Victorian Retirement Etchings

I think that the late 1800's and early 1900's must have been an incredible and fascinating time to live.  Well, especially if you were a man. (If you were a woman, not so much!)  So many changes took place in that era. Authors had great imaginations and modern technology was in it's infancy.  The combustion engine, the camera, the telephone and telegraph, the airplane.  Modern medicine as well.  I realize that my mother, had she lived, would have been 97 years old this year and so would have seen many of these changes as they happened.

What would it have been like to go from the horse and buggy to airplanes and automobiles within a few short years?  I can't imagine.



My last nostalgic card celebrating the retiring Stampin' Up stamp sets this year reminds me of the photograph above and that time in history.

I love all the images in the stamp set Artistic Etchings and this is one set that I'm going to have a hard time retiring.  They are just so.....VINTAGE!  I wanted to celebrate some of this past catalogue's Designer Series Papers as well, particularly Fan Fair, First Edition and World Spectacular shown here.

I was also intrigued with the sketch LeAnne provided for The Paper Players Challenge #147 this week.

Great for using up scraps of DSP or for showcasing it and I loved the cards the Design Team came up with. I just didn't want to miss this opportunity!

• The upper right panel is actually an image cut right out of the Fan Fair DSP and it perfectly fits my theme, don't you think?
• I love the rich colours in the balloons from the World Spectacular Design Series Paper.
• First Edition Specialty paper is retiring, but I notice in the new catalogue that many of the new series have newprint in them, so I was comforted by that thought.
• Sponging the edges in Soft Suede added to the vintage look of the card.
• I love the little touch of the Victoria Crochet Trim and the Antique Brad, as well as the trio of Vintage Trinket brads on the bottom right.

Tomorrow, I plan on showing you a card using new products from the 2013/14 Idea Book and Catalogue.  If you haven't received yours yet, please let me know and I will be happy to send one to you.  

REMEMBER..... Today is the last day to give me your orders for retiring products to take advantage of my Last Chance Mystery Hostess On-Line Party.  Email or call (250-768-7379) me with your orders by 9:00 pm, Thursday, May 30 to be eligible to be entered in a draw to win the free Hostess benefits from Stampin' Up.  All orders receive one entry and every $40 you spend will get you an extra chance.  The orders are really coming in, so it will be worth your while!

Stamps:  Artistic Etchings (w118517; c120573)*

Paper:  First Edition Specialty paper (121878)**; Fan Fair Designer Series Paper (126918)*; World Spectacular Designer Series Paper (126897)*; Soft Suede (115318) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Soft Suede (126978); StazOn Jet Black (101406)

Accessories: Victorian Crochet Trim (118481); Antique Brads (117273); Vintage Trinkets (118764)

Tools:  Paper Piercing Tool (126189); Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199); Stamping Sponges (101610);

Tabletop Paper Cutter (106959)*

*Retiring Product available until June 3

**Retiring Product available until June 3 while supplies last

***Retiring Product now sold out

Artistic Etchings*

Fan Fair DSP

Paper Piercing Tool

Stampin' Pierce Mat

Tabletop Cutter*

Paris? Oui, Oui!

I went to Paris once!  I was in my twenties and travelling in Europe with a good friend of mine.  She loved Europe and went almost every summer.  I, on the other hand, was a total newbie to travel, especially across the Atlantic.  I thought I was in good hands.  She was a super organized and efficient person, so I figured everything would be planned to a T with nothing left to chance.  

I was what I like to call Dead Wrong!  As soon as we got off the plane in London, my super type A friend changed her whole personality!  She became as mellow and laid back as a person can be.  Where were we going to stay for the night??  No worries.  We'll find something.  Shouldn't we leave to catch that train now?  No rush.  There's always another train.  Talk about anxiety!  I couldn't handle the uncertainty!  But by the end of the 6 week vacation, I believe I mellowed out myself a little.  

                                                            

At one point we went to Paris, and had only one day and one night there before we set out for Italy and Greece.  How do you see Paris in one day?  Especially when you have no transportation and it's blazing hot?  You walk!  I don't know if I've ever walked so far and so fast in my life, but I did see some amazing sights.  We ended the tour at the Louvre.  I was so tired, all I wanted to do was to see the Mona Lisa and then get back to the hotel and put my aching feet up and never move again!  We found the Mona Lisa all right - what a disappointment!  It was so teeny!  I was shocked, because I'd always imagined it much larger!  Turns out I recovered by morning and was able to continue the trip of a lifetime!

I was looking for a design for my Birthday Stamper's Dozen that could be considered a gender neutral young adult design (requested by some of my stampers).  I thought that the travel based images and the yellow and grey colour scheme might fit the bill!

The background panel has been stamped in Basic Grey on Sahara Sand with the large image from Postage Due.  The Eiffel Tower is from Artistic Etchings and also stamped in Basic Grey!  The sentiment is from Create a Cupcake and is stamped in StazOn Jet Black.  And those little yellow Daffodil Delight flowers?
They're from the Perfectly Preserved stamp set - and it took me a long time to find some blossoms just the right size.  Of course, the main image has been stamped and then die cut with Labels Collection Framelits, as was the Basic Grey matte for it.  The yellow background panel has been embossed with the Chevron embossing folder.  The ribbon flag is made from 1 1/4" Two-Toned Black/Grey Ribbon.

I have been dying to use the Postage Due background stamp for a long time.  So glad I was finally able to find a use for it.   I think the yellow flowers could be left off if it was going to a guy.  What do you think?  Did I make a gender neutral, young adult kind of card?   Let me know in a comment!  

I just wanted to round up for you in one spot the Stampin' Up Promotions that will be winding up at the end of April as a way of reminding you to take advantage of the ones you like before the time is up.

1. The Epic Day This and That Bundle.
2. The Sent With Love Bundle.

Then there are a couple that are in effect until the end of May.

1. The Spring Surprise Bundle
2. Discontinued Colours - while supplies last
3. And of course, The 2012/13 Idea Book and Catalogue as well as the Spring Mini Catalogue

And one more new item just announced today:

The Dolled Up Birthday Kit for $17.95 (preferred price if you choose me as your demonstrator).

Stamps: Postage Due (w126395; c126397); Artistic Etchings (w118517; 120573); Perfectly Preserved (w126690; c126692); Create a Cupcake (w121915; c121982)

Paper:  Basic Gray (121044), Daffodil Delight (119683), Sahara Sand (121043) and Whisper White (100730) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Basic Gray (126981), StazOn Jet Black (101406) and Daffodil Delight (126944)

Accessories:  1 1/4" Two-Toned Ribbon in Basic Black/Basic Gray (129295); 

Tools:  Labels Collection Framelits (125598); Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127749) 

Sending Hubby to the Craft Store

Have you ever sent your husband to the craft store for something you need?  I did so with trepidation today, because I wasn't sure he would be able to find what I needed, but he was already going out, and, in the interest of saving gas, I thought it couldn't hurt.  I did get one phone call while he was in the craft store, but when he got back.....

It was perfect!  He picked up exactly what I needed! These little antique roses from Prima were just right for this next project!  Wow! He's a keeper!

I've been working on a card for The Shabby Tea Room's Challenge #103.  Here's the photo we were to use for inspiration:

I happen to love using navy blue with neutrals, and so I was excited to see what I could create.

See  how well those little roses worked with the design.  I used Soft Suede card stock for the base and added Sahara Sand and Night of Navy on the panels.  The back panel of Sahara Sand was embossed using a Tim Holtz Alterations pocket watches embossing folder.  The stamp sets I used were SU's Artistic Etchings, Creative Elements, an old, old set called Artifacts, and Something to Celebrate for the sentiment.  The ribbon is Stampin' Up's Cherry Cobbler Seam binding ribbon and I also added some Tim Holtz and Bead Landing gears.

So there we are, and now I'm going to go cut out some fabric to start making a baby crib quilt set for my daughter, who's due in June!  So excited about that!