My challenge blog for Lunagirl Vintage Images, featuring fun creative challenges with prizes, projects, freebies, holiday and seasonal info, and more!
A place for mixed media artists, card makers, scrapbooking enthusiasts, fabric artists, creators of jewelry, altered art and crafts of all kinds.
Would you like Lunagirl to sponsor a challenge on your blog? Email me at INFO@LUNAGIRL.COM. :-) I'll provide images for your DT!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Lovely Work on themes of Decay & Time by Michele

http://www.artfromthewell.blogspot.com/2014/01/decay-or-passing-of-time.html
I had to share this tag created by Michele Storms, one of the Lunagirl Moonbeams DT members.  She created this for another challenge with the interesting theme of "decay," and the result is beautiful and so evocative...  Here's what Michele says about it on her blog Art From the Well, along with the Shakespeare sonnet that inspired her:
"i had many thoughts of where i could go with this theme and nothing was resonating.  i started looking for quotes that included the word "decay."  i came across several things but it was shakespeare's sonnet xv that drew me.  the sonnet speaks to the passing of time from youth to old age, the enduring nature of love, and the holding of memories, even the freezing of time in the lines of the sonnet itself.  the sonnet is below.  so my collage piece is less about decay and more of an exploration of the passing of time.  my tag template is based on a version of a gothic arch.
all of the vintage images are from the lunagirl shop -- including the background paper which is digital art by lunagirl's karen -- and then a few embellies (border, butterfly and the flower at top) from alphastamps    love to all."

SONNET XV
When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and checked even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,
   And all in war with Time for love of you,
   As he takes from you, I engraft you new.
William Shakespeare

Monday, January 27, 2014

Blog Challenge: VICTORIAN TEA PARTY

Welcome to Lunagirl Moonbeams blog challenge #20 
Our theme is Victorian Tea Party!

Enjoy the samples from the Moonbeams Design Team below, for your inspiration!  The DT will be working with images from some of my tea party themed digital collage sheets.


 GUIDELINES:
This challenge (#20) will end at Noon (Central Time) on February 9.

Any craft or medium is OK,
No more than 3 entries from one person in each challenge, 
Vintage style is encouraged but not required, and
Please link to my blog and Lunagirl.com on your site if you have one.


The winner will be selected randomly to win a $10 coupon for Lunagirl.com!
Of course I love if you use at least one Lunagirl product, and I hope you'll go take a look at my collection... but that's not a requirement!  However, if you use a Lunagirl image in your creation, you will be entered TWICE in the drawing! I want to welcome everyone and every style but also give a little something extra to my wonderful customers! 


 

LUNAGIRL MOONBEAMS DESIGN TEAM
Find out more about the Moonbeams DT and visit their blogs!

I'll add more DT samples as they come in...

Here to get you started is a charming little tea party card by Michele Storms.













And from Vicki Romaine >>> 

"I used some blue cardstock as the mats to the Lunagirl image to match my designer paper with blue in it.  As an embellishment I used a teacup, another Lunagirl image, to accent the main image."









<<< Mandy Chilvers put together the little girls' tea party and the kittens' tea party for this pretty friendship card!



The DT used images from these Lunagirl digital collage sheets:  Tea Party and Tea Party Girls Tags.


Link up your tea party creations for a chance to win (use a Lunagirl image for two chances!)


Sunday, January 26, 2014

Winner of "Meet Me in Paris" blog challenge

http://annieforeva.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/meet-me-in-paris.html#comment-form
Time to announce the winner of the drawing for my Meet Me in Paris blog challenge!  We had 17 gorgeous entries, and remember that everyone who used a Lunagirl image in their piece was entered twice in the drawing.  So, drumroll please....... the winner is #15 aNNie!

Congratulations to Annie ~ email me at info@Lunagirl.com for your prize, a gift credit of $10 at Lunagirl.com

As always I send a tremendous thank you to everyone who played.  It's always a pleasure to see everyone's work.  I love the Paris theme and all the entries ~ we may have do Paris again sometime!  Do come back and play in the next Lunagirl Moonbeams challenge on the fun theme of Victorian Tea Party!  I know the DT will have some lovely inspiration for you...

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Meet Me in Paris: There's Still Time!

Entries for the Meet Me in Paris challenge are shaping up nicely ~ and you still have one more day to enter! 

I've been sick since Thursday so I haven't been posting this week (can't believe I got sick twice this winter already) but I wanted to pop in for a quick challenge reminder.

Here's an Ooh-La-La girl from a French postcard. Make of her expression what you will. :-)


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Paris challenge continues!

I have a lifelong obsession with little containers and boxes and tins ~ so of course I'm crazy for this altered tin that DT member Michele Storms created for our Meet Me in Paris challenge (with my Meet Me in Paris collage sheet). What would go in here?  Maybe little secret memories of Paris ~ ticket stubs, a souvenir or two, a few francs you found in your pocket after you got home, a photograph, one earring (you lost the other one that romantic night...)  Or maybe dreams of your FUTURE vacation in the City of Lights?

What would YOU keep in this little treasure box?  And what will you create for the Meet Me in Paris challenge?

Monday, January 20, 2014

Meet Me in Paris! (until Sunday...)

 Here's a reminder from Lunagirl and the Moonbeams Design Team that the Meet Me in Paris blog challenge continues until Sunday noon!

Link up your Paris-themed creation to enter the random drawing to win $10 credit at Lunagirl.com.  Use a Lunagirl image in your entry for double chances to win!  Click here for details and to see the gallery of entries so far ~ they are lovely and romantic.

Here is more inspiration from the DT!

<<< Petra Berendsen created this pretty tag in shades of pink and green:  "My second project is finished, I used another fabulous image from the Meet Me in Paris collage sheet. This time I combined it with lots of stamping, fabric, lace and ribbon. Every time I use your images it is just amazing how they work with whatever technique you use and you can use them to achieve lots of styles as well. This is great."
VICKI ROMAINE:
I combined some Lunagirl images to make a collage card.
From MANDY CHILVERS


Happy MLK Day!

http://lunagirl.com/collections/vintage-photos/products/african-american-vintage-images-photos
It's a day to celebrate justice and non-violence, to honor sacrifice and courage, to remember the past and dream of the future.

All day today, use Discount Code "dream2014" at Lunagirl.com to order my African-American Vintage Images CD for 50% off !

Friday, January 17, 2014

Wolf Moon

I saw the full moon last night, very beautiful in a crisp cold night sky, and wanted to share a traditional name for the Full Moon of January:  Wolf Moon.  I went to look for a vintage picture of a wolf in my collection, and all that I found were rather scary illustrations from fairy tales and Aesop's fables.  Yes, I know wolves can be pretty scary (have you seen "The Grey"? ~ shudder) but for our moon wolf I wanted less of the Big Bad Wolf and more of the wise wolf spirit.  I found this gorgeous photograph, which has been generously released into the public domain by its author, Retron at the wikipedia project, and can be used for any purpose.  Click the picture to enlarge, resize as needed, and enjoy.

From maya*made: woven hearts tutorial!

maya*made: woven hearts: modernizing a classic: Woven heart baskets are a classic Valentine craft.

I couldn't resist re-blogging this great tutorial from maya*made!  Theses woven heart baskets are adorable ~ fill them with candy, flowers, love messages. And you can adapt the template to make "single layer" hearts, too, for cards and such.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

A LIttle Project Idea for a New Year of Memories

Here's a great idea to begin in January:
Start a memory jar for your family or just for yourself.  All you need is a nice jar ~ decorated or simply labeled 2014 ~ and some supplies kept handy to write things down.  You might use pretty scraps of paper, or colorful bits of cardstock, cut-up recycled Christmas cards, or just a simple tiny notepad, with a pencil or pens.  You could even attach a pencil with ribbon or string tied around the neck of the jar.

As the days go by in 2014, jot down special memories and put them into a jar.  Include memories worth saving, big accomplishments and small victories, LOL moments, surprises, challenges, nature's beauty, things you've thankful for. You could also put in ticket stubs, tokens, little drawings and photos, mementos.  Kids can take part too!  Then on New Years Eve, or maybe during that magical week between Christmas and New Years, cozy up and pull your memory scraps out one at a time to remember 2014. 

I like that this container, and this ritual, could be as simple or as elaborate as you like.  And it would be equally nice for a family, a couple, or just yourself.

I can see a whole shelf of "years" in my future!  An old teapot would be nice for this, too ~ I need an excuse to buy more old teapots!

Monday, January 13, 2014

New Blog Challenge! "Meet Me in Paris"

Welcome to Lunagirl Moonbeams blog challenge #19!  
Our theme is "Meet Me in Paris."

Enjoy the samples from the Moonbeams Design Team below, for your inspiration!  The DT will be working with images from some of my French-themed and French ephemera collage sheets from Lunagirl Images.

GUIDELINES:
This challenge (#98) will end at Noon (Central Time) on January 26.

Any craft or medium is OK,
No more than 3 entries from one person in each challenge, 
Vintage style is encouraged but not required, and
Please link to my blog and Lunagirl.com on your site if you have one.


The winner will be selected randomly to win a $10 coupon for Lunagirl.com! Of course I love if you use at least one Lunagirl product, and I hope you'll go take a look at my collection... but that's not a requirement!  However, starting with this challenge, if you use a Lunagirl image in your creation, you will be entered TWICE in the drawing! I want to welcome everyone and every style but also give a little something extra to my wonderful customers! 




LUNAGIRL MOONBEAMS DESIGN TEAM
Find out more about the Moonbeams DT and visit their blogs!


This card by Vicki Romaine is so creative ~ I love the way she has layered the images to create a scene, and that she used a silhouette of the man with the umbrella.

Vicki writes:
"I decided to do this card with having the man with the umbrella looking at the Lunagirl French poster as if he were visiting in Paris and trying to decide what to do.  The background uses some scrap pieces of cardstock while the  image is on gold cardstock to make it pop."
A wonderfully romantic Paris creation by Petra Berendsen!
Ooh lala, indeed!

From Petra:
"I started to work on the new project straight away and created a digital postcard using images from various of your collage sheets: Meet Me in Paris, Children with Flowers, Carte Postale 2 and an image of a couple. I thought they match perfectly!"
 
Feast your eyes on this lovely Paris memento by Michele Storms...

...and this Meet Me in Paris tag by Mandy Chilvers. 
I think this young lady has what is called a "come hither look"!

Let us see your "Meet Me in Paris" creations... 
be sure to enter the challenge!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Challenge Winner: Vintage Winter Theme

Oh, I got so behind today, but I'm finally all caught up with shopping, cooking, and a couple minor household emergencies (!), so I've done the drawing for the Vintage Winter blog challenge which ended today.

http://wendylynnspaperwhims.blogspot.com/2014/01/winter-tag.htmlAnd the lucky winner of the drawing is... #7 the lovely Warm Winter Wishes tag entered by Paper Whims!

Congrats to WendyLynn's Paper Whims!  Be sure to email me at info@lunagirl.com to claim your $10 discount code for Lunagirl.com.

Thank you to everyone ~ please come back and play along in my next challenge.  The theme starting tomorrow is "Meet Me in Paris"!









I was negligent in not posting one of the DT samples for the Vintage Winter challenge, and I'm posting it here because it is too pretty not to share!



Petra Berendsen sent in this beautiful tag for the Vintage Winter challenge, and I just didn't get it on here until now.

Petra used a pretty winter image of a Victorian lady and placed her on a snowy street, and added the perfect pops of red in the little stars, plus some delicate white lace and flowers, just right for winter.

I have great Design Team!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Sponsoring Anything Goes at DigitallySweetChallenges this week

http://digitallysweetchallenges.blogspot.com/2014/01/dsc-70-anything-goes-with-lunagirl.html
Lunagirl is sponsoring another challenge over at DigitallySweetChallenges, starting today and continuing this week.  It's an "Anything Goes" theme and the Digitally Sweet Design Team has created some lovely samples using the Lunagirl images I sent for them ~ including the one at right by Denise Pustelniak.

Be sure to visit DSC and check it out. Share your creation for a chance to win six featured Lunagirl images!

And I'll be sponsoring their Valentines Day challenge as well.  Looking forward to that!

And don't forget the Lunagirl VINTAGE WINTER challenge continues until Sunday ~ and your entry could win the drawing for a $10 credit at Lunagirl.com (two chances to win if your entry uses a Lunagirl image!)

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Hot Deals for Cold Weather Crafting!

I guess everyone in the Eastern U.S. is enduring some super-cold weather!  Bundle up ~ or better yet, stay inside with hot cocoa if you can!

The Lunagirl Moonbeams DT has been sending me more lovely Vintage Winter creations, and I will get those posted to inspire you tomorrow.  When it's too cold and icy to go out, isn't that a great time for crafting?  Enter our Vintage Winter blog challenge! 

My customers are snapping up the Valentines images already, as they always do in January.  If you want an instant download, I have plenty of Valentine and romance-themed digital collage sheets, plus my new download packs of Victorian roses in various colors!

If you're in the mood for hundreds of gorgeous vintage style images, check out my craft CDs on sale almost 35% off this week. Lunagirl Victorian Romance CD and Vintage Lovers CD offer gorgeous, high-quality photos and art from my collection, restored and embellished, most not available anywhere else.  And Lunagirl Victorian Holidays Volume 2 features hundreds of Valentines plus hundreds of images for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and more ~ some are exclusive to me, some you've seen before but never like this!  I'm pretty proud of our Holidays collections. :-)   And just for good measure, Lunagirl Angels Fairies & Fairy Tale Art CD is on sale too.  So stop in and "get 'em while they're hot"! 

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Vintage Winter Hello

And here is a little girl with vintage winter greetings, from DT member Vicki Romaine.  I love the bright yellow and soft grey colors together.  And also that sweet simple little "hello"!
Vicki writes: 
"Even though it is a cold winter day, I decided to put a little sunshine in my card by placing yellow rick-rack and a yellow mat under the sentiment.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up. 
Other embellishment on the card includes a mirror sticker in the corner. 
Of course, the lovely little girl is a Lunagirl vintage image."

Moonbeam Creations with Lunagirl Images

A little flower fairy snuck (sneaked?) her way into the Vintage Winter samples!  I guess I'm a little distracted, with the kids (and teacher hubby) still out of school due to the weather.  Yes, that's a good excuse. :-)

I'm moving her here in her own post, along with her sister snow angel.  These are two tags created by DT member Mandy Chilvers for other projects/challenges, using Lunagirl Images!






















And below from DT member Michele Storms is a bright and brilliantly colored project she created for Vicki Romaine's Cheerful Stamp Pad ribbon challenge and the Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge to use mardi gras colors of purple gold and green, using an image from my Art Deco Ladies collage sheet. :-D


Monday, January 6, 2014

Vintage Winter Creativity from the Moonbeams Design Team!

Join the current blog challenge for your chance to win a $10 gift credit on Lunagirl.com!  Link up your Vintage Winter / New Year creation.  Use a Lunagirl image in your piece and double your chances of winning the drawing!

To inspire you, the Lunagirl Moonbeams DT offers their Vintage Winter creations using images from Lunagirl.com:

MICHELE STORMS
MANDY CHILVERS

PETRA BERENDSEN:
"The focal point of the card is an image from the Winter fun collage sheet,
the background a mix of patterend and stamped papers. I kept the embellishments quite simple
as I wanted the image to be the focus."

Beautiful work, Moonbeams!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Vintage Winter Freebie: Antique Snowflake Photos


In 1885 a Vermont farmer, amateur scientist, and photographer named Wilson Bentley started taking photographs of snowflakes.  This was obviously not an easy thing to do, but he developed a method of capturing snowflakes on boards covered in black velvet and then quickly transferring them to microscope slides to take the photographs.  Above are just a few of his amazing results.

Wilson Bentley was also the first person to propose that no two snowflakes are exactly alike ~ each and every one is unique! Thanks to Mr. Bentley's curiosity, persistence, and ingenuity we can enjoy these beautiful antique images of nature's artwork.

And here from the Old Farmer's Almanac is a simple tutorial for creating paper snowflakes!
http://www.almanac.com/content/how-make-paper-snowflakes


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year from Lunagirl & the Moonbeams DT!

Happy New Year to All! 

Here is more "Vintage Winter" inspiration from the DT!

MICHELE STORMS
VICKI ROMAINE:
"This reminds me of a Currier & Ives image. 
I put glitter on the snow to give it some bling."


Lunagirl on Etsy