CUPID AWAKE - VICTORIAN PAPER CONE MEDALLION

I have done several paper cone medallions using vintage sheet music and been crazy in love with the results, same here!  Inspired by a project from Lisa Pace in her book "Delight in the Seasons", I turned to using modern patterned papers (A Ladies Diary from Graphic 45) for this.

The silvery blue glittered balls in each scalloped cone (punched squares) came from my vintage holiday stash, gold glittered plastic is how they started life.  I have topped each of those with a vintage blue mercury glass corsage pin. I used a large oval die cut (Spellbinders Nestabilities I think, which I got in a package of "stuff" at a local thrift store) to cut the image. I trimmed that a bit and then hand drew a slightly larger oval pattern to create the chipboard base for the back and the top.  Hope the slight imperfections add to the vintage look LOL  A row of Copper Liquid Pears around both the image and the mat creates some additional dimension.  Prima leaves and a silky rose finish the medallion.  I will either adhere a saw tooth hanger to the back or use ribbons to hang this...depends on where it ends up and if I do the companion image :)

The "rose" I separated from some "oh to swoon over" luxe trim I recently bought in 3 different colour ways, you will see this again!

The image is a Victorian photogravure from 1897 done by M.B. Parkinson.  The companion to this one is "Cupid Asleep" which I also have.  There is a lot of information about these online if you are interested in having a look.

I am entering this in the following challenges:  The Ribbon Girl, Anything Goes Challenge, Make It Monday, Cuttlebug Mania, All You Need Is Love

VINTAGE CHOCOLATE BOX (REFURBISHED)

Refurbished....gives me a good feeling.  This sweet but oh so shabby vintage chocolate box was tucked into my stash several years ago.  The top was peeled half off and cracked across one side so I started by removing it completely and tracing a new backing from thin chipboard.  Distress Ink in Festive Berry gave life to many of the nibbles and nicks all around.  I adhered a line of red gathered tulle trim  to the box before attaching the top and it's new backing.  I created more interest on the border using both Christmas Red and Platinum Stickles and a bit of Opal Liquid Pearls.  I am happy to give what was a simple little box a few more years to be enjoyed.

OUT OF THE SCRAP BAG - VALENTINE TAGS

I sat down earlier this week with my bag of Valentine scraps to make a few tags.  Some of the bits have been around for a few years so I won't try to identify their origin.  I have been doing a number of variations on the same themes or structures lately so it was time to push bits around a bit and see what happened.

Note:  I have looped a bit of ribbon through the tags only for the pictures.  I find it much easier to store my tags without ribbon and do that as I use them.

VALENTINE THEMED PAPER RIBBON WREATH

Not tired of these yet and yes likely I will do one for each holiday LOL  To add a bit of "shabby chic" I distressed each of the paper strips in my new "Distress It All" (love this little machine!), a cocoa coloured chalk finish ink on the paper edges and then on the tops of the ribbons and trim.   I used;  an 8.5 inch styrofoam wreath,  Martha Stewart's "Enchanted Woodland" patterned papers, a vintage ribbon rose, pale pink Valentine picks, fabric leaves, paper doily, punched scalloped heart, gold foil greeting, white Belgian lace, wired ribbon and edged all the ends with Platinum Stickles.

Also entered into the following challenges;  #174 Make It Monday, #87 Really Reasonable Ribbon Ramblings, Two Creative Chicks    Please do go and check out the challenges, there is lots of time for you to join in!

Tracey of  My Creative Place and DT member at Make It Monday chose this as her Pick of the Week (POTW) !!!  Thank you Tracey!

MY ARTISTIC ADVENTURES CHALLENGES (JAN 16/2014) - "ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS"

Yippee, it is time for the 2nd  "My Artistic Adventures Challenges"!  Heather has made it so easy for us with her "On the First Day of Christmas" theme.  If you are just getting your head wrapped around crafting in 2014 check out this new crafting challenge rules here!  She has put together an incredible design team, you will certainly be inspired!  I feel so fortunate to be working with this talented bunch.

"On the First Day of Christmas" I dreamt of snow falling and pretty little bluebirds eating the holly berries just outside my window.

Heather's Bluebirds Music Tags collage sheet is what I built this tag on.  I adore the serenity I feel just looking at this image, the perfect vintage holiday of my dreams.  I have carried over this inspiration from my own Christmas In the Bank post.

To start I covered a larger #8 manila tag with a Graphic 45 paper, then popped up the music background from the collage sheet and popped the bluebird image on top of that.  Tip:  create a lot of basic dimension when you want to go over the top with your embellishments.

Trims from my stash included the cream pom poms, silver metallic rick rack, silver "feather" rope, seam binding (bow made with my Mini BowDabra), feathers, a paper rosebud and vintage blue glass beads which I "liberated" from a strung garland.  Soft blue chalk ink on the rose and then blue, red and silver Stickles to finish.

In keeping with another of my goals for 2014, I used the pieces left from this and my Christmas In the Bank project to create two more holiday tags.  I will add ribbons when I use these, love building up my stash!

Note:   I have entered my tag in the ABC Christmas Challenge, Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge