Sunday, January 29, 2012

New Paper Collection: Fairy Belle



It's been a bit hard keeping this little project under wraps! But now the time has come that I can reveal all!  ... I'm talking about my new paper collections with Prima Marketing!  Yes, one of the most gorgeous and inspiring paper crafting companies on the planet today .... Isn't that just SOOO exciting?!!  Too exciting for words!

 ♥ ♥ Flowers and ribbons and vintage, oh my!   ♥ ♥

Me thinks it is somewhat of a match made in heaven! I have always LOVED Prima, and all their amazing products. They really are leaders in their industry for creating the most innovative paper and silk flowers to hit the planet, aren't they? And then with the introduction of the very talented IOD ladies a few years back, they kicked off some really cutting edge designs that took the paper crafting industry by storm.  And no wonder ... Prima's creative director (Tami) has such a talent and reputation for being so open to trying new and exciting creative ideas ... I love that! 

I am grateful to Tami for believing in the Jodie Lee brand, and inviting me to team up with Prima to bring you some incredible new designs!  I was thrilled when Prima approached me (over two years ago now) to create some collections for them ... and these collections are the result of lots of hard work, long sleepless nights and well... rather sore hands from drawing an incredible amount of detail with a mouse!! :) ... I know, I know, I need to drag out the graphics tablet and learn how to finally use it.

I think you'll agree when you see these collections in person that these are my best to date. The detail is sometimes lost here in the web previews, so do be sure to try to see them in person. They are being launched at the CHA convention (happening as I write),  and they should be making their way to a store near you within the next few weeks, months. Do be sure to get in FAST to put an order in on this collection with Prima or your local scrapbooking store before they sell out ... because they will go fast!  

The first collection I'm showing you today is called 'Fairy Belle.'   The name was inspired by an antique song sheet in my collection, titled by the same name.  It fits perfectly with the little 'stars' on this line - an amazing collection of beautiful hand-drawn images of Ballerinas from the last century. I sourced these rare images from the Victoria and Albert museum in London and approached them to license them for a scrapbook collection. They were delighted, and so I got to work building up some very detailed decorative floral scenes using hundreds of antique flower images in my collection. And if you're wondering, yes, I was greatly inspired by the Mary Cicely Barker 'Flower Fairies' drawings :) ... I've always been such a big fan of hers since I was a little girl (thanks Mum! :)


Some of these papers took weeks to create, with hundreds of different textural layers.  I had to restore the images of the ballerinas from the originals, which had faded and gotten a little moldy :) I wanted to bring them back to life for the world to see :) ... so I hope you like the results :) .... The ballerina images hail from the romantic period when Ballet was at it's height and ballerinas were often cast into ethereal type roles and seen as other worldly (fairies, goddesses etc).   Prima added the titles to the papers and the product description - 'Prima's own midsummer night's dream'. That's one interpretation. This collection can be anything you want it to be. That's the power of fantasy!

Ok, let's take a look.  Here are the original images that I had to work with ....





And here are the papers I created from these images (front and back). Make sure you click on the image to see the larger preview with all the details!









Here are some pretty chipboard stickers to match ...

... and some journalling chipboard pieces ...

... here are some sweet note cards ...

... and here are some pretty clear stamps and a set of cling mount rubber stamps



Prima have added their own amazing embellishments to this collection ... these are just BEAUTIFUL!!

















A4 paper packs, and 6x6 mulberry paper packs are also available!

Well, there we have it. The new Fairy Belle Collection by Jodie Lee for Prima. Hope you enjoy it. Retailers can order the items from the Prima website here. They will be sold online and throughout local stores soon!! Make sure you ask your local scrapbook store to order this gorgeous new collection.

I look forward to posting some layouts and other projects created with this collection soon ... and please, DO leave a comment here to let me know what you think of the new collection! Your comments and feedback are really important and I want to know what YOU think about these collections, because I spent a lot of time making them for you! ... and Prima has done an incredible job on manufacturing these amazing goodies! :)

stay tuned when tomorrow I show you 'Nature Garden'.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Create Your Own Printable Scrapbook Papers: 135 Vintage Designs for Use with Photoshop Elements by Jodie Lee Patterson

Look what has arrived ... personal copies of my new design book, just released with Dover Publications!
There are 135 perfectly repeating digital patterns included in this book/CD, created from some of Dover's most beautiful antique design motifs. And guess what? They are all ROYALTY-FREE! That's right, you can use these ready-made designs for any of your personal or commercial creations. Image files are provided in JPEG, PNG, and TIFF formats.  The patterns range from basic spots, stripes, checks, hearts and Fleur-de-lis, up to more complicated vintage floral and damask patterns. Easy tutorials are included on how to add your own colors and textures to the designs to create an infinite range of possibilities, then print out at home! This is a fantastic design resource that will save you hours of work, and one that you will come back to time after time!

Note: Photoshop Elements is not included. You will need either Photoshop Elements, Photoshop, or any graphic editing program that can edit JPEG, PNG, and TIFF files to create and print your own papers.

You can purchase my new book on the Dover website HERE, or on Amazon (click the link below):

Want an AUTOGRAPHED COPY? You can purchase one here below with Paypal. Your book will be sent to the address you have on file with Paypal. Postage is included in the pull-down menu. Simply choose whether you will be purchasing within the U.S. or Internationally.
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Create Your Own Printable Scrapbook Papers: 135 Designs for Use with Photoshop Elements 
by Jodie Lee Patterson



Options


Saturday, December 3, 2011

35% off Sale! ... Jessica Sprague Store

Jessica Sprague is 35% off all through the month of December. This means all digital products - including all products in my Jodie Lee store - and online classes. 

If you've ever thought about launching into digital photography, photo editing, or digital scrapbooking then this is a great time to do it! Jessica Sprague has some really amazing classes from everything to restoring family vintage photos to learning Adobe Illustrator. I've taken a few classes myself, and have picked up lots of new skills!  I really enjoy the video tutorials that teach Photoshop and Illustrator. Watching an instructional video on how to use these programs as opposed to reading a textbook is SO much easier!  So do check out her site when you get a chance!



Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Trade Card Tuesday - Christmas Freebie

Here's another gorgeous Victorian Trade Card freebie for you, taken from my collection.

This week's Trade card comes from the late 1800's and features a Christmas themed graphic of a girl in a red coat and hat holding a rabbit. Isn't she adorable!?

As always, I'd love to see what you create with this. Feel free to post any pics of your creations onto my Facebook fan page here: www.facebook.com/gypsychickdesigns

The reason I'm posting this on Wednesday instead of Tuesday is that my iMac hard-drive failed, and I had to get it replaced this week at the Apple Store! Thankfully, they gave me a brand new one, even though the 1 year warranty was up :)

This is a strictly personal use version only. You can post creations you make with it on your blog, just be sure to provide a link-back to this blog. Please do not steal or give away the trade card on your site. Thank you! 
A commercial-use license for hand-made crafts is available HERE.
The original Trade Card is for sale HERE.




Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Trade Card Tuesday Winner!

Paul Browning is the winner of this week's 'Trade Card Tuesday' challenge. Paul has created an adorable greeting card with the Fairy Tradecard Freebie  I gave out on my blog last week. Here is Paul's card! Isn't is so pretty! I love his attention to detail. He even used a 'Jodie Lee' printable paper from the 'French Market' pack, and sewed it onto the card!
And take a peek at Paul's blogger page 'The Artsiders' when you get a chance. He has some very gorgeous creative ideas for card designs - very inspiring indeed. Congratulations Paul, check your mailbox for a signed copy of my new book:

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

My First Book Published! :)

Create Your Own Printable Scrapbook Papers: 135 Vintage Designs For Use With Photoshop Elements
- A new Dover Publication by Jodie Lee Patterson - 

Create an endless supply of uniquely designed scrapbook papers for use in digital scrapbooking, paper scrapbooking, card making, and other crafts. This easy-to-use and versatile book/CD contains 135 beautifully crafted royalty-free vintage patterns that were designed from a stunny array of antique motifs and images! 


This collection is a wonderful resource not only for scrapbookers and crafters, but also for graphic designers who will find these designs suitable for a wide range of applications. Step-by-step instructions are included in the book on how to add your own color and texture to the paper patterns in Photoshop Elements to create myriad combinations of designs that you can print out at home!


Also included are 40 colored, ready-to-print A4 sized files.  Instructions are given for use with Photoshop Elements, but any graphics editing program that will accept JPG and PNG files may be used. All pattern designs are provided as either high resolution JPG and PNG files in both 12x12 inch and A4 sizes. Please note: Photoshop elements is not included. 


Whether you're a beginner scrapbooker, or an experience graphic designer, I know you will find this book a wonderful, inexpensive design resource to fuel your creative spirit!



Available for pre-order now on Amazon (ships January 19, 2012).

It's Trade Card Tuesday! ... that means a freebie! :)

I have another freebie for you to download here on my blog ... today, and every Tuesday! Let's call it 'Trade Card Tuesday'.

I started collecting trade cards to use in my scrapbook collections a couple of years ago, and I must say, it's very addicting!!  The graphics on some of these cards are just incredibly gorgeous, using the old chromolithograph style of printing that you don't see a lot of today.

So, what is a trade card, you may ask?  Well, these were an early example of a modern business card.  Starting in the early 17th century in London, businesses would distribute these small advertising cards to potential customers, sometimes even including a map on the back that gave directions to their store!  Their designs became increasingly sophisticated as printing methods improved, and they very soon became collectibles.

My collection of Victorian trade cards is starting to pile up here, and so I really wanted to share some of these wonderful little treasures with you, as I know some of you love these old images as much as I do.

We will also be having a little challenge :)

CHALLENGE: I want to see you incorporate these into your card designs, your altered art designs, and your scrapbook layout designs.  This is a  chance for you to show me 'what ya got' in terms of your design style, (rumor has it that I will be on the lookout for a CT team very soon, so what better way to showcase your work) :) So, the challenge is to use this card to create something with a Christmas theme - anything your heart desires ... scribble outside the lines, do something unique to you.

Post a photo of your creation onto my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gypsychickdesigns by next Monday 12pm (USA/EST), and I will pick a winner. The winning entry will receive an autographed copy of my brand new book 'Create Your Own Scrapbook Papers', see my blog later tonight for more details on that :)

Here is the first trade card below. Isn't she a sweetie? This is one of the most gorgeous cards I have ever seen ... quite rare. The bidding war over at Ebay was fierce on this one, I can tell you!  

This is a strictly personal use version only. You can post creations you make with it on your blog, just be sure to provide a link-back to this blog. Please do not steal or give away the trade card on your site. Thank you sweeties!