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 12 June 2015

Winners and new Guest Creative Guide

It's Friday winners and guest day and as always we are so lucky to have AVJ friends and participants who love guesting with us. This week we have Samra who was the winner of our Tim Birthday celebrations back in March and she has a wonderful project for us.



Hello, my name is Samra Leshinski and I live in Las Vegas, NV USA with my loving husband Don, son Tarik, and variety of pets. I work full time and card making is my pastime addiction. I ventured into actual blogging and participating in challenges since April of 2014.

If I had to pick my favorite style that would definitely be Shabby Chic, but I try to have variety in my work. It makes me so happy to see big smile on someone’s face when they receive my handmade card. I make my own flowers for card embellishing, from daisies to roses and am still learning a lot about all the different ways to create textures and details on a project. 

I am thrilled to be a Guest for a day at A Vintage Journey, simply dream come true!!!

When I found out that the theme of June Challenge was Celebration I immediately knew I was going to make a wedding gift for my dear blog friend who is getting married this summer. 


I altered a wooden box to fit the wedding theme and made a matching design card. I used Distress Crackle Resist technique as well as Heat Embossed Resist technique. 


I used a piece of water color paper and covered it with gesso. Once it was dry, I stamped Tim Holtz script stamp with Versamark to create a look of a book page, love story, I should say. Then I used clear embossing powder and heat embossed the stamped script.  I applied Picket Fence crackle paint here and there and then Broken China Distress Paint. I wiped it off the heat embossed area to uncover the text and crackle paint area to show the crackle… Shabby bow was hand died decorated with a key on a loop pin. 


The same technique was used to decorate the wooden box. I created the antique plate from several layers of heavy cardstock, added pearls, painted is with Broken China Distress Paint, then Picket Fence Crackle Paint and heat embossed stamped LOVE sentiment.


The hinges, the key and the keyhole are Tim Holtz Idea-ology products treated with several layers of gesso.


You can see the Distress Crackle Resist really nicely in this photo. I wanted to make this box look like antiquity and I think that my mission was accomplished. J


I cannot thank Brenda and A Vintage Journey DT enough for giving me this opportunity to share some of my crafting passion with them. I hope you will stop by my little blog PaperTalk with Samra and say hi…



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The winner of my Spring Colours challenge has been chosen by Random Otg and is .......


Monica from Mistletoe Home Decoration with a very pretty Spring canvas using Tim Holtz products.


Congratulations Monica, this is a beautiful canvas, the blossoms and butterflies are gorgeous. We hope you will be a guest with us at AVJ and your voucher and winners badge will be winging it's way to you soon.


And now for our pin worthies of this month, with so many wonderful projects, to choose just three was not an easy task, but, as ours is a Tim inspired challenge, the three projects we chose demonstrated to perfection some of the innovative ways both Tim's products and techniques can be used. So, in no particular order, our three pinworthies are:

No 4 Joan,

 I just loved the wonderful way she used the cone flowers, and such a stunning back ground too!

No 44 Amanda Pink

Such a clever way to use dies to build a home for one of the crazy birds!


A super mixed media card incorporated some great Tim techniques.

Well done ladies, your blog badges and invitations  will be on the way to you very soon!

Thank you to everyone who takes part in our challenges, we love looking at your wonderful projects. We hope you'll join us again on Monday for another of our monthly detours where we take a new route to a destination inspiration, come and see what next weeks Creative Guide has in store for you. The current challenge started last week with the lovely Sandy so please join us in our Celebrations theme.

Have a great weekend.

Astrid xxx



16 comments:

  1. Yipee! I just woke up and here's this great news! I'm so happy!!! Thank you, ladies!!!

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  2. Beautiful gift for your friends wedding Samra, what a wonderful and thoughtful gift! Congratulations to Monica and the pinworthies Joan, Amanda and Butterflies 'n Bottons on their Spring Colours wins, wonderful creations by one and all.

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  3. It is a pleasure to see the super talented Samra here! What a stunning project and great box transformation! I am so impressed and inspired! Congrats to Monica and the pinworthies, on their well deserved wins! Beautiful creations!
    Branka x

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  4. Samra's creation for her friend is absolutely stunning, I especially love the antique plate on the top of the box, it is so beautiful! Thanks to Samra for sharing her talent with us.

    Congratulations to Monica on her win and to the worthy pinworthies Joan, Amanda and Butterflies 'n Buttons! Hugs, Anne xx

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  5. Thank you Samra for sharing your beautiful work with us here! Your box and card are stunning. The techniques you used on it have made it into a real shabby chic treasure, love how you did the antique book plate too.

    Big congrats to all of our winners also, amazing work from all of you!!!

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  6. I'm sorry, I was a bit selfish :-( In my defence, it was really very early (at 5 o'clock) before the first coffee... Of course, congratulations to all the winners and congratulations to Samra for this beautiful shabby chic box!!!

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  7. Such a beautiful creation Samra - it's lovely to see Tim's products taken down a distinctly shabby chic route. Huge congratulations as well to Monika, Joan, Amanda and Mayoori!!! Jenny x

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  8. Stunning project Samra in your beautiful elegant style, a extra special keepsake for your friend.
    Congratulations to all our winners with their amazing craft delights.
    Julie x

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  9. What a lovely project Samra - perfect for your friend who's getting married - and I'm sure it will be treasured - love the soft blue with the white - your creations always inspire! thanks so much for guesting with AFJ today! And congratulations to all the winners - what lovely spring color projects! Julia xx

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  10. What a wonderful treat to see the talented Samra as your guest designer!! Gorgeous project, this box has really make a spectacular transformation! Congrats to all the winners! hugs :)

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  11. It is great to see Samra here as your guest designer! I can't think of a better artist to showcase her skills during your Celebration challenge, as everything she makes deserves a big celebration! Congratulations winners; each one of them is inspiring!

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  12. Welcome Samra as our Guest Creative Guide!! Your Beautiful wedding celebration pieces are just lovely and will be cherished forever!!
    Congrats to the Spring Colors winners!! Fabulous entries!!
    XOXO-Shari

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  13. Congrats to all the winners - we are so happy to have you with us for this great challenge.

    Samra - TFS your project is fabulous!!!

    S@ndy xx

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  14. Absolutely thrilled n delighted to have been chosen as a Pinworthy winner for my entry in the May challenge Spring Colours . Thank you so so much . so many fabulous entries I really do feel very lucky !
    Thx too for all the congratulations I have just read - much appreciated n now its my turn to offer congratulations to my fellow winners Joan, Butterflies n Buttons n Monica .
    At the risk of sounding like I'm giving a speech at the Oscars ( lol ) thx too to Astrid for choosing a great theme for May and to all the creative guides at AVJ . Now I'm off to celebrate :) x


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  15. Samra congrats on being this months guest designer . Both your wedding card n gift box are lovely n perfectly shabby chic . I hope your dear friend loves them as much as I have seeing them n reading how you created them . Thx so much for sharing x

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  16. Congratulations to all the AVJ talented winners! Samra, your altered box project was wonderful and gorgeous and congrats on being a guest designer! So much loveliness!

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