This is a unique challenge blog where we are inspired by and focus on the Vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn and steampunk genres and encompass the talent, flair, expertise and ideas of many artists that we are inspired by. We welcome all types of projects - cards, journaling, assemblage, layouts, albums, atcs, altered art in fact whatever you want to share (as long as it is in good taste).

Friday 19 September 2014

Challenge 15 - The Colours of Autumn

Hello everyone this is Astrid , your host this fortnight and I would like the extend a warm welcome to you for our latest challenge. Can you believe we are up to challenge 15 now? How time flies!

Our theme these next two weeks is "The Colours of Autumn", but before giving you more details, thank you to all of you who have played in our previous challenges. We all hope you will join in the fun this time round again.
As many of you will know, our challenge runs for two weeks and then a winner will be chosen by the team. The winner will receive a £10 shopping voucher from our host Country View Crafts on-line shop. We shall also be choosing three blog badge winners, our "Pinworthies" who will be pinned to our special winners Pinterest Board.

Autumn is my favourite time of the year, I love the colours and all that this season has to offer! For this challenge you can make whatever project you like, large or small, as long as it includes the Colours of Autumn, red, oranges, yellows, greens and the numerous browns you can find everywhere around you in nature here in the Northern Hemisphere. Of course players from the Southern Hemisphere where it is now Spring can play too!!! Tim has the most fantastic Autumn Colour choices in his ever growing line of Distress products, so what are you waiting for? Just remember though, we are a Tim Holtz inspired challenge blog, so we will need to see a strong Tim influence.
If you are unfamiliar with our rules, or need to remind yourself, you can find them HERE in our 'Travelling Instructions'. Or if you are not sure of our interpretation of Tim's style, you can check HERE.

But now to the inspiration the team have provided for you:


Autumn is my favourite time of year, I just love the gorgeous warm hues in nature and the first smells of decay, - the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness so beautifully described by John Keats. I made a mini with the Eileen Hull mini book die using all of my favourite Tim techniques and autumnal images. To see more details, please visit my blog



I wanted to use my new layered butterfly (Bigz die and texture fade) for this project and started to play with it to make a card! In the end my 4 butterflies turned 3 dimensional and I added an ATB for them to sit on with some autumnal leaves. Lots more piccies and details over at Addicted to Art.


A mixture of stamping, embossing, die cutting and a mixture of brands too but the overriding focus is upon Tim's techniques. With misty days and autumn raindrops in mind these muted colours and imagery have been put together to show the gentler side to shabby. More details and pictures can be found HERE.


I have used some of my favourite Distress colours (Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge and Aged Mahogany) to create this wallet from a Ranger Giant Tag. There are lots more details on my blog including how I made the flowers using the Tattered Florals Die.


Autumn Colors always bring thoughts of Thanksgiving to me and being thankful for the simpler things in life. I decided to use Tim's Distress inks and stains to create a background of falling autumn leaves and of course a few Frenzy Butterflies and keeping it simple. For more details you can visit my BLOG.


For those of you who saw my Destination Inspiration 'Faux Rusted Metal Effects tutorial' you'll remember I promised to use the first of the backgrounds on a future project, so, true to my word, the rusted iron has become the backdrop for the autumnal offering over at my blog today.

Like Astrid, and probably most people, I adore the Autumn and the wonderful changes that take place. The amazing variation of colours are what I have tried to recreate here and of course I just had to use  my Tim Holtz New Leaf die and embossing folder, which just happened to drop through my letterbox :-)  To view the process/techniques pop over to  my blog by clicking my name above. I hope you have as much fun with this fabulous challenge theme as I have. xx



I love Autumn my favourite time of year, such a beautiful season with an amazing array of colours, oranges, reds, rusts, browns through to pinks and purples, a bountiful time for many creatures preparing for winter, my Butterfly is preparing for hibernation in the Autumnal leaves
For more details on my project please visit my blog 



I loved working with the autumn colours and chose to depict the wonderful time of harvest whilst at the same time imagining myself wandering through a forest with those incredible dried out leaves we find crunching underfoot. I have a step-by step on my blog today showing how I made the background and elements I used but please come back on Monday for our Destination Inspiration post where I show you how I have made the leaves.


Like the rest of the team, I adore autumnal colours in crafting.  I've used stencilling, resist techniques and crackle along with my stamping to create this tag - with a quote that's all about autumnal colours too.  Come and see more over at Words and Pictures.


Well I hope you have enjoyed the inspiration here, but before I sign off, I have a very important message to share:
We are excited to announce that we are looking for a new Creative Guide to come aboard and share our vintage journey with us. Please take a look at our invitation on the side-bar and contact us if you are interested. We have a large team compared to many challenges but that's because there is a great deal of flexibility for the Creative Guides. We are looking forward to hearing from you if you think it's right for you.



You have until 18.00 BST on Thursday  the 2nd of October to play along and we are all looking forward to seeing what you create.

We will be back on Monday with another Destination Inspiration and in the meantime

Stay inky!!





15 comments:

  1. Wowowow, Ladies, these are breathtaking samples. Gorgeous in every detail.
    Thank you for the challenge

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  2. Fabulous, fabulous creations ladies - like Rosie has already said, they are gorgeous in every detail! It is such a wonderful challenge Astrid. Hugs, Anne xx

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  3. A fantastic array of autumnal goodies from my teamies, a brilliant challenge for us this fortnight Astrid. xxx

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  4. Great examples from everyone! Thanks so much teamies!

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  5. Outstanding samples and inspiration from the design team. Can't wait to get started.
    Julie x

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  6. This team is amazing - so many different thoughts and ideas from one simple challenge. Way to go team!!

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  7. Gorgeous projects!
    My card might not be exactly Tim's style, I know, but I still entered, so I remember to do better next time. Tthis is the first shabby chic vintage card I made in ages, and I often use his techniques although the style is not like him. Distressing, splattering, spraying and spritzing, making my own background, being creative with the materials at hand and not only use them as they are intended to be used.
    Debbie / Daqa.

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  8. Fabulous projects! Thanks for the amazing inspiration and for the fun challenge!

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  9. Stunning inspirations, couldn't help myself from playing along!

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  10. Wonderful examples from all of you, ladies! I hope, I´ll find time to play along this time, I love your challenges!

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  11. I would gladly buy all of these things, what more can I say xxx

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  12. WOW WOW WOW!! Oh, you AVJ Creative Guides did it again!!! I don't know what I could possible create that would even come close to these gorgeous designs!! I'm knocked out of my socks!! Beautiful designs, Ladies!! Oh--I think I feel the inspiration percolating..... :) XOXO-Shari T.

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  13. Wonderful challenge theme, Astrid! Love all the gorgeous Autumn art from my DT Sisters! Looking forward to all the lovely projects that will be shared! Happy Weekend!

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  14. Wonderful Challenge, amazing Design Team projects
    Looking forward to seeing the amazing autumnal creations

    Jools x

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  15. Managed to play here after too long enjoyed the challenge. Great DT projects.

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