Feeling Vintage

Vintage and Shabby Chic seem to be the hot trends right now in the paper crafting world. I love the looks and have been experimenting. While I was creating this I thought it would make a good wedding card:

Here's what I used to make this:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Four Frames (this is a sneak peek product from the new Idea Book and Catalogue coming out in July)

Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede

Paper: Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Botanical Gazette DSP (from the Occasions Mini, this is available until April 30)

Accessories: Blossom Petals Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, Crumb Cake Seam Binding (all of these are also from the Occasions Mini), Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Stamp-a-ma-jig

The Blossoms Petal Punch is a multi-shapes punch that allows you to punch out all the different sized elements to make up a flower. I punched out the largest petal shape and a medium petal shape using Very Vanilla card stock. Then I used a stylus to draw the lines and sponged Crumb Cake over the side with the raised impressions. With a sponge dauber, I dabbed on some Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.

On the Framed Tulips embossed layer, I lightly sponged Crumb Cake over the raised image. Also randomly sponged Crumb Cake over the layer of Botanical Gazette DSP.

Using the scrolly-looking stamp from the Four Frames set, I inked it in Soft Suede and stamped on Very Vanilla. The sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes is all one line on the stamp and I wanted it in two lines. So I used the Stamp-a-ma-Jig and inked the first two words using a Soft Suede marker and stamped. Then did the same thing for the word "Newlyweds" and stamped it underneath. I sponged the edges with Soft Suede.

The Crumb Cake seam binding is so easy to work with. I usually avoid using ribbons on my projects because I have fat fingers that are not as nimble as they used to be! But I love the seam binding!! After tying the bow, I then frayed the ends and separated out a thread that I just pulled to create the bunching up effect. Using mini-glue dots, I stuck the ends down where I wanted them so they didn't float around. This is a technique I learned by watching a video posted by  SU demo Kimberly Diepen. The technique I used on the petals was from another SU demo - France Martin. Many demos very generously share their talents. Thank you!

I love how it turned out! Hope you are inspired to try the Vintage look. It's addicting! 

Time for a picnic!

We have had some absolutely gorgeous days here on the Sunshine Coast! So when I was looking at my stamp collection the other day, I came across a set that I have had for a while and never used. Sometimes I see a set in the catalogue that I just have to have. Then, once I have it I can't seem to get inspired to use it.

That was the case with the set Studio Sketches. Oddly enough, it was a rainy day that finally inspired me to use this set. I had a day off from work. It was a cold, grey, rainy day and I thought the only thing to do was stay inside and stamp. I must have been wishing for nicer weather, because all of a sudden this design just popped into my head!

The wine and bread image is from the set Studio Sketches and the cherry blossom branch is from the set Easter Blossoms. I stamped them with Staz On ink on Stampin' Up's watercolour paper. Then I coloured them using markers and an Aqua Painter. For the cherry blossom branch I coloured the flowers first with Blushing Bride and then used Regal Rose to add darker areas. On the wine and bread image I used Cherry Cobbler for the wine glass and bottle, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede for the loaf of bread, Marina Mist on the other bottle, Pear Pizzaz for the tops of the two bottles and the label on the blue bottle and So Saffron for the label on the wine bottle.

To create the background I used a technique called Watercolour Wash. It's very easy to do. I used markers - Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzaz and Marina Mist - and scribbled with them on a clear acrylic block. Then with the Aqua Painter, I picked up some of the colour and  just "washed" it across the paper. To create the darker areas, I simply picked up more of the colour and washed it over top of the first layer. The cool thing about watercolouring is it doesn't matter if some of the white shows through. It just adds to the effect.

I trimmed the image to fit inside the Very Vanilla layer that had been run through the Big Shot with the Framed Tulips embossing folder. The raised, embossed border was sponged with Crumb Cake. The card base is Soft Suede.

Hope the rest of the country will soon enjoy picnic weather! In the meantime, stamp and watercolour yourself a picnic scene to brighten your day.