Blog Break

Hi everyone x Just wanted to let you know that I am taking a break from blogging, however, I can be found on Instagram sharing my crafty makes there xx 

Sending my best wishes to you all

Annie xx

Merry Christmas at A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone I hope you are well and keeping safe xx Christmas will be quite different for many of us this year as spending time with family and friends is acceptable but not recommended.  On a positive note we are informed there is light at the end of the tunnel as vaccines become available in the UK/aroud the world.

Over at A Vintage Journey this month the Creative Guides have created Artist Trading Cards for our last ever challenge. It is with great sadness that this amazing challenge blog is ending, however, due to many changes with blogger,  various platforms now available to showcase your crafty makes AVJ has seen less peeps visiting,  commenting and participating in our challenges.

Brenda has explained our ending beautifully  on the challenge blog and you can read it by clicking HERE

When AVJ started out we were creating in the style of Tim Holtz, therefore I decided to create my Merry Christmas ATC's using his products. I do apologise for the poor quality of the photographs, which appeared fine until I edited them.

Below you can view my "Farewell" ATC, again in a vintage shabby style, using lace/ribbon etc from my stash, together with Tim's Paper Dolls and leaf dies.

I have had the most amazing time being part of A Vintage Journey as a Creative Guide. I have learned so much and been inspired by my uber talented teamies/friends both past and present. (I have also been fortunate to meet with many of them too x ) So much inspiration has also been provided by  AVJ followers and entries to our challenges and although I shall miss that I have managed to catch up with quite a few peeps on Instagram. So "Farewell" to AVJ it has been a blast but I think it's the right time as with any journey we frequently change direction. 

Best wishes and thank you for all the lovely comments left over the years. I have treasured memories and I am sure I will keep in touch with my friends at AVJ x

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2021

Best wishes

Annie xx

"Numbers" is the theme at A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog

Hi everyone x I do hope you are keeping safe while we weather this global pandemic. With numbers rising again it continues to be a real concern, particularly for the vulnerable. It is at times like this that I am grateful to have various crafts to keep me occupied x

Today sees the beginning of a new monthly challenge over at A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog, where I am on of the creative guides. As host for this month I chose the theme  "Numbers" and it's up to you how you use them in your creations. Here are the details :

"Numbers is our challenge theme for this month and we would like to see them being a focal point in your project entries. 

You can use stencils, die cuts, fussy cuts or rub ons, rust them up, use texture paste or paint them, the decision is yours as long as the numbers are prominent. Just remember to create your project in one of our preferred styles: vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk."

 

I created a shadow box using a  Tim Holtz Vignette Tray and also used many of Tim's products.

More photographs and a step by step process will be shared on the AVJ blog in 2 week's time. 

I do hope that you can find time to create and join in with us as the challenge runs until 18:00 hours on the 5th November.

 To view the  fabulous challenge projects created by my fellow creative guides please click HERE 

Thank You for dropping in x

 

Take care and keep safe

Annie xx 

Cogs, Gears & Textures at A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog

Hi everyone x Hope you are keeping safe and well xx This month the challenge theme  at A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog is being hosted by the very talented Ann Chuang of  Ann Chuang Crafts Blog

Here is what Ann has to say about the challenge theme:

"Let us see you create amazing textures on your cogs and gears. Embossing powders, pastes, rusting or gilding waxes, acrylics ..... whatever your imagination suggests. Just remember to create your project in one of our preferred styles: vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk"

My project started off with a Ranger size 10 kraft tag, which was smooshed through Speckled Egg and Vintage Photo Distress Ink spritzed with water. Once a few layers of the inks were dried I took an embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot, creating texture. Vintage Photo Distress Ink was then applied to a stipple type brush and applied over the cogs and gears, together with some patina cream.

One of Tim's stamps was inked with Coffee archival and you can see some first and second generation stamping. A Cog/Gear stencil finished the background of the tag.

Metal Cogs and gears were then adhered to distressed butterflies, which are also from the Tim Holtz Sizzix range. To raise the butterfly wings, creating some depth to the tag, I adhered some foam pads. Sadly the depth is not so obvious in the photographs.

For more inspiration you can view the challenge projects created by my fellow teamies by clicking  HERE

The challenge runs until Thursday 1st October at 18:00 hours. I do hope you can join in with us as we love to view your entries and to be inspired by your take on the theme. There is also a Pinworthy badge to display on your blog if you are one of the top 3 projects chosen by my fellow creative guides.

Thank You so much for dropping in today and I look forward to catching up with you on your own blog xx

Take Care, Keep Safe and Happy Crafting

August Tag You're It Challenge Theme @ A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone x Where have the last 4 months of lockdown gone and now we are in August !!!

I do hope that you are all well and staying safe xx I have never been so grateful for crafting and having a garden xx They have enabled me to focus whilst we try to suppress this awful virus xx

Over at A Vintage Journey challenge blog  my lovely talented teamie Amanda is our host and she has chosen "Tag You're It", for her challenge theme. 

Here is what Amanda has to say about the challenge:

"We would love to see what you create with, or on, hang tags. Your hang tags can be created from any material or be any size. We would just love to see that iconic hang shape front and centre in your design.  Just remember to create your project in one of our preferred styles: vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk."

I decided to alter a tag to make a home decor piece  

First of all I die cut a piece of corrugated card using a Sizzix Framelits Tag die by Tim Holtz. You can see that the Pediments Die by Tim was also used as I wanted to hide the top of the tag, hanging it on to a piece of found driftwood once complete. Tim Holtz Speckled Egg Distress Paint was applied to the corrugated card and pediment die and once dry That's Crafty Crackle Glaze was spread over using a brush. ( apparently you can use a spatula but thats not something I have tried as yet) A further coat of Speckled Egg paint was applied and, using a baby wipe, some Wild Honey Distress Paint was administered. Using Ranger Collage Medium some of Tim's tissue paper and a book page from my stash were adhered. As you can see the driftwood was also coated with paint and a torn book page adhered.

 To give stability I die cut another piece of cardboad, which was adhered to the back of the corrugated cardboard.

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Flutter stamps were inked using Archival in Potting Soil, once dry some Speckled Egg DIO, that was applied to my heat mat and spritzed with water, was used to watercolour the butterflies and I just love the softness provided. Picket Fence Distress Paint was placed here and there in small lines/dabs, providing a variation to the gold splatters, created using Aqua Bronze Rich Pale Gold Powder mixed with water.  ( Splatters more visible in the main pic)

The driftwood and pediment.

Below you can see a slide that was created using a Stamp & Die Set by Paperartsy, (HPSD02)

I also placed some acetate within it and the stamped butterfly and little tab next to it are from Tim Holtz Field Notes stamp set. The slide and stamps were aged using Vintage Photo Distress Ink, which was also applied to the edges of the tag and driftwood, providing some definition to the edges. Wire was then used to attach the wood and altered tag hanging.

Thank You so much for dropping in today and I hope you can join in with this fun challenge. You can view more inspiration by my talented teamies and  the challenge details over at A Vintage Journey by clicking  HERE

We love it when you join in and there is a chance to be a Vintage Journey Pinworthy, with a badge for your blog.

Take care and stay safe

It's Tag Friday @ A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog

Hi everyone xx I hope you are well and staying safe x Today I am sharing a shabby chic tag that I created for AVJ . Whenever there are five Fridays in the month we have a tag Tag Friday post, which followers/visitors can enter x

It has been some time since I heat embossed some stamped images on top of Tim's new distress ink release "Speckled Egg" It's such a lovely soft colour and works well with the white embossing powder that I used. The stamp is one of Tim's and if youwant to know which stamp set just asks as I dont have it to hand right now x

The lace has been in my stash for ages and it was lovely to play with them, laying various pieces until I was happy. The cluster on the bottom are fussy cut digital images and the butterfly is punched using Tim's die, which is a favourite of mine.

To view the other tags created by my fellow Creative Guides just click HERE

There's also time to enter our monthly challenge, "Watercolour Wonders", which Deb is hosting, so why not check it out. There is plenty of inspiration on our blog too and Barbara has provided a wonderful card -making post using Tim Holtz thinlits dies.

Take care and hope to see you there

Happy Crafting xx

Card and Box using Eileen Hull Dies

Hi everyone xx I hope that you are all keeping safe but enjoying life as best as we can in view of restrictions in place to suppress this awful virus xx Today I am sharing a card and box that I made some time ago using Eileen Hull's Display Stand and CD box. They were inspired by my lovely friend and AVJ teamie, Jennie Atkinson, of Live The Dream Blog. You can find Jennie's post HERE

I have previously shared this post on Instagram , along with a few other designs using the display stand, so many of you have possibly seen it there xx 

 

Sending my best wishes to you

Happy Crafting

Tag Friday @ A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone x I hope that you are keeping safe during this globel health crisis. It's been some time since I last posted here on my blog and I note that blogger has changed slightly, at least on my pc x

Over at A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog some of the creative guides and I are sharing tags with you. Whenever there are 5 Friday's in the month we provide some tag inspiration and you are welcome to participate along with us x Jennie's wonderful May Challenge "Beautiful Blooms" runs until 4th June  so there's still time to join in there too x

For my tag I decided to revisit some of the techniques demonstrated by Tim Holtz, which are in his book "Compendium of Curiosities" Volume 2. The technique I chose was enamelled stamping and you can view the background created in the photographs below. Broken China and Vintage Photo Distress inks were used.

The frame was also stamped in Archival Ink then heat embossed. Some Idea-Ology and a tile I made using digital papers by Astrid MacLean were adhered to complete the tag.

I do hope you can join in with us for our current challenge theme Beautiful Blooms and Tag Friday.

I have been so grateful for my crafts during this awful siutation we find ourselves in and I am sure you feel the same. Please be safe xx

Take care and Happy Crafting

We Are All Getting Older @ A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone xx I hope you had a lovely Christmas and I wish you a Happy and Creative New Year 2020 xx

It's time for a new challenge theme over at A Vintage Journey blog and Alison, whom many of you know as Butterfly, is our host.

Here is what Alison has to say about this month's challenge theme

"Time for weathering and distressing, or some ageing and antiqueing. Make a project using techniques for making the new look old, whether that's paper projects, altered art or mixed media. Just remember to ensure that you create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby,mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk".

I decided to age a small canvas and papers/photos from my stash, using coffee, rusting powders, distress inks and splatters of gold powder.

I apologise for the poor quality photograph but it has been rather dark here in the West of Scotland the last few days, therefore I have had to take the photo indoors.

Here are a few photographs of the step by step :

To start the process some strong coffee was applied to the canvas, drying each layer before dripping, splatting etc.

You can view some of the coffee layers above.

Vintage Photo Distress Ink was then applied around the edges of the canvas, creating depth and intensity of colour.

Acrylic wax and rust powder, which is then sprayed with vinegar, was applied to the edges of the canvas.

Here you can view the rusted areas

The ageing process is quite dramatic in contrast to the original white canvas

Some splatters of gold really add to overall appearance.

I then began to layer papers, some of which were also aged with coffee and distress inks. Papers were adhered with Ranger Distress Collage Medium Crazing, again creating some texture.

The word 'Journey' was purchased from Calico Craft Parts and was adhered using cosmic shimmer glue.
Some Washi Tape, a tag, a stamp and a few fragments of paper provided the finishing touch.
We hope that you can join in with us for this fabulous new challenge theme, which if the first of the year.
For inspiration you can hop over to A Vintage Journey Challenge blog, where you can view the projects created by my fellow Creative Guides HERE

Thank You so much for dropping in xx Your visits are truly appreciated and I shall return the compliment xx

Take care and huge crafty hugs
Annie xx

It's Tag Friday at A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone xx Hope you are all good and getting ready for the weekend. As there are 5 Friday's in November the AVJ Creative Guides are sharing a variety of tags to inspire you. 

I am just sharing a sneaky peek so to see the whole tag you can visit HERE

I took one of Rangers Jumbo tags, one of Tim Holtz Christmas Stamps released inking them up with Archival Ink. 

Using my waterbrush I applied DI's to my craft mat, watered down the paint then applied colour to the poinsettia,  leaves, berries and pine cones. 

The sentiment in the middle is also by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous. Foliage and bow are from Tim Holtz Thinlits and you can see I used some Nuvo Drops for the red berries on some of the branches. Ranger Diamond Stickles were randomly applied using my  fingers. 

To finish off I applied a  Christmas Greeting die cut by JND. 

The centrepiece is raised using foam tape and I am not sure if you can see the Stickles glitter on areas of tag as the light was not at its best when I took the photograph.

Please pop over and leave some love at AVJ and there is still time to join in with Deb's November Challenge Theme, "Window To Your World", which ends on the 5th December 18:30 GMT.

To view the challenge details and travelling instructions, (which can be found on the sidebar), Click HERE

Thank You so much for dropping in today x Your visits mean so much.  Whatever you do have a lovely weekend

Happy Crafting

Annie xx