Everything Old Is New Again…

If you follow crafting/scrapbooking trends, it should not come as surprise to you that vintage is back in a big way. Since the third and fourth quarters of last year, many companies have come forward with lines that are decidedly influenced by the past. That trend seems to be continuing with some new and exciting embellishments that recall yesteryear. Sewing, lace, twine, buttons, cameos, pearls, ephemera continue to hit the crafting market in new and exciting ways. One of my favorite revivalists of the vintage tradition is Webster’s Pages. High quality, great color ranges, and unique approaches make them one of the newest favorites.

Today’s card project was actually inspired by two things. First, I wanted to use a new product to me: Webster’s Pages Vintage Inspired Netting II. This collection contains eleven (11) 8″ x 8″ squares of vintage inspired netting in an array of colors and designs. The moment I spotted it, I thought about all the great vintage hats women used to wear a la Jackie O’s pill box hat. The interesting thing about this netting is that there are so many different ways you can incorporate it into card and scrapbook designs. The second thing that inspired this card design is those old-fashioned winner’s ribbon’s that were awarded at state and county fairs.

The base cardstock is Papertrey Ink Perfect Match in Summer Sunrise. The stamped sentiment is also from Papertrey Ink’s “Think Big Favorites” series. To create my “ribbon”, I used a piece of the Webster’s Pages netting. To create the rosette portion, I stamped an image on Papertrey Ink’s Kraft cardstock and cut around it. The kaleidoscope stamp image is from a Stella & Rose stamp set by My Mind’s Eye called “Gertie Girly Stamps”. I attached the netting behind the medallion directly to card face and then used large pop-dots to adhere the medallion in place and give it some added dimensions. The final touches included a zinnia floral button from Prima Marketing (which color matches perfectly) and an inner journaling block.

Darkness Abounds…

I’m not sure why, but of late I’ve been finding myself experimenting more with a more neutral color palette than what I usually work with. I tend to get carried away with my greens (my favorite color) and blues. So, I suppose this new dip into browns and blacks is a welcome change. Though, hopefully, it’s not a reflection of my mood.

This particular card project had no intended use or event in mind. I purposely stayed away from a sentiment. As I finished it, I though it somehow looked a bit funereal–again that darkness. I suppose it would make an appropriate sympathy card. Yet, there is a bit of formal elegance to it–and with an appropriate sentiment–might work in other venues.

The black wrought-iron like centerpiece was cut using the Cricut ‘Damask Décor’ cartridge. I then mounted it on a piece of bronze foiled cardstock from Die Cuts With A View’s (DCWV) “Textures & Finishes” stack. The zig-zag cut background paper is from Teresa Collins. The card base is Stampin’ Up! cardstock. When I was getting ready to assemble the card, I thought about some waxed twine I had and decided to wrap some around the damask piece several times and string some crystal faceted beads on it, to give the card just a bit of light reflection (since the palette was so dark). Overall, I was pretty satisfied with the way it turned out. I have another project using ‘Damask Décor’ coming up that has a completely different feel and color palette.

Precious…

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Materials Used:

–Stardream Fuse Mica cardstock in Bronze
–Pearlized decorative paper from SEI Windsor Collection
–Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock
–Unity Stamp Co. rubber stamp sets: “All Worth It” and “Love Life” (by Melody Ross)
–American Crafts Zing! Opaque embossing powder in Black Glitter
–VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad
–Colorbox Fluid Chalk Cat’s Eye Ink Pad in Dark Brown
–Bazzill InStitch’z Floss in French Vanilla
–We R Memory Keepers paper piercer
–All Night Media Studio Art Pop Dots
–Imaginisce Glam Rocks Rhinestuds
–Imaginisce I-Rock
–Pink Paislee “Queen Bee” Flip Notes
–3M ATG714 adhesive gun

Je Vous Adore

I must apologize for the delay in getting this entry posted. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was apparently upset with the Southwest desert U.S. After having a few days of temperature readings below zero (and incredibly, -21 with the wind chill factored in), the aftermath was nearly as cold as the event. I had three separate broken water lines (…and only two thumbs to plug the holes with, lol). It’s been an icy floody mess around here. But, like all things, this too shall pass.

The good news is that today’s card project is so pretty, it made me forget the bone-chilling cold–for a bit at least. This card is also one of those happy accidents where a combination of not-so-likely Cricut cartridges provided an interesting collision. In the end–and pardon my frankness–this card is beautiful.

I used one of the Spring 2011 seasonal mini-cartridge releases, “Mother’s Day Boquet”, to create a layered flower piece that serves as the focal point of this card. The image I used was the flower on Row 1, Key 5. I cut four layers: 4″, 3.5″, 3″, and 2.5″. I used my Cricut Imagine to do the cutting and one big advantage to doing so is the ability to create custom colors and/or patterns on designs from the regular Cricut cartridge line. Earlier, I had been working on an Imagine project using the Cricut Imagine “Country Carnival” art cartridge. While I was debating what solid color I wanted to print my flower layers with, I had the idea to experiment with pattern using the “Country Carnival” cartridge. One of the patterned paper images I love on this cartridge is a vintage newspaper layout that is dotted with spots of bright color in the form of trailing rose bushes. It provides for vivid pops of color, while keeping with a chic vintage look. Using some white Bazzill cardstock (corduroy textured), I cut my flower layers using the “Mother’s Day Bouquet cartridge and the pattern from “Country Carnival”.

I further enhanced the vintage look of the layers by using some Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist in Heirloom Gold. I really love the formulation of these Perfect Pearl mists. I’ve tried other color spritzes, washes and sprays–and usually the results are messy and not aesthetically pleasing. But, I have had tremendous success with the Perfect Pearls. I anchored my floral layers with a giant faceted jeweled brad from Creative Charms. I used a Martha Stewart bone folder to curl my petals to provide dimensionality and visual interest.

The decorative paper for the card mat and the inside of the card is from Graphic 45’s “Le Romantique” collection. The card base and ribbon are from Papertrey Ink in Pine Feather. A little dimension and a strategically placed stick pin provide just the right finishing touches on the front. On the inside, I used a kraft journaling tag from Maya Road to provide an area for personalization.

Overall, I was really jazzed by the modern meets vintage look of the overall card. The bloom looks like it is growing right off the card front–and in these frigid temperatures it is certainly a most welcome sight.

Bountiful

Old West

Materials Used: Stampin’ Up! Cardstock in Soft Suede, Kraft, Early Espresso, and Whisper White; Stampin’ Up! Stampin’ Pad in Chocolate Chip; Colorbox Chalk Ink in Chestnut Roan; Stampin’ Up! Stamp Set “Old West” (#120543, $ 14.95); Papertrey Ink Stamp Set “Year of Flowers: Lily Of The Valley”; Papertrey Ink Baker’s Twine in Chocolate; All Night Media Pop Dots; 3M ATG 714 Gold Adhesive;

Blooming

On The Edge

Last night, I finally got around to playing with some of my new Tim Holtz ‘On The Edge’ dies. You will recall that these new dies are part of a collaboration between Sizzix and Tim Holtz for a new line called “Tim Holtz Alterations”. This die is unique in several ways. First, it is a new size and shape for the Sizzix line. The dies are 6″ x 2 3/4″ in measurement and are designed to cut a perfect 5 1/2″ border (which of course is the standard A2 card size). Each die (with the exception of one) actually features two cutting edges–one on each side of the steel rule die. You can use them in tandem–or simply use only one cut. For this project, I experimented with the die called ‘Ornate’.

I chose to use Stardream So…Silk! mica cardstock in Fair Blue for my base (cut at 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, scored at 4″). The decorative paper I chose for the front is from Cosmo Cricket’s “Material Girl” collection (cut at 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″). I adhered the decorative paper before I began to cut with my ATG 714.

I used my Cuttlebug and On The Edge Die on each end of my cardstock, making two decorative cuts by simply reversing the die on each pass.

Flipping the cardstock back to the front side reveals the shape my card will take. I really love this set of coordinating cuts. They remind of the top of a pagoda.

For the embellishment of my card front, I combined some velvet leaves from 7 Gypsies with a felt flower from Heidi Swap. I also used a sequin, silver bead and crystal floral center from Prima Marketing. I adhered the pieces of my floral embellishment together with Glue Dots and then used All Night Media 1/2″ pop dots to adhere the piece to my card front. I used a piece of Pebbles grosgrain saddle-stitched ribbon to complete the effect. The sentiment is from Stampin’ Up! and was stamped with Papertrey Ink’s Enchanted Evening ink. The final touch was a Jenni Bowlin journaling block to the card’s interior (as the color was very deep for writing to show up clearly).

There are a total of six (6) Tim Holtz Alterations ‘On The Edge’ dies released thus far. Of course, I had to add them to my craft tool collection. From a card making perspective, I would highly recommend these dies to anyone. They are versatile with dual cuts. They’re easy to store and use. They work with your Sizzix Big Shot or ProvoCraft Cuttlebug. But most importantly, they give you the ability to really jazz up the look and edges of your cards for a very unique look. The dies released thus far are: Brackets, File Tabs, Ornate, Plaque & Postage, Scallops, and Scrollwork. Each die retails for $13.99.

I hope you all have an incredible weekend ahead. Don’t forget that the next Giveaway (see sidebar) will close this weekend. As always, Keep Crafting!

In Bloom

Today is all about flowers and love. I confess, I’m a romantic at heart. Beneath the brash exterior lies a puddle of *sighs*. (I think this qualifies as oversharing.) As for flowers, I love them too. Calla Lilies are my favorites–but any fresh cut flowers will do around my household. Early in my crafting days, I was obsessed with putting flowers everywhere. I think that’s a place we all visit. There were so many varieties of flowers in so many different materials that it almost became overwhelming. At some point, I have to say I lost interest in dimensional flowers. Maybe it was just a slight case of burnout. Nonetheless, I’m over my aversion at this point. I probably still don’t use as many florals as I did once, but now and again, there’s nothing like a beautiful bloom to put a smile on your face.

The materials list for this card project is as follows:

PAPER: Stampin’ Up! cardstock in Real Red (5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″), Stardream Fuse Mica cardstock in Azalea (4″ x 5″), Stardream Fuse Mica cardstock in Gold (heart);

INKS: SEI chalk ink in Cocoa;

TOOLS: Stampin’ Up! Full Heart punch, Stampin’ Up! Tag Corner punch, ProvoCraft Cuttlebug ‘Love Language’ A2 embossing folder, Cuttlebug;

EMBELLISHMENTS: Bo Bunny Gypsy Flowers (2), Pebbles Inc. brown polka dot ribbon, Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel button, Papertrey Ink Rustic Jute twine;

ADHESIVES: Stampin’ Up! Stampin’ Dimensionals, All Night Media Pop Dots, Glue Dots, ATG 714;

Card Spotlight: A Rose Is A Rose…

I just received some new Stampin’ Up supplies…so of course, I had to try them out. The result was this card. The base cardstock is textured Bazzill cut to 8 1/2″ x 5″ and scored at 4 1/4″ on the Scor-Pal. I used two strips (4 1/4″) of Bazzill textured white cardstock and the Martha Stewart Lattice Arch Border Bunch to create the edging. The decorative paper is from Die Cuts With A View Once Upon A Time paper stack. The particular design is called “Stained Glass Window”.

The border strips are adhered to the decorative paper using my ATG 714 gun. I had carefully picked this decorative paper because I was dying to try out one of the new stamp sets I just received from Stampin’ Up. The set is called ‘A Rose Is A Rose’ (#111560)–and I just LOVE it. It’s designed for a two-step stamping process and it enhances the realism of the image in my opinion. I used some Stampin’ Up Whisper White cardstock to stamp the image on.

I used Rose Red to stamp the base rose image and used Cranberry Crisp for the highlight image. The leaves were done with Kiwi Kiss and True Thyme. I then cut out the image and used All Night Media Pop Dots for the dimensional positioning. Two lines of the new Glitz Stickles in Ruby Slippers accent the border between the puched element and the decorative paper.