Monday, March 11, 2013

Challenge: Chic to be Shabby

From lace to doilies, adding a bit of a shabby touch with some brown ink around the edges or adding a bit of pearls to that vintage creation, this week we’re thinking shabby chic. Now, if this style is normally too feminine or frilly for you, we challenge you to take just one element that is often considered shabby chic and try to incorporate that. You’re also welcome to focus on the ‘chic’ or just the ‘shabby’ part in this challenge too. From brown inks to a soft trims and vintage findings – we hope you’ll join in and create this week.

Sarah decided to play with a touch of both the shabby and chic with her textured, romantic card.
Who says you need to wait for Valentine's Day each year to show some love? For me, shabby without a doubt has to involve a bit of Vintage Photo Distress ink, a few torn edges and a sprinkling of lacy stuff! I was also really eager to play with my fabulous Simon Says Plenty of Hearts Stamp and Die Set!!! I thought I would give these chic hearts a bit of a shabby look by cutting and stamping on Grunge Paper. Whilst fooling around with all the torn layers I was trying to think of a good sentiment and suddenly this famous song title by The Beatles popped in my head so I used my great versatile Kelly Purkey alphabet letters to add the wording! What song makes you think of luuuurve?

Tracy created a framed silhouette to showcase her interpretation of a shabby chic style piece.
This challenge encouraged me to get in touch with my feminine side and the lace background from Wendy Vecchi's Sentimental Art was the perfect backdrop for the silhouette from Tim Holtz Artful Silhouettes stamp set. Victorian Velvet Distress Ink was the perfect colour to add to the feminine feel of my piece adding into the mix a Fractured Doll
for a quirky touch. I have to say I consumed many jelly beans in the making of this piece as I had to keep walking away and coming back before working on the next piece, so lots of break times always mean a little snack which in this case was jelly beans.



Trace was inspired by her dear friends wardrobe at her annual girls scrap.
My friend Donna's attire was totally my inspiration for this card. She was wearing a pick turtleneck with a beige cardigan over top, wearing her brown eye glasses, and holding her white phone. So you can see how much influence she had on this card!  I knew I had the perfect chic shabby stamp with my Hero Arts Dot Flowered Pattern and it would look great stamped on Neenah Desert Storm paper in my new favorite white ink. It is Memories Unicorn White Pigment Ink, it is so white and has awesome coverage too! I love this idea of inspiration, and I will definitely do it again!



Candy created a trio of vintage shabby chic style post cards that are a little more chic and a little less shabby.
I love dimension.  I love coloring and cutting out images; almost like I'm playing with paper dolls.  Three ladies, three very different stories are depicted on these vintage shabby chic style post cards.   "LIFE IS GOOD" as the lady on the first post card poses atop Wendy Vecchi's new Heirloom Art background.  Darkroom Door's Frame Stamp from the first card ushers us into the next card full of Darkroom Door's Dressmaker images. The working girl seamstress dreams of being whisked away to far off lands.  Tim Holtz' train ticket in Going Somewhere coupled with his Carte Postale images embossed with Antiquities Rust Embossing Powder really give the feeling of an old rusted metallic travel postcard as the classy third lady waits her departure.



Sandra Mouwen can't stop playing with corrugated cardstock.
Don't know why, but I just can't stop using corrugated cardstock for my projects at the moment. Whether it's for the look or for function, I simply can't help myself. Besides that, I really think that it also is very shabby. Although you hardly can see it, I used a #12 Manila Tag as base and folded it in half and covered it with White Corrugated Cardstock. What is shabby chicness without some lace, ribbon and a bird cage? So I cut out some Vintage Lace from some Neenah Cardstock, used the Caged Bird die and colored some Crinkle Ribbon with Antique Linnen Stain.


Doilies mixed with lovely soft shades of pinks and browns... that is what comes to Ashli's mind when she thinks of shabby chic.
A Kraft base with some lovely Gold Lame misting and white stamping? YES! What a lovely way to get started with this week's challenge of creating in the Shabby Chic style! And, I couldn't resist putting my Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Dahlia Die to use to make all of my doilies. Aren't they pretty? After layering up all of that goodness, I simply embellished with some Crate Paper Chip Board Stickers and a few Dear Lizzy Die Cuts. A fun hand made Wire title completes the page and adds a little more sparkle for this Shabby Chic "Go Around."

Anita thinks pearls, lace, and roses, shadowed with a definite vintage feel, and heightened with a slight French flair thrown in for good measure, is what makes up the Shabby Chic look.
 I definitely channeled my inner Madame du Create for this 8x10 inch frame that was previously in shambles before I decided to fix it up. I love to combine scrapbooking with home decor. It is always out for everyone to see and enjoy that way, and the Art actually means something special. After I repaired the frame, it got a little paint from Ranger Paint Dabbers, and then was stamped with Tim's Christmas Music and Script images, which can be used anytime of year. The four quadrants are Wendy's Art Parts that are papered and inked, and filled with Prima Rose Parchment Vine and Idea-ology Facets and tons more embellishment.

What is more chic than a doily? Not much! This week I (May) prepare for Easter in style.
What could be better than a pastel Easter tag to get me in the springtime mood? How about one that utilizes the new dylusions sprays with some white wash to downplay the vivid bright colors. I love how this bunny stamp colored with my watercolor pencils looks good enough to eat. Mixing shabby with chic, brown ink and whitewash with bolder colors, I love the results!
 

This week Dan took the opportunity to try out some of the exclusive Simon Says Stamp dies and stamps.
Those of you who are familiar with my style probably know that me and Shabby Chic are not a natural match-up, but after all, this is a challenge blog so I'm up for the challenge!  I decided to go with the classic pink and brown colour scheme and also tried out some of the Simon Says Stamp dies and stamps I've recently added to my stash.  Although I've owned a cuttlebug for years, I've never actually owned or with a die, so this was a bit of a revelation for me, so quick, easy and clean.  I used the SSS exclusive dies Ribbon Banner and the Apothecary Labels dies and stamps set, in addition to the Destinations paper stash.

Anna-Karin made a pop-up card which is shabby chic inside and out:
When I hear 'shabby chic', I think of lace, buttons, pearls, pink and a whitewashed vintage look. I made a pop-up card using the fun Square Ornate 3-D Frame die, which is so easy to use. The background is whitewashed manila cardstock, on top of a clear embossed wallpaper stamp and I also added some stamping with paint. The frame was cut from Tim Holtz Crowded Attic paper, embellished with a Mini Silhouette die cut from natural sticky-back canvas and a Fancy Frame embossed with platinum powder. A layered vellum butterfly flutters above the frame, attached with a twisted wire.



Suzz  thinks of shabby chic and her desk is covered with flowers, lace, and soft pastel colors.
 I had this beautiful Graphics 45 Altered Art Box that inspired me to create a keepsake box to hold wedding Mementos. I found soft pinks and greens in my  Authentique Festive and Authentique Lovely papers to cover the surfaces of my Wedding book. I pulled out a variety of the beautiful Prima Flowers to mist and coordinate with the colors on the papers. The frames on the front were perfect to showcase my vintage photos on the inside and out. The inside has the perfect places for additional photos and to store papers that were kept from the ceremony.
 
 
Now it is your turn! However you so choose to interpret our challenge - we can't wait to see your creations. Be sure to click on our design team's blog links so you can see more photos (and full supply lists) for their projects.
 
As always, Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $50 gift voucher that will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. To qualify all you need to do is create a new project that ties in (in any way!) with our theme and post it, along with a link back to this challenge, and add a link here. This challenge will end at 11:59pm on Sunday March 17th EST.

For the full rules, read the "challenge rules" posted in the side-bar here on our blog.
 



15 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, what amazing inspiration from the Design Team this week, I think I am in love with shabby chic now.....

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  2. Fantastic wow creations from the DT. Glad for so much varied inspiration because I wasn't sure what a shabby chic was. Off to put the little grey cell to work.....

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  3. This weeks challenge is right up my street, I may have to enter more than once if i've time lol
    Beautiful DT samples to inspire and wow x

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  4. WOW, such stunning DT inspiration! Thanks for the fun challenge to play in!

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  5. Once again...you've come up with another fun challenge, and gorgeous samples! So much fun to see how each of you interprets the concept. Thanks!

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  6. omg, the DT did a wonderful showcasing of this challenge, give that team a bravo award!!!

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  7. Love this weeks theme ... awesome inspiration as always. x

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  8. Gorgeous shabby chic... like Minxy I may be around a couple of times this week!! Glorious inspiration from the DT, thank you... I'll be hopping round shortly for a closer look.
    Alison x

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  9. Great challenge, I love shabby chic!

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  10. Fabulous challenge and I have just made it by a few hours. As always the DT makes are fabulous...stunning projects

    Hugs

    Annie x

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  11. Thanks for another wonderful challenge :)

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