My blog is called "Creative Smiles" because my designs are the result of incorporating mistakes. With fumble fingers that drop whatever they are holding - repeatedly, it takes a lot of giggles, smiles and creative patience during my crafting process. xx

Monday, June 10, 2024

LOST AND FOUND - MORE "unfinished stuff" from my old stash - freebie

I've been plugging away in my craft room, a little at a time and using more "stuff" discovered in my "unfinished projects" box. I love using my old stamps and papers from long ago. Do you?  Today, I am using previously cut out triangles of papers in the backgrounds of these cards.


I especially enjoy this Fred She Said stamp because it works for people from our past or present - still present in our lives, and/or having moved away until we next talk. I love hearing the stories about my friends' relatives and family stories. Those kinds of memories come alive when retold, and give us inspiration to live in a way that inspires others, too. On this occasion, the card was sent to a friend's husband who has been chronically ill, and fighting a terminal illness, for decades. His strength and influence have encouraged me. In the card, I shared that he and I are "aged to a perfection" only the two of us can appreciate (giggle).

Aged to Perfection - Fred She Said Old Trucks

Using the backgrounds from my unfinished box, with a little help from Fred She Said Old Trucks, I utilized an ancient (dare I say "vintage") technique. Some call it "Cracked Glass" and others call it "Cracked Ice". 


Using Sepia tones to further the vintage look, I die cut the images, inked them up, coated with several layers of clear EP, and put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then the images were "cracked" before the EP could thaw:


I liberally smooshed Black Soot DI on top of the images, so the ink could get into the crevices. The rest comes off easily with paper towel. These cracked really well -- kinda like me! (giggle)

I tried to capture more detail in the photograph by removing the overhead light on my desk:



Products: Stamps: Fred She Said Old Trucks, Freebie Digital Sentiment below Dies: Surprise Creations Pierced Decorative Ovals, Sue Wilson Double Pierced Ovals, Sue Wilson Pierced Flags, Inks: Distress Oxides Vintage Photo & Brushed Corduroy, Distress inks Black Soot, Old Paper, VersaMark, Clear EP, other: Charcoal colored Vellum, FREEZER TECHNIQUE

FREEBIE SENTIMENT


My gift to you - Arrangements of the same sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell these Sentiments. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger (June 2020), your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE AS PNG. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!




Playing in the following challenges please:

  1. Perfect Time to Craft (June 1) #6 AG 7/1
  2. Classic Design Challenge #5 AG with masculine 6/15
  3. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #231 AG 6/16
  4. The Alphabet Challenge (May 31) E is for Embossing 6/13 (one of the background triangles is dry embossed with dots - the main image has several coats of Clear Embossing Powder - wet embossing - was placed in the freezer, then cracked and distressed as mentioned above)
  5. Aloha Friday #11 Masculine 7/3
Stamping Hugs,





14 comments:

Donna said...

Fabulous cards Donna! The cracked ice is so striking and great distressing!

crafty-stamper said...

Fabulous maculine cards and love the Vintage images and cracked ice technique.
Carol x

KarinsArtScrap said...

fantastic and great cards Donna....gr karin

Donna Phelan said...

Oh I haven't done that technique in ages--thanks for the reminder! Love the antique look and your focal image--awesome! Keep plugging away dear one! xo~

Chrissy said...

Fabulous card Donna and a fabulous image and technique..

Luv CHRISSYxx

Chris said...

You've captured the vintage style perfectly with this beautiful card Donna, great choice of image and the cracked ice technique is so effective.
xxx

Verna Angerhofer said...

Beautiful card and the perfect image! Awesome coloring!

Lynda said...

Fabulous vintage feel to these - and what an unusual technique. Thank you for joining us at The Alphabet Challenge xx Lynda/Loopyloo DT

Leslie Miller said...

You're so good, Donna! The truck stamp is amazing and the cracked glass technique is one of my favorites. The pretty papers fit perfectly with the image. Aged to perfection, for sure! Thank you for the sentiment which I'll add to my digi files. It's wonderful to see you crafting!

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

I'm so glad to see another post from you so far, Donna! And such a fabulous technique you used! I have never heard about the freezer technique before now, it's so inspiring! Both your cards have a really striking vintage feel and your colouring in sepia tones looks amazing!
Thanks so much for the beautiful sentiment!
Hugs

Conniecrafter said...

These are so cool, love the old fashion feel to them and the technique looks great with them. I have not done that one in years, you forget sometimes about these great techniques. Love the papers you have paired with them too. You did a terrific job on that sentiment too, like how you added it to a banner! He will love this.

Faith A at Daffodil Cards said...

This is amazing, I love it, "Aged to perfection". Love the sentiment and card, cracking it in the freezer is something I've never heard of, clever though, and effective. I think he will love it. As for old things? Love my old things, especially digi files, some of which date back to the early 2000's, still good though. Thank you for the sentiment. x

coldwaters2 said...

Hi Donna this is beautiful it has everything that I love in crafting, creativity and wonderful images and papers, the image is brilliant I love the technique you have used to make it look like cracked glass, I used to see this a lot many moons ago not so much now, the papers in the background are a great backdrop the sentiment is perfect a superb card your friend who sounds so strong, thank you for sharing this amazing card
hugs
lolo x

kiwimeskreations said...

What a stunning pair of cards Donna - loving seeing the cracked ice technique used again
Blessings
Maxine