We have a Winner !!!

I tried out a brand new random number picker at MathGoodies which looks like it could be a very fun site to check out further, although I didn't go exploring yet. But I did see the word puzzles in the categories! Time to see how far my brain cells will go - haven't taken a "test" in a while!!

But I digress LOL The site picked #30 - lilscrappers, but if you read the comment you will swear I was picking favorites! Keep in mind I came up with the Faux Designer Paper for the TJ newsletter ROTFLMBO (that would be Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Butt Off, which I only wish was actually possible - exercise can be so boring ;o) But no, I am an honest soul and didn't have any influence in the picking of the winning comment. I wish you all could win - I am grateful you visit here and leave an occasional comment or two! :o)

lilscrappers : if you could send me an email with your snail mail address (by clicking on the sidebar link that says EMAIL ME), I'll get the cd right out to you!! Congratulations, I think you will love it!

Another card from the current TJ newsletter

Can you tell I'm dreaming of warm weather the last couple of weeks?! LOL Dreaming of driving around in the sunshine with the windows rolled down yesterday :o)

card measures 6 1/4" x 5"

(I try so hard to keep my cards "normal" size so they actually fit in the envelopes I have but I get so carried away adding borders, I think! I never know where a card is going till I finish the main panel...)

STAMPS: I Brake For Stamps - Time to Stamp sheet and Stampinback flourish

INKS: Stampin' Up! Taken with Teal and Tempting Turqoise, Kaleidacolor Blue Breeze, and you guessed it LOL Staz-On Jet Black!

SUPPLIES: #16 yarn needle, brayer, stamp positioner

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkie Brayered Tapping, FEB 09 newsletter

NOTES: after doing the background and adding the images in blue, it looked too plain so I added the shells in black but then they stood out too much LOL so then I took a freshly inked Staz-On black pad and edged the whole panel ~ I have a hard time getting some paper piecing to show up so I bought a large yarn needle to make more dramatic holes and applied my teal cs behind the main panel before punching so the dark purple would show behind it. So it was pretty tough to punch thru both layers with a blunt edged "needle" so I used a ruler and punched thru the cs first with a regular piercer, which is sharper. It still took a bit of pressure so I used a rubber jar loosener to grasp the yarn needle which was the perfect amount of cushion for my fingers ~ the dark teal cardfront was stamped with the cheesecloth-looking net stamp

I'll be back shortly with the name of the Blog Candy winner!!!

A new TJ technique

The true color of this card is somewhere in between the two photos below!

Card measures 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

STAMPS: I Brake For Stamps

INKS: Kaleidocolor Cappucino Delight, Staz-On Timber Brown, Colorbox Chalk stack Sand Dunes (specifically Burnt Siena and Blush Rose), Stampin' Up! More Mustard

SUPPLIES: antiqued small copper brads, distressing tool, ribbons, bobby pin, brayer

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkies Brayered Tapping Feb 09 newsletter

NOTES: not much of the bkgd shows, but I used four of the different viney pieces to extend them up the piece ~ the various ribbons are tied on the top section of a bobby pin and tacked down with GlueLine tape in strip form ~ panel behind verse was colored by running the edge of the Kaleidocolor pad directly over the edges

Thanks for checking in!

Changed this card a little bit...

...since I posted to the Technique Junkie group earlier today LOL

Before I forget - scroll down if you want a chance to win TJ cd blog candy!!!

5 3/8" x 6 3/8"

STAMPS: woman - Hampton Art Stamps, BonVoyage text - Hero Arts, Journey - Rubber Stampede, cancellation - River City Rubber Works, bkgd (Ephemera) and butterfly - Stampin' Up!, small postage cancellations - unknown, but could be Club Scrap/Stamp

INKS: Staz-On Jet Black (yes, I can't stamp for more than a few days without this!), Versafine black, SU Orchid Opulence and Craft Whisper White

SUPPLIES: shiny black mini brads, vellum, Cuttlebug and die from Vintage corners (trimmed down to fit panel), cotton balls, chalks, white gel pen

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkies Background Burst from the FEB 09 newsletter

NOTES: I used the white gel pen (Inksentials) to fill in her face and feet to give more detail, or I should say not to loose detail

Hope you are all finding time to oogle the fresh new TJ newsletter online - and if you have let your subscription lapse you might want to jump back in. This issue was purposely packed with techniques featuring basic products everyone has already so you won't have to go buy anything! And lots of them are also quick and easy too!! I'm not sure but I think there might also be a record number of artwork samples...

3D Potted Flower

STAMPS: Rare Image Rubber Stamps , GARDEN sheet

INKS: Stampin' Up! Rose Romance, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Basic Brown, Staz-On Jet Black

SUPPLIES: ribbons, matte finish small brads, foam tape, blender pens, sponge

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkie Out of the Box 10/04 newsletter

NOTES: I wanted the main image to really pop, so in addition to having the edges go outside the border, I also pop-dotted the flowers. They are actually three layers, in graduating sizes. It doesn't take as long as you'd think to trim them out if you use a sharp scissor because the flowers are so busy ~ I used the blender pen and some Rose Romance ink to color everything initially and then darkened areas with the marker directly ~ background panel is all images from the GARDEN sheet

THANKS FOR LOOKING AND DON'T MISS THE BLOG CANDY BELOW!

BLOG CANDY!!!

Pat of Technique Junkies has generously given the designers some 2008 CD's to offer to blog readers, so here's your chance to win this one!! Go see Pat's TJ site for an idea of content, but let me tell you - you will NOT be disappointed! There are Bonus CD Techniques not listed anywhere else!!

Just leave a comment on this post, sharing the name of one of your favorite or most used card or scrapbook tecniques (don't worry if it doesn't have a formal name - just give a brief idea). Anyone can enter, but each name is counted only once :o) I'll pick a winner at the end of the wekk using the Random Number Generator, so check back Saturday...

Best of luck!

The other FDP card

I couldn't seem to get happy with this card last night but sometime between laying down and waking up this morning a few ideas came to me! LOL So I decided to finish it and call it good enough because I've got to carry on with my Monday

(Click photo for detail)

4 5/8" x 5 7/8"

STAMPS: large swirl - DeNami Designs, small flourish - PSX, large medallion - Rubber Monger, writing - A Stamp in the Hand, you're special panel - $1 single clear stamp, Dimensions Crafts, Inkadinkado from Joann's

INKS: Distress Aged Mahogany, Brushed Corduroy, Peeled Paint, embossing ink - clear

SUPPLIES: pale pink translucent ribbon, flat-back rhinestone gems, flat-back pearl gems, sponges, embossing powder - clear, heat gun, small circle punch, double-ended blender pen, foam tape

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkies Faux Designer Paper (I took a few liberties with this technique - I didn't do any crosshatch or edgeing with the colors - must have been mentally distracted when working on it!! LOL)

NOTES: kind of hard to see it but the rhinestones on the flower centers appear more white than silver irl ~ even tho I used the brown ink on the bkgd piece it ended up looking greenish so I emphasized that by using the Peeled Paint on the center piece ~ the words and swirly flowers are all one stamp so I stamped it twice, cut the center out of one, sponged the edges and pop-dotted it ~ also tough to see but the flower stems have been gone over with a fine-point blender pen dipped in Peeled Paint ~ I could NOT get the end of the ribbon to lay straight (grrrr) and trimmed it to within an inch of it's life LOL

Okay, wish I was going to sit at my stamp table and make something, but I have to go produce a little income now :o)

Is it Summer yet?!

It's Sunday and I hope for those of you that follow Christ you've gotten a chance to reflect on His glory today, and maybe spend some time with others who do. If you happen to love Irish inspired worship music go check out Robin Mark's site or look up his song Jesus, All For Jesus on Playlist, etc. It was just on the radio and there are no words to describe how moving it is.

And now on to some artwork...

Card measures 5 7/8" x 4 5/8"

STAMPS: I Brake For Stamps - Stampinback line, Time To Stamp line, etc., Stampin' Up! Scratched bkgd

INKS: Distress Faded Jeans, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, Staz-On Jet Black, embossing ink

SUPPLIES: embossing powder, heat gun, cosmetic sponges, stamp positioner, Stampin' Up! blender pens

TECHNIQUES: Technique Junkies Faux Designer Paper, 3-D Popped

NOTES: I cut the girl out of heavy weight cardstock and then pop-dot her for dimension ~ I had good luck appling the Distress ink with the white triangular cosmetic wedges - it really allowed me to get all kinds of depth ~ on the Rococo scroll I avoided inking up the little flower at the center

I might have one more FDP card coming along today - I have the background done and am deciding what to put with it :o) Here's a hint - Brushed Corduroy and Aged Mahogany....

More Paper Soft

I'm having so much fun with the flower images from my Rare Image Rubber Stamps GARDEN sheet. My husband came in the door the other day and said he could almost feel that Spring is coming soon - the days are brighter and longer, and the sun is melting the snow and ice on the drive a little more each day. Going to have a little cold spell over the weekend if you can believe the weatherman ;o) and then right back up again to tolerable.

I should warn you - I do this every year - get all giddy thinking of Spring right after Christmas LOL but you know, the other day for the first time since Fall, I glanced out at a big snowy patch where my plants are sleeping and I actually had a feeling of being able to see them sprouting up thru fresh dirt in that wonderful warmish, still damp Spring weather. Hope you can get a sense of that too if you're living in the cold :o)

(Click on photo for detail)

Card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

STAMPS: Rare Image Rubber Stamps, GARDEN sheet

INKS: Distress Antique Linen, Staz-On Jet Black, Stampin' Up! Pale Plum

SUPPLIES: wide grosgrain, green and white striped grosgrain, Cuttlebug and Flower Screen folder, flat backed rhinestones, brayer, Tim Holtz distressing tool, sponges, coffee, Tombow markers, SU blender pens, colored pencil in neutral grey, Score-pal, SU tab tag punch, Spellbinders oval die template, foam doule-stick tape

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkies Aged Parchment, my own Paper Soft

SKETCH: SplitCoastStampers SC212

NOTES: see post below for Paper Soft 'recipe' ~ bkgd panel was Cuttlebugged and then brayered with the Antique Linen, and then the edges were sponged ~ for the purple behind the oval tag I cut the punched tab piece in half and layered it to get a border as I didn't have any dies that size ( that led to the knotted ribbon to distract from the gaps on each side ;o) ~ the center panel actually has embossed lines on all four edges but for whatever reason only the top and bottom showed up in the scan ( I used my Score-Pal for this)

Thanks for stopping by!

Potted Plants with Paper Soft

Okay, you have to click on this photo LOL I am mighty pleased with myself - I've been really feeling that I've been lacking since I didn't have any Flower Soft to work with yet so I developed my own homemade version to stand in for now!!

STAMPS: Rare Image Rubber Stamps, GARDEN sheet

INKS: Stampin' Up! Mellow Moss, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Staz-On Jet Black, Distress Brushed Corduroy (I think),embossing, Pumpkin Pie

SUPPLIES: Tim Holtz Distress tool, ribbons, cotton string, purple rivet, McGill Multi-tags Scallop, stamp edge scissors, white embossing powder, heat gun, craft pad, water spritzer, finepoint black permanent marker, matte glue, sponges

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkies Watercolor Distress

SKETCH: SplitcoastStampers SC118 (mostly LOL)

NOTES: the green panel has the trowel and watercan images embossed in white ~ I added stems to the potted plant images with a permanant finepoint pen in black ~ to make the flower heads look a bit textural like Flower Soft would, I used the Distress tool to get a bunch of cardstock shavings in two shades of purple and green. I found it worked best to do two sheet thicknesses at once. To glue the shavings down I put the matte glue in the shape of flower heads and then used a paper piercer to pick the shavings up and apply them one little section at a time, not pressing them down much, just enough to attach to the glue. I call my little discovery Paper Soft LOL

Thanks for checking in! :o)

Faux Designer Paper and Rare Image Rubber Stamps

Just a quick post - it's late and I'm tired LOL

STAMPS: Rare Image Rubber Stamps

INKS: Staz-On Jet Black, Versa-Magic Dew Drops Spanish Olive and Purple Hydrangea, embossing ink

SUPPLIES: flower punch, flat-backed rhinestones, leaf ribbon, edged sheer ribbon, iron, embossing clear detail powder

TECHNIQUES: Technique Junkies Faux Designer Paper

G'night! :o)

A Manly Birthday ;o)

I just love the Stampinback cars carried by I Brake For Stamps and I wanted to highlight just this one by making it a really jazzy, happy birthday color.

STAMPS: I Brake For Stamps
INKS: Marvy Turquoise #14, Staz-On Jet Black
SUPPLIES: colored pencils, Gamsol, paper stub, silver rimmed tag, brad, Sharpie in blue, white acrylic paint, foam brush, Cuttlebug and Spots and Dots folder, sm. circle punch, plastic coated polka dot field ribbon, Sakura Gelly Roll pen in glimmer
SKETCH: SplitcoastStampers #SC144
TECHNIQUE: Colored Pencil with Gamsol with marker over

NOTES: The bkgd was stamped in the turquoise repeatedly, then I used a foam brush to swish white acrylic paint over it ~ the Cuttlebugged strip is actually self-adhesive pipe? wrapping silver tape ~ the tag is silver rimmed also ~ the silver brad was colored with a blue Sharpie ~ bumpers and wheel hubs were colored in with the Gelly Roll glimmer pen ~ the Happy Birthday phrase is from the bottom line of the Happy Birthday Elvis stamp

Thanks for stopping in - I'm off to bed now that my pillows are out of the dryer! LOL

A Little Gardener

STAMPS: Rare Image Rubber Stamps GARDEN sheet

INKS: Distress Brushed Corduroy and Aged Mahogany, Staz-On Jet Black

SUPPLIES: Lyra watercolor crayons, wet paintbrush, flower punches, Stampin' Up! Snowflake punch, brayer, mesh, white acrylic paint, brass label holder, off-white brads, jute twine, pop-dots, dry embossing tool

SKETCH: SplitCoastStampers SC211

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkies Painted Mesh

NOTES: I didn't have the right colored flowers so I punched a few flowers, stamped them, edged them with a sponge, flipped them over and embossed them with an embossing tool, then pop-dotted a couple ~ the main image was stamped 3 times, then the boy and then the watercan were trimmed out and layered ~ the image was colored using a wet paintbrush and Lyra watercolor crayons ~ the reddish panels were direct to paper ~ the bkgd tan cs is stamped with the Garden quote, then I did the Painted Mesh over it

Thanks for stopping by! ~Nancy :o)

A limited-time special Technique Junkies offer from Pat:

Techniques on a budget!

The February issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter will be published in just two short weeks – and it features 15 techniques for the budget-minded. This issue features techniques that use basic supplies to create outstanding, beautiful artwork for your cards, scrapbook pages and other creative work.

You can start your subscription with the February issue – and have issues from February 2009 through December 2009 delivered to your doorstep -- for as little as $16.95. You will have access to those issues on the Technique Junkie Newsletter subscriber-only pages, too! All-told, you will have a minimum of 90 techniques delivered to your doorstep by the end of the year.

Are you already a subscriber, but need to renew? You can renew for a year for $16.95, also. Although it is only $16.95 for renewals to US addresses, Canadian and overseas have special pricing also:
*Canadian pricing: $18.50, Overseas: $22.95

Hurry, though, this offer will not last long!

Email Pat if you would like a PayPal invoice, or simply send a check to her to the address below (or email her for directions for paying directly with a credit card).

Pat Huntoon
http://patstamps.com
http://www.techniquejunkies.com
PO Box 16547
Stamford CT 06905

a note from Nancy: I've said a million times how much my TJ membership has helped me in my stamping so I won't go on and on here, but I will say I think this is the lowest price I've ever seen for the Newsletter, and you won't believe how much more it is worth!!!

Off topic but still arty :o)

I've had these 6 tiles lying around waiting to be put somewhere for the last couple years. The vegies are very 3-D (the pepper sticks out almost 2"!) and have an uneven shiny glaze, allowing the clay to show through. I just love them - they're made by the Fresh Fish company of MN - and if I remember right someone had them out at their garage sale for $1 when I came along. So I decided to hang them over my stove, to add color and remind me that vegetables are wonderful :o) Sorry for the rotten photo quality - I was too impatient to wait for better light! LOL

A card from the newest Rare Image Rubber Stamps GARDEN sheet, which currently is shipping domestically for just $1!

Card measures 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

STAMPS: Rare Image Rubber Stamps

TECHNIQUES: Technique Junkies Torn Frames, Magic Mesh

INKS: Distress Brushed Corduroy, Staz-On Jet Black, Stampin' Up! Kiwi Kiss

SUPPLIES: Lyra watercolor crayons, Stampin' Up! water brush, brayer, cotton twine, mesh, Tim Holtz distress tool, white Gesso

Thanks for stopping in and I hope the rest of your weekend is a good one :o)

Birthday Cake

I am still sick with the flu, and although I can feel I'm getting better each day my productivity is still really low. I feel like I'm doing everything in slow motion. So I won't even mention how long it took to put ONE card together!! LOL

(click for more detail)

Card measures 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

STAMPS: dog - Rare Image Rubber Stamps, cake and herringbone bkgd - Stampin' Up!, sentiment - My Favorite Things

INKS: Staz-On Jet Black

SUPPLIES: Cuttlebug folder 'Numbers', colored pencils, Inksentials white gel pen, black brad, pink embroidery floss, brayer, ribbon, paper flower, Colorbox Stylus sponge tip dauber, pop-dots, Nestibilities oval, scallop-edge scissors, small circle punch, white acrylic paint, glitter glue

SKETCH: MJ's #51

NOTES: sadly I don't own all the Nestibilities LOL so I cut the white oval with one, then used a pencil to trace around the outside edge of the die onto the green cs, then cut along the line with the scallop-edge scissors ~ I wanted a fancy brad but didn't have any to fit so I used a white gel pen on a black brad. It smeared a bit when I scanned it so I'd recommend using something more permanant, like acrylic paint, white nail polish, etc. and sealing it afterward ~ I put foam dots under the paper 'ribbon' with the sentiment on it for some dimension ~ the pink background was a scrap where I had brayered leftover pinks onto a scrap awhile ago, and I just ran it thru the Cuttlebug folder, then highlighted the numbers with white acrylic paint and the stylus sponge tip

If you're feeling like a stumped stamper I highly recommend checking out some sketch challenges, picking a layout you like, and going from there. It can take some of the what-do-I-do-first pressure off :o)

Love animals AND daily trivia?!

then you should definitely go check the two new clickable links I added to my sidebar - one for cats, one for dogs! They will take you right to a fun site with a daily quiz question and whether you get the answer right or not, it counts for food that goes to shelters to feed cats and dogs. Thanks to Shell for making me aware of this thru her blog! If you'd like your own clickable links there is an icon on the top of the site page labeled "Banners" and they make it SO easy.

And when you're done there, just in case you're glued to the computer and can't (or won't >;o) go stamp, check out the fun Jigsaw puzzle link under the Non-stamp related links in my sidebar :o)

Well, I still have the flu and believe it or not, my energy is used up for now! LOL

We have a Winner!!!

Well actually you're all winners in my book and I wish I had something to send to everyone! However, the Random Number Generator only picked one number and it was #11, so CONGRATULATIONS TO LAURIE!!! Email me with your address and I'll send the sets right out :o)

Happy New Year

Just got home last night from the final Christmas get-together with a terribly sore throat, and today I think I have the flu. So I'm trying to get what work I can done here but took time to make a card to wish you all a good start to the new year :o)

STAMPS: I Brake For Stamps (quarter sheet, also has a smaller single watch and a Happy New Year greeting)

INKS: Staz-On Jet Black, Distress Antique Linen

TECHNIQUE: Technique Junkies Aged Parchment

SUPPLIES: brass brads, colored pencils, sponges

NOTES: watch face and greeting block were stamped on white cardstock, edged with Antique Linen and a sponge, trimmed and applied with double stick tape

THANKS FOR STOPPING IN - CHECK BACK TOMORROW TO SEE WHO WINS THE SEE-D's SETS PREVIOUSLY POSTED AS BLOG CANDY...