Do you have a favorite paper crafter that always catches your eye? Someone who’s style is enviable and you can recognize their work in a lineup of projects? In the next few months we will be highlighting different styles in our Goodie Bag posts. We’ll identify several of the most popular styles and help you to discover your own personal style. We’ll offer tips to make your style stand out and maybe inspire you to step outside your comfort zone and try something new.
Today we are talking Vintage and Shabby Chic style. This style is defined as soft, aged, weathered and used. Its beauty lies in the reuse of old, aged items whether they are truly vintage or modern replicas.
Colors: Vintage style typically focuses on earthy, muted colors while Shabby Chic falls into the realm of the pastels with a focus on the whitewashed look. In both cases the key is to stick with muted color palettes and stay away from vibrant, bright shades.
Design: Vintage is about re-creating the look of aged items. Several different methods can be used to distress papers and embellishments to give them an old look. Chalking or inking the edges of your papers gives the edges a worn look and creates a softness to your project. There are several different types of edge distressing tools available, but in a pinch you can also run the edge of your scissor blade along your paper to create the same effect. Spray mists also act as a great distressing agent, giving items a tea-stained look.
Another element of the Vintage/Shabby Chic vibe is layering. Layer upon layer of lacy items and clusters of florals are a signature element of Shabby Chic while timeless icons and metals are featured on Vintage projects. Lace, sheer ribbons and seam tape are the typical trims found in both of these styles. Lots of texture and a mixing of hard and soft are also key elements.
Papers: Florals and small patterns are common papers chosen for this style. Old book pages like dictionaries and music hymnals make great papers as well. Many manufacturers are creating new papers that have an old feel and look like they have spent years in an attic. Even brightly colored papers can be distressed and aged with ink until they look well-used. Vintage graphics and retro images are trending right now and can add a perfect touch to your project.
Cutting Files: Get this look with any of our floral cutting files like the Plumeria Flower, Sunflower, Large Flower and the Black Roses. Light and airy decorative files make great base layers such as Butterfly Flourish, Wrought Iron, Corner Swirl and Lattice Doily. Of course you can always stick with a literal interpretation of the theme and use images of vintage items such as Rocking Horse, Wire Dress Form, Tea Pot, and Gears.
~Michelle
I am definitely a cross between the two (steampunk), but I do change up based on the project. If I had my way, I would only do steampunk looking projects.
help! I can’t find the clock hand or whatever it is.
The clock hand on the Dad card? It’s a metal piece, a “game spinner” by Tim Holtz.
Thank you Amanda
I think I will use an arrow shape and manipulate it to look like the clock hand. I am going to make this up for my son-in-law, tweaked, of course. Thanks for the inspiration.