Graphic 45 Design Team 2014 Audition

Hi everyone, I hope you had a great week!  This is a special post today, I am auditioning for the Graphic 45 2014 Design Team.  It would be an absolute dream and privilege to be part of Graphic 45.  I have loved their designs and graphics ever since their first release.  Most of you that know me know that I love anything vintage.  So, grab a cup of coffee and have a seat this is going to be a much longer post than normal, enjoy!

This first project was done with one of their newest collections called Botanical Tea, I love the colors.  This is a rather large piece and there's plenty of room for lots of storage in both compartments.

I love detail work and fussy cutting.

Now this next project was done with another new collection called By The Sea.  This project is very functionable as well, it can hold all kinds of little trinkets and treasures.

 Here are some close-up photos of all the fussy cutting and layering.

This was a card I made using the Botanical Tea collection.  Love the Graphic 45 metal staple pieces, they always add so much to a project.

I made some fun tags using By The Sea.

I love charms and baubles hanging off the tags and mini books that I make so, for this particular one I ended up using some of the paper from the collection and making my own charms.

This is a scrapbook page from their Oriental collection called Bird Song.

 Again lots of fussy cutting and I love Glossy Accent so Í accented many areas on this layout.

My final two projects that I'm sharing are a couple of mini books that I made to teach and I just really liked the collections.  This first one is from the collection French Country, gorgeous artwork but I think I say that with every collection.

 This last project was from their Halloween collection Steampunk Spells.

I hope you have enjoyed all of my projects.  So wish me luck, cross your fingers... it would be an absolute dream to be a part of Graphic 45 Design Team.  Thanks for looking!

UPDATE:

HERE'S THE LINK, IF YOU WANT TO JUMP TO MY GRAPHIC 45 DESIGN TEAM 2014 TOP 30 FINAL SUBMISSION PAGE AND YOUTUBE VIDEO

http://vintagemusedesigns.blogspot.com/2014/04/graphic-45-design-team-2014-final.html

March Card Sketch Challenge

Hello...hello, it feels like spring is finally knocking at our door!  Today I'm sharing a card I made for Practical Scrappers - March Card Sketch Challenge.  Our sketch was designed by the uber talented Christine Meyer.

You have to think outside the box a little bit for this one.  I initially was going to do something very similar to the sketch because, I love butterflies.  After giving it some thought, I decided to go with something a little different.  Same concept, just different images.  So without further ado, here is my take on this months card sketch challenge.

To start with, the base of my card I used Tim Holtz Kraft Core #24 card stock, cut 10.5 x 7.25 and scored down the center.  I then took my Sanding Grip and sanded some of the black color off of the card stock to expose the kraft core.  I used Tim Holtz pumice stone and frayed burlap distress stains to color the Manila tags.  I stamped all of my images on Manila card stock using jet black archival.

The stamp sets that I used were:

Studio 490 - It's Face Art LCS026

Tim Holtz - Tiny Things CMS164

Tim Holtz - Attic Treasures CMS123

I did some fussy cutting and shaded all my paper pieces with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I accented with Tim Holtz idea-ology pieces.  Can I tell you how much I love his remnant rubs!  They are so easy to work with, in years past there have been rub ons out there that haven't been the easiest to work with but, these are definitely MUCH improved!  I did some sewing, layered everything up and there you have it.  I hope you enjoyed my take on the March card sketch challenge.  Head on over to the Practical Scrappers blog there's lots of other great ideas that the other gals have come up with as well!  Thanks for stopping by!

Practical Scrappers Birthday Card Challenge

Hi everyone, hope you've had a good week so far.  Today I'm sharing a card that I made for Practical Scrappers Birthday Card Challenge.

I know the next three pictures are a little on the dark side, but it's the only way I could really get the glitter to stand out.  You can really see the detail if you click on the photos!

To start with I used Neenah card stock, Classic Crest Solar White 80 Cover for everything.  The base of my card was cut 5.5 x 4.25 and scored down the center and folded.  Then, I used several dies from Memory Box to cut the shapes, I will list all the dies at the end.  I stamped a happy birthday sentiment using a Just Right Cling Stamp Set "botanical swirls label SW – 04100" and Jet Black Archival Ink from Ranger.  I did a little heat embossing, just skimming across portions that I wanted highlighted using Stampendous Frantage Shabby White & Pink Embossing Enamels and Tim Holtz's Distress Embossing Ink Pad.  I layered everything using foam dots and finishing off with a double layered bow.  

Here is a close-up/side view shot so you can see the layers better.

The Memory Box dies are listed here:

Perched Reed Bird - 98160

Chadwick Label - 98209

Virtuoso Music - 98356

Cherise Label - 98402

Tiffany Frame - 98401

I hope you all enjoyed my Birthday Day Card, there's a lot of other great b'day cards that other Design Team members have made over at the Practical Scrappers website!  Thanks for stopping!

February Art Journal

Today, I'm sharing a couple of pages from my Art Journal that I made for Practical Scrappers.  This months theme for Practical Scrappers Art Journal is a quote from Vincent Van Gogh "The way to love life, is to love many things" and here's my take on it.

I started out with a thin layer of gesso on both of my pages.  Then I took a damask stencil and molding paste for texture and dimension.  Then I layed down some color - I was using Goldens Fluid Acrylic in Nickel Azo Gold, I also used some Tim Holtz Distress Paint in Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain, and Evergreen Bough. The color in the pictures didn't translate very well but, in person it looks like a rusted stucco wall that has been patina with a damask print.

 After all of the paint and molding paste had dried really well, I started stamping using several Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous stamps.  The ink colors that I was using was Rangers Archival Ink in Sap Green, Jet Black, and Potting Soil.

 I used it the Evergreen Bough Distress Paint in just a few spots of the damask molding paste, I wanted it to look patina.

I hope you enjoyed my art journal pages, now head on over to the Practical Scrappers blog to see what the other design team members did with their art journals.  Thanks for looking!

Blog Hop Winner!

Just a quick post to let Laura Turcotte, know that she is the WINNER from last weeks blog hop!  Just send me an email at bsmith.vintagemuse@gmail.com  to claim your prize!

Practical Scrappers-Scrap Your Stash Blog Hop

Happy Friday, the team at Practical Scrappers is having a blog hop!  A big thank you to Kiwi Lane Designs for being our sponsor.  The challenge this month is to use your Valentine themed stash!  My Valentine stash is right up there next to my Christmas stash!  The collection that I used is Crate Paper's Fourteen.

 I used several prints from the collection as well as the chipboard.  I distressed all of my paper edges using a bone folder.  I did a little sewing with my sewing machine.

The wood veneers are from Studio Calico.  The ink splats are from October Afternoon Midway Collection Mist-Token.  I took a plain shipping tag and my trusty old Olivetti Typewriter (XOXO) and typed up some journaling and snippets for the hearts.

 I used a couple of punches from Jenni Bowlin "file this & tab".

 Now for my little trick, I had three photos that I wanted to fit on this layout.  I cut a strip of kraft card stock and folded accordion style to fit the dimension of pictures leaving a small edge on the very last part of the strip for a pull tab.

 I adhered the strip to my photos using very strong adhesive, I used scor-tape.  I used one of the wood veneers on the edge as a pull tab.  Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed my Valentine themed layout.  I can't wait to see what the other team members have done with their Valentine themed stash.

Practical Scrappers Blog Hop List

Krissy Clark

Christine Meyer

Kim Ryden

Patty Selah

Charity Holrum

Lissa Mitchell

Jennifer Haggerty

Alison Day

                          Bobbi Smith *you are here*

                            Michelle Johns*head here next*

Kerri Yarus

Cathy Harper

Nicole Laha

Lanette Erickson

Majken Pullin

Erin Morehouse

Lisa Peeples

Claude Campeau

Wendy Coffman

Lee-Anne Thorton

Thank you so much for playing along!  If you become a follower on my blog and leave me a comment telling me you did so, I will enter you into a drawing for an Echo Park 6 x 6 Yours Truly Valentine paper pad and matching bakers twine!  I will announce the winner on Monday!  Don't forget to go to the Practical Scrappers blog and sign up for Kiwi Lane Designs great prizes too.  Happy Valentine's Day and have a great weekend!

Studio 490 Card

Hi everyone, today I'm sharing a card that I made using lots of Wendy Vecchi product.  I was playing around with a new technique that I learned from Wendy on her Pinterest here for the background and her blog here to color the flower .  I took rubbing alcohol, Archival Inks, Tim Holtz's Detail Water Brush and Rangers Specialty Stamping Paper and followed Wendy's tutorial instructions and it was like magic!  It's really important that you use the Ranger Specialty Stamping Paper with this technique, the paper doesn't buckle at all from all the moisture.

The background colors that I used were Orange Blossom and Cornflower Blue in the Archival Inks.  To color the geranium I used Red Geranium and to color the leaves I used Fern Green Archival Inks.  I used Watering Can Archival Ink for all the stamping.  Here is a list of the Studio 490 stamps that I used:

Forever Art SCS113, Collectible Art SCS043, Tales of Art LCS094, Remnants of Art LCS066 and Busy Making Art LCS100.

I used Wendy Vecchi stencils on the background to add some dimension.  To add a little extra pizzazz I did layer a few of the geranium petals and a couple of the geranium leaves with foam dots.  I also added a bee from Wendy's Blossom Bucket Collection.

I hope you enjoyed my card today.  I encourage you to go check out Wendy's blog she always has a TON of fun tutorials and ideas on her blog, she is a very talented lady!  Thanks for looking.