Today I was thinking Inque. Why? Because I just got some new stamps! I love the challenge of working with all sorts of stamp styles from clean and fresh to vintage. Today, however, I was definitely in a vintage mood. If you don't want to read through my entire post, skip to the end for sale information. :-)
My mother is, and my grandmother was an amazing seamstress. I'm not. In fact, I must be a genetic fluke; I sew on cards, or sew very simple things. (Sewing complicated things makes me crabby.) Still, when I saw this Victorian Dressmaker set, I wanted it. For one thing, I knew that I could get away with embellishing it half to death!
I used a Kraft card base, stamped in Versafine Smokey Gray ink because it reminds me of the color of pattern pieces. I used my Scor-Pal to run an embossed line 3/8" away from the outside perimeter of the card front, though it's a bit hard to see in places. For the focal image layer, I stamped Versafine Vintage Sepia ink on PaperTrey's new ivory cardstock, then selectively watercolored the Victorian Dressmaker images with watercolor crayons. I used a special stitch to sew the focal image layers to some SU Soft Sky cardstock after distressing edges with Antique Linen Distress ink. Lace is Wrights Cluny Edge Ivory, and ribbon is PaperTrey Aqua Mist satin. Buttons are Autumn Leaves Foo-fa-la. Copper stick pin is Blue Moon from JoAnn.com, and library clip is Stampin' Up. This card is slightly larger than regular A-2 size only where pieces extend past the base. It will still fit into an A-2 envelope.
My next card is a bit less chaotic--more of a genteel, slightly shabby vintage. I stamped the focal image from Victorian Flourishes in Pearlescent Chocolate Brilliance ink on PaperTrey Ivory cardstock and used the following Copic markers to color the image: W1, 0, YG91, YG93, YG95, R20, R24, E55, and E57.
The background layer is PaperTrey Spring Moss cardstock, stamped in Spring Moss ink using other images from the Victorian Flourishes set. The focal image is die cut with my largest Spellbinders Nestability Plain Circle die, and the Berry Sorbet mat layer is cut with a Coluzzle. Pearls are found here (Ellen's store). Lace is Wrights Cluny Edge Ivory, and ribbon is SU Very Vanilla Taffeta. This card is regular A-2 size. I love this image; it reminds me of a camellia--dear to my transplanted Southern heart!
Now, here's the scoop: Saturday is Everything Inque Day. That means that from now (Friday night) through Monday, you can get 20% off of everything at the Purple Turtle Shoppe by using the coupon code word awesome at checkout. Not only are the stamp sets a great value, but shipping is a special deal too--over $50 is free, and under $50 is only $3 in the U.S., and there is a reduced rate for Canadians as well. If you are seeing this post later than Saturday, that's okay! The Purple Turtle code awesome should work through Monday, June 30. If you are ordering stamps, I would also recommend one of the 13" x 13" foam mats to stamp on. Each Inque Boutique set comes with a small mat (aka the secret weapon), but since the large one is only $3.49 before the 20% discount, I've decided that it's much handier not to have to move the small mat around under my work. Leave one for me! Happy shopping!
