathering will take place inside, in the very grand Conservatory, while the adults will enjoy the day in the dining and music rooms. Cousin Mercy's new husband, Tom has promised to bring along a new camera he has very lately purchased.

I've included all 5 different hair colors, each one with its own copy of the outfit's hat.

This outfit did require hours of work before it could be made to look presentable enough. For one thing, the image I had to work with was flawed and spotty in places. For another, the fit would not work right at first.

Note
This outfit has a number of very tricky cutting areas. My suggestion is to reinforce the 3 grey tabs on the dress with clear tape, such as gift wrapping tape, at the back prior to cutting. Also, adult or elder sibling fingers might find this project less challenging, especially at the shoulder line. The same might be said for the hat. 
It is best to not cut away the blank spaces located under either arm and between arms and torso. (That's because this was a fairly tricky fit, and the sleeves could not be altered to fit perfectly without ruining their look.)

The Hat Tab may be attached as mentioned in other paper doll outfit posts. That is, start at the very tip top with a thin line of glue stick glue when attaching the tab to the back of the hat. Add more glue bit by bit only as necessary until the hat will fit the doll's head.

For anyone new to the PPS Paper Doll line, there is a category in the bar right below the banner above. That page contains some links that you might find useful.

Thank you for stopping by with your
Happy Creativity!

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria's Best Sunday Dress

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!

Antique Bicycling Graphic

Ouch!

Hasn't everyone who's ever gone riding had at least one bad spill?
I can recall one fairly bad one for me, years ago, involving a patch of gravel and a sore arm afterward.

I might have found "Elliman's Universal Embrocation" of use as a product, although I sincerely doubt it.
:)

Offered in both black and white and sepia looks, this one is in the Public Domain. I really had to do very little to it, just a little clean-up work. I am keeping it simple for a while around the Studio.

Guests who enjoy paper dolls can also find a paper doll cycling outfit of the same era by following this link HERE.

Thanks for stopping by with your ~
Happy Coloring Creativity!

PPSColorMe™Bicycling Injury

Download Black and White version HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Sepia Toned version HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Public Domain.

Please credit me with a link

to this page.

Thank you

for helping me to 

keep free things free!

Antique Coffee Botanical Graphic

Coffee, anyone...?

Still really overloaded with things to take care of in my private life. Sorry I haven't been around here much lately.

Public Domain:
This one has had to be updated by me a fair amount, so please credit me for it if you use it in art that is to be published online whether for sale or for leisure. Thanks!

Happy coffee time creativity!

PPS™ Antique Coffee Botanical Graphic

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Butterfies in Flight

From an old full color plate illustration.

I was in the mood for something light, airy and pretty. I hope this suits your mood, too.

Please see the Guidelines below for more information. Thank you.

I've cleaned and cleared this one up a little, plus brightened it somewhat, as it was looking a bit drab and tired. And butterflies need to be full of light and loveliness, don't they?
:)

Thank you for stopping by with your ~
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Butterflies in Midair 

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

I'd appreciate credit and a link back

to this post. 

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Victorian Man's Thinking Cap

An appliqué pattern to make for a gentleman.

This item is a bit of a curiosity. We see illustrations and photos of gents wearing their smoking jackets and caps, almost as if such garb had a kind of uniform appeal. Oddly enough, such caps were sometimes also called, "Thinking caps." I think most Americans can relate to being asked to put on our imaginary "thinking caps" as children, can't we? I doubt that any one of us thought of a tassel or rich embroidery at the time, however!
:)

Often, these items of apparel were decorated in great detail, using embroidery on velvet or wool, with appliqué or couched cording or braid. Sometimes, even bead embroidery was used, although this technique was generally reserved for ladies' apparel. The addition of a tassel was according to taste, of course, yet was often considered a must in fashion for gentlemen.

A man's smoking jacket was not the same robe as his dressing gown. These two totally separate species of apparel we tend to smile over nowadays. Nobody really tends to take them very seriously anymore. 

That is, except for a number of historic reenactment hobbyists and professionals. It is for these people I have posted this straightened and somewhat refreshed pattern. After all, I once was one of them!

The sizing for such things can be a bit tricky. As a former costumer and hat designer, I highly recommend making at least one good brown paper mockup or model. I used to use clear tape, pins and pencils with a measuring tape in order to tailor most hats to fit. Nowadays, of course, we have the additional luxury of advanced copy machine technology, image enhancement software such as Photoshop or Gimp, etc., as well as incredibly complex sewing and embroidery machines that can synch up with our computers. In other words, the rest is up to the tools and the imaginations of the ones willing to take on such a project.

Thank you for stopping by with your
Costuming Creativity!

PPS™ Victorian Gentleman's Embroidered Cap

Download HERE

Display version

(lower resolution than the download)

In the Public Domain.

Thank you

for helping me to 

keep free things free!

An 18th Century Coloring Page

A lady stays at home with her little bird.

In this quiet scene, a fairly affluent home is depicted, one refined in taste enough  for some fine furnishings. A lady sits alone with her bird. There is sun in the window, and we can almost make out the landscape painting that hangs on her wall.

She sits in her parlor, dressed rather informally for a quiet time alone. She is wearing a wrap of some sort over what appears to be a set of stays and a long skirt of some sort. It is hard to tell exactly how she is dressed here, but it hardly matters.

She is holding a very special and costly item on her lap, a music box of some sort. This lovely object is being used like a prompt in order to teach her little caged bird a tune to sing.

Despite a few quality issues, I've decided to offer this image for free and to keep it in the Public Domain. It seems to me that such an image might be hand tinted using watercolors. That is, once it's been adhered securely enough to watercolor paper first. Alternatively, colored pencils might be just the thing--or maybe pan pastels. Crayons of any sort might work nicely as well.

Happy Coloring Creativity!

PPSColorMe™: A French Lady 

Teaches Her Bird a Tune

Download Black and White version HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Sepia version HERE

Display version

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These 2 versions

of the same illustration

are free and in the Public Domain.

Enjoy!

:)

Irish Computer Wallpaper

The wearing of the green can include your computer with this new Computer Desktop Wallpaper.

Now, if this design looks somewhat familiar, that's because it is. The same design may be found in a previous Twitter background design--which, as far as I can tell, is no longer truly usable over at Twitter due to a change in their format. 

I've converted it and even updated it a little bit, changing its dimensions to match the average desktop or laptop computer screen. That would be 1280 pixels wide by 1024 pixels in height.

Please note that all digital brushes used for this design are from www.obsidiandawn.com. It's free for use, yet may never be sold, as per me, the creator of this design. Thank you for cooperating.

Some of my roots go way back, into several parts of Irish history. That would be on my mother's side. We're from literally all over the place there. The main branch that we so far have researched were among the Irish Quakers.

I like many shades of green, for green is literally my very best color. I also enjoy the rest of the color wheel, but green will always remain my main favorite for clothing, etc. I am actually wearing that color today!
:)

Thank you for stopping by with your
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Irish Computer Desktop Wallpaper

Download HERE

Display version

(slightly lower quality than the download)

Spring Garden Goes French Country

Celebrate spring's arrival with frills, lace, French style fabric and a rare antique buckle !

Last time, I used a digital brush in order to create my chosen lacy look. This time, it was a Photoshop pattern, one made by babypink (name is a link) over at Brusheezy. The copyright for the Lace pattern (entitled, "Spetts") is as follows: "This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. You may redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon this work even for commercial reasons, as long as you credit this artist by linking back."

Thank you for honoring those terms for both babypink and myself.
Please observe the red letter Guidelines at the base of this post. Thank you.

Other important credits include the trim for the brand new style of belt. The central daisy motif and scalloped trim are both from a pretty and useful digital brush collection that was created by MelsBrushes.

The new button design is a remake of an antique one from a free image that I found. The white silhouette on it was cut quite small, and is very fine in every detail, so of course it simply had to be used for the set! The buckle is actually a very old brooch made of special caned, dual colored striped glass and paste "diamonds." I just love how glitzy it looks, don't you? By all means, let's celebrate spring with a little bit of bling!
:)

I really enjoyed the design process of this set. It seems that for every single design project, I always do learn something more about what digital artwork can do.

I hope that you will enjoy this new set with your~
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Garden Collection: French 

Countryside in Green

Display Example:

Download Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Vertical Lace Background HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Horizontal Lace Background HERE

(Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Please see Credits in the first and third paragraphs above.

You are free to:

use the Photo Corners shown above

in art and crafting projects

that may be either given or sold.

If you sell, please give credit to 

www.plushpossumstudio.blogspot.com

You are not free to:

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

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

The Spring Garden Collection Continues!

This time, there are some fun new Accessories.

Photo corners can be fun, especially if they look different or have a bold edge.

Please observe the red letter Guidelines below. Thank you.

This set is an exclusive Plush Possum Studio creation, made by me. It had to be reworked, cleared, and then refashioned significantly before it could be used.

Next, I added colors to match or to blend with at least 2, but possibly 3, of the recent Spring Garden Sets here. for a quick and easy shortcut to the rest of the Spring Garden Collection sets, etc., please follow the link HERE.

Below, you can see one Display Example first, followed by the Download, etc. I've tucked one of the antique photos from my personal collection into the corners in the Example for a better idea as to how they should look.

Half inch margins are used for this set. Also, results may vary from printer to printer.  Please choose your appropriate settings.

Thanks so much for stopping by here with your~
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Garden Accessories: Photo Corners

Display Example

Download the Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use the Photo Corners shown above

in art and crafting projects

that may be either given or sold.

If you sell, please give credit to 

www.plushpossumstudio.blogspot.com

You are not free to:

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

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Teatime for Two

Two friends share their news over two cups of tea.

Beyond these two ladies in their fashionable hats, many others are enjoying teatime in that lovely outdoor space. Within this 1890's style old illustration is a story of some sort. It may have originated with a magazine, or been within the pages of a book written for women readers. I have included my customary 2 color choices of sepia toned and black and white.

There is a uniformed man wearing a monocle seated at the table just behind our two ladies. I find him a little bit comical, don't you?
:)

The two close friends obviously are discussing something received by the one in writing. They are both very engaged in what they are doing, aren't they? The sun shines down through the branches of the trees surrounding the tables. What a lovely place for taking tea with a good friend! Perhaps these two are creating a little memory together in that pleasant place to recall again someday.

This coloring page does have 1/4 inch margins, so please make certain the settings on your printer will allow for a complete picture.

Happy coloring time creativity!

PPSColorMe™ Two Close Friends Having Tea

Download Black andWhite version HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Black andWhite version HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

This particular item

is both free and in the Public Domain.

Enjoy!

Feather Your Nest with This New Spring Set

Mix and match as you play with my newest original set!

This all began as a new way to play with the alphabet. If enough people seem interested, I might end up by making a separate set of Egg numerals and punctuation marks. Please let me know what you think by leaving me a comment about it.
:)

Please note that there are 2 copyrights this time for you to consider. I will leave red letter Guidelines as a signpost for my guests here at the Studio beneath the images in this post, as per my usual habit. I ask that they please be read and observed for the sake of fairness. It would be illegal to do otherwise. Thank you.

This project all began last winter with a desire to refresh our spirits with a few spring-like things to play with during the final weeks of the winter. Some of the things shown below had to be thought about or reworked over the past two or so months. I hope my time and thought have been worth it.

My Egg Alphabet began with a few wild bird egg images, then gradually became the more cohesive, matching set shown below. It was a labor of love with learning every single step of the way. I had to change the entire thing 3 different ways before it would satisfy me LOL. But that's the way of these things, and it is more fun for me to continue learning with each new project, anyhow.

Once the Egg Alphabet was finally complete, I chose two colors to add along with a number of fun, playful accessories. The theme of birds and eggs and spring is so delightful that I may find myself inclined to play with it a second time very soon.
:)

The distressed polka dot pattern is my own, while the lacy pattern belongs to www.obsidiandawn.com. Please see the rules for use of their designs by visiting their website.

There are sure to be more fun things offered to work well enough with this new, big Bird Set in the near future. You see, I keep having new ideas! Hopefully by the weekend, there will be more.

You will note how the very fist thing to be shown below is my Egg Alphabet. Children might have fun playing with those on a card for someone special. My thoughts turn to a few themes for you to choose from, namely springtime and any special days connected with it, birthdays, or even a Mother's Day card might be nice.

I hope that you will find something here which can be used in a little gift giving or greeting card design. The pockets are perhaps a bit big for most cards, but they could work very nicely in other types of creative play, including most Book Arts projects.

Thanks for stopping over with your~
Happy Creativity!

PPS™ Spring Bird Collection

Download my Egg Alphabet HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Green Accessory Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Blue Accessory Set HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Green Lacy Background HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Blue Lacy Background HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Green Dotted Background HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Blue Dotted Background HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use items from this collection of sets

for personal or professional use

provided that you will

credit both www.obsidiandawn.com

and

www.plushpossumstudio.com

whenever sales are involved.

You are not free to:

ever repackage anything 

you see here for sale in separate sets,

even if you alter it.

Please give credit where credit is due.

Thank you.

A Brave Knight Slays a Dragon

This is offered in sepia and also in grey scale (meaning black, white and grey).

There is a scuffle. Dust is even flying somewhat. Our brave knight sits astride his armored horse valiantly, spear at the ready. He uses a spear and not a jousting lance here in order to kill his foe. The dragon has had to be hunted. The dogs have been in hot pursuit of the beast for a while, yet they are ready to tackle the dire dragon. The landscape is desolate--not a soul around to witness the final blow to the dragon.

I like dragons a lot. They've interested me for years. There are detailed illustrations in tapestries, stone monuments and paintings the world over.  Such mysterious creatures are said in legendary tales to have had to be fought or killed because they were very dangerous for a number of reasons.

One account via folklore from Wales tells of how the smaller ones were "as bad as foxes for poultry."

This one, however, isn't going to steal anyone's livestock once our knight has had the final say.

I can imagine that colored pencils, pan pastels, watercolors or even gouache might add some color to the scene. It is not strictly for coloring, although that depends upon your point of view.

Other Knight illustrations that are more easy to color may be found by going HERE and HERE.

For another even scarier Dragon coloring page, you can go HERE. (the scarier dragon one is not recommended for very young children due to its content)

Happy Dragon Hunt Creativity!

PPS™ A Brave knight and His Dogs Slay a Dragon

Download regular black + White HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Sepia toned version HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Public Domain

Enjoy!

:)