Happy Birthday to my George

George is my hero...this card is for him. We will be moving to Florida to retire, by the end of the summer. This is a BIG birthday!
I used Crafty Secrets Layout Challenge for this week: CSSC25. I finally got some new stamps sets! OH! This layout is also special because Darlene used it to make a card for the last challenge, and then Pammyjo used it to honor Darlene on her birthday which was also this week...Happy Birthday to you, Darlene!

One thing I seem to always do on chalked images when using vintage stamps...I erase some of the chalk to give the image a shadow.
I used two of my newly purchased CS sets: Hardware, and Card Sentiments. The paper is from Leisure Arts (Elements) and Karen Foster Designs (Old Script) The black cs is really cool...it's called Core'dinations. The core of every sheet of black cs is a color. This one is beige. I sanded it to bring out the core. Not all their cs is black, this series is called, Black Magic.

I discovered something cool when I sanded the edges of my focal point square...the inked edges sand away, leaving the edge looking torn and really vintage. I was so excited to see an inked edge to that...I have done it with white core cs before, but never this! I also sanded the brads and melted the ribbon.
The lock and key represent my heart, and that George holds the key...so romantic...

I love Crafty Secrets stamp images. I guess I really am a romantic at heart!

~Bev

Second Post Today...

I am playing catch-up today...this card is for two challenges: Crafty Secrets' Vintage Black challenge CSSC24, and Heather Rolin's layout challenge on her blog... HMSC2. (see last post for a link to her website)


I just love to play with realistic images, and recreate scenarios on cards. This one was too much fun! I heat curled the ribbon with my heat tool, and curled the stamps, too!

If you look at some of my past posts, like the windblown blouse, or the wallpaper card, you will see the lacey border stamp.

For this card, I trimmed away some of the extra acrylic on the stamp, and adhered the image to the block on a curve, so I could make these plates. I used my empressor stylus to make the plate indentations.

I just ordered three more sets of Crafty Secrets stamps...it's about time, too

~Bev

H&M Stamps Release!

Congratulations, Heather! Two new stamp sets are released today, and this card is made with one of them. I love the little flip flops, and dressed them up with some beads I picked up in Walmart...in the bead section.
Shabby Chic, the sister style to Vintage, was my choice here. I used my empressor tool to make weather-worn wood (say that 3 times fast!) reminiscent of New England cottages at the beach in CT, where I spent some happy hours as a child. Ah, the memories...

So, check out Heather's newest stamps here:http://www.handmstamps.com/

~Bev

There's No Place Like Home...

This card is for the WT172 Challenge, "Ways to Use It", using scoring. I use the empressor stylus all the time...and I love it. Here, I made "wanescoting" and moulding, sanding the cs after scoring it. I used dp that looks like wallpaper, and so just had to get out my "Bird Notes" stamps from Crafty Secrets again. Chalked the image, erased some, and used the Kitchen Classics from Crafty Secrets to make the lace border. Pretty simple card, but naturally, it took me some time.

Darlene's Challenge Card

I have made some great acquaintances on SCS, and Darlene is one of them...love this card. Darlene used one of my favorite techniques...chalking. I've got to find our where this paper is from. I have been searching the 'net for vintage look paper...this is so pretty! Any help in this area would be appreciated.

Thanks for playing, Darlene!

~Bev

My Vintage Roses A Color Challenge

It was Valentine's Day. George surprised me with a bouquet of beautiful yellow roses, edged in pink. I love roses...who doesn't? The only problem was, we were leaving for Florida the very next morning.


I usually dry a single rose from each bouquet, but this time I took the whole bouquet, tied twine around it and hung it in the basement. When we returned a week later, the colors were even more vibrant than when they were fresh!
So this is the challenge...Look through your inks and find the most vibrant colors to represent what you see here...or play up the palest ones. I don't care, as long as you are happy with your result. I will post all the entries here. As a lover of vintage, these roses should translate to a card beautifully, but the colors would do well with any style.
Take time to smell the roses, and don't forget to end your week with a BLAST!
~Bev