Sunday 11 August 2013

Vintage House Mouse! - Joanna sheen Challenge Card.

Morning everyone!

hope you're all fine and dandy on this wonderful Sunday morning!  Fingers crossed you are as it's the start of a new challenge over at the Joanna Sheen Challenge and the theme this time around is 'Embossing,' which can be either dry or heat embossing.

As usual the prize is a £15 voucher to spend at www.joannasheen.com, and that's a fabulous prize.  The prize is now only open to entries which use a Joanna Sheen image, although other entries still qualify for Top Three and GDT.  We all love Joanna's images and there are so many to choose from so it would be great if you could use either a stamp, CD or decoupage papers from her lovely collection.

Anyhoo...I've had a bit of fun playing around and doing something a little bit different from my usual style:


Have to admit to absolutely loving this one and I'm so pleased with how it's turned out.  I decided that I wanted to use a House Mouse image but not in the usual way with lovely vivid colours, but more muted tones and 'vintaged up,' so that's what I've done.  And as the theme of the challenge is 'Embossing' then I've done some of that too!

Really sorry but I cannot for the life of me remember who made the folder as I've had it a few years now and this is the very first time I've used it.  My bad!  In the centre of the folder there is a shape embossed for you so that you could print directly onto the card and then position the image in the centre before embossing, but I wanted to add a little more colour, some real ribbon and a raised image.

The gorgeous little image is a digi on CD 3 of Joanna Sheen's House Mouse Triple CD Collection which is an absolute must have in any serious cardmakers craft room!  And this image was perfect for the effect I wanted as it's timeless.

I printed the image out first, then die cut it and, leaving it in the die I distressed it with Antique Linen.  Then when I had removed the die I added a little Vintage Photo around the edges before colouring the image with the following Promarkers:

Caramel, Sandstone, Blush, Warm Greys 1, 3 and 5, Antique Pink, Baby Pink, Olive and Marsh Green.

I aimed to keep the colours as muted as possible with just a splash of pink in the ribbon and green in the little sprig of greenery the bird's carrying in his beak.  I think the warm greys have worked well for the bird as they make the little House Mousie 'pop' a little. 

I then embossed the card and distressed it using Antique Linen which has really brought out the embossing beautifully.  The ribbon is an off white one I've had in my stash for ages and I've used Antique Linen to give it the aged look.

This embossed layer has been matted onto a piece of dark brown, leather effect cardstock I bought from Ebay years ago, and that was glued onto a card blank made using Centura Pearl.

Then I matted the image onto a die cut (Spellbinders) piece of the leather look card and used foam pads to give it a little height.  And when I'd done that I thought...hmmmm, might be nice to have the sentiment on the bottom of the image.  So, using Antique Linen and shaking hands I practised a few times on a bit of scrap paper and then just took a deep breath and went for it!!!!  And phew...I got away with it!  Lol.

And, thanks to the fabulous embossing folder and distress inks, all I needed to finish it off was one Spellbinders cut snowflake, which was again distressed with Antique Linen.  A large pearl brad from The Hobby House was the final touch and voila...a little vintage House Mouse Chrimbo card which I am really chuffed with.  Hope you like it too and that it's inspired you got go and have a go at the challenge.  There is more stunning inspiration from the DT over on the challenge so go and have a look and then I give you permission to get crafting while someone else does the dinner for you!  :o)

Take care everyone & happy crafting!
xx

http://www.anisigs.co.uk/img/LexieKDHMtransp.gif


17 comments:

  1. Lexie this is outstanding hun, what a fabby image and you have given a cute image a vintage look, fabulous xxx

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  2. I can see why you love this one. A brilliant image made into a gorgeous card

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  3. Beautiful card hun, I love the vintage touch! xxx

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  4. This is gorgeous Lexie. I really love the soft colours and the way the embossing frames the image looks wonderful.
    Sue xx

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  5. Stunning Lexie. Love the fabulous vintage theme and colour palette.
    Laine
    x

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  6. This is gorgeous. I really love the vintage look. And the embossing is really brought out with it.

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  7. Gorgeous image and love the embossed background Lexie. Love the vintage feel to your card.

    Hugs
    Linda xxx

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  8. This has to be one of my all time favourites by you Lexie. You have made a beautiful image into a stunning card!
    Guilly x

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  9. Smashing card Lexie.

    Lovely colour and I love your embossing.

    Traceyxx

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  10. Gorgeous card Lexie. The image looks fabulous and I love the embossed snowflake background.
    Lorraine x

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  11. Hi Beautiful Lexie

    Hope you are well. What a STUNNING card, A gorgeous image with a beautiful vintage feel. Love Lise xxxxxxx

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  12. Awesome card, love your embossed background and a cute image, hugs Denise xx

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  13. Ooh, is this my Christmas card Lexie? It's gorgeous. The embossing and image are wonderful and I love the way you've given everything a vintage look x

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  14. Love the way you turned that sweet image into a delightful Christmas card, Lexie! Beautiful snowflake and gorgeous embossing.

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  15. Great card and quite different from your usual style.....which is great as well! Will encourage me to use all those folders I have tucked away.

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  16. Hi Lexie, what a fabulous card, the colours make it look so classy and the image is gorgeous.
    Hugs
    Janet xxx

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