Friday 25 June 2010

Normal service is resumed!

Back to my more usual style for this card. I love the look of the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals dies, but they are too big for the sort of things I'd want them for, so I decided to make my own distressed flowers using the EK Success retro flower punches. I wanted them to look as though they were made from old book pages. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time. However, I couldn't bring myself to tear the pages out of a book! A friend of mine even gave me an old book which she'd got specially for me to use, but it was a book of wild flowers with some lovely old pictures in, and I just couldn't do it! I thought I would scan them instead. Then I found a website where you can download copyright free books, so I printed some pages from that and made them look old with Distress Inks (Tumbled Glass and Antique Linen, which I also used on the butterfly and sentiment). Having punched out the flowers I just tore the edges of the petals a bit & then inked around them. Not quite the same as Tim's, but near enough to the look I wanted.


The background paper is a digital download from Two Peas in a Bucket, one of the "Art Papers III" digital kit by Vinnie Pearce. The text-printed leaves on it went perfectly with my flowers. It's such a pretty paper that I kept the embellishments to a minimum so as not to hide it. The photo doesn't do it justice. The punched butterfly is overstamped with Hero Arts "Delicate Vine", and the sentiment is by Darkroom Door. The lace and ribbon came from my late mother's stash. She was a crafter, though her speciality was in fabrics and dried flower arranging. She was also a hoarder and loved a bargain, with the result that she had more materials stashed away than she was ever likely to use. I think I've inherited the tendency! But if that's the price of also inheriting her love of arts and crafts and making things, it's one I'm happy to pay!

14 comments:

Lisa Jane said...

HI Lynne. Wonderful card , those flowers are beautiful Like you i don't like the thought of tearing/cutting into a book - so will be remembering your tip re the website!
Thanks for that
Lisa ;)

Sally H said...

Oh wow, Lynne! That is stunning! Your flowers do look good. Lovely papers too!

chris said...

Hi Lynne
gosh that is perfect, its beautiful,I dont think I could cut up a book either, I can just about do newspaper. stunning work, hope you are well, we are doing cheesecake again tomorrow, at sir stamp.
take cae love Chris xx

Netty said...

I love the misty look of this, its really beautiful. Annette x

craftimamma said...

This is wonderful Lynne and you're right, that background paper is really pretty and far too nice to cover too much. Your flowers look great too.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Karin said...

Just lovely and your flowers are so cute (",)
Hugs from Karin

Jules said...

Oh Lynne - this one is fantastic.

Love that gorgeous background and the flowers. A dream of a card!

I too keep looking at all of our books (some which have come from my late MIL's) and thinking shall I destroy one. Just doesn't seem right though somehow.

I hope that you have a good weekend and thank you so much for the inspiration. You have set my mind off.

Love Jules xx

lisa said...

Definitely more your ususal style, Lynne. I absolutely adore everything about it. Your text flowers are amazing, what a great idea to print them off. Like you and so many others, I'm loathed to tear up real books, it seems such a shame. I shall be having a go at this as soon as I find a good reason to use them. The colours you've used are just perfect and your BP is beautiful too. I can see why you didn't want to cover it up.
I think many crafters inherit their craftiness from their Mums don't they although I think mine came from both my parents, my Dad built amazing model ships and loved watercolour painting too.
Hope you are having a good weekend.
Hugs Lisax

judith@poppy cottage said...

This is so prety Lyne,I admire your ingenuity to avoid tearing up a book. The colours are beautiful. The backing paper is lovely, those leaves are perfect. Judith xx

Lesley said...

Very pretty card Lynne, the flowers are lovely. I know what you mean about cutting up old books - I have one ready for that purpose but haven't been able to lol! xx

SYLVIA-ANNE said...

Love the hand-made flowers Lynne - they look fabulous and I really like the printed effect. (Nice to know that no books were harmed in the making of these flowers)!! Like you and many other crafters, I inherited my crafting genes from my Mum - her speciality was needlework of all kinds- dressmaking, knitting, crochet and tatting etc. (would love to know if anyone actually does tatting these days).
Hugs,Sylvia xxx

veronica said...

lovely bp, and a very pretty card - know what you mean about cutting up books - I just can't do it either! Will have asearch for that website, sounds just what is needed

Esther said...

Hi - thanks for your comments and joining my followers...this card is beautiful and what a fab idea to get the book page effect. I have a very old romantic novel passed on in a batch from my MIL who got it from a market stall and even though i'll never read it and it's tatty it's still a book and I can't quite destroy it !! Esther x

Debbie Dolphin said...

really really beautiful lynne. simply stunning and thankyou again for your comments
love debbie xxx