Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Vintage LaBlanche Birthday ~ Challenging!

LaBlanche-front-vintage-bir

Hello and happy Wednesday! Yesterday I got to play just for the fun of it and I'm not too sure about what came out, but here it is anyway. I wanted to play the challenge over at Joan's Gardens. The challenge is:
• Window Top Card ( an opening in the top of the card with the design on the inside)
• Add three colors of flowers for the focal point.
• A Birthday card


I also wanted to play one of my favorite challenges, the Shabby Tea Room, which was to be inspired by this photo:



This image is new to me. It's from LaBlanche and it's a silicone stamp I bought from my DT sisters new store... The Craft's Meow. Lisa has a link to a great video on coloring these images with blending stumps and distress inks. I did not feel I had the right colors of inks to do that so I tried for one of those sepia toned cards with just a hint of color. Not sure I achieved that either, but I used SU! Chalks to color this. I then spritzed heavily with Glimmer Mist in Gold to set the chalks, then I layered on different colors of distress inks with a sponge, hitting some places and avoiding others. I went right over the image with some of the colors, and just did the edges with others. I spritzed again with Glimmer Mist when done sponging. IRL there is a gorgeous glow to this picture but I cannot capture that. I used the three colors for my flowers around this sweet vintage image.

La-Blanche-window-card-open

Next I had to create a card large enough to frame it within a cut out. I wanted it to look like a vintage metal frame. I chose this Spellbinders Label 11 to cut my window from SU! Basic Black. Next I used metallic cream paint and just rubbed it on again in various shades. Then I ran it through with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, matching it up in the middle as it took two passes to do it. At this point I was pretty happy with it but then I started embellishing it and now I'm not so sure. I added a vellum butterfly from the Bridal Dept. at Michael's, brushed gold corners from a very old Spellbinders corner set, and made a little nosegay of ribbon blossoms ( I made the lavender one) and seam binding lace to pick up the flower colors again. I added a tiny tag with my birthday sentiment on it. In looking at it now, I'm not sure I like the embellies, but this was just playing around so you get to see my experiment. LOL! I love these vintage images and hope to play some more to achieve just the look I'm after with them.


LaBlance-vintage-birthday-i

This is the inside of the card. Any message would need to be written on the back where I would add a mat of cream or tan. The stamp is fairly large so using it for the cut out window didn't leave me much room for a message inside.

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Paper Take Weekly - Anything Goes + Optional - Something New
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Crazy Challenge - Just Add Flowers
Make it Monday - Anything goes
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes
Stamp-N-Doodle - Shabby Chic or Vintage
There's Magic in the Air - Lets use flowers
Crafty Pad - Flowers
I Did It Creations - Anything Goes
Scrappy Frogs - Flowers and Lace


Thanks for taking a look at my little "experiment". Hopefully I'll get better at this! LOL! Have a great day!

33 comments:

Sabrina Jackson said...

WOW, Grace, this card came out fabulous with this new LaBlanche stamp!! This is such a sweet image. I love the Vintage feel your card has and I am sure whomever you will give this beauty to, they will love it too!! Hugs, Sabrina

Shell Shearer Swinscoe said...

Stunning, I just love the shape to the window, just great!

Thank you for joining us at Craft Your Passion this week, good luck!
Hugs Shell xx

velta said...

Beautiful image and Beautiful coloring Grace!!!

Anonymous said...

Pretty image and love the embossing :-) wonderful card! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely creation this week at The Shabby Tea Room!

Lori said...

Your coloring technique came out beautifully! I like the roses representing the egg colors, and that background you did looks like metal.

Joan Fricker said...

Grace,
Your card is gorgeous. Love the vintage look and all the details you used.

Thanks so much for joining us at Joan's Gardens #12 Weekly Card Challege. Great job.
Joan
www.atjoansgardens.com

Riet said...

Wowwww Grace,what a wonderful card,i love the image and your papers.

Hugs Riet.xx

Melissa Bove said...

Such a beautiful card Grace! Your card base looks like a piece of vintage tin! Fabulous work! Thank you so much for joining us this week at The Shabby Tea Room!

Hugs...
Melissa
TSTR DT

redwasher1 said...

Grace, your card is beautiful!!! I have to tell you, your music is so wonderful to listen to, that I stayed awhile!!:)

Hellma said...

Your card is beautiful

Patti J said...

Grace, this is beautiful! Isn't it fun to create 'just for fun' now and then??? Miss you, darlin'!!! Hugs!

Lisa Hjulberg said...

I'm loving the soft colors with the vintage look! You've got me inspired to try my hand at one of these. I've been meaning to, but time runs away from me! thanks for the shout-out, my friend!

Love and hugs,
Lisa

Michelle said...

Hi Grace

I think your card turned out fabulously, such a wonderful image to use inside the window.

The embossing on the front of your card looks beautiful.

Thank you for sharing over at Make It Monday this week.

Michelle :-)

CraftinGranny said...

It's a beautiful card Grace and perfect for the challenge at Joan's. So vintage and regal. Good luck in the challenges. "Hugs" Carol

Dianne said...

WOW Grace this card is gorgeous. I love the vintage look.

Hugs,
Dianne
http://mypaperhugs.blogspot.com/

Gloria Westerman said...

Oh my goodness Grace....this is so lovely....and I can see your color tone around your images.....just beautiful.....and I so love it....thank you again for playing with us at PCC it is such a honor to have you play with us.....thank you....and thank you for your sweet and kind words on my posts.....I really do appreciate them.....
And I love your music....it's so relaxing and peaceful.....ok so I hand around until the song is done....

Melisa Waldorf said...

Hi Grace! I miss chatting with you as well. Your vintage card turned out wonderful and I'm so glad you linked us because I didn't know about the LaBlanche stamps. I LOVE them. I hope all is well with you and DH. Have a blessed week my friend and thank you for thinking of me. Saying a prayer for you right now! hugs, Melisa

Julie said...

Very elegant card! Great flowers! Thanks for joining us at There's Magic in the Air this week.

Anonymous said...

Grace, this is stunning, you're amazing and thank you so much for the sweet comments you left on my blog.

Hugs, Lori m

Crystal said...

WOW WOW WOW Grace this is totally GORGEOUS!!! I LOVE the embossing, those gold corners and your stunning embellishments!! This looks soooo amazing, I can't stop staring at it!

Becky said...

This is beautiful Grace, love that butterfly.

kiwimeskreations said...

Hi Grace - love this card - it is really sweet - I would love to see the glow on it IRL :-)
Thank you for your sweet comments on my blog - thank you too for your prayers for my neighbour - she is stable today, still in intensive care and still very ill.
Blessings
Maxine

Priyanka said...

I know you through ODBD, I always like ur work, and this one is toooooooo fantastic fabulous.wow.

Thanks for joining with us this week at Stamp-n-Doodle.

Sheri said...

GORGEOUS! Love that image and all the inking is fabulous!

~♥~The Navy Wife~♥~ said...

This is just adorable! I love the look of this especially with the colored flowers on the bottom right! Very very nice! Thanks for joining us at The Crafty Pad Flowers Challenge this week & good luck in the draw!

Carla S. said...

This turned out gorgeous, Grace! I love the antique textured background and the softly colored La Blanche image. Beautiful embellishments, too! Have a great weekend! Hugs!

Georgia Ehrmann said...

so very pretty...Thank you for playing with us at IDIC this week!
Hugs,
Georgia

Darlene said...

Just GORGEOUS Grace! I can always depend on you for inspiration!

Shirley said...

Wow! Very vintage lovely!

Mindy (Scrappy and Piggy) said...

Congratulations!!! you are the winner of the scrappy frogs flowers and lace challenge! please email me your address at mindyrapp at gmail.com. PS your card is beautiful!!!

Traci S. said...

Grace, this is beautiful and very vintage! I love how you instictivly knew what colors to layer at what level, and when to spray, and when to switch to other items. It is beautiful. And, I love the butterfly!

He IS Able,
Traci S.

renee said...

I am so moved by your sight. The Lord is present. Thank You for sharing your talent for his Glory by His Grace

kiwimeskreations said...

Congratulations on winning at Scrappy Frog ;-)
Blessings
Maxine