Happy Moments of Spring

Hello.  Welcome.  I want to share an altered notebook I hand-crafted.  I started with an ugly notebook I found in a $1 bin, and decorated it, to give it a new look! and I am super happy with how it turned out!  I am entering my altered/decorated notebook in three different challenges (one in the US, and 2 overseas).

My first stop was the Tic Tac Toe Challenge.  They use a tic tac board, and you choose which row you are working with.  Super fun, and it gives you options {smile}.

I went diagonal with Floral, Gold/Silver, & Sequins

My next stop is a new favorite challenge site from Russia.  They also have a translate button, so it really makes it easier to play along: Paper Story.  They have given us an inspiration board, and you pick what inspires you.  You gotta love that!  Their theme:  sweet inspiration

inspired by the colors, and blossoms

and finally, my last stop is at SaratovScrap.  They have given us an inspiration board as well.  Their theme is:  March banner, freshness of the spring day, tenderness of the first flowers, letters about love.

inspired by the softness, the colors, the blossoms, and the notecard

and here is what I made:

Recipe:  I used a pink and cream pattern paper from Bazzil.  I loved how the random pattern was vague and pretty at the same time.  I had a scrap piece of a digital floral pattern paper, that was just the right size to matt with kraft card stock.  I added cut pieces of different 'tickets', and layered them. 

At the top, I added a scrap piece of cream cotton trim.  I wanted to bring out the pale aqua color in one of the tickets, so I added a scrap piece of an aqua and cream pattern paper and layered a cream text pattern paper on top.  I also added a 'notebook tab' piece of aqua and cream polka dot pattern paper to the top left of the notebook.

I loved the floral pattern from the cream cotton trim, so I added a cream button with the same design to the top of a double bow of pale pink seam binding.  I tied the button to the bow with kraft twine, to help add a little contrast, softly.

The fabric blossom is actually a warm taupe shade, to help help blend it into the background, and not take center stage.  I added a pair of champagne glitter leaves to the blossom, to help add some sparkle.

I added a pair of flat buttons tied with the same kraft twine.  I also added 5 pale pink sequins, to help add a little more pink (my favorite color).  I wanted more sparkle, and found a short piece of rhinestone trim, and so I added it to the  bottom of the top 'ticket'.  

I added a 'hair tie' to the bottom of the notebook, to hold it close.  I just love the pale taupe color and the sparkles is just a bonus.  I did some machine stitching to help hold the pieces together, and to give it a homespun feeling.

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you get a chance to play along with any/all of these challenge sites!