The cue this month is Retro/Vintage! There is something to be said about timeless treasures and memories from the past. A feeling of nostalgia and sentimentality is mostly heartwarming and beautiful.
Card #1~Remaining brave and confident
I stamped the image in Versafine black ink on white cardstock, die cut out with a wonky stitched die. I heat embossed with clear powder to make it permanent as I wasn’t sure what my plans were for this card. Next I brushed distress ink on her face and the dress but left the areas where the light first meets her face. Then I brushed on ink around the edges and darkest areas on the left side of her face where it was the most shaded. I stamped the sentiment in black and then applied versamark ink on the lower half of the sentiment. I embossed this part with silver powder. Finally I used a dot stencil around the edges and a paintbrush dipped in water to add light specks around the image. I framed the image on a fine white border and distressed it with a scissor’s blade.
Card #2~A letterpress inspired creation
I stamped this awesome image of ornaments hanging on a tree with black Versafine ink. Next I stamped the sentiment on heavy cardstock and cut it out with a stitched square die. I framed it with a thin black border. Finally I adhered the image to a white card base. I could add an embellishment in the lower right corner but in keeping with the letterpress vision, I love it just the way it is!
Card #3~Let there be laughter and beautiful memories
I die cut the mini slimline with a Gina Marie die from patterned paper. I stamped the image right over the top. Next I used an Arts Impressions window die. I used distress ink to darken the window panes. On the cardstock I stamped the tree and star being careful to keep the colors separate. I blended distress ink in the background. Using brown and black distress ink I also blended ink around the edges of the card base, the patterned paper and eventually the sentiment strip. Finally I added Stickles to the tree and star and burlap string to complete the card. I didn’t plan for the flower in the woman’s hair but it was a nice surprise!
Card #4~A warm, homemade hello
I die cut the kraft cardstock with a scalloped Gina Marie die. I stamped it with Versamark ink and embossed with Ranger gold powder. I colored the gingerbread with Prismacolor pencils and embellished it with Ranger liquid pearls for the buttons, Stickles for the bow tie and glitter glue for the eyes. I wasn’t able to color this in to my liking because the pencil was hard to get in the crevices of the embossed areas. I stamped the sentiment in brown Momento ink and embossed it with clear powder. Organza red ribbon adds the final touch!
Hope you find a little bit of inspiration in my vintage cards. Please visit my friends on the hop for so much more creativity and retro ideas! Don’t forget to comment on each friend to be entered to win a prize! Alaine is your next stop!
And now for the winner of November’s blog hop is Sunshine Honey bee-Melissa!!!…….Congratulations!!! Please message me with you mailing address and I will get your “thank you” prize in the mail!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and taking the time to see my creations. It is always a pleasure to share a bit of what I love to do. May you find joy and peace during the holiday season as I know it evokes a range of emotions in all of us. See you next month, stay safe and healthy!
Rachel
Please follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok for super short videos of how I made these cards @cardartbyrachel
“whatever is beautiful. whatever is meaningful. whatever brings you happiness. may it be yours this holiday season and throughout the coming year.”
Blue Skies... 
Wonderful cards, Rachel! Your first is striking… the contrast is amazing! I love the simplicity of the second one… eye catching! The third is a wonderful scene card! I love the vintage girl and the window! Your last just may be my favorite with the coloring on Kraft and the touch of red with the ribbon! Gorgeous!
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Wow! You’ve made some fantastic cards. I love them all, but that first one just takes my breath away! ❤
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Your cards are all amazing, and thanks for sharing the process
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I love all your cards, but the gingerbread man has my heart!!! I LOVE it!!
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Gorgeous designs!! I love the gingerbread card – all the gold embossing is yummy as well as the selective coloring of the one gingerbread. I also love your window scene card – that really looks vintage to me. Merry Christmas to you!!
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I love how you highlighted her face on the first card! So stunning. I’ve never known a gingerbread guy I didn’t like! So cute and looks great with only one colored!
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I absolutely love all of your cards! I always look forward to what you have in store for us each month! I simply can’t pick a favorite if I had too. All so gorgeous
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Breathtaking and really really fun. Not only retro. But these 2 ladies could be marquee posters for movies. The hair flower is my favorite part… would loved to have been there to see the reveal and your expression, fantastic unplanned beauty is awesome when it happens. I’ll bet you found someone right away to see this. The others are all exactly what I think of a vintage Christmas! Very very pretty and warm. Hey, Happy happy anniversary! It has been fun!
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Wow! The 1st lady card is very striking. Love all of these cards!
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Rachel, your cards are amazing as usual! I especially love the vintage lady ones. Your ink blending on the first one is incredible. I so love the design of the card with the woman and the tree in the window. Gorgeous!
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Beautiful cards! #1 is stunning – expert use of light and shadow
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Beautiful cards and
lovely designs!
Carla from Arizona
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all are absolutely amazing! I watched the video of the second card and was absolutely amazed! I too love the cookie card as well!
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Awesome cards! I really love the one with the woman and the window, and that cookie design is so fun!
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Oh, Rachel, you outdid yourself this month! The first two with the black and white contrast are just stunning and the third with the Lawd woman and window is fabulous. Love the cookie designs as well!
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All of your cards are beautiful, but since I’m getting into the Christmas spirit, today I would say that cute gingerbread cookie card is my favorite. 🙂
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Your cards are all beautiful but those retro women designs are AWESOME! The first one with the shading is so impressive, wow!
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