Getting out of the doldrums!

I received my monthly email newsletter from UK stampers - with a Vintage Challenge in it.  I took a look at the links and decided to have a go.   It's taken me a few days - and I think it's kicked me out of the doldrums and hopefully back into crafting.

 

There was a 'recipe' of things to use - some of which were a vintage image.  Which you can see above. I have enhanced it with inks, and sewn on an embroidered piece of lace embellished with sequins.

 

As cards seem to be my downfall, I decorated an old cardboard box and turned it into a jewellery box for a necklace a friend made for me.

  I covered it with really old vintage material which I enhanced in places with ink to give it depth and more colour.

 

Other elements I included from the 'required' list are a vintage shirt button in the top left hand corner, a scrap of frayed vintage ribbon which I have stamped, and I have edged around the box with vintage lace - I had just enough to go around it, and I 'curled' it over the lid to make a frame.

When I started out the old material and image looked flat and faded and, well ordinary, but with the addition of the inks I painted on here and there, it seemed to come to life, and I was rather pleased with the enhancements to the face, bonnet and ribbons, shawl, little flowers on her dress, and the addition of the pretty lace.

I added quite a bit of shading to the roses, and some of the leaves, and I found a little butterfly at the bottom which had faded so gave that some ink tinting with a combination of the rose colours.

Thank you so much for looking and leaving comments - I have been 'away' from blogging for so long, I thought you would have all forgotten me!