I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Friday 17 August 2012

Bon Voyage!

Hello and welcome to all... especially to the new followers - it's so great to have you here.
I've a card to share with you today - a holidays-from-the-past, glamorous voyage across an alcohol ink ocean!


I was inspired by several challenges - it seems that in August, everyone's thoughts turn to holidays and travelling!




I really enjoyed making the individual elements of this card.  I played with my new alcohol inks for the first time... only minimally, to start finding out what they can do - but still, great fun, and a completely different look from any of the other inks I've used up til now.  Yum - glossy!

The base of the card I decorated with stamps from the 7 Gypsies Legends set - a wonderful set of words and images from antique maps (I love antique maps!).  The texture detail is from a Tattered Angels set, stamped in Weathered Wood.  I love that it looks so antique, and also slightly oceanic.

I've just been producing Postcards on an industrial scale for the decorations at my brother's wedding so I was quite in the swing of it, and they seemed the perfect accompaniment for the gorgeous photo I found online.  

I love distressing the papers and photos, ageing them so that they get that vintage look.  Whether it's with inks or the Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, or rolling and ripping the papers, I love the extra life and dimension it adds to the paper.

I had a lovely time ageing the photo... applying touches of vintage photo with the blending tool; running the ink pad along creases and tears; and giving it a very light spritz of water, wiped away with paper towel to give the 'developing' spots.  It's also had some attention from the Paper Distresser round the edges, of course.


The luggage label started as a large kraft tag, which I had to trim down to fit the card.  I inked it heavily with vintage photo, added a couple of 7 Gypsies Avignon stamps and gave it a good scrunching for a leathery look.  I highlighted the creases with some Walnut Stain, and replaced the rather dull string belonging to it with some rather prettier neutral twine.

You can click on the pictures below for some close ups of each quarter of the finished card. Although it seemed a shame to cover so much of the alcohol ink "sea", I love how it just peeps out between the elements.

 




























I used black Staz-On ink to stamp the tiny Oceanus stamp from the 7 Gypsies Legends set onto some ribbon from my stash and placed it over the lovely lace I got in CZ.


Thank you so much for stopping by today... I hope you've enjoyed taking this vintage holiday with me...  I just want to say thank you for all the generous comments - it's such a joy to read them, and I do always try to repay the visit if I know you've been here!

For now, I wish you a wonderful August day, whatever you're doing with it.  If travelling, I wish you fair winds, fair weather and smooth sailing (in whatever form of transportation)...

I'm entering this in the following:
Sugar Creek Hollow's challenge - Vintage Travel
The Artistic Stamper's August challenge - Holidays
Simon Says Stamp and Show, who would like to know about our Favourite Technique - distressing/ageing
Crafty Boots are challenging us to be inspired by Postcards
Tando are having a Travel challenge this month

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.  I travel for travel's sake.  The great affair is to move.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Travelling is a brutality.  It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends.  You are constantly off balance.  Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.
Cesare Pavese

36 comments:

Renate Schenter said...

Oh, this card is so wonderful
Greatings Renate

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Fabulous card, love the Vintwge feel. The postcards are fabulous and you have aged everything beautifully. Love the image and the tag is a lovely addition as is the lace and doily . Thank so much for joining in the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge. Tracy x

Chrissy said...

Fabulous vintage card Alison.I think the'sea' is fantastic and love the old vintage photo..one of them looks like my mother..lol..

Luv CHRISSYxx

Anonymous said...

Fabulous card, love the alcohol ink ocean and the distressing is fantastic. A real vitnage gem ! Sue C x

Dee's Craft Room said...

Gosh, this is gorgeous. I love all the effects you have created and the fabulous layout.

Thank you for sharing your work with all of us at Crafty Boots Challenges.

Dionne

Candy C said...

Love your card. What a vintage feeling I get from this! Your photograph sets the tone and then your background with alcohol inks and those wonderful old postcards are just perfection! Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

EmeralDQueen said...

Your work is stunning, beautiful!!!!

catherine said...

This is absolutely fantastic Alison. Love all the empherma you have added and the vintage style is super. Just love it all
x catherine

Terry said...

Thank you for sharing your Vintage Postcard with the DT from Simon Says Stamp and Show, love the vintage detaills you added to your creation, the picture is fabulous too thanksss for sharing, hugs terry xxxx

Daniele said...

what a wonderful card so many details and just loving your inky sea background, so glad you joined us at Sugar Creek Hollow this week
hugs

Redanne said...

Hi Alison, your card is simply stunning, I love all the elements and the thought and time it took to put all these together was so worth it. It really is a beautiful piece of work. Thank you for visiting me too and I am your latest follower........Hugs, Anne x

The House of Bears said...

That is a fabulous card, there's so much going on without it being at all crowded. We love the leathery look to the scrunched tag, all the inking and aging, and well, just everything really, one problem, if we made this we's never want to give it away.

Anjas-Artefaktotum said...

WOW what a magnificent creation! Love the vintage look.Everything fits together perfectly.
Hugs Anja

Brenda Brown said...

Love, love, love this vintage card Alison, what fabulous effects and elements you have created.
Hugs Brenda xox

Gez Butterworth said...

Very beautiful card. So much attention to detail & such pretty colours. Thank you for joining the Tando Creative monthly challenge. Good Luck for the draw. Gez

Patti P. said...

Alison, this may be my very fave, so many wonderful elements. Of course I love your postcards.....but the water spots on the photo and the stamped ribbon just sang for me. Tfs, so glad you joined us at Sugar Creek Hollow.

Patti SCH/DT

Anonymous said...

alison thank you so much for your lovely comments they mean so much to me...i absolutely love your blog and your work it's amazing your stamping and blending are wonderful truly an inspiration...
thank you so much
lizzi

Sarah said...

Your card and a little imagination and I am off on a voyage to another time and place...beautifully nostalgic.

Ana K. said...

Really stunning vintage card!

chrissie said...

Wonderful card with terrific layering. Thank you for the step by step way you explained how you made it. Inspiring for sure.

Love Chrissie xx

Desert Rose Stamper said...

Alison -- What a beautiful card. I love every element of this card. The "ocean" element really adds a special touch. I really appreciate your sharing the step-by-step details of your card too. I also like how you add quotes at the end of your blog -- great food for thought.

Thanks,

Sharon

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Fabulous! Alcohol Inks are the best! Your whole is brilliant...love the vintage lady travelers!

Pia said...

wauuuw so wonderful. lovely details
hugs pia

Janny Jager said...

Wauwwwwww this is a beautiful Vintage postcard
Lovely details
Love it.

Greetings Janny

CraftyEllie said...

Amazing card! Love every detail of it!

Colleen Dietrich said...

Gorgeous! LOVE that alcohol ink ocean ;) and everything about your card has such an authentically aged look. Love it.

Anna-Karin said...

Fabulous project! Love those stamped old post cards, your alcohol inked piece and the whole background. Such a great photo to use! Thank you for joining us again this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show!

Claudia N. said...

Absolutely gorgeous picture-poetry, Alison!

I have been taken on a wonderful journey by traveling through all the textures, layers and ephemera you have used in this lovely piece of artwork!!!!

Your aged photograph is so stunning!!! Excellent job!!!!


Hugs,

die amelie xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Alison. It is more like a work of art than a card. Wonderful work as always. Thank you for sharing the photos of the different stages! Wow!
Regards Florence xx

Carol Plume said...

What a great piece - loving your alcohol inked background - Thank You for joining us at Tando challenges.

Victoria said...

You are queen of vintage! A fantastic creation!

Sue said...

Absolutely fabulous Alison. I love the step by step details and seeing it all come together. I've never really got to grips with alcohol inks, but you have used them perfectly x

Mrs.B said...

Fabulous, love all the details and your AI's sea looks wonderful.
Avril xx

Sandra Botham said...

What can i say? This is amazing, i adore everything about it. Vintage is my fave look and you have ticked every box for me.
Thanks for sharing with us at crafty boots.
sandra. x

Inkypinkycraft said...

I love it!! The vintage image has been treated so beautifully, what else can I say, wonderful,trace. X

Maggie said...

Lovely piece and such a lovely image which you have aged beautifully!

Maggie