Thursday, December 3, 2020

A Vintage Journey December Challenge - ATC's for Christmas and a Fond Farewell!

Brenda, the creator of A Vintage Journey Challenge Blog, has, after much deliberation, decided to close the blog - it seems that people are moving away from blogging to other media and it was felt that the close of 2020 was a good time to say goodbye.

But we are going out with a festive celebration!   

This month we invite you to join our final AVJ challenge which is: A Merry Little Christmas

Celebrate the season by making an ATC (or a set of ATCs) depicting Christmas scenes or colours.  Just remember to create your project in one of our preferred styles: vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

Here's my A Merry Little Christmas ATC - A Winter Forest!

Not sure you can see the sparkle on the snowflakes?   I shook Clear Rock Candy Glitter over them when they were still wet and its really sparkly IRL!
I started with a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" panel of watercolor paper.  
The first layer of background is Speckled Egg Distress Oxide Spray - spritzed lightly as shown below.
I spritzed it lightly with water and then dried it with my heat tool.
Next I laid my mini pine stencil over the panel, leaving some space at the top for my snowfall.  I sponged over the stencil with a finger sponge using Rustic Wilderness Distress Oxide Ink.
Here's how it looked at this point.
I laid my mini snowflake stencil over the panel - lining the edge up along the top.  I spread white embossing paste just over the top and down the left side - leaving some open area on the right.  Wash your stencil and pallet knife immediately after use.

Before the embossing paste could dry I poured Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter over them and tapped it off.  Then I set the ATC aside to dry.
When the paste was dry - I sponged around the edges with Vintage Distress Ink and added a Metallic Holiday Talk Sticker.

Each Creative Guide has also made a Farewell ATC.

I found this sentiment in a stamp set I purchased when I was doing the Wanderlust Online Classes several years ago.  I had it on my shelf and had never used it -  these words express a lot of my feelings both for this past year and the ending of the AVJ team!    
I believe in: Gratitude, People, Peace, You, Freedom, Love, Beauty, Change, Compassion, Serenity and Friendship!   I couldn't have summed it up better!
To create this ATC - I started with a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" piece of watercolor paper.   I rubbed Speckled Egg and Vintage Photo Distress Inks onto my craft mat in separate spots and spritzed them both with water.
First, I pressed and pounced the panel onto the Speckled Egg Distress Ink.  I dried it with my heat tool.
Then I pressed and pounced the panel into the Vintage Photo Distress Ink and dried it with my heat tool.
Then I went back to the blue pressing into what was left on the mat until I was happy.  I dried it again and then pressed into what was left of the brown on the mat.  I liked how it looked at this point.
Here's the stamp set I used for my sentiment.  I lined it up in my Misti in case the first stamping didn't cover well but luckily it did!
I cut this piece of a larger Paper Doll group to fit in the space beside the sentiment.  I embossed the clothing with Distress Embossing Glazes in Rustic Wilderness, Tattered Rose, Speckled Egg and Fossilized Amber using a Versamark pen to wet the area and embossing only one color at a time.
I added a little wood veneer star to one of the trees on my Merry Little Christmas ATC and sponged the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink
I added Tuxedo Clay Hearts around the sentiment of my Farewell ATC and sponged the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
So please join us in this, our final A Vintage Journey Challenge - you'll find the challenge details and some wonderful ATC inspiration from all the Creative Guides here.


Stamps:  Everything Art EEA03 - PaperArtsy.
Paper:  Water color paper - Canson Cold Press.
Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew, Ranger Distress Vintage Photo, Speckled Egg, Ranger Distress Oxide Speckled Egg, Versamark Marker.
Accessories:  Speckled Egg Distress Oxide Spray, Ranger Distress Embossing Glaze - Rustic Wilderness, Tattered Rose, Speckled Egg, Fossilized Amber, Mini Stencils Pines and Snowflakes - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, water mister, heat tool, Metallic Stickers Holiday Talk - Idea-ology, wood veneer star - American Crafts, Tuxedo Clay Hearts - Honey Bee Stamps, Paperdolls - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste, pallet knife.

12 comments:

Marcia Hill said...

These are both BEAUTIFUL Julia and you're going out with a bang...love, LOVE them both!! Hugs. :0)

Christine Alexander said...

Wonderful ATC's Julia, it's so sad blogs are on their way out :(

Let's Art Journal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Let's Art Journal said...

Wow, simply stunning! Love the winter forest that you created with the gorgeous trees and snowflakes, so beautiful 😁. That little wooden star on top of the tree is super sweet too! You certainly chose the perfect wording for your farewell ATC too and I love how you used the Distress Glazes on the clothing - amazing! I've so enjoyed being a Creative Guide over at A Vintage Journey with you and I'm thankful for all your support and friendship! You've been such an inspiration - thanks so much for being part of my creative journey! Love and hugs, Jo x

nancy littrell said...

Sorry to see your vintage blog end, but it has been a wonderfully creative journey with an amazingly talented DT...especially you, my friend. I have always appreciated your step by step photos. It is because of you, Julia..that I do some step by step photo posts..thank you for the inspiration. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy, Healthy Creative New Year. Love and Hugs...Nancy

Susan said...

What a great way to use that small Christmas tree stencil! Love it with the snowflakes going over one half of it. Also love the sentiment on your farewell tag. It's a shame to see A Vintage Journey close down. Thought I didn't enter it often, I always loved looking at what the very creative DT made.

Annie said...

Hi Julia x It is bittersweet that AVJ is ending but I do know that I have enjoyed being part of the journey and to have been on the team with you x I am hoping that I can drop in now and again to view your fabulous artwork and catch up with you x
Your ATC's are fabulous and I love the quote, which is perfect for your Farewell ATC x

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas & Best Wishes in 2021
Annie xx

Bonnie said...

Wow! So much detail in these little gems, Julia! Love the trees with the tiny wood star! The paper dolls look perfect on the vintage background!

Astrid Maclean said...

Dear Julia, let me start by saying that your ATCs are fabulous, and fantastic and detailed tutorials for each of them too. It has been wonderful to have you as part of the team at AVJ, you have always been so supportive and encouraging to all of us, thank you for that. It has been an amazing journey, but I hope we will stay in touch in one way or another. Wishing you and yours a fabulous Christmas and all the best for 2021!
Astrid xxx

Loll said...

Beautiful ATCs Julia. You are the best with mixed media. Sorry to hear that the blog is closing. Things are always changing and I do believe that more and more people are moving to Instagram, etc. and away from blogging. It's too bad because bloggers have more of an opportunity to get to know each other. xx

Words and Pictures said...

Oh, Julia - I suppose I've been putting this off because visiting makes it real! Your icy sparkly layers of texture in the fir forest ATC are simply magical - I love it - and the farewell ATC really made me pause and reflect. The colours obviously make me deeply happy - and your tinting of the characters in the photo is brilliantly done - and then, of course, there are the heartfelt words... altogether beautiful.

It's been such a pleasure creating alongside you during this Vintage Journey of ours. You've always been so supportive and generous, and even though my blogging has flagged lately (including visiting), it's always been delightful to touch base with your lovely work when time allows. I will definitely continue to do that - so it's certainly au revoir not goodbye!

I hope you and yours find a way to celebrate, safely, with a peaceful and joyous Christmastide despite everything, and I'll see you somewhere down the road in 2021.
Alison x

sarascloset said...

Great pair of ATC's, Julia! I particularly love the farewell one with the blues and browns and that happy group (no social distancing there!). It has been a pleasure to get to know you better on this team of creative ladies--so sad to see it coming to an end, as I am not on any other social media with the exception of TH Addicts occasionally. Wishing you many blessings in this New Year! Big hugs! Sara Emily