April Showers Bring May Flowers

 

 Hello Monday and hello friends!

April Showers bring May Flowers! Just remember, the showers just might be snow, like I had while working on this! I am looking forward to seeing how you interpret this week's challenge.

After a variety of ideas of what I wanted to create, I settled on making a journal from scratch - I was thinking of a garden journal where notes would be jotted down, sketches made, photos inserted...I love the idea, but am not sure if I am organized enough to use it! LOL!

All I started with were two manila folders that I cut and rounded the edges, then gessoed.

Love this organic texture I got when I layered the paint on both sides, fairly generously, then closed the folder and opened it again. It looks like the veins on leaves to me, which is perfect for my garden idea. 

Time to mix a few colors and get some fantastic results.

And here is how I did it...on one side of the folder, I squirted on the colors in a random way.

Then, I took an old credit card and swiped across in a couple of directions. I set up a plastic bag to paint on since I was getting so messy.

Close the folder, smooth over it with your hands, then open, to see your beautiful colors and textures.

I decided to add in some watercolor sheets for notes and sketching, and very lightly stenciled them.  The cover was so much fun! I painted the base layer in the green, white and blue, then stenciled the clouds with distress ink, and the umbrella and flower. Next I stamped the darling image from Stamping Bella, and colored her with distress crayons.

I bound my mini album together with waxed thread and a stick.

Here's the back...

A view showing the pages...

And for the grand finale...here's a little video showing the whole book!

Personally, I can't wait for spring to get here!! I am ready for the green, getting out onto the deck, digging in the dirt, planting the gardens...you get the picture! I will take some rain to get those May flowers!

I hope you join us in this fun challenge, and I am looking forward to seeing how you interpret our theme. 

Simon Says Stamp is offering a generous $50 voucher for this challenge!

SUPPLIES:

Journal stamp by Stampers Anonymous (old one from the stash)

   

   

   

A great place to shop!!

Simon is on Instagram!

How will my awesome teamies interpret this week's challenge? Head on over and soak up their creative twist on this one!