GO GREEN! Spring, Gardening/Botanical theme with upcycling twist.
Everyone is ready for a dose of springtime by this time of the year. Let’s feature flowers, green, growing things, garden journals or farm images in our projects this month. Easter banners, Easter baskets, or home décor would also be great ideas! Here’s the twist: Use an “upcycled” item in your project: a bit of corrugated cardboard, packaging material, paper bag, twist ties, jars and bottles or anything that would normally go to the landfill.
I created a lovely Spring inspired hard cover journal with a re-purposed blank book from the $1 section at my local craft store and recycled paper bags,
Here’s how I created the cover….
I used the fabulous images and printable paper patterns from the Crafty Secrets:
VPP103 Best Buds 54 Piece Images ,Creating with vintage Patterns – CD1 ,Creating with Retro Christmas – CD5,Creating with Vintage Typography – CD3,
I used these beautiful trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon…Ivory Wrinkle Ribbon, Shimmer Satin, Olive Center Stitch Burlap.
Now it’s your turn! Create a NEW project featuring any Crafty Secrets goodies and link it up on the Crafty Secrets BLOG by Sunday, March 15th at midnight PT.
To thank you for playing along, you’ll find a FREE gardening digital paper and printable over on the Heartwarming Vintage BLOG that you can download and use in your project. Or use any Crafty Secrets goodies you might have in your stash to play along. We also have dozens of FREE DOWNLOADS that you can use in your project. You do NOT have to follow the theme to play along, but it’s always fun when you do.
One lucky participant will be randomly selected to win this lovely prize package from Crafty Secrets valued at more than $25:
* Digital Garden Papers, * Digital Garden Printables, * Garden Girls Digital Art Stamps, * Bunny Gift Bag and Tag set.
I encourage you to visit the entire Crafty Secrets Design Team to enjoy their fabulous projects:
Kathy*Darlene ♥ Diane ♥ Elizabeth ♥ Gloria ♥ Melody ♥ Michele ♥ Shantaie ♥ Sheila* and guest designing Karen : )
Thanks for playing along! We can’t wait to see what you bring to the party!
Polly's Paper Studio 
Well, you certainly gave that ugly notebook a new lease on life! What a beautiful transformation! I would never have thought of covering the front and back with an old paper bag, so I loved the tutorial, too! You are so smaht! Thanks for another great Linky project, Ginny! It’s gorgeous!
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Love this…love this…how creative to use a paper bag for the covers….it will make me look at them in a whole other way!!! I love altered journals, and you took a $1 one and made it into a million bucks…very creative!!
Your finished product is so beautiful. I’ve never thought to completely rebuild an existing notebook…I’ve only covered them. I just love how it turned out!
This is such a fabulous project Ginny! Thanks for all the wonderful details … adding this to my upcycling ToDo List. Just beautiful with all the adorable images and vintage sweetness! Thanks!
Very creative Ginny! I loved your use of the paper bag. Of all the craft papers available for sale the colour and texture of the plain old paper bag is my favourite and I never throw them away. That certainly made a great base but the items you chose to use and the coordination of prints and colours is so artistic it is inspirational.
LOVE YOUR “NEW” JOURNAL AND BEAUTIFUL COVER!!! THANKS FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN GREAT PRIZES!
you know what I love about your art, is that the more you look the more detail you see! beautifully done!! paper bags have always been a favorite, especially when they look this good!
So many layers…beautiful!
I love your fussy cutting! I wish I was as talented in that area! Maybe if my eyes were younger. 🙂 This card is lovely! Nice job!