Why am I so "vintage challenged"?

[Cynamom]

Hi,

I LOVE cards made in the vintage style. I have bought quite a few things... papers, inks, embellishments, etc., to have a go at it, but I just can't seem to have any luck. It's like my brain freezes! Does anyone have any advice or links to cards they've made that I could see for inspiration? I look at a lot of magazines and see some great and beautiful things, but I am open for anything that can get me to Square One!!

Thanks in advance,

Cindy

[jukie]

no much help I know, but you are not alone

[Rachelrose]

My advice would be to start CASEing cards you love. Don't try to be original yet, just learn from the "vintage masters" and copy them as exactly as you can.

That's what they used to do with painters - make them copy great works of art before they let them paint their own paintings.

As you duplicate these cards you admire so much, you will begin to understand how they are constructed, what elements play into their look, what is necessary to make a card "vintage". You will have insights and make discoveries.

Looking at things is not the same as doing them with your own hands.

Good luck and have fun!

[mamaxsix]

I found the attached tip sheet from Lyssa at Song of My Heart Stampers really helpful. Here's a link to her blog as well.

[Cynamom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachelrose

My advice would be to start CASEing cards you love. Don't try to be original yet, just learn from the "vintage masters" and copy them as exactly as you can.

That's what they used to do with painters - make them copy great works of art before they let them paint their own paintings.

As you duplicate these cards you admire so much, you will begin to understand how they are constructed, what elements play into their look, what is necessary to make a card "vintage". You will have insights and make discoveries.

Looking at things is not the same as doing them with your own hands.

Good luck and have fun!

That's a good idea.... not so much to "steal" the idea but to get my feet wet in the concept. I can't wait to try!

[stamper1996]

I love the vintage look too but struggle myself. I've found a lot of inspiration at Crafty Secrets' blog. They have wonderful designers: Crafty Secrets Vintage Paper Crafts, stamping Ideas

[Angelnorth]

Not much help to you but I just wanted to say don't feel bad about the brain freeze! I think many of us have a style or styles that just doesn't come together when we try. For me it's really a product rather than a style - I simply can't use patterned paper. I've eventually learned not to buy it even if it's really pretty and I've seen beautiful things made with it by other people. I think I've made maybe half a dozen cards in my entire card making career that have used patterned paper to anything like good effect.

So, I guess I'm saying try it but if you're really not having fun with it don't feel bad about leaving it to the masters of the art and admiring their projects while doing whatever it is that brings you joy as you make it!

[Cartermrc]

I don't do the vintage look well at all. I've mentioned before that my results look like something I left out in the rain and then drove the car over it. I always gravitate toward creating brighter and simpler cards, so I guess vintage just isn't me, even though I think it's pretty.

[Rachelrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angelnorth

So, I guess I'm saying try it but if you're really not having fun with it don't feel bad about leaving it to the masters of the art and admiring their projects while doing whatever it is that brings you joy as you make it!

Good advice, Joanne.

[winnieu]

I wanted to tell you that I struggle with graphic design papers, bold patterns etc. I think everyone has something that causes them not to feel like they are "good" at a style. I keep plugging away though, and most important when I struggle, I put it away and do stuff I find that I enjoy. Try looking at Melissa's blog (from Papertrey ink site) as she has a sweet vintage feel.... Tim Holtz has a very vintage look and a lot of his papers and embellishments go well together. Just two that I know of off hand.. Lots out there..

[SuG]

Cindy, I wish you lived near me, we could work together to get this style down. I too have trouble. I was also going to suggest you copy, copy, copy. that helps you get the feel of what needs to be done to get that look.
good luck and share what you make.

[QueenOfInkland]

Another vintage style challenged person here

Others may have already said this, but maybe it's not so much 'challenged' as 'not your style'.

As much as I appreciate vintage style, I go more for bright colors and glitz, neither of which are very vintagey (new word haha) unless we're talking about glitter glass which might be vintagey.......what do i know ? :rolleyes:

[Cynamom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuG

Cindy, I wish you lived near me, we could work together to get this style down. I too have trouble. I was also going to suggest you copy, copy, copy. that helps you get the feel of what needs to be done to get that look.
good luck and share what you make.

LOL, that would be great! I do so well when I have someone else to feed off of in my crafting! Do you happen to live anywhere near Chicago?? Or anywhere warm and tropical that I could justify a road trip! Ha ha

[Cynamom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by QueenOfInkland

Another vintage style challenged person here

Others may have already said this, but maybe it's not so much 'challenged' as 'not your style'.

As much as I appreciate vintage style, I go more for bright colors and glitz, neither of which are very vintagey (new word haha) unless we're talking about glitter glass which might be vintagey.......what do i know ? :rolleyes:

I know what you mean. I think that's it. I tend to go toward the "cleaner" look.... more basic shapes and layouts. I think I worry that I would "go vintage" and it would look like a kid just made a collage!

[lutheran]

I used to make quite a few vintage-style cards; I like the neutral colors often associated with that style and collage stamping techniques. A few years ago I started loving a more edgier, "street" style and now I can't make a vintage card to save my life. My new SU! Clockworks set would love to see some ink, but I'm stuck. I think I will have to go back and study some of my older cards and some stamping magazines to start over on vintage style.
Mary Beth

[lylacfey]

When I started cardmaking I CASE'd too. Nothing I ever made looked like what I used for inspiration. I can't copy if I tried. I am glad that is not a requirement in the card making world because I would flunk.

I still use a lot of ideas for inspiration. Right now I have a Martha Stewart ad staring at me typing this. The ad has little die cut rats. Now, I am thinking of die cutting some rats. I raise rats.

I am terrible at the Distress look. I can do it but it's not like what everyone else is doing. I really was frustrated. My brain would freeze. I came to the conclusion a lot of that is because as card maker's we want our items to look as good as the stamper's we are admiring. Then add that kind of pressure with posting in the cyber world. No wonder brain freeze happens.

I am not good at Vintage either. I love it. I do my own style of vintage.

My Mom was over at my home a few weeks ago. My Mom can do vintage so well her items go for hundreds of dollars. So, there is more pressure, lol.

My Mom was talking about my creations. She said my vintage was so unusual. I thought "Here she goes!" "Time to game!" ROFL. Then she said "I keep looking at your cards and your artwork. I keep trying to recreate it." "I can't figure out how you do it."

I must have stared at her open mouth for thirty minutes, lol. She told me she was getting really frustrated because she admired a lot of my techniques. She felt like a kindergartner. No offense to kindergartner's who are very talented.

Moral of the story. Do your own thing.

Another tip spend a couple of evening watching You Tube videos on vintage techniques your interested in.

[Jill with a G]

For some reason, achieving the vintage look came easy to me. I have always loved that Vintage feel. Even as a kid I was drawn to the look of Vintage.
Distressing is what I use a lot. Distressing edges, sponging Distress inks around the edges of borders and fonts. I choose Vintage or older looking fonts for sentiments. I use lace and even sponge the edges of lace to make it look older. I choose older graphic designer papers. I may also incorporate some steampunk design as I feel some of these images also have a vintage feel. Neutral tones also help, such as the Distress walnut stain, or peeled paint. The post earlier was just about spot on regarding Lyssa and her Stamping Up PDF regarding how to vintage.

[Cynamom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lylacfey

When I started cardmaking I CASE'd too. Nothing I ever made looked like what I used for inspiration. I can't copy if I tried. I am glad that is not a requirement in the card making world because I would flunk.

I still use a lot of ideas for inspiration. Right now I have a Martha Stewart ad staring at me typing this. The ad has little die cut rats. Now, I am thinking of die cutting some rats. I raise rats.

I am terrible at the Distress look. I can do it but it's not like what everyone else is doing. I really was frustrated. My brain would freeze. I came to the conclusion a lot of that is because as card maker's we want our items to look as good as the stamper's we are admiring. Then add that kind of pressure with posting in the cyber world. No wonder brain freeze happens.

I am not good at Vintage either. I love it. I do my own style of vintage.

My Mom was over at my home a few weeks ago. My Mom can do vintage so well her items go for hundreds of dollars. So, there is more pressure, lol.

My Mom was talking about my creations. She said my vintage was so unusual. I thought "Here she goes!" "Time to game!" ROFL. Then she said "I keep looking at your cards and your artwork. I keep trying to recreate it." "I can't figure out how you do it."

I must have stared at her open mouth for thirty minutes, lol. She told me she was getting really frustrated because she admired a lot of my techniques. She felt like a kindergartner. No offense to kindergartner's who are very talented.

Moral of the story. Do your own thing.

Another tip spend a couple of evening watching You Tube videos on vintage techniques your interested in.

You touched on a point I struggle with... a lot of the "vintage techniques" aren't in my comfort zone. That whole distressing thing is so cool looking, but when I do it, I looks like sloppy ink on paper, not like a well-aged vintage technique. EVERY once in a while I get lucky and it looks good, but most of the time it's like you can see it was done with an ink pad. Forget those spray ink! Just blobs in my hands... :( Maybe I can get it, and I do hope that I can because it's so pretty!

[Rachelrose]

You know, there's a whole class on all the Tim Holtz products and how to use them that you can take on Online Card Classes. It's called Creative Chemistry 101. It's not live/interactive anymore, but you can view all the lessons and print off the handouts and watch the videos and Tim teaches it himself. He makes a series of tags using lots of his products, and might be a good kick-start because of course everything is in the vintage style - that being the TH look. The class costs I think $35 to register for, and then you have access to it forever. You could start a thread about it and I'm sure lots of folks who have taken it will tell you if they think it's worth it. I thought it was, and I don't even do vintage cards, although i can get sort of collage-y sometimes. But I am a serious Distress Ink addict, so I was very interested in learning everything I could do with them.

[lutheran]

This thread inspired me to try one, after a long break from any vintage-style stamping. Try is the key word, won't be visiting this style for a while. It was fun to drag out some retired backgrounds and distress techniques. Thanks for the challenge!
Mary Beth

[lylacfey]

Lutheran- That is just gorgeous!!!!!

[winnieu]

Lutheran: Love your vintage card. Love the background and pocketwatches...

[Rachelrose]

Lovely! You may not enjoy doing this style, but it's certainly an option for you!

[maryrose]

I hear ya! I have an entire box of stuff from Webster's Pages, and while it's lovely to look at, I'm just not crafting with it.

[jor]

A friend of mine does beautiful vintage-style cards. They are beyond beautiful. I, too, have purchased things to try to re-create. I'm in the same boat as the rest of you! I love the tip sheet and that website. I am going to look into it some more and see if I can create something.

I agree that everyone seems to "have a style" that works for them. I am just thankful I can create anything beautiful. MOST of my stuff is CASEd but when it turns out pretty and/or looking like what I intended, I'm thrilled!

[Cynamom]

Wow, that vintage card of Lutheran's is GREAT!!! My mom bought some old church hymnals, and I have those haunting me to use for vintage! I find I have bought a lot of those "tag pad" things.... lots of vintage pic type of things to use. Got some lace.... crocheted flowers....

What else is good to use on a vintage card?

[mamaxsix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynamom

Wow, that vintage card of Lutheran's is GREAT!!! My mom bought some old church hymnals, and I have those haunting me to use for vintage! I find I have bought a lot of those "tag pad" things.... lots of vintage pic type of things to use. Got some lace.... crocheted flowers....

What else is good to use on a vintage card?

crumpled seam binding, old maps or dictionary pages, vintage trinkets like safety pins-buttons-hat pins etc

[gabalot]

Hi Cindy! Now that you have lots of supplies, this advice might be moot but ... if I were giving advice to a newbie with vintage ambitions, I'd say to start w/one line of appealing product and then go to that designer's blog or website to look at samples, read or watch their tutorials, etc. Most designers have links to other designers they like, who have similar tastes/designs, as well. I agree, as has been said "don't be afraid to learn from the masters" and incorporate some of their elements into your own designs. The designers whose vintage styles we like, create products and tutorials to teach us how to use their products. They expect us to use their techniques and tricks and secrets and to some degree, their style and designs. That's how they sell their product. We buy it to emulate their style and as we practice and go out on a limb, we find our own style. Also, there is such a broad spectrum of vintage. Everything from grungy/inky (my fav) to fancy frilly w/vintage images, lace, jewels, ribbons, bows, bling, and then there are all eras and styles inbetween. The range of styles within vintage categories is amazing as well. You can see that, for example, among the Papertrey Ink designers. Melissa Phillips, Dawn McVey, Mona Pendleton ... all have some wonderful, vintage designs yet they are all different. Anyway ... I've said more than enough. Good luck in finding your way and developing your style.

[lutheran]

Great advice, gabalot! To add another resource, the Stampington publications like Stampers' Sampler and Art Journal have tons of vintage/collage samples to give inspiration. You can find them on line and at Barnes & Nobles.
Mary Beth

[nanaq42]

That is the best advice I have read yet. I also love vintage but it is so daunting to get it right. Thank you.

[SuG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynamom

LOL, that would be great! I do so well when I have someone else to feed off of in my crafting! Do you happen to live anywhere near Chicago?? Or anywhere warm and tropical that I could justify a road trip! Ha ha

well it is quite warm here in the summer LOL! I live outside Philadelphia, not tropical.

[Paper Crazy Lady]

Thank you for that link. I am also vintage-challenged, but this should help! Thanks also to Song of my Heart

[Paper Crazy Lady]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachelrose

You know, there's a whole class on all the Tim Holtz products and how to use them that you can take on Online Card Classes. It's called Creative Chemistry 101. It's not live/interactive anymore, but you can view all the lessons and print off the handouts and watch the videos and Tim teaches it himself. He makes a series of tags using lots of his products, and might be a good kick-start because of course everything is in the vintage style - that being the TH look. The class costs I think $35 to register for, and then you have access to it forever. You could start a thread about it and I'm sure lots of folks who have taken it will tell you if they think it's worth it. I thought it was, and I don't even do vintage cards, although i can get sort of collage-y sometimes. But I am a serious Distress Ink addict, so I was very interested in learning everything I could do with them.

Thank you for this information. I've never heard of these classes before but, after a quick visit, I'm sure I'll be signing up for one or six classes - LOL.

[Rachelrose]

I also took Stretch Your Stamps with them and I feel both classes were worth the money. Online Card Classes is a great resource.

The Stretch Your Stamps class was live and interactive at the time I took it and that was fun because you could go on the forum and ask the instructors questions. But the big joke among the attendees was how while we were definitely learning lots of new ways to use the stamps we already owned as promised in the course description, the projects demonstrated were so great that everyone was buying all the stamps the teachers used. So Stretch Your Stamps became Buy More Stamps for a lot of us!

[peeps321]

I love vintage and a lot of folks here have commented on my vintage "style"....I think the stamps you use...the images have a lot to play in the vintage style. Sounds like you have a lot of the materials and know about the distressing techniques, etc..I would suggest going to some online stamp stores that feature vintage style stamps and see their samples...they may have blogs or a design team and they will have samples..then CASE those cards..After awhile it will start to come naturally what to put where and what other elements or embellishments one needs for a card. Some of my favorite stamp stores that you may want to check out are : Oxford impressions , Artistic Outpost, Paperbag Studios , and StampDiva ( a store that has many stamp companies which feature vintage designs). Good luck and just have fun!

[Rebecca Ednie]

I recommend Compendium of curiosities and ditto II. They have lots of great vintage techniques. And follow Tim Holtz's blog as he often shows how to so the techniques while making his tag of the month.

I make lots of vintage and shabby cards. If you visit my blog and scroll down, I have a Labels section on my sidebar so you can see everything I tagged as vintage. Or you can put vintage into the search box at the top left.

Hope this helps!

Rebecca

[Cynamom]

WOW! Double WOW! I am SO glad I made this post. I was afraid people might think I was a "total noob" as my daughter would say! I have been crafting with one thing or another since I was a kid.... starting as a youngster going to craft shows with my grandmother who did bead art items. I've tried my hand at latch hook rugs, needlepoint, scrapbooking, etc., but for some reason card making has really taken hold!!! Normally, I can pull off a concept, but vintage has stumped me, and it's SO beautiful!!! I can't believe all of these great resources and ideas. I am going to spend a free day, when I get one, and just roam free looking at all of this!! MAYBE one day I will even have something to post HERE! That will be my goal, let's just say that! You all have been SO NICE to share your thoughts and ideas.... keep them coming, too!

[jeanne3579]

Thinks for asking OP as I wasn't even sure WHAT vintage was. Now, at least, I think I have the definition down. Please tell me that's the first step!

[cindybstampin]

There's a ton of info on this thread, and it's been a great review for me.
It's hard to change from your natural style but when you try it becomes fun to dabble with something new.

I just want to add that there is a distinction between shabby and vintage. Shabby styles are soft, feminine and include distressed edges and pearls, lace, and often many layers.

Vintage includes all of the above but also adds darker neutrals, more sponging, and often incorporates antique papers, trinkets or jewels.

There are also variations on vintage - sometimes it can be clean, just never graphic. I'm not an expert on this style, but I do love playing with many styles. Maybe you can try just using a snippet of vintage on a card. Keep stepping it up on subsequent cards until you find the right balance for you.

[lyndaejane]

I started as an embroiderer: always did cross stitch and counted thread techniques, so when I turned to papercrafting my cards were always very symmetrical and I favoured the "less is more" approach - often a single motif and a greeting.

Going to college to study City & Guilds Papercraft changed all that. I remember my first attempt at collage - my "counted thread" brain just didn't cope and it finished as an A3 piece of paper with just a few items dotted here and there (cringes as she recalls it). But the course didn't teach me to do collage: it just gave me the confidence that my art was as good as anyone else's and now I approach everything on the basis that if it doesn't turn out how I like then at least I learned something. Vintage, which is mostly collage-based, is now my favourite style, although I only use it when needed and often revert to less-is-more.

Maybe you could try a technique I use when I'm putting together a special card or object. Having decided the style or subject, I go through my stash and pull out everything I might use, spreading it in a tray in front of me. Then I decide my background (printed paper or hand-coloured/stamped) and maybe a focal piece - try an old photograph. After that, I find the rest sort of follows, as with vintage (ie subdued and probably darker) colours, you can afford to put a lot of stuff on one project. I think most things you could use have been mentioned already, but I love using postage stamps (try and get some old ones with more subdued colours), old coins (great if it's a special birthday and you have a coin with the year of the person's birth/wedding/whatever), cotton tape, garden twine, old keys, mother-of-pearl, wood or other vintage buttons, furnishing braids, game pieces, pages from old books (the yellower the better) or music scores. Reduce papers on your printer/scanner if they're too big for your project. If edging with a stamp pad doesn't work for you, get a stencil brush, tap it on the stamp pad, tap off the excess and flick it across the edges from the outside in - gives a softer effect than using the stamp pad direct. If you edge all the pieces of paper ephemera that you use in the project it will give an instant aged look - or soak in tea beforehand to age the whole piece. Try tearing rather than cutting papers, which will also add to the look.

It might help if you start with something small: a luggage tag is an ideal thing to choose and somehow suits the vintage style perfectly. I hope this helps.

Lynda