So how's that for a little break from the blogospere! I'm still here but have been swamped and a bit overwhelmed by everyday life..lol I have continued to create and will have a few projects to share with you all in the coming days and weeks so keep checking back with me. In the meantime enjoy this beautiful vintage image and go create something beautiful!

This Is Not Your Grannie's Pressure Cooker!

I have always liked to consider myself to be somewhat of a gourmet cook -*looks down at manicure smugly*- but the one thing I have always shied away from is pressure cooking. The thought of that stove top monster blowing sky high in my kitchen has always prevented me from giving it a try. The anticipation of making one wrong move and KABOOM is more than I can handle. Heck, I even cringe at the anticipation of the tin popping when you peel the roll off of the refrigerated biscuits!

Well just the other evening things changed for me. As I sat watching t.v. with wet nails and was just too lazy to change the channel an infomercial for the new Living Well With Montel Williams Pressure Cooker came on. I had flipped passed this one before while channel surfing but this time I watched and WOW! was I impressed. This little baby was not only safe but it cooked foods extremely fast.

So to make a long story short I'll be giving this baby a try soon! I did some research and found that it was being sold on QVC for a lot cheaper than the infomercial price so I'll be ordering from there on Black Friday for the best deal. Check out the infomercial below if you'd like to see why I was so impressed.

*Please pause the music below before watching.

Wild Orchid Crafts.

Lately it seems that paper flowers-or mulberry flowers to be exact-are my thing. They are so delicate and beautiful and really soften the look of all my vintage art projects. Just one flower added to a project can add a very soft and feminine look to the whole piece. For a time I was using silk flowers but they just seemed to look hard and a bit out of place to me. Maybe its that they have that ugly nylon backing as leaves that just never lays right...who knows.

I was first introduced to Mulberry paper flowers by Prima Marketing. They carry some amazingly beautiful flowers made from a variety of materials but WOWZA are they expensive! I set out to find a similar type of flower somewhere else and it seemed that all the stores wanted to carry were the Prima ones...boo.

While watching videos on Youtube I found a gal who ordered some very pretty flowers from Crafta.com and I placed and order. The flowers were amazing and just as nice as Prima for a far more reasonable price.

Then last week I saw several other videos with flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. I placed and order with them and WOW!! These flowers are superior to any others I have seen available! The detail is amazing and the colors are gorgeous. Take a peek at at the video below as I share my them with you.

*Pause music below before starting video.

Faux Cloisonne Paper Frame Technique.

I recently ordered some beautiful Cloisonne beads from Ebay that got my creative juices going. As I was examining each bead it occurred to me that this same technique could be easily duplicated on paper! I dug through my stash and came up with some inexpensive paper frames from the dollar store.

The technique is fast and extremely easy and I was able to create something almost identical to my inspiration bead. This technique can be applied to almost anything and I will be trying all kinds of new surfaces. Take a look at the video below to see this easy technique for yourself.

*Please Remember To Pause The Music Below Before Starting Video.

Great New Class!

This is an awesome opportunity to learn a new skill and to make something beautiful at the same time! Nataliebramasole is offering a class on Mixed Media Workshops that will teach you how to create her beautiful and one of a kind bookcards! I have seen her bookcards on Youtube and believe me when I say there is nothing else like them out there. She uses beautiful embellishments placed with intricate detail and the results are just stunning.

She mentions in the video that she is offering the class to show how to make them because shipping from Belgium to America is so expensive and has been a barrier for some who would like to have had one of her bookcards. You can sign up for the class directly from the "Mixed Media" link above if you are interested. Also, check out the video below for more information and visit her Youtube channel to see an awesome assortment of her bookcard creations.

*Please remember to pause music below before watching video.

A Few Projects and A Bit Of Shopping.

A Post Worth Repeating!

You have seen them everywhere. You will find them at office supply stores, scrapbook parties and most recently in craft stores. They are tag guns and although they can add a lot of really cool things to your cards, layouts, and paper crafts; they can also add years of heartache and illness to your life if not used correctly.

Tag guns or paper taggers as they are more commonly known to the craft world are used to attach and affix any number of items to a surface using flexible plastic "T" tags that penetrate and catch the surface of whatever you are attaching it to. The tags are widely available in a variety of colors.

The use of these fun tag guns will come at a high price for many if they are not used properly. This is because a tag gun needle stick is no different than a hypodermic needle stick! Now that I have your attention let me explain why this can be so extremely dangerous. When you accidentally prick your finger with a tag gun (which is guaranteed to happen at some time or another) you expose the needle tip to bio hazardous material, namely your blood. The pricked area usually stops bleeding after a quick second but the danger is by no means over. It is when you then share your tag gun with others that the real danger presents itself.

For instance, you are at a scrapbook party and you bring your tag gun along. You accidentally stick your finger and set it down. Someone else picks it up and uses it and sticks themselves. Yet another person uses it and does the same thing! Finally you go to use it again and stick yourself once more. You have now been exposed to the possible blood borne pathogens of the two others that just used your gun!

Blood borne pathogens can include such things as hepatitis, MRSA, HIV and AIDS! Remember, tag gun needle sticks are no different than hypodermic needle sticks. You may think that cleaning the gun with alcohol or bleach after each person would remedy the problem but you would be wrong. Tag guns have a 3 part mechanism that does not allow for them to be cleaned at all three points (the inside of the needle barrel) with a simple household cleaner. Although you can purchase specialty cleaners ; most people are not aware that they will need one when sharing their gun and they inadvertently put themselves and others at risk.

So how can you enjoy the use of a tagging gun in your arts and crafts while remaining safe at the same time? The best practice would be to never share your gun with another person. Make sure that everyone present respects your decision not to share your gun as well. The other option would be to purchase one of the specialty cleaners designed specifically for the cleaning of tag gun needles and mechanisms.

This post was very important to me as I was recently stuck by one of these guns. Later that night I began to think about it and decided to do a bit of research. I was floored by what I found and therefore wanted to share my findings with you. I have since been to the Dr. and everything has turned out fine but WOW what a scare. I urge you all to be safe, be alert, and be educated about the potential risks of using these tag guns. They can be wonderful tools for your arts and crafts when used safely and correctly.

Stick Pins and Hatpins.

*Please pause music below before watching.

A Beautiful Mess!

My hubby and I have been the messiest and laziest we have ever been in our lives but we have a great exscuse, I promise! Take a peek at the video below and you'll understand why. :)

*Please remember to pause music down below first.

Welcome Laura!

Hello Laura and thank you for the lovely comments about The Vintage Vignette! I very much appreciate reader feedback and I was glad to gather the info about the mini album closure technique for you.

However, I can't take credit for the technique because I learned it from the fabulous "Weezie" from Youtube. I deviated from her technique just a wee bit by using a hitch fastener instead of a button and looped and knotted my hair tie from the inside back cover first.

Looped and knotted band inserted from the inside back cover through to the back cover. (photo above).

View of the hair band from the back cover (photo above).

View of the cover with the hair band pulled from the back cover and

wrapped around the hitch fastener on the front cover.

So that you have a choice of both techniques check out Weezie's tutorial below. I hope this helps you to finish out your first mini in grand style!

*Please remember to pause the music below before watching the video.

A Victorian Journal.

I've found myself in desperate need of some serious stress relief so I have been spending more time than usual in my craft room. You can tell by my projects how I am feeling. The more intricate and detailed the project, the more stressed out I really am...lol!

My craft room is a place for me to escape from everything and I'm sure I'm not the alone in this. As soon as I open the door to it and step one foot inside, everyone who is inevitably trailing behind me is banished to the other side of the door. My pug dog who snorts and chews her nails is given the 'ol' heave ho! My cat who insists on laying across all papers and projects in progress is ushered out to the hallway immediately and even my well intentioned hubby is relegated to very brief visits while I am inside.

As I create I listen to old radio programs on my computer. Currently I am listening to all the old Dragnet episodes. When my my mother calls she teases me and wants to know what kind of 36 year old listens to Dragnet! I reply with "Its my space and my rules!" With that said here is another project just completed during my last stint of "Me Time" in my craft room.

*Please pause music below before watching the video.

2010 CHA Summer Release Tour - Prima Marketing.

Yes! It's that time of year again! It's the Craft and Hobby Association-or CHA as its more commonly called- Summer release trade show in Rosemont Illinois. This is where all of the great companies and industustry leaders in the art and crafting world gather to show off the new products they will be releasing. Vendors fly in from all over the country and the world for that matter to display their new product lines.

One of the companies that I am always interested to see there is Prima Marketing. They are the makers of those gorgeous paper flowers and beautiful art and scrapbooking papers that you see in many artist's creations.

Scott, from BlueMoonScrapbooking.com an industry leader in scrapbooking and art supplies visited the Prima Marketing booth at this summer's session of CHA. Take a peek at his video to see some of the new products slated to hit the stores soon.

*Please pause music below before watching the video.

One Happy Camper!

Yay! For the first time in a very long time I am floored by the quality of an online purchase. Please watch the video below where I tell you all about it and then visit the links below to check them out for yourself.

Crafta.com
32NorthSupplies.etsy.com

A Few Finished Projects.

I finally found some time to complete a few vintage projects that I've been working on. I've had these ideas floating around in my head for sometime so it was nice to finally get them completed so that I can move right along to the next project obsession that is no doubt lurking around the corner...lol :)

*Please pause the music at the bottom of the page before watching the video.

Need A Laugh?

*Pause music below before watching.

A New Addition.

Please meet the newest member of my family...her name is "Boy, Boy". A little weird I know since she is a girl but I'll explain that in a minute. If you remember my post back in August you will remember that I lost my precious Shayla Mae to a terrible accident that took her life. If you wish you can read the story here. I was devastated when it happened because she was my kitty of 13 years. It will be a year next month since she has been gone and I have been wanting another kitty but just could not bring myself to get another as it was too painful to think about.

Then a few weeks ago my mother called and said that a "stray" had shown up at their door. I could tell by the tone in her voice what was coming next. She was going to want me to take this cat. I wasn't willing to take on another pet until I was over the loss of my Shayla. Reluctantly I decided to take a look at this cat. It turned out that she was the sweetest little thing and her personality and temperament was identical to that of my precious Shayla Mae. I couldn't resist and I took her home a few weeks ago. She has made me so happy and I am reminded of my Shayla everyday because of her.

As I said in the beginning her name is "Boy, Boy". This is because for the short time she was with my parents they thought she was a boy and they had begun calling her that. She was already used to the name so I decided to keep it. If you are not a pet lover then this post may be hard to understand. I love my pets with all my heart and now I am finally able to move on from the loss of my Shayla and remember her always in my heart while giving my love to someone new.

I was recently criticized for loving my beloved pets like children and to that I say "how sad for you". "How sad that your heart is closed and or not able to know the love that God created in the heart of man for his animals." The scriptures are filled with accounts of faithful men of old who showed love and concern for their creatures. I am grateful that I am able to feel this love as not all people can. I am grateful that he created these sweet little beings simply for our enjoyment as an expression of his benevolent love for mankind and for that I am thankful.

Vintage Inspired Lace.

Lace, Lace, and more Lace! I just love it and can't get enough of it. I recently purchased a beautiful lace bundle from a gal over on Youtube and when it arrived my tongue almost fell out...lol. Each piece was so beautiful and vintage that I couldn't wait to get started on using them. Take a peek below and please remember to pause the music below first.

Heartbreaking.

Sometimes in life the terrible misfortunes of others makes us screech to a halt in our own lives and slam on the brakes of the trivial stuff that we waste our precious time and energy on. This happened to me just yesterday when I learned of a terrible situation that one of our fellow Youtubers and Scrap sisters was experiencing.

Claudia or 66msclaudia as her Youtube channel name is called, had the tragic experience of suddenly and unexpectedly losing her husband in death last week. She is the stay at home mother of 6 children and her husband was the sole provider for the family. You can imagine how devastated she and her children are. I am amazed at her courage to persevere and try her best to take care of things despite her own pain. Claudia is in the process of selling off all of her art and scrapbooking supplies to raise money to take care of things.

She is selling a variety of scrapbook and mixed media art supplies in great condition that you may be able to make use of but more importantly you may be able to help her and her family in their time of need with your purchases. She has asked her Youtube family and fellow scrappers to get the word out and if you are unable to purchase please let your friends know or post on your blog if possible. This woman is amazing and strong and I only hope we can offer her comfort and assistance in her time of need.

Please visit her Youtube Channel at the link above to see her items for sale and listen as she explains the situation in her own words.

Putting Them To Use.

So I finally found a neat project to use the gorgeous satin ribbon flowers from my last post below. I created a 6x6 mini album that showcased their beauty much to my delight. I started with a 6x12 piece of card stock and scored it using my Martha Stewart Scoreboard to make a book shape.


Then i used my BELOVED Mariposa paper stack! I had been avoiding cutting into this gorgeous paper long enough so I just went for it. I decorated the cover using the ribbon flowers, Prima Marketing Say it in pearls and a few sprigs of pretty feathers. The cover and all pages were trimmed in gold Paint Dabber.


Below I used a Tim Holtz Hitch Fastener and an elastic hair band for the closure. I love this technique especially for bulky minis because it keeps everything all together and in place.

The inside cover was lined with glittered and gold card stock from the coordinating Mariposa Card stock Stack.

This was a paper bag album so every other page opened up on the end for the addition of tags, trinkets or additional photos.

I had initially planned for this page to be the front cover but after gluing everything in place I realized that I had adhered it to the back cover....bah! It made for a beautiful back cover anyhow.

Using the original stand from my dear friend NatalieBramasole as a template I traced onto card stock and cut and folded it to make a coordinating chipboard stand to hold the mini. It too was covered in the gold and glittered paper from the Mariposa Stack.

I am more than pleased with the way it turned out and it is now ready for some personalizing and embellishment and that is truly the fun part!

"Whatta You Do?"

What do you do when you are the happy recipient of bags and bags of satin ribbon scraps? That was the very question I found myself asking when at work we were accumulating bags of pretty satin ribbon cuttings daily.


I happen to work for Planetgiftbaskets.com which my twin sister owns. Because we make and ship out gorgeous gift baskets all over the world on a daily basis, these ribbon scraps tend to pile up in all different colors and styles. This is because after assembling and wrapping a gift basket we trim it out in a personalized satin ribbon before shipping.

I find myself looking at these trimmings and wondering what in the world I could do with them since it would be such a shame to throw them all away. Then I came across this awesome Youtube video by Paperdrama showing how to make these very vintage inspired satin ribbon roses! After watching the video I was off and running with making these gorgeous embellishments. I love the way these turned out and I am going to use them in so many ways. Check out the video for yourself and give this fun technique a try.


*Please pause music at bottom before watching the video.

More Creative Inspiration For You.

Please Use These In Your Art Only. No duplication for use in CD's or collage sheets for sale.

Zutter Distrezz It All Product Review.

So it looks like I have found a new toy that I have managed to fall in love with! It is the new ultra-cool distressing tool from Zutter called The Distrezz It All. This handy little distresser is from the same Zutter that makes the awesome Bind-It-All.

I have to admit I was a little wary of this product when I first began to see others using it in their Youtube videos because frankly it looked a little dangerous to me. The open design of the feed channel coupled with the high speed of the exposed blade concerned me a bit. I decided to hang back for a bit before buying to see if there would be any complaints about lopped off fingertips and what not...lol I finally conceded and ordered mine and it arrived only a few days later. Incidentally, I did find a safety disclaimer on the site since ordering mine. You can read it here.

The machine itself was a lot smaller than anticipated so that in and of itself made it seem a bit safer to maneuver. I found that although the blade is exposed it would be very difficult to lop off a finger unless you deliberately tried to stick your finger into the channel! After deciding that it was indeed a safe tool I tried it out on different thicknesses of paper and materials and WOW! I love this thing!



It made 3 or 4 simple sheets of card stock so distressed on the edges that it appeared to be many more pieces of paper. It worked on paper, card stock, cardboard and chipboard. It can be used handheld or tabletop whichever you prefer. My final conclusion is that I just love this new tool! For some reason it has not seemed to catch on at my local craft stores enough for them to begin carrying it so I had to shop around to several online stores to find the best price and it cost me around $38.00 which was not bad considering all that it does. So my recommendation would be to give this handy little dandy a try. Check out all of the technique videos on Youtube as well. You will find loads of ideas for using this tool there.

*Please remember to pause the music at the bottom of page before watching the video.

Easy Peasy Vintage Flower Technique.

Is it possible to ever have too many paper flowers for your art and crafting needs? I think not. This is why I was so excited to come across this really cool technique for making vintage inspired paper flowers than not only rival the expensive Prima Marketing brand but in my opinion they happen to look even better than them.

The video is by Julles and her Youtube Channel is Jannavilles. She has several techniques for making these and other gorgeous Prima lookalikes but these "Peony" style ones happen to be my favorite. After watching the videos please be sure to visit her Youtube channel on the link above so that you can enjoy her many other techniques.

*Please remember to pause the music at the end of the page before playing the video.

I Won A Prize....YAY!

Hi Gals, I was so excited to learn that I won a prize from the National Scrapbooking Day Challenge over on Katherine's web community called Life On The Scrap Beach. The challenge was to suggest a themed technique for a page that was a little bit more involved than normally. Katherine herself would be challenged to complete the chosen challenge as part of a "Revenge" process for all of the difficult challenges she has issued the group this year.

The suggestion that I gave was for her to complete and album layout using only one color for the entire project! This monochromatic layout could consist of all the hues and shades of that one color only.

Anyhow, my challenge was chosen and I won a beautiful prize. Enjoy the video below where I show off all the wonderful pieces I received in this cool kit.

*Please Remember To Pause Music Below Before Enjoying The Video.

One Year Already?

So here I sit this fine morning sipping my ambition also known as a cup of coffee when I happen to look over at the calender and realize that today is May 3! What's so special about May 3? Well, today is the one year anniversary of The Vintage Vignette! I can't believe it has gone so fast. I decided to do some checking and found that my Google ranking is at a 3 as well and that's not too shabby! That means that Google has graced my little blog with a number that means that folks really do like my blog (Sally Field moment) and that they feel it is informative enough to qualify me for a page ranking and that's pretty darn cool.


I have had so much fun meeting all of you over this last year and have made some really great friends through the comments and exchange of ideas for projects. I've had a blast visiting your blogs and following what you all have been up to a well. The blogosphere is such a wonderfully happy place and somewhere that I retire to at the end of each busy day for a bit of relaxation and catching up with friends.

Someone asked me why I have never changed the blog template when there is so much new stuff out there to choose from and my answer is simple. It is just that I am a weenie when it comes to change of most kinds. To me, there is something comforting in having something that you enjoy that never changes and that is why I have kept the template as is for so long. In other words, I just like it that's all.

I know that most bloggers are very generous by holding giveaways and contests in celebration of their one year anniversary but to be honest folks I'm just plain broke right now...lol No contests here cause I'm flat busted! I managed to spend X amount of dollars this month on craft and art goodies and am now suffering the consequences...hehe!

So instead of a giveaway I will offer you two free vintage images for you to use in your art. A gorgeous Victorian gal and a piece of vintage sheet music for your enjoyment.


Thank you so very much to all of you for your visits, comments, and inspiration over this past year. I look forward to another great year with you all and sharing our love of all things vintage until we "can't stands it no more!" Much love to you all. :)

Happy Earth Day.

Happy Earth Day To Everyone! Earth Day is the day when we should just stop for one moment and reflect about the natural beauty that surrounds us every day. You know, the things that are there everyday but often go unnoticed because of our busy schedules and daily obligations. For many people it could be appreciation for the mountains or a favorite garden flower.

For me it is birds. Yes, I am an official card carrying BIRD NERD and have been for many years! I have the professional binoculars, all the field guides and bird journals. I read the birders magazines and even have Cd's that identify the calls of the different species. I have the long range camera and even a birding clock that sounds off a different bird call every hour. Yes, I am a bird nerd and loving it.

The very sight of them sends a warm feeling of peace and contentment around my heart. So in celebration of Earth day I thought I would share a few photos of the birds that visit my backyard bird oasis on a daily basis.

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH

BLACK PHOEBE

AMERICAN RAVEN
CEDAR WAXWINGS

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

HOUSEFINCH

EUROPEAN STARLING

How will you celebrate today?

Vintage Stationary And A Little Mel Torme' For Ya.

Aaah, the lost art of letter writing you say? Yes. You know that archaic way of communication that existed long before email, text messaging, instant messaging, web cams and virtual phones. Letter writing was regarded as an art form way back when. One could expect the average letter to contain hand printed correspondence written on beautiful paper and embellished with whatever the sender fancied such as sweet perfume, dried flowers or a tucked away treat of some kind. Give this lost art a personal revival by simply right clicking the image and printing out your own vintage stationary.



On another note I just came across this cool photo of a very, very, very young Mel Torme'! This was a first for me as I have never seen a photo of him under the age of 40! He couldn't have been more than 2o here! Mel Torme' has always been one of my favorites. He was one of those great singers with a cool style that was all his own and could not be duplicated by another. As a matter of fact he was known as "The Velvet Fog" for his smooth as silk croonings and snazzy stylings. Yet another one of the greats that will live on in our memories forever.

Free Images For Use In Your Art.

The above is a gorgeous vintage collage sheet courtesy of Flikr. They may not be used for any commercial purposes whatsoever such as for use on image Cd's or collage sheets for sale. I love the soft pinks throughout and the way the photos stand out so vividly even if the elderly woman at the bottom looks a little scary....

I thought this vintage woman was so beautiful. Look at her porcelain skin and soft features. I guess sepia tones can really bring out the beauty of a person. Please enjoy.

Vintage Satin Lollipop Flowers.

My oh my, were these fun to make! After stumbling across Arlene's video tutorial at Mybutterflykisses12 on Youtube I knew I just had to give these a try! They are made from scraps of satin fabric that you can find in the remnant bins at any fabric store. The technique requires you to burn the edges of the circles that have been cut from the satin to form the lollipop shape. There are so many ways to use these in your artwork. I made several to adorn albums and even a few to wear as brooches and hair clips...I just love them! Check out Arlene's video below to see the exact technique that will have you on your way to creating some of these babies yourself.

Altered Composition Notebook.

Here is yet another altered Mead Composition Notebook. These are so fun and absorbing to make. For this one I used another image from my collection of Lunagirl Vintage Image CD's. I just loved the spunky pose of this gal. I painted the spine and then covered it with K and Company paper from the Mckenna Collection. I matted the photo and used my Martha Stewart punch to trim out the border in cute little flowers and added a pearl to each flower center.

Then I went crazy with the silk flowers! I initially intended to add a few at the corners as an accent and ended up just adding one after another until I was satisfied. I added a few silk leaves and a satin ribbon (which you can barely see underneath all the flowers...hehe) to the spine.

Here is a closeup of the Martha Stewart Pansy punched photo mat. The closure is made of a plastic vintage button looped through a paper clip on the inside of the book. The back of the notebook has an elastic hair band looped the same way on the back cover allowing it to be pulled forward and secured around the button. For a complete tutorial on this technique see Weezie's Youtube Video on the link.

I cut the chipboard swirl using my Cricut Expression and an empty cereal box of all things. The cricut cuts cereal, cracker and other chipboard boxes excellently and they can be added to any project. I only wish that it would cut the really thick chipboard but the poor machine would probably blow up if I tried it! Anyhow, this will be a gift for a friend and I hope she loves receiving it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Girls Night Out.

Last night our city hosted a local "girls night out" sponsored by all the local shops and little boutiques in our area. It was a great time. The shops chartered stretch limousines to drive everyone around from street to street to visit each shop at no expense to the patrons! My sister, 8 year old niece and I shopped to our hearts content. Below is my sister and niece entering our stretch limo.
All of the boutiques put their best foot forward and offered great merchandise at reduced prices as well as a myriad of wine, food and drink for each customer to enjoy as they browsed the store. My sister and niece pose in a shop window for me as I take their photo.

This little boutique had the most outrageous hats and clothing that I just couldn't resist getting dolled up for a photo. The leopard print jacket was faux-fur and floor length! How fabulous was that!

This boutique had a "Red Carpet" entrance to make you feel like a true VIP! All of the employees were dressed in glitter and glam outfits with sequins and jewels from head to toe. My sister and niece pose for a paparazzi photo on the red carpet below.

My niece asked to have her picture taken with one of the glittery dressed employees of the shop who graciously accepted.

By the end of the night we were all three exhausted! Goodies in hand we headed to the closest possible restaurant for a late dinner. In this photo my sister is just about on her last leg with exhaustion from our shopathon!

My niece and I enjoying a little hug and cuddle time as we decide that we are officially pooped out for the evening.

Although I managed not to spend very much money, I did walk away from our fun filled evening with some gorgeous beaded trim to use in my projects and a beautiful pair of glamorous earrings.

It was great fun and I look forward to doing it again next year.