Going Vintage for The Pals Paper Arts

Today is Thursday.  That means it’s time for a Pals Paper Arts challenge.  Woo hoo!This week’s color challenge consists of three very soft colors (Baked Brown Sugar, Calypso Coral and Very Vanilla) that lend themselves wonderfully to almost any style, but I kept envisioning a Victorian or vintage project.  I don’t “do” vintage very often, so I wouldn’t say it’s in my wheelhouse, but I’m still happy with how this card turned out.  Here’s my contribution to The Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge:  Chalk Talk, En Francais, Gorgeous Grunge,Stampin' Up!, Brian King, PPA171

And here’s the banner for the challenge:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

  • Clean Vintage.  While this probably isn’t an official card style (is there an official rule book that lists out all the official styles?), I think of this card as Clean Vintage.  While I’ve dirtied it up quite a bit, all of the edges are clean.  There’s still a balance of “white space” – sure, there’s some frilly ribbon and a bunch of water spots, but I left a chunk of Very Vanilla at the top and at the bottom of the center piece.  I also grunged up the base of the Chalk Talk medallion but left the “for you” circle clean as can be.  I had to leave SOME clean space, right?     
  • Flip Flop.  After playing around with the stamped base and the Chalk Talk tag for a l-o-o-o-ng time, I thought it would be cool to create this second level that mimics the half-stamped bottom layer but flipped.  Even though I don’t understand a word of it, I can tell that the writing is upright in both.  🙂 
  • Stamp Off.  I would normally suggest using Crumb Cake to create waterspots on a card front, but I only had Baked Brown Sugar to work with.  What to do?  What to do?  I just stamped off the Baked Brown Sugar FOUR times before stamping the Gorgeous Grunge image onto the card front.  While the faint watermarks show up boldly in the picture, the card shows a much softer stain in person.

Stamp Sets: Chalk Talk, En Francais, Gorgeous Grunge  Inks: Baked Brown Sugar, Calypso Coral  Papers:  Baked Brown Sugar, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla  Accessories:  3/8″ Ruffle Stretch Trim, Chalk Talk Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Please hop over the Pals Paper Arts site to check out the inspiration projects from the other talented Resident Artists.  I also hope you’ll join the challenge this week.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE to leave a comment on my Blog Candy post from yesterday.  To celebrate Justin Krieger’s birthday, I’m giving away a few birthday-themed products (see them here).  If you’ve already commented, please do it again.  Comment as many times as you like, and also leave birthday wishes for Justin!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

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27 Comments

  1. Beautiful Vintage Clean! I like that word. Of course your brain went to Vintage when you saw this color pallet, very lovely! You’ve chosen a beautiful background stamp and I had to look hard for your grunge you talked about, glad it’s stamped off four times that’s a better look! Beautiful!!

  2. Laurie Burns Gachewicz

    Clean Vintage rules!!! Very classy card Brian!!

  3. Beautiful! Knowing you….I can tell with how you wrote this – it was a challenge for you with the “vintage” look – It is truly fantastic and you need to be doing the “happy dance” – I think having that “small and clean area” really makes a POP!!! Having that space creates such a balance – “Hail the the KING once again”

  4. I liked it very much! I look forward to the next one!

  5. This card is really fantastic Brian, the colors are so soft and lovely together. It’s kind of hard to achieve a vintage look but you just did that beautifully.

  6. Beautiful design, Brian! The symmetry is perfection!

  7. this is just beautiful Brian, I’m in love with it 🙂

  8. Pretty card ….soft colors…you need a couple of Ann`s pearls !
    Happy Birthday to Justin ! Have a wonderful visit in Atlanta .

  9. lovely vintage but your clean style still shines through!

  10. I think stepping outside your comfort zone went very well. Vintage doesn’t have to be about totally dirtied up. Your card is beautiful! I agree with Mary’s post 100%.

  11. Oh my goodness, your card is gorgeous! I love how you left the open white space at the top of the main panel and on the bottom of the smaller panel. That is so creative and gives this awesome vintage look a clean modern feel at the same time. You have some seriously awesome mojo going on lately.

  12. Looks like you could start a new acronym…CAV…Clean and Vintage.

  13. Just when I’ve talked myself out of Gorgeous Grunge one more time, you use it in such a way that it goes right back on my “wish list”, Brian! 🙂 Your “clean vintage” is not only a great new variety of “vintage”, it is an inspiration for those of us who really aren’t vintage lovers. I never did like to “dirty up” a card … it goes against my nature, I guess, to use lovely paper, beautiful stamps, fancy ribbon, sparkling jewels, and then make the card look like someone stepped on it or dropped it in the dirt. Clean Vintage I can do! Thank you, Brian, so much.
    And, Jason, Happy Birthday! I am so glad you and Brian met at convention! I’ve been looking at your cards on SCS for quite a while.

  14. You know what? I forgot to mention that the writing on that background stamp, although beautiful, it’s hard to read if you don’t know French, I wonder if anyone here can maybe translate it?? so we can have an idea of what it says? I also think they should make one with the same font but in English, maybe with a passage from one of Emily Dickinson or Tony Morrison books. Just my .2c

  15. I have to admit that I’m not a fan of vintage or Victorian but this card really drew me in. I really loved the way you set the card up with the reversed open space. Great job Brian and Happy Birthday Justin.

  16. I love your style Brian! That and your sense of humor is what keeps me coming back each and every day. I’m never disappointed. With that being said, I totally agree with Lisa Eaton!! I’m absolutely in love with this card! The colors, the layout, your style . . . I just don’t know what else to say! I love it!!!!

    BTW, I adopted a male cat about a month ago. His name is Mr. King!! How ironic is that? He’s about 8 months old now and he had been living at King Creek Resort & Marina in Paducah, KY. He was just a resident cat on the prowl each and every day looking for food and no home. Our second trip there within a month, I was in love with him (just like your cards!) and was granted permission to take him home. I truly believe Mr. King chose me and not the other way around. Needless to say, he is already spoiled rotten. My Manx, Sweet Pea, is not sure what to think!

    Any whooooo . . . when I call to King, you cross my mind and not King Creek! LOL! Just had to include this little tale for you this morning . . .

  17. Love this card! Brilliant to use En Francais and Glorious Grunge!

  18. Oh you do have a soft romantic side 🙂

  19. I love everything about this card. I’m going to have to purchase Gorgeous Grunge! Tried not to but this card did it for me!

  20. Brian, you nailed “Clean Vintage” and your style. Love it! You always seem to find a way. How long does it take an idea to incubate before you put it into cs and stamps? However long or short, it works every time. Have a wonderful day! Nancy B (If SU ever comes out with an English version of En Francais, I hope it’s from a great piece of literature!)

  21. I LOVE THIS CARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  22. Well done Brian! I love the flipped technique you invented 🙂

  23. That’s a really nice card, Brian! It’s stunning.
    Diane Gil

  24. Omg!!! How gorgeous!! I don’t know how you create cards like this every day.

    It s my understanding that the script is a French poem. The translation can be found here. http://www.epicureaders.com/poem_0112_rimbaud.html For some reason the script on the stamp only goes down to the word pines in the 4th paragraph and then repeats.

  25. You do Clean & Vintage very well! It’s divine!

  26. Very elegant, Brian! Great design, as usual.

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