I Love Autumn!

If I only had more storage! I am still working on organization, so my work is sporatic at best...hang in there with me. You guys know how we stampers need a place for EVERYTHING! Without that, I have PILES upon PILES...everything gets buried...

OK, enough excused...

This card is has a touch of Autumn, as I am experiencing Autumn without the colors I am used to up North. I usually go straight for the oranges, reds and umbers, but this year will be different...as I have a new venue.
I brayered the plum gingham, vintage CTMH B&T paper, with River Rock ink from SU!. The lace edge is from Crafty Secrets' Kitchen Classics. I stamped the cs with the flying crow from "Old Fashioned Hayride", one for the sets I illustrated for H&M Stamps...actually, the very FIRST set I ever designed.

I curved the font, to make it fit the oval, which I cut with Coluzzle. The little glass beads are from Walmart.

Gotta go...got some drawing to do.

~Bev

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

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

Dreams...Blowing in the Wind

Blowin' in the Wind...Bob Dylan, Dream a Little Dream of Me...the Mama's and Papa's...why do I always get a tune in my head when I type here?
I think this is a dreamy card. I picture a woman on a hill (like Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With the Wind), hair and ribbons blowing, dreaming of someday, somewhere (oh no!...Somewhere, Out There...An Amercan Tale...remember that movie? Maybe I am having TV withdrawal...too much time on the 'puter, maybe?)
Anyway...I used a paper folding technique I saw on DIY with Anna Griffin. Here is the link: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/sc_techniques/article/0,2025,DIY_14232_2351794,00.html

The buttons and word, "dream" are from SeeD stamp sets I have. The lace is from Crafty Secrets Kitchen Classics again...love those stamps!

The ribbon is held in place with monoadhesive and a glue dot for the bow. I distressed, as always.

This is my card for the Buttons and Bows challenge as SCS Crafty Secrets Challenge every Tuesday. If you like Vintage, why not join in?
~Bev

I Remember Mother's Day

It's the Worst Day to Eat Out...but Who Cares?

This year George took me to the Log Jam in Lake George. The food was OK, but I got a free geranium! Free is good!

(I have to apologize for the dates on my pictures. I will figure out how to get rid of them...it can't be that hard!)

This card is for a couple of challenges at SCS...CSSC20: Crafty Secrets Calendar Challenge, and SC180, the Wednesday Layout Challenge.

I used Crafty Kitchen Classics set and the Remember is from SeeD's Aged and Elegant set.

I used my empressor tool to make faux wainscoating...love doing that.

Another thing I love doing is creating cardstock that looks sort of like vintage fabric designs.

I use small stamp images and lots of chalk. My chalk eraser is used to make clean areas around images, which is something one would see in vintage fabrics. I have not mastered this technique, but it's fun learning.

I added some waxed flax and tiny beads that I picked up at Walmart, because the card needed something. I am pretty happy with it.

On to the next challenge!

Love those Crafty Secrets Stamps!

Here is the complete card. Can you feel mother's love? Can you taste the apple pie and coffee?
Remember...be kind to your mother~

Bev

Vintage Polka Dot Kids

I am so glad I had a chance to use my new circle punches. This card is for the Crafty Secrets CSSC19 challenge. And what a challenge for me! You should have seen my table top! What a mess...then, I suddenly remembered I have a vintage apron!

Soooo, I ran down to my daycare and scrambled through the dress-up clothes in the old picnic basket. Found it!

A circle punched background distressed with sandpaper...

Distressed CTMH Cranberry cs card...

Crafty Secrets Kitchen Classics stamps...when I was a kid I was told I looked like a Campbells Soup Kid...that's me on the right.

SU chalks, and dry embossed dots done with their brass template, and distressed with sandpaper...

Rickrack done with edgers...very carefully! And distressed with, you guessed it...sandpaper!

the B's are from an old set of CTMH alphabet stamps.

I am hooked on acrylics. I have enough trouble seeing what I am doing. After age 40 my eyes couldn't even see the name on my lipstick.

I have some very special work to do today. It's a secret right now, but in time I will share with you all what I am up to! (Yes, it has to do with paper crafting.)

Any guesses??

Paper Pieced Redbird

Saturday...Saturday...Saturday

Saturday...Saturday...Saturday

Can you hear Elton John? (He's in my head as I type this)

Anyway...

Paper piecing with Vintage stamps is not only fun, it's interesting and the results can be surprisingly energizing!

I have a TON of old CTMH paper. Seeing I am frugal (or as I tend to say more often, cheap), I have to use it up before I can purchase new packs...and I WANT new SU paper to match my ink collection I am purchasing through my club with MsMyra (Hi Myra!).

Why SU! cs? To do the COOL color challenges on KWerner's Blog. LOVE HER!

Once again, using what I have, I used discontinued CTMH Majestic Mountain ink. It's not as harsh as black, and I believe makes for a better vintage look.

The birds are vintage B&T from CTMH in Holiday Red. I used CTMH Giddy Up paper which looks sort of like a window screen to me.

The stamps are Crafty Secrets' Bird Notes set. Aren't they cute?

So thank-you, Beate Johns for the remembrance of paper piecing...not a new idea, but the replay is very satisfying.

~Bev

Vintage Flatware

I am so new to challenges, and I am trying my hand at taking pictures of my cards and scanning.

Sorry, as I am still learning. It's a bit frustrating...I will conquer this!

Anyway, I love these vintage stamps. They are Crafty Secret's Kitchen Classic set.

The sentiment is a See D's stamp, from their Thank-you For set.

This is for the challenge, SC178.

I random stamped the background using old CTMH inks I have...Majestic Mountain (a REALLY old color), Hollyhock and Fawn.

I chalked over the images and erased around some of them to look like vintage fabric.

Sanded the CS and layered the flatware images.

Used a glue dot to attach the ribbon.