I made this card for the VSN Mini Cabaret Challenge “All That Jazz”. Our challenge was to create a card that would evoke memories of the 1920’s… “Think feathers, boas, fringe, etc…” was the directive we were given.
This challenge evoked so many truly wonderful memories for me. When I was MUCH younger, I was a tap-ballet-jazz dancer and musician and I danced, sang, and played saxophone and string bass with a local troupe. Many of our shows were truly “Cabaret”. I still have my dancing shoes and two of my most favorite costumes that I wore in those decades ago dancing days (and couldn’t fit into again if I had to without some serious surgical intervention <>). Both are authentic vintage flapper dresses and one is in a material very similar in color and texture to the ribbon I used on this card.
When my friend Blaine was visiting this summer, she introduced me to stamping in a big way. She brought some cards that she’d made using this and other stamp sets to show me. Knowing of my love of lilacs, she showed me a card made with “Blossoms Abound” (SU!) and since she was pretty confident I would want to use them in some form in my scrap booking (I wasn’t even making cards as recently as this past July!), as a gift, she brought me a package of trims that were perfect for this challenge. I based the color and design on those trims. Thanks Blaine!
I had been scrap booking for years, using every other paper craft and technique except stamping. (I was less than enthusiastic with the results I got the few times I tried.) SU!Â’s Blossoms Abound was the first stamp set I bought and a love of card making was born.
Here is my card for this challenge. There is nothing special or difficult about the techniques I used. I stamped the lilacs in two shades each of lavender and green and then sponged around them with gold. The greeting is a bubble sticker that says “Friends” in gold on the same shade of green as the background paper and is also embellished with a small lavender butterfly (hard to see under all of the “fluff”).
The adornments I used include a green feathery boa, lavender satin fringe, and a purple and blue taffeta ribbon, made from a material that is almost identical to dresses of that vintage.
Int resting (frustrating!) Note: By the time I made this card, I was pretty much tapped out, completely exhausted. Although I stayed within the 45 minute time frame, nothing seemed to go right for me. When I went to stamp the lilacs, for the life of me, I couldn’t find the inks I usually use with these stamps. After a fruitless search, I substituted the VersaMagics that most closely resembled what I usually use. This morning, when I was cleaning up, I found them, right on the counter where I’d set out my “favorite” inks when I was setting up my studio for the VSN! (Never thought to look there!)
Date: Sunday, October 26, 2008 GMT Views: 829
Favorited:3
Registered: August 28, 2006 Location: Grayslake, IL Posts: 6670
Mon, Oct 27, 2008 @ 5:06 AM
I loved reading your story, it really made your card seem all that more personal too. The card is just lovely, and the colors are so pretty!! Thanks for playing.
Registered: December 8, 2005 Location: Iowa Posts: 72961
Mon, Oct 27, 2008 @ 8:20 AM
Absolutely gorgeous! Your fibers and colors are perfect. I'm so glad the challenge brought up fond memories for you. Thanks for playing and sharing your beautiful creation!
------------------------------ Paula "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things, or make them unimportant. - The Eleventh Doctor
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Splitcoast Challenge Hostess Teapot Tuesday TEAm
Registered: February 23, 2007 Location: Brooksville FL Posts: 19774
Mon, Oct 27, 2008 @ 5:32 PM
Loved reading the story. It reminds me of a favorite movie with Olympia Dukakis and Judi Dench in an all woman jazz band during WWII that I can't think of the name of. The card is a great reflection of your story and this challenge. Well done.
------------------------------ Jean2009 Stamping Royalty, Papercraft Magazine; Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen, 2016; Proud Fan Club Member; Teapot Tuesday TEAm