Wednesday, November 5, 2014

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Years ago, I was just a girl who'd been taught a couple of crafting things from her grandma. I'd sit across from her at her kitchen table and watch as she made these gorgeous creations, one after the other. She taught me new techniques and I'd try to master them. My cards back then never came close to being awe-inspiring, but she'd make a fuss over them just the same.

I am so lucky to have a Grandma like that! She loaned me her stamps until I could start my own collection. One day, when I was really, really young, I went to Michael's and picked through their dollar stamps. I'd just started my first job and I had a teensy amount of money to spend. I picked out this one and a couple of others:



Can you see how terrible the condition of this poor fella is? I think at one point in time my puppy found my crafting room and chewed on this! Haha. 

Why am I sharing all of this with you? Well, there's a new challenge on the block and I'm SOOOO excited to participate in it because it brings together my love of crafting and all things vintage! It's called the Retro Rubber Challenge and participants get to bust out their older, neglected, dusty, but still GREAT stamps and put them back into the game. Their first challenge has been announced and it's all about using your oldest or first stamp you've got in your collection. 

What a neat challenge blog! I'll definitely be following along!


In order to give this gem a proper show, I began by creating a background. I squished some Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky, and Weathered Wood Distress Inks onto a craft mat and spritzed with water, then used my brayer to pick up the color and roll over a piece of white cardstock.



Once that was done, I mixed up a concoction of blue Perfect Pearls in a mini mister bottle to create my own shimmery spray. 



I heat dried my paper and stamped over it with a snowman and snowflakes using Chipped Sapphire. The snowman didn't stand out enough (I really wanted to coordinate with the sentiment) so I handpainted him using Perfect Pearls and water.

For the backdrop, I stamped snowflakes using a Perfect Medium pad and brushed over it with Perfect Pearls to create a lustrous, shimmery creation. 


This card just reinforces how versatile those little bottles of shimmer are! You can make sprays, paint, or create a backdrop with them! Love them!



Here's my gorgeous (if I don't say so myself) final creation. I am just loving the way this one turned out! You can see that I added a white backing to the image, and a bow running down the side, too. I think I might have to make a couple more for my Christmas collection. And I'm SO glad I got to take a little walk down Memory Lane.

I'd also like to enter this into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Good Ol' Days (it sure is splendid reliving some old crafting supplies)
Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes but you HAVE to feature a sentiment on the front of your card
Pile It On - Feeling Cool (use cool colors or a wintry theme)

To learn more about these challenges, click on the images below!




Thank you for coming by to say hello! Follow my blog and leave me a comment so that I can be sure to return the favor! 

25 comments:

  1. wow Becca - one stunning card with your "retro" stamp. I'll have to drag out my old stamps and have a go.

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  2. Adorable card, Becca! I have a lot of old stamps; I don't know if I still have my very first one, though. Hope I can find some time soon to get some cards made and join in these fun challenges.

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  3. Becca, your card is AWESOME! And I loved reading about you and your grandmother! Such cherished memories. I have not done much with Perfect Pearls but you have changed that. Thanks so much for including the Retro Rubber Challenge in your stamping fun! Hope to see you here often!!

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  4. Oh, Becca, you are a creative master! I love your tutorial and, most of all, your memories of your grandmother. How wonderful for her to pass down a love of creativity! I love bringing out our old stamps and using our current creativity with them. Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories with the Retro Rubber Challenge. We are looking forward to seeing your great projects again!

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  5. Becca, I love the background you have created and the way the snowman stands out on the card. Nice job! I have to admit your grandma is a wonderful lady!!

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  6. Wow! I am really loving the way you've put this card together!! Your gma is one creative cookie! :) She taught you well!! My gma is long gone, but a lover of crafts from waaaaay back and I also enjoyed those moments we were able to spend together as well. :)

    I'm so going to check out this challenge! What a wonderful concept!! Thanks for sharing!! HUGS

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  7. This is so cool and i have the same snowman stamp! I love the background and i have not used enough ways with the perfect pearls. To colour the snowman white you used perfect pearls and water? very very cool and love the saying

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    1. Thanks for the kind compliment, Birgit! Yes, to paint with the perfect pearls, you just wet your brush and then dip it in to the pearl powder. It will make this pasty texture. If you want it to be more translucent, just add more water. Since the pearls react to water by setting, it will dry hard and won't flake off.

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  8. Hey, Becca! What a fun new challenge you found! I have sooooo many old rubber stamps that I never seem to use - I might have to join in! I have that same sentiment stamp - how cool is that! I love your snowman card and the awesome techniques you used - I don't seem to use my Perfect Pearls much either - you always come up with something fabulous to inspire me!

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  9. Yep, thats a beauty, Becca and there's nothing wrong with knowing when you've done a great job! Might give that challenge a go myself... if I can find my oldest stamp, Jo x

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  10. Fabulous Christmas card, Becca!! I love the teeth marks on your stamp!! LOL!! At least it survived and the rubber looks untouched!! LOL!! :) All of the shimmery goodness you've created with your Perfect Pearls is wonderful--like snow that sparkles in the sunshine! Good luck in the challenges!! XOXO-Shari

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  11. Amazing card. You certainly are an accomplished stamper/artist using all those techniques. Love the story about your grandma. So sweet. Again, lovely card.

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  12. I really love this card, Becca! Your painting the snowman came out fabulous! I love shimmer, so this is right down my alley! Thanks for the info on the new challenge. I have no idea which stamp I first bought--way too many years ago & I went crazy buying stuff when I learned to stamp. However, I've certainly got old stamps, so will try to play along.

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  13. Dear Becca thanks for the info about this OLDEST stamp we have..
    and If I am not wrong I guess I have that snowman stamp too
    I will give a try too...
    ist an adorable technique and if I visiting your blog I learn more and more technique that you learned from your Grandma..you are so sweet to share it...thanks sweety...
    Now its 22:08 wanna go to bed...
    I wish I can follow you by mail Becca
    but you dont have that Button..
    yeah I must waiting maybe one day Becca has that Button LOL.
    hugs, Monika

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  14. Hi Becca! Thank you for playing along with Retro Rubber! Your card is absolutely magnificent! Only outdone by your delightful memories of your Grandma! I so enjoyed reading your post! Wow! I love this card!

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  15. Your card is gorgeous!! And great techniques that you used, thanks for sharing how!! I love your card and am so glad you played with us at Retro Rubber!!

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  16. Beautiful card! Thanks for sharing the 'how to'. And thanks for sharing the retro rubber challenge blog:)

    Inger
    http://ingervaaeriksen.wordpress.com

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  17. Some great techniques used in this card - its turned out beautifully! Thanks for sharing this with us at Sentimental Sundays x

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  18. oh wow great techniques!! the card looks amazing!
    You should share it on the LiaStampz challenge too! the theme is Black white and 1other color. You should check it out: http://liastampz.blogspot.ro/2014/10/challenge-76-black-white-1-other-color.html

    xx

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  19. Great techniques and a gorgeous card. Thanks for playing with us at Retro Rubber and for the shout out! Cx RetroRubber DT

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  20. Love your cute holiday card. The colors are fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. :)

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  21. such a lovely card! makes me feel "holiday festive"! :)

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  22. Thank you for joining us at Retro Rubber! Love the card and the techniques, great to step-by-step directions. By the way, I can totally relate to a puppy "helping" in the craft room! This is a beautiful card!

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  23. Hey, Becca - Not sure if you noticed this yet - but you won over at Pile it On! Congratulations! Well deserved too!

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  24. Yes! georgeous!! you've attended to every perfect coloring detail!!

    Patti

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