Stampin! with Jaydee

Hi Everyone.  Happy Saturday night.

Tonight is a monumental night for me - this is my 365th post!  Yep, one whole year of posts.  I know that I have missed a couple here and there, but I do post almost every day in the year.  So, I am considering my 365th post as my Blogoversary!  

For tonight's card - for the 9th Paper Players challenge - I used Notably Ornate and Flores Suaves and En Francais.  Oh! and some Newsprint DSP.

It's a theme challenge this week and the theme chosen by LeAnne was VINTAGE.  Well, I was really excited to participate in this challenge.  Vintage means different things to many of us - it can be really ornate and heavily embellished and almost Victorian.  It can be a little lighter and feel Edwardian.  It can be shabby chic.  It can be art deco or art nouveau.  It can be a vintage inspired - or all the way.  However, you interpret Vintage, we would love you to play along.

Here's what the design team have to share with you:

Ann's fabulous vintage Greeting Card Kid Christmas card

Marlene's striking red, black and white card showcasing her beautiful hand-made flower

LeAnne gorgeous card shows you how to make Punch Potpourri look vintage

Corie - lost her power because of a terrible storm yesterday so hasn't been able to update her blog, I'll put up a direct link as soon as she is back on-line

Lesley's beautiful Presto Papers card will make you want to purchase some of that fabulous DSP

Don't forget to pop along to the Paper Players site and play along with us.

I decided to play with colors, sepia tones, layered with just two pops of the same color.  I also did a square card, which is pretty unusual for me.  It took a little playing around to get the look that I wanted, but in the end I was very pleased with it.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Card recipe:

• Card stock:  Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
• Stamps:  Notably Ornage, Flores Suaves, En Francais
• DSP:  Newsprint
• Inks:  Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
• Accessories:  Chocolate Chip striped Grosgrain ribbon, Regals Buttons, Linen Thread, half pearls (Queen & Co.)
• Tools:  Paper snips - for cutting out the Notably Ornate and for distressing the edges of the music paper, heat gun (for sealing the edges of the ribbon)

Card instructions:

• Cut Early Espresso card stock to 5 1/4 x 10 1/2 and score at 5 1/4 with the fold on the top
• Cut Newsprint DSP to 5 1/8 x 5 1/8.  Distress edges and rub Crumb Cake ink pad along all edges.
• Using a blending tool, or sponge, age the Newsprint DSP.  I used Crumb Cake to do this.
• Cut a piece of Crumb Cake, ink up the En Francais Stamp with Crumb Cake and stamp onto the Crumb Cake card stock.
• Ink up the Ornate piece of the Notably Ornate set using Early Espresso, and stamp onto Very Vanilla paper.  Cut out using paper snips and age using blending tool or sponge.  Overstamp the Notably Ornate image with the round filigree image in several places using Crumb Cake.
• Assemble layers
• Ink up the butterfly/moth from the Flores Suaves stamp set and stamp onto Very Vanilla card stock.  Use your favorite markers to color the image.
• Wrap the Chocolate Chip Striped Grosgrain ribbon around the card and tie into a bow.  Using a piece of Linen thread, sew the button onto the knot of the ribbon.  Seal the edges of the ribbon to prevent them fraying.
• Add the pearls to the butterfly/moth and adhere to card base using mini glue dots.

Tips:

• It's unusual for me not to put a sentiment on the card.  I decided in this case that a sentiment would detract from the intricacy of the card and the two fabulous red focal points and placed the sentiment inside the card instead.  This is a great way to deal with a "just because" type of card.  One that isn't for a birthday or anniversary, or a particular event - but just because you wanted to send a card!
• Vintage can be vintage and still be clean and simple.  Using the same colors to age all of the elements (in this case Crumb Cake), helps to tie the multiple layers together - but still keeps a clean and simple feel.
• Cutting back on the accessories on the card, can really help to keep a clean look.  However, if you wanted to dress it up further, there is certainly room on this card to add more embellishments.
• When stamping a background stamp you can either stamp the whole image, or only parts of it.  For vintage, only parts of an image is the ideal way to go.  I ink up the whole image, lie it on my workspace and then place my paper on top of the stamp.  I only press in a few areas.  This gives me an aged effect to the image.
• Getting tired of frayed edges on your ribbon?  Use your heat gun to gently singe the edges of the ribbon.  Sometimes you can get really cool ruffles on the ribbon if you leave it a couple of seconds longer - which is exactly what I did with this ribbon.  It gives an interesting edge to the ribbon, and stops it from fraying.  You can use a lighter, but as we don't smoke, I generally don't have one around:-)
• Don't have distressing tools?  Use the edge of your closed snips to distress the edges of card stock.  It works really well, and can save you a bundle!

On a personal note:

I still cannot believe this is my 365th post.  When I started this blogging journey, I wasn't sure where it would take me and how long it would last.  Well, I have had a blast.  I have met some of the most amazing people through my blog and I am so pleased I started this!  At first it was all about market research on my creations.  However, it has become so much - so much - more than that.  It has been an amazing journey and one I am so pleased I embarked upon.  Thank you to my loyal visitors - you are the reason I continue to do this.  Tonight's post is dedicated to you!

Today, we started out our morning at the farmer's market and then went to the nursery.  We are trying to fill in the gaps in our bird, butterfly and bee garden - that stretches from one side of the garden to the other.  Today, we accomplished that,  We have a brush pile that we created for the critters to hide in, use to hunt, roost, rest, etc.  But...it really is a little ugly.  No longer.  It is now fronted with 5 different colors of Echinacea.  Kudos to my DH for removing grass and planting 25 plants today.  It certainly is worth it.

Adelle, your beautiful birdhouse was christened today.  A pair of Hoary Woodpeckers decided that it was about time they checked out your beautiful birdhouse to see if there was any interesting larvae in it.  They spent about 10 minutes in each rivulet in the roof, down all the sides to check it out.  It is now an accepted part of the garden.  The wildlife love it - and I absolutely LOVE IT.

As I write this, we are sitting on our deck drinking a glass of wine and enjoying some fruit, English Cheddar and little cracker biscuits.  The weather is GORGEOUS.  It is in the high 70s with low humidity.  The night sounds are amazing.  The fireflies are out, the bats are circling... it is a perfect evening.

I hope your Sunday is perfect.  Filled with love and laughter.

Prayers as always for Trish - stay strong, my friend, this chemo journey is almost over. Germaine, I do hope you reach some resolution soon.  For T, Pri, Arthur, John and Hugo.

Hugs to you all

Jaydee