Vintage Collage Card

It's so interesting how the mind works. For example, the creative process of this card. Can you guess where this card started?

Believe it or not, it all started with the striped piece of cardstock that I had die cut a month ago to use on a project and then didn't end up using. I have a drawer that I put things in that have been stamped, die cut, inked, etc. then not used, or projects that I just couldn't finish to my satisfaction, so they got put away for a later time. Anyway, this was in my drawer, and I love it, so I decided I'd better put it to use. This paper is "Sisters" Stripe Paper (Wild Asparagus) from My Mind's Eye. I absolutely LOVE their Wild Asparagus papers...love, love, love. Anyway...

My next step was to choose color that went with it, then go through all of my embellishments, stamps, and other items to find things that fit the mood I was going for with this card. I just pull a bunch of stuff out, then as the idea starts to form, things that don't fit get put back away and pared down until I like what I've got left.

This card, however, didn't really start to come together until I started looking through my collage images. The flower image on the side is what made it all start to turn into something in my mind. The collage images are from the Vintage School Days Collage Pack by Tweety Jill. This was my first time using them, and they are great. Really nice, useable images.

For those who are interested, here is the complete list of
Supplies:
Labels One (Nestabilities Dies) Spellbinders
Vintage School Days Collage Pack (Tweety Jill)
"Sisters" Stripe Paper (Wild Asparagus) My Mind's Eye
Cardstock: Gulf (Bazzill), Textured Cayenne (Paper Accents), Cocoa
Ink: Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger), VersaMark (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Foliate Quad Cube (Stampendous),
Flourishes set and Card Sentiments set (Crafty Secrets)
Dark Brown Marvy Memories Marker
Self-Adhesive Paper Lace (Narratives by Karen Russell) Creative Imaginations
Antique Silver Paper Fastener (7 Gypsies)
Claudine Hellmuth Sticky-Back Canvas (Ranger)
Velvet Flower (Maya Road)
Antique Silver Brad

It's that time of year!

The CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) Convention and Tradeshow is coming right up, and along with that comes all kinds of new product releases within the industry. So, to assist you in checking out some of the new products, etc. I have started a list of company blogs. For now I will leave this list up at the top of my blog so you don't have to scroll way down to find the links. Keep checking back because I will keep adding links as I have time. There are some fabulous new products coming out...enjoy!
Oh, by the way, the paper shown above is from a new line by 7 Gypsies. Isn't it beautiful!

Paintable Fun

I finally got around to playing with the Prima Clear Paintables, using Blending Solution in a water brush to paint on the alcohol ink, as shown on the Prima video. It is so much fun. So easy to work with, and they turn out great. After I was finished with this one, I layered it over a tag, stamped a sentiment on the front using a gold Paint Dabber, and added a couple of Maya Roads metal blossoms. The little one is painted with Wild Plum Alcohol Ink, and I stamped on the larger one with a stamp from my Nottinghill set by 7 Gypsies. If you live in the area and would like to see this in person just stop by Stampin' Cat Studio on Wednesday. Between 3-7pm, I will be there doing a demo of this technique. If you can't make it to Stampin' Cat but are interested in learning more about this technique, just click here and go watch Primas video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwaY8ipF3MM
Until next time...

Finally, some new photos

I am so excited that Ranger Memory Glass and Memory Glass Frames are available again. I made this neat little necklace using the 1" Frames and Clear Glass. I so wish you could see this in person. The depth created by embossing on different layers of glass is so beautiful. The background stamp is a new one from Kodomo Inc. It was the perfect addition to this piece.
I finally got around to creating another Hexagon book. This one is actually quite similar to the first one, except that I fixed my previous problems of the hinges being to loose. This one can actually be hung up, tossed around, opened and closed without falling apart. I used silk ribbon for the hinges this time, and used three interlocking "hinges" for more stability.
I painted the silk ribbon with the metallic paint dabbers, making them a perfect match for the painted backgrounds. It also ended up being a great match for the nails. I will definately try this again. The ribbon is still flexible when dry and will hold it's shape a little bit. It definately changes the texture of the silk, but I was pleased with the result. It was exactly what I needed in this case. Oh, and isn't that a cute little flower image? It's from my new favorite stamp set, Nottinghill, by 7 Gypsies. Every single image in the set is a winner. I LOVE it.