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, 29 March 2019

Another Tag Friday Spectacular

Yay it's a fifth Friday in the month and we have a new and fabulous line up of tags for you. It's that extra post that allows us to create something for ourselves and for you without thinking about a theme - time to play, experiment and have fun.



I was really happy with the outcome of this vintage tag. I used some old favourite stamps from Tim Holtz and a couple of elements that just fell onto my desk when looking for embellishments. There are a few more details over at Bumblebees and Butterflies if you can spare a moment to pop over. xxx



I'm already in Easter/Spring mode - so I made Easter tags to tie on or put in baskets or to give as a tag card!  Please hop over to my blog to see just how I put my tags together -  I ended up making 11 of them!


Tim Holtz Faceted Heart and new Wildflowers - Tag Friday
For my tag today I have been playing with textures on this MDF tag, Faceted Heart and Wildflowers. Do pop over to Addicted to Art for the the close ups and a brief summary!


I love making tags so for this month's Tag Friday I created a double one. Like usual, there are more details on my blog.


Sara Emily

I've been trying out my new Distress Oxide sprays, and decided to make my tag with one of my first spray plays. I have details and close-ups on my blog.


Jennie

I seem to have lost my creative way a bit just lately (too much knitting and spinning!) and so today's Tag Friday was a good opportunity to create with some new products and some old favourites too. Hop on over to my blog for more details and if you would like to see how I created the background.



I can never bear to miss a Tag Friday, so I'm diving in with this pair of tags - created nearly ten weeks ago when I arrived here in New York.  I simply haven't had time to blog them... so that worked out pretty well when I suddenly realised Tag Friday was upon me!  Do come over to Words and Pictures to see all the details.



I'm so happy that Spring has finally arrived.  I live in the desert but we have had a longer and colder winter this year.  For me it is time for Spring to SHINE!   I'd love to have you visit me at my blog here to find out more about my tag.

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Thanks to all the Creative Guides who have taken part for this month's Tag Fridy post, I'm sure you will agree they are amazing samples for you to look through. Please go and leave them some love.

Also a 'head's up' for you to think about. In next week's new challenge post there will be an invite out for anyone who would like to join our team as a new Creative Guide. Could this be you? If you like creating in one or more of our preferred styles (vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn and steampunk) and you want to join a creative, friendly and supportive team please watch out for the post next Friday.

In the meantime if you'd like to share any tags you have made this month or will make before the linky closes next thursday evening please link them below and yours could be chosen as a Pinworthy to be pinned to our special Pinterest Board.

Have fun and a great weekend.

hugs Brenda and the Creative Guides xxx

Update
We use Inlinkz for you. our participants, to join the 'party' and enter your tags.
Inlinkz have upgraded their linky tool and you will see there are changes to how you enter. Inlinkz have lots of support both for us and for you to find out about and understand the changes, one is that you need to create an Inlinkz account to link your work.

This is from the Inlinkz website.
Big changes are happening around your personal data rights and we have built Inlinkz to reflect these changes.
Willing to keep your info safe & sound, you need to verify your entry, before you submit a link for the first time (verifying only takes a few seconds and you need to do it only once). After verifying your email, you can add links to all InLinkz link parties without the need for re-verification.

You can find their blog and lots of advice HERE.
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Friday, 22 March 2019

Creative Card Making With Annie

Hi everyone xx A warm welcome to our Creative Card Making Celebration Post x I adored Brenda's home decor piece tutorial (HERE) and the way in which she incorporated all the details of our 5 year journey here at AVJ. So here is my take for this month xx Grab a cuppa as it's a reasonably long post xx
I have created a "tunnel" card using a very old Tim Holtz Vintage Valise die to depict travelling on our journey here at AVJ x
 Once I had die cut the vintage valise 4 times I then cut out a window on three of the pieces using a rectangle die from my stash x
 On one of the valise windows I wanted to place die cut flowers and chose  the 2019 Tim Holtz Organic die to depict Spring, which has finally sprung and I am so happy as it's my favourite season x. The flower die was inked with various colourful Distress Inks ( DI) using my finger daubers.
 The valise fronts and back were inked with various shades of Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint and Aged Mahogany DI's.
 The outer edges were then distressed in a darker brown, namely Walnut Stain DI. You can see the concertina folds that I created to hold each piece, creating some depth, in the photo below.
 Tim Holtz globe die by Sizzix depicts the talented Creative Guides and our fabulous followers who are from all corners of the world x
 Pieces of the valise were covered in acrylic wax then rusting powder was applied, vinegar was then sprayed over the top and left overnight to rust !!! It has been some time since I used this technique and I have to say I love the outcome, which can be viewed in the last two photos.
 That's Crafty Light Texture paste was applied through one of Tim Holtz stencils, then a stamp depicting a jar with paint brushes,  from Lynne's Affirmations stamp set, which all crafters can relate to x I dont know where I would be without my paint brushes and not always for paint !!! sometimes distress inks, glue, modge podge and varnish
One of Lynne's Affirmations was stamped on to some aged kraft card using Archival Ink in Sepia.
I also applied some splatters of paint to the valise front
 Glossy Accents was used to adhere the rusted elements of the valise and some clips helped to hold them in place. The artist brushes stamp below is by Darkroom Door and I have had it in my stash for ages...don't they lok amazing x
 I love the new Tim Holtz Transparent Wings and paper dolls, which you can see below.
The front of the valise below x 
 A luggage tag was then created and the letters AVJ applied along with some more splatters of dark brown and white paint.
 And here are all the details  on the back of the card.  I love love the rusting powder.
As we are celebrating our birthday here at AVJ I chose to decorate the back with stamps and stencils, but this is where you could easily add your  personalised greeting. Personalising the tag is another option xx 
Thank You so much for hopping on board with us over the last 5 years x It has been such a pleasure to share our journey with you along the way and we love to visit the blogs of all our followers/entrants to our monthly challenges. There is also still time to join in with our March challenge "Celebrate The Journey", which you can view by clicking HERE xx

Take care and thank you for hopping on board x

Happy Birthday Wishes to everyone xxx

Annie xxxx

Friday, 15 March 2019

March Challenge Tutorial - Brenda

I am sharing the process steps for the project I made for the birthday challenge this month. I loved making my shabby piece of home decor and added a word banner I made to fit the title.



Background


The background paper was a piece of a paper mixing palette left over from a brayering session some time ago but the colours are so beautifully neutral and perfect for stamping on. I chose images that represent something for AVJ, the challenge and our birthday. The large gear represents transport, the whole idea of moving on this journey, the clock face is about time and that we have been travelling together for five years now. The typewriter is about the blog posts that we write and how all the Creative Guides share the running and workings of the blog including the communication between us all. Five little stars for the 5th birthday, a shabby border pattern for one of the genres that we like to use and see and part of a map that is representative of the fact that we are a multinational team and you our readers pop aboard from all around the globe too.


Candlestick and box


I used chalky finish paint (heirloom, rustic, relic, everlasting and primitive) and roughly stippled and blended these neutral colors over it and let it dry. Then I repeated with a second coat. I rubbed a little candle wax in random places and then stippled on everlasting, primitive and restore. Before it was fully dry I rubbed with dry kitchen paper to make it look more aged and worn and finished with three waxes clear, deep brown and white, rubbing some away with water before buffing to a beautiful shine.


I did the same to the circular board. 


The Tim Holtz box also got a paint job with similar colours and then some crackle paste trowelled on with a palette knife and when dry I edged with dark grey value 6.

Embellishments


I collected together lots of stamped, die-cut and metal embellishments to use to decorate the top and create a diorama and I made my own word banner.
The suitcases are showing we travel with our supplies and unpack them at every destination and the paper doll is representative of our fabulous team of ladies - The Creative Guides.


The word banner was typed on the computer, printed out and mounted on a strip of greyboard. I covered it with matte medium to seal the surface.

You'll probably see some other bits that were added to the project which is what frequently happens once I start putting things together.

I could have added more to the sides and the back but I didn't want to over do it - less is more they say and I think I have hit the right balance.


I hope you've managed to see the wonderful line up from the Creative Guides and there is some lovely work that has already been entered. You still have time to play along at the AVJ challenge blog, we'd love to see you cone and join in the celebrations.

Thanks for stopping by.

hugs Brenda xxx


Friday, 8 March 2019

Your Hearts Desire February Pinworthies

Hi everyone x It's Annie here with the details of our pinworthy choices for "Your Hearts Desire" Challenge.  As always it is very difficult to choose from all the amazing entries and we thank everyone who hopped on board with us in February. It's always a pleasure for the Creative Guides to visit your blogs to view the creative process and to leave a comment,

So in no particular order, here are our Pinworthy choices :


 Barbara created this amazing textured Etcetera Tag using plaster/Nuvo Mouse and various other elements. The  textured Snowflake and heart are just stunning......such a clever design.


We absolutely adored Kerstin's  celebration box and the beautiful decoration/embellishments, but in particular the amazing heart that takes centre stage.


 
We loved Cathy's textured heart that was baked, patina'd rusted and painted with an amazing grungy outcome.

I will be sending your Pinworthy Badges to you shortly ladies xx

Once again, thanks to each and everyone of you who entered our February challenge and we hope that you will also consider entering our 5th Anniversary Challenge,

"Celebrate The Journey" 
🎂🎉🎈🎉🎈🎉 🎂
 
Here is a reminder of our Birthday Challenge Description.
 
"Back on the 7th March 2014 we tasked ourselves to design, devise, invent, imagine and construct to inspire and encourage you to take this path with us and what an incredible journey it has been so far. Many of you have been here since the beginning hopping on board when you can and it's been amazing seeing all your contributions as we've travelled together.
We are hoping that lots of you will join the journey for our Birthday challenge. To do so we are asking that you include the word or any images that depict a 'journey' or even something that shows a creative journey you are on. Please tell us how your project fits the theme in your blog post and remember to create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk."
The challenge theme runs until Thursday 4th April at 18:00 and you can click HERE to view the wonderful projects created by our guides. 

   Can't wait to see what you create!

Lots of Crafty Hugs
Annie and the Creative Guides xx




Friday, 1 March 2019

CELEBRATE THE JOURNEY - Happy Birthday AVJ

Wow we are celebrating another birthday here at A Vintage Journey can you believe it's 5 years since we started this challenge blog?


So we are asking you to come along and join in and celebrate this milestone with us. 

Back on the 7th March 2014 we tasked ourselves to design, devise, invent, imagine and construct to inspire and encourage you to take this path with us and what an incredible journey it has been so far. Many of you have been here since the beginning hopping on board when you can and it's been amazing seeing all your contributions as we've travelled together.

We are hoping that lots of you will join the journey for our Birthday challenge. To do so we are asking that you include the word or any images that depict a 'journey' or even something that shows a creative journey you are on. Please tell us how your project fits the theme in your blog post and remember to create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

Let's take a look at what some of the Creative Guides have produced for this leg of the journey.

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Brenda


Well I had great fun creating something special for the birthday challenge and this is a sneak peek really but it does contain all the main details. To take a look at the whole project please pop over to Bumblebees and Butterflies where all will be revealed. If I say it is a piece of home decor does that give you a clue? xx




I decided to go back to my very first project for A Vintage Journey and choose some elements from it to make a journal page to highlight my mixed media journey over the last five years. Do please join me over on my blog Live the Dream if you would like to see more.


Deb


Happy birthday A Vintage Journey!  While contemplating Brenda's 'Celebrate The Journey' prompt, I came to the realization that I have always followed my heart and done what I loved no matter where my creative journey has taken me.  So I created this mixed media vignette box to represent my personal journey and hope that you will be able to stop by my blog to see how it all came together.


MDF Tag with Tim Holtz Globe die and Ephemera

I am celebrating my crafting journey as we begin a new year at AVJ. My project includes many of my favourite techniques and products. Be lovely to see you at Addicted to Art for more details and photos and a few of the other projects I have made for AVJ along the way!



So many of my teamies here have become close personal friends, so I thought it would be fun to share a project recently created when visiting one of them for a fun crafty day. To find out more about what we did and how this project has become part of my personal crafting journey, do come and visit me



For our birthday celebration I have decided to focus on an artistic journey and this year I am spreading my wings by venturing into the world of video.  I have made a few but have decided that this is the year for me to travel a new road.  My card depicts the spirit of a new journey. 




In these art journalling pages I'm celebrating the people we share our journeys with - especially this wonderful team of Creative Guides, who have become such close friends over this five year journey.  Do come over to Words and Pictures to see all the details.


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We hope you enjoy wandering through our inspirational projects and look forward to seeing those that get entered for this special occasion. Please use the link below to join in.

I would like to take a moment to thank all the Creative Guides that have been part of this journey over this five year period. You have all given so much time, support and amazing inspiration to all our readers and to each other. It is this that has made the journey so exciting and a pleasure to be part of.

To all our wonderful readers and participants thank you too for sharing the journey with us. We so enjoy looking at your contributions and reading the comments you leave us.

We look forward to the next 12 months of fabulous themes and amazing creations.

hugs Brenda and the Creative Guides. xxx