Old World Imaginings

So, I've been reading historical fiction lately.  The book is set in 18th century England and France.  There are very vivid descriptions of once-lavish palaces being left to disuse as the formerly rich families fall on economic hard times.  My creativity has been leaning toward the vintage French flea-market feel.  Tarnished metal and dim crystal, etc.

You couldn't pick a more perfect image for my mood than my new Unity Stamp set - Regal Greetings.  I've also been experimenting with mixing different embossing powders together to make custom colors.  I wanted a really tarnished metal look for this card.  So I mixed 3 parts clear EP with 1 part Zing Gold EP.  I stamped the image with black pigment ink and heat embossed.  The result was fantastic!

Hard to catch in a photo, but the gold sort of puddled and seeped into the clear, and the black showed through.

Gold leaf pen and some bling added just the right elegance to the whole thing.  Sigh...

How cool would it have been to live in a big French palace with acres of gardens and obsene amounts of gilt and filigree everywhere?

(Without the bothersome small pox, plague and pestilence of course.)

Have a wonderful day everyone.  Enjoy the luxuries of the 21st century!