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 18 September 2015

Pinworthy inspiration


Welcome to A Vintage Journey for out renowned Pinworthies Post and first a huge apology that I am late at the mark in getting this post live. Google Chrome keeps crashing on me and at the same time last night my internet decided to go down so I was stuck. But here we are now with two amazing ladies and their projects, both have been here before and I know you will love seeing what they have been making.

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Hello. I'm Nicola (aka Paper Profusion) and I'm thrilled to be a guest designer here at A Vintage Journey today. It's wonderful to have the opportunity to feature again at one of my favourite blogs - very many thanks to all the team for inviting me.

As my details were published before by AVJ, plus I think I've exceeded the limit of photos in this post, please see previous AVJ post to find out more about me.

I was really pleased when I learned that the theme to work towards was 'Home Sweet Home'. Those familiar with my blog are bound to know that Christmas is my favourite topic to craft about. Christmas, for me anyway, is all about being at home, in the company of loved ones. One of my most pinned creations to date is a chipboard house that I decorated for Christmas so I decided to make another Christmas home decor project with lots of emphasis on TH products and techniques.

Without further ado, here's the whole project together...


Starting with the front of the house, the roof outer sides have been dry embossed with TH 'Tiles' texture fade, versamarked with a brayer and then heat embossed with white EP. TH tinsel is used liberally throughout the whole project. The front walls have been decorated using a TH holly stencil. The deer, number 25 and fence are all made using TH dies. Idea-ology pieces also feature strongly.


Checkout the sides of the house where again TH stencils and distress techniques abound.


The chained 'wooden' doors actually open, to see who is inside you'll need to pop over to my own blog.


I've made copious use of TH dies and Idea-ology and am now addicted to using Clear Rock Candy crackle on any piece of paper that crosses my path!

At the rear I've used some TH Christmas stamps to 'paint' a biblical scene. Lots of distress inks, paints and glitters feature too.


Last but not least! No home would be complete at Christmas without a reindeer-led sleigh stopping by. All products (bar berries) are made using products by the magical TH! Don't you think my version is positively blingalicious!




You are most welcome over at my own blog.to see more of the project and find out in greater detail how it was made.

Huge thanks again to all the über-talented ladies at A Vintage Journey for inviting me to guest design. It's been a pleasure to create this project - only problem now will be having to part with it!

Nicola x


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Hello Everyone 

I'm Amanda, known in blogland as Ink-A-Pink and I am as totally thrilled and honoured as I was last month to have been invited back this month as a Guest Designer here at A Vintage Journey. To be able to share a little of my creativity on such a prestigious blog really is for me, a dream come true .Thank you so much to all the super talented Creative guides here at AVJ for this fantastic opportunity. I am truly grateful and incredibly humbled .


Having shared a bit about myself last month ,which if you missed it you can read it here, I thought this time I would tell you a little more about me by way of the thoughts I had about the question Jennie asks us to think about for her challenge theme this month - 'What does 'home' mean to us? 

Here are some of my musings : When I purchased my first house I remember wanting it to be a place where both myself, friends and family would feel a warmth, a welcome, a place that was full of LOVE, a place no one felt they wanted to leave in a rush and looked forward to coming back to, a place where invites weren't always necessary, a place where you could truly be yourself and share on any level even if it brought with it heightened emotions at times both good and bad it wouldn't matter because it was a house full of LOVE - a HOME! I guess what I'm trying to convey is that for me it doesn't matter what a house is made of or how much it cost ,its location or what it looks like as long as its full of LOVE - only then do I feel I can truly call it home!

This brought to mind the quote 'A house is made of bricks and stone but only LOVE can make a HOME'

and so my inspiration for this challenge theme was born. 

( I would like to sincerely apologise for the quality of some of the photos! Try as I might I just couldn't seem to get the perfect shots despite numerous attempts with different cameras). 

I have altered a wooden box frame to depict the words of the quote


The frame is altered using Tim Holtz distress paint, Archival ink and Gold gilding wax to give it a more aged appearance. 

The corner decoration are die cuts using Tim Holtz Mixed Media thinlit dies, stamped and inked with Tim's products to add detail. The quote is stamped using individual alphabet letters and Tim's alpha stickers to give emphasis to the words 'house', 'home' and 'love'. An ideology memo pin and heart pendant with a couple of gems embellish the frame.



The brick wall is created using a mix of Deco Art Textured Sand paste and Paper Artsy Grunge paste applied through Tim Holtz Brick Wall layering stencil, painted using acrylic paint (brown and burnt Umber) and a dry brush. Admittedly, it did take time and a great deal of patience but it was definitely worth the extra hours spent to get a result I was happy with.To the touch it really does have that rough, gritty feel of real bricks. (Such a shame you can't reach in to the screen and feel for yourself)


The large hearts are covered with dictionary definition pages relevant to the quote -'Home' and 'Love'. stamped and distressed with Tim's products and the edges caught with gold gilding wax. The small heart is die cut from Tim Holtz Heartfelt Bigz die and crackled using Finnabair Texture Crackle Paste and an ideology cog inked with gold Alcohol ink to embellish . 


The bottle is crackled using Rock Candy Crackle paint. Gold gilding wax was used to help highlight the cracks and add a touch of opulence on both the crackle elements . 

Some rusty wire to attach a few chosen 'Home ' related chit chat stickers to, a 'LOVE' tiny tag tied to the vial neck and of course some stones to represent the words in the quote finish off my altered frame . 


I did enjoy making this and I do hope you like what I have created.You are very welcome to pop by my blog to read and see more. 


Before I go today I would just like to say a huge Thank you once again to all to all the lovely Creative Guides at A Vintage Journey for this opportunity and for making one of my crafty dreams a reality. 

Take care everyone

Amanda

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Well ladies you've done yourselves and us proud, your projects are amazing and I need to come on over and take a closer look. Thank you so much for designing and making such special pieces and sharing your creative talents here at AVJ.

Thanks to all you lovely readers too, we look forward to seeing you again on Monday for our next pit stop at a Destination Inspiration.

Have a lovely weekend.

hugs Brenda and the team xxx




17 comments:

  1. WOW! WOW! WOW! My flabber is well and truly ghasted!!! Nicola and Amanda you have positively outdone yourselves with these two magnificent projects!!! That snow laden house replete with matching sleigh is a triumph of beautifully decorated modelling and the brickwork and lattice on the framed collage has my heart all a flutter. Thank you SO MUCH ladies for sharing the very best of your creative talents with us. I salute you. Jenny xxx

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  2. Oh my! Nocola - I just LOVE your wonderful winter house - with the sweet electric lantern hanging on the side - and all sides decorated for Christmas - and the gorgeous sleigh and reindeer - total awesomeness and beauty! and Amanda - The bricks, crackle and stones make for a wonderful creation showing what a house means - so much inspiration - I have to look at both of these some more to gather in all the creative details! thank you so much for both being this weeks AVJ Guest Creative Guides! Julia xx

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  3. Utterly stunning creations from the pair of you - completely outstanding in techniques, ideas, imagination and execution. What a wonderful pair of guests!
    Alison xx

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  4. Completely out of this world creations from both of our pin worthies!!!! Each in their own way, these projects just showcase, skill, imagination and an incredible sense of detail! Nicola and Amanda you bot rock!!

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  5. What show stopping fabulous GD projects. You both have my jaw on the floor....brilliant. Thanks so much for sharing with us all.
    Julie x

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  6. Oh completely wow and wow some more!! xx

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  7. Thankyou so much for inviting me to share with you here at AVJ . Your comments have really blown me away and made my heart so happy . Its such a pleasure to be able to creative something special for such a fabulous blog made up of so many of you super talented ladies .
    Nicola your Christmas house is amazing and to be able to share the Gd spot with you is a complete and utter pleasure .

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  8. Fantastic pieces from both talented artists. I love,how you have both interpreted the theme and the details in each project are fantastic . So thrilled to have you join us. Tracy x x x

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  9. WOW !!! I am blown away by these two projects by Nicola and Amanda x Wonderful and inspiring details......thank you so much ladies xx Great to have you back with us at AVJ xx

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  10. Amazing projects! I can't take my eyes away from Nicola's house! So many cute details and embellishments! I'm in a winter tale when I'm seeing it :-) Amanda's work is beautiful too! Nice, realistic bricks, nice crackles! Nice quote! Congratulations, ladies!

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  11. Very many thanks ladies for all your lovely comments both here and over at my blog. Your positivity is music to my ears and main reason for continuing in blogland. Warmest wishes to the exceptionally talented Amanda also - it's an honour to share the spotlight with you! Happy weekend to all, Nicola x

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  12. Oh my goodness! Two outstanding projects from our guests, Nicola and Amanda - both absolutely stunning and a wonderful interpretation of Jennie's theme. You ladies really have done us proud, thanks so much for sharing your fabulous art with us! Hugs, Anne xx

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  13. Oh wow- what a fabulous guest post - 2 absolutely amazing projects with stunning detail. Nikki xx

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  14. Wowzers! That is some beautiful art by the guest designers!

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  15. Outstanding makes! both projects!
    Jackie
    http://www.creatingwithoutcrayons-jackiepneal.com/

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  16. Really, this has got to be the best guest post at A Vintage Journey! Amanda and Nicola, you have done the Home theme proud, and big congratulations to you both on a job well done! Nicola, I love every precious detail of your home, and I knew it was you before I saw your name. Your work is trademarked! I especially love that you included a biblical side of your home, since Jesus is the reason for the season. Amanda, what love and thought went into your project...I'm not sure which I enjoy more...your post or your project! I'm sure your true home is filled to the brim with love! Thank you both for sharing these lovely pieces!

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  17. Thank you so much for even more heart warming comments everyone . I truly am blown even further away now lol . Being able to create my project for AVJ has been a complete pleasure and it will be a piece I will treasure as its a creative journey I have truly loved . x

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