Good Morning! Can’t believe October has come and gone so quickly.. now we gear up for the holidays which seem right around the corner. How excited am I to be posting a card as a guest designer for Live and Love Crafts! Gasp! Last week, actually on my birthday, I was reading facebook messages from family and friends, and Sandra popped in with her invite to join LLC for its November monthly challenge! What a coincidence and a very cool birthday present!
I learned about Live and Love Crafts sometime last year from Alyce and I was immediately hooked. From the Maja and Pion design papers to the bling and baubles and gorgeous, gorgeous lace- and so many unique, “you-won’t-find-them-anywhere-else” embellishments…well, I became addicted! Everything is packaged like a beautiful gift, and my purchase arrives to my New York home all the way from the UK in no time…If you haven’t visited, you must – but I warn you, you will find yourself going back again and again and again…
This month’s challenge is a “Photo Inspiration”…
For my card, I decided to use a color combination of the ivory and red (and a touch of green) from the inspiration photo. I also used a Vintage Photo as my focal point. I imported this lovely image into Adobe Photoshop Elements, and as the entire image was in black and white, I “tinted” just the little girl’s flowers and headband a deep red to match my Maja design papers. I also added a “vintage” filter to give the entire image a more grainy, vintage look. (If you click on the “vintage photo” link above, you will see the difference).
The design papers are from Maja’s “It’s Christmas Time”. The frame around the image is a Sizzix Thinlit Fancy Rectangle Frame which I love to use with vintage images. All edges of the design paper, image and die are distressed with Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo distress ink using the Inkssential Blending tool. Beneath the image, I layered the gorgeous Lace Alencon and then Rhinestone Lace over it. I am a big fan of the Shabby Crinkled Seam Binding that is hand dyed at LLC, so I used the bright white (a great color to have to dye your own colors) and dyed it myself using a mix of Aged Mahogany distress ink and water. Once I got the color I wanted, I twisted and scrunched it up until it dried. I added tiny rusty jingle bells and Stampin Up crystals on top of the ribbon knot.
For some final touches, I added a vintage metal filigree corner in copper (LLC has five colors), Shabby White Frantage and some beautiful Kort & Godt Rolled Roses in ivory and bourdeaux on which I glued small pearls. The holly leaves were actually large holly leaves and I used a MS holly punch to make smaller ones out of them.The sentiment is from a clear stamp set that I have had forever stamped with Rangers Archival Inkpad in Plum.
Why not visit the Live and Love Crafts Inspiration and Challenge blog to see the unique ways the Design Team has interpreted this photo, then please join us by posting your creation! Thanks again to Sandra for letting me play with the design team this month! Have a great day and thank you for leaving a kind comment.
I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe’s Challenge- Ribbon
Incy Wincy Designs- Red and White
Christmas Card Challenges- Bows
The Corrosive Challenge – Bingo (Flowers, Sentiment and Layers)
My Heart Pieces- Anything Christmas
Simon Says Stamp- Anything Goes
The Color Throwdown- CTD 266
Simply Create Too- Bingo (Ribbon, Embossing, Bow, Lace, Stripes)
Crafts -Too Challenge You – Vintage Monochromatic Christmas
Scrapping4Fun- Christmas
Congrats on your GD spot, Ann Marie! Your card is absolutely gorgeous! Love the vintage photo and the beautiful embellishments! Wonderful design!
Absolutely beautiful card Ann Marie. Nicola x
Great card, Love it. Thanks for joining us at My Heart Pieces. Pennyrae DT
Gorgeous
hugs 🙂
Gorgeous card!
Flowers and bow add a very special touch!
Thanks for joining us at Christmas Card Challenges!
Monica – CCC DT
Awesome Vintage Card, love all your embellishments!
Thank you for your entry at Scrapping4funchallenges.
Have a great weekend!
Rachelle DT
http://scrapping4funchallenges.blogspot.com
I love the ribbon, lace and rolled flowers. Just gorgeous! Thanks for playing with us at Bunny Zoe's Crafts.
Instead of a sugar rush I think I just got an embellishment one. This is so beautiful Ann Marie. Congrats on your well deserved guest spot! Hugs!
Beautiful interpretation of our BINGO challenge. So much loveliness on one card.
Thanks for joining the fun at Simply Create Too.
What a special vintage card, Ann Marie!! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!
Absolutely stunning creation Anne Marie, so beautifully put together and I have to admit to being a huge fan of the LLC shop myself, such gorgeous and unusual products.
Hugs Teresa x
A beautiful vintage card. This is a piece of art.
Thanks for joining us at Scrapping4FunChallenges.
Barbara – DT
http://barbgreenberg.blogspot.com
Hi Ann Marie,
Thanks so very much for joining us at LLC for this month's challenge. Also I can't believe how quickly November has come around; it feels like it was just yesterday we were in July, LOL. Awww…so it was through Alyce you found out about LLC; how cool! Your card is absolutely beautiful; very well composed with a gorgeous image – love the subtle sprinkle of frantage that adds interest to it. Also love how you used the tiny jingle bells with the seam binding bow! Thanks and Hugz, Sandy
Gorgeous vintage cad so much to look at thanks for joining us at Incy Wincy
Jenny x
Gorgeous vintage card so beautiful, Thanks for playing along with us this week at Incy Wincy,
hugs Samantha :0)
Ann Marie: Your card is very pretty. Thank you for playing BINGO with us at Simply Create Too.
Looking forward to seeing your entries in our upcoming challenges too.
Diane
SimplyCreateToo Design Team Member
http://DianesDigitalDesigns.blogspot.com
Oh, gorgeous, Ann Marie! Love the vintage photo and beautiful embellishments! The colors are fabulous! Just became your newest follower!
Jackie 🙂
SchoolinandScrappin
Fabulous card, so romantic looking. I love the Frantage on the image, it made it more elegant! Gorgeous colors too.
Hugs Kelly
Belated birthday wishes Anne-Marie and what a great birthday surprise. Congrats on your GDT spot.
This card is sooooo pretty I absolutely love it. the colour palette really frames the image and the Frantage adds to the vintage feel of everything.
Crafty hugs from Shirl x x
So beautiful Christmas card!
I love the vintage theme and wine red is a favourite colour of mine. 🙂
Have a really nice saturday evening!
Hugs
Sussie
Oops also congrats on your GD hun at LLC, Sandy's shop is awesome!!
Lotsa hugs Vicky xxx
This is gorgeous sweetie I lurve the vintage feel & the colours are lush. Totally awesome hun.
Lotsa hugs Vicky xxx
Ann Marie, this is so beautiful!! I love the embellies and your use of Frantage.
Thanks so much for sharing at Simply Create Too!
Marja
Simply Create Too DT
http://tahrojakuviopaperilla.blogspot.fi
This is gorgeous – the embellishments work so well with the photo and I love the way you've put the whole project together.
Thanks for joining us at Crafts-Too Challenge You.
Helen x
A beautiful vintage Christmas card and wonderful monochromatic tones. Thank you for sharing this with us at Crafts-Too Challenge You.
hugs {brenda} x0x