Vintage Chic for Pink Paper Bakery

Happy Monday and welcome to my SeeingInkSpots blog.  I am totally thrilled to be sharing with you all today that I am a guest blogger at a fabulous paper crafting site called Pink Paper Bakery.  With the holidays quickly approaching I thought I would share a card I made using one of my all-time favorite stamp sets Greeting Card Kids.  Why is this set so appealing to me?  Because I can't enough of anything vintage, antique, and retro.

For the focal point of this card I pulled out my Aqua Painter and several of my "go to" ink pad colors: Crumb Cake, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, and Jet Black Staz On.  I first stamped the image twice on Very Vanilla card stock with Staz On and let them dry thoroughly.  Then I gave each of the ink pads a squeeze to collect ink in the lid.  From that I picked up the ink with an Aqua Painter to watercolor the images.  

Once they were dry I punched one of the images out using a 2 1/2" Circle Punch and from the second image I detail cut the girl out to include her face, hat (not the pom pom), scarf, and coat (minus the left arm).  On the 2 1/2" circle piece and with a clean Aqua Painter I painted a halo of water around the girl and the tree.  While the water was still wet I gently sponged/dabbed Crumb Cake ink to create a unique aged look (that's my favorite step).  I repeated that step to create a floor and define the space.  Once dry I added the detail cut layer with Stampin' Dimensionals to the circle punched layer.

The greeting comes from the stamp set Bells and Boughs and was stamped on Very Vanilla with Jet Black Staz On.  I fishtailed and sponged the piece with Crumb Cake ink and then curled and distressed the banner with a bone folder. 

Some of the finishing touches include Basic Pearls and punched snowflakes, but I have to say I started the entire card with the Framed Tulip TIEF.  Of course I pre-inked the folder before I ran it through my Big Shot to give it lots more interest.  I also delicately splattered the card base with my Color Spritzer Tool again for more depth and interest.

I tied four loops of Crumb Cake Seam Binding which I secured with a hat pin and Linen Thread tied in a shoestring bow.  Before I added the bow to the card I shaped it by getting it damp with water.  Once the entire card was assembled I spritzed it with hair spray and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  The hair spray step is not only great for adhering a dusting of glitter, but it stiffens the seam binding--it's magic.

My hope is that you have enjoyed learning a bit more about my method of achieving a vintage style.

Smiles and Happy Holiday Craftin', Elizabeth