Friday 4 April 2014

Un peu Français à un Vintage Voyage

Ok so I’m trying out a bit of French and I have probably got it wrong because it’s decades since I learnt it at school, but you probably get the drift.
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It’s the amazing Astrid’s turn to choose and host this new challenge at A Vintage Journey and she has chosen ‘A little bit French’,  in her description she says -
“Give your project that little bit of a French feel. Tim has so many products that can be used to create a Springtime in Paris make, or if that does not take your fancy, why not something grungy and / or vintage but with a bit of a French flair? Think stamps, embossing folders, distress products, the possibilities are endless... Whatever you do enjoy the journey, but take it to France....”
 
So I have made a shadow box frame to tell the story of Cécile.
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I started by using Tim’s postage stamp frame cutting one in pink coredinations paper and then three frames and one backing in greyboard.
I sanded the coredinations frame and stamped some text on it a little before giving it a coat of clear crackle paint.
I painted all the chipboard pieces in spun sugar distress paint and the bottle in picket fence distress paint.
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I began gathering and making bits for embellishing.
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The background was blended with spun sugar, worn lipstick, victorian velvet and tattered rose distress inks and dried thoroughly.  I stamped the collage stamp from Paris memoirs in tattered rose DI and immediately brushed heirloom gold perfect pearls over it. I added some wrinkle free technique with walnut stain and frayed burlap DIs and some torn Sketchbook tissue tape.
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This is Cécile, she lives with her parents in Paris, the year is 1855 and France is at war. Her young man is in Le Garde Imperiale and fighting in the Crimea she looks wistful and melancholy waiting for his return.

I found Cécile’s photo in the Laboratorie paper stash and framed her using the Bigz tag die  I finger washed some watery white acrylic paint over the frame and added two pretty brads.
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Whilst Cécile’s young man is in the army she writes to him when she can and in her spare time she also loves to write poetry, keeping it to give to him when he returns.

The pen nib has a natural aged bloom to it as it is a vintage one from my collection. The butterflies are cut using the Butterfly Frenzy strip die.
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Like all young ladies of her day Cécile loves to buy some of the most beautiful perfumes that are available in the shops and has several bottles on her dressing table……

The apothecary bottle was made into a perfume bottle with white and silver embossing powders and I added my own spin on the name of a famous French perfume using remnant rubs and the no: 1 (great artistic license here) which was cut from the 1/2 metal number. The Eiffel Tower behind it was cut out from a stamp from the mini classics set of stamps.
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…. she also has little jars of imported face cream and lotions sitting on a shelf nearby.

The bottles were painted with picket fence distress paint and I added some strange looking labels
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Often Cécile can be found in the drawing room reading and dreaming of when her fine beau will return home......

I painted the word band with picket fence distress paint and before it was dry I rubbed it off leaving the writing white.
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....... she hopes that time will be soon so that they can start to plan their marriage.

I also collected together some charms, dabbed them with the same picket fence paint and let them dry before hanging them on the side.
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A small fleur de lys from my charm box also shabbied with paint …….
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I hope Cécile’s young man comes back to her and that they live a happy life together – I so love happy endings.

I hope you will travel a way on this French part of A Vintage Journey, it would be great to share it with you. Hopefully I will see you there?

Have a fabulous weekend. I won't get to Paris but I will be in Wales having fun on a double workshop for some lovely ladies near Abergavenny.

hugs Brenda xx


28 comments:

Nicole Wright Designs said...

Love this Brenda! Great use of the bottle die and bottles. Love all it all! DROOL!

Jane said...

This is terrific Brenda and I love the way you told Cecile's story through your art. All the details are there including her perfume bottes...beautiful work. Enjoy Wales...not quite Paris but you can use your artistic licence again..LOL. Hugs xx

Ink Art Designs said...

What an amazing woman she must have been Brenda! You have portrayed her femininity and her strength of character beautifully. I love the perfume bottle with the No.1 on it too!!!
Dot x

Redanne said...

I do love a love story and you tell this one so well Brenda. The frame is wonderful and I love all the beautiful embellishments that you have added, especially the perfume bottle - very clever! Hugs, Anne xx

Astrid Maclean said...

Ha, I love how this French theme has inspired both of us to tell a love story!! Love your beautiful creation here with so many gorgeous details. Like Anne said, those different perfume bottles look wonderful, love how all of this came together! Fingers crossed her beau comes back safely from the wars!!

Have fun at that workshop!!

Claudia N. said...

Très jolie! ;)
Claudia x

Unknown said...

This is stunning Brenda! The choice of colours are so striking and the elements all fit together as if they were designed specifically for the task! BEAUTIFUL! Chris xxx

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous piece Brenda. Love the little bottles too. Karen.x

Gram's Treasures said...

Delightful! I enjoy looking at all the different elements you include in your projects. Have fun this weekend!
Joyce xx

Candy C said...

Brenda...your french shadow box celebrating the life of Cecile is gorgeous. I love the soft pink-ish color you've chosen to work with. You have created such a gorgeous shabby vintage frame from Tim's postage stamp die cut. I love your background with the bits of tissue tape. I also love all of the elements you've chosen to use to create Cecile's story. The little white bottles and the bottle die cut look amazing against the pink. It's all just beautifully done! <3 Candy

Words and Pictures said...

Oh yum... the crackled postage stamp is the perfect frame for Cecile and all her little mementos and parfumerie bottles. Gorgeous finish on those - the large one and the little glass ones. And the white finish on the metal elements is fab!
Alison xx

Terry said...

Brenda, this crackled postage stamp could not be more stunning. Love the various bottles and all the elements you added to the shadowbox and Cecile's frame is such a vintage treat! I just received the Laboratorie paper and must go look for her. Gorgeous project! Enjoy the weekend and sending warm hugs from CA!

1CardCreator said...

What a beautiful piece! I love all the 3D elements you added to make this come to life! ~Diane

Daniele said...

tres chic madame, loving the hint of pink
hugs

Anonymous said...

She has a captivating face, I have no doubt she spent time in France.
Wonderful dimension to your project Brenda, all the elements coming together to tell her story.
Wishes
Lynne

Paula J Atkinson said...

Stunning shadow box, Brenda. Totally love the colours & imagery.

Juls said...

gorgeous!!!! loving all the detail, Hugs Juls

Jenny Marples said...

Oh yes, what a gem! Love the depth of the frame that allows you to add the bottles and all that yummy colour/stamping. J'adore. Jenny x

Paper Profusion said...

Sumptuous creation Brenda. When will you tell us the rest of their story?? Love both your post and romantic make. Really wonderful crafting with so many yummy Tim elements plus your delish stash. Nicola x

Tincan Crafter said...

I am dying to know what happened with Cecile and her young man? Loved all the bottles on this - I have a thing for bottles - I collect them too - for real, I have never met an old bottle that I didnt want to keep! If ever there was an earthquake in my area (geographically we're lucky not to, I'd probably be decapitated - I have them all neatly arranged above my head on shelves everywhere! Pretty project - loved it alot!

Lucy Edmondson said...

Absolutely lovely!

Lucy x

Elly said...

C'est magnifique (:o)♥

Jennie Atkinson said...

Fabulous shadow box Brenda! I love the cream bottles ……. well love all of it!! A really lovely French feel to all the elements and the finished piece. Just fabulous xxx

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Another smashing project, fantastic texture and elements.

Marjie Kemper said...

Wow, Brenda, that is GORGEOUS! Love what you did to the frame itself, and especially the different treatments of the bottles.

Jools Robertson said...

Beautiful. Love the stamp frame and the fab textures and colours you created
Love the charms you have used and the wonderful Cécile’s images

Jools x

Karen Letchworth said...

Hi Brenda! I LOVE the Eiffel Tower image, and with all that awesome cardboard you could enter this awesome project in our Paris/France Challenge at The Kraft Journal. There's still a day or so link up and I really hope that you will stop by and share this amazing project in our challenge.
Blessings,
karen
The Kraft Journal
www.thekraftjournal.blogspot.com

Andrea Ockey Parr said...

Wow, Brenda! I just had to swing by to tell you how much I enjoyed looking at every aspect of your French-i-rific creation! You incorporated so many clever details! I especially liked the bottles of "imported face cream and lotions." How whimsically wonderful! This was both fun and sophisticated and it was a pleasure to see all the detailed photos you included. Thanks for the inspiration!