Three kittens with mittens

Ah! Finally a card to post so I can join in on the Technique Junkies Holiday Blogstravaganza. Go see Pat's blog for links to more fun - giveaways, holiday card samples and links to other blogging TJ designers participating thru-out the month!!

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This card features an image from my Rare Image 'Family Pets' rubber sheet (see sidebar). This little kitten is originally from a vintage childs' reader - so cute! The plaid background and snowflakes are Stampin' Up!, the Snow circular words stamp is by Hero Arts, faux stitching from the Paper Salon tailored tins 'Hemlines' set, and the Holiday Cheer word stamp is Anna Griffith, I think (the set is unlabeled but looks like her line).

I started with a piece of kraft cardstock and stamped the distressed plaid background in black having inked only the outer edges of the rubber randomly and not the center, and then I sponged more black on the edges of the cs. I overstamped the snowflakes from the Lace Snowflakes set with white pigment ink, then embossed with white. I used Distress Weathered Wood to stamp the circular words randomly.

*tip*

Always make sure previous ink is dry and use the anti-static bag to swipe over your cardstock before adding any images that need embossing.

For the main panel I chose three different sheets of blue cs and stamped the kitten twice on each one, trimming one of each into a rectangle as shown to do the TJ Warhol technique. On the remaining pieces I stamped the plaid in white and then trimmed out just the dresses. I glued these onto the panels as shown, and also adhered mittens stamped on white cs.

I colored all the kitten fur in with white pencil, and then colored over this with colored pencils, using some white gel pen on the eyes. I really wanted the kittens to stand out from the background so I went around all the edges with a dark gray marker.

Next I adhered the three panels to a scrap, evening up any uneven edges with a paper trimmer before I stamped and embossed some faux stitching in white along the seams. This panel was layered to a black panel, then mounted onto the background panel. For the snowflakes I just punched white scraps and then stamped the words onto them with the blue ink. I wanted a little finishing so I lightly edged each one with a Sakura Gelly Roll shimmer pen.

For the word panel I used a Cuttlebug die, cutting one oval tag from blue and one from white. I overstamped the blue tag with the words and the blue ink, then the small snowflakes (PSX) in white, and then the Holiday Cheer in black Staz-On. I punched some holes around the edges, backed the blue oval with the white one, and then sponged black ink around edges. I threaded black gingham ribbon over white grosgrain thru the end slots, and then affixed brushed silver brads to each side.

*tip*

When you're going to put brads thru ribbon, use an Exacto knife to pierce the fabric first and you won't end up with those annoying pinched marks in the ribbon.

Also, to trim ribbons like this just fold the end in half lengthwise and use sharp scissors to cut diagonally.

Stay tuned - next up is a holiday card with a penguin!

Paper Lantern Flower

Yay - finally got some stamping play time late last night! I've had a half sheet of beautiful Asian-inspired images by I Brake For Stamps sitting on my desk, calling out to me, all week long. If you like the stamps used on this card and you go looking for them, the sheet just so happens to be on the 'Specials' page over on the site!!

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I thought the Technique Junkie Paper Lantern technique from the Oct 04 issue would be perfect for this set of stamps. I like that the flower is just bold enough to hold it's own among the crimping.

*tip*

If you know you're going to crimp your cardstock, try to trim it to the size you need first, because I have found cutting after crimping can stretch out the edge just enough to make it look out of proportion.

I used Twinkling H2O's on the main image, including some champagne color around the image, to add very subtle shimmer. Even tho the technique calls for black ink on the ridges, I needed a softer look so I added some Ranger Archival Inks Sepia without going over the main image. The butterfly was colored loosely, with alot of water on the brush, and then trimmed closely and outlined with a drier brush and coppery-brown. I attached it using Glue Dots strips, just along the body, so that in real life it's very 3D. I used Stampin' Up's Natural cardstock, which is pretty heavy weight, for the main image panel and the butterfly, so it's very sturdy.

To make the frame I just cut strips on an angle and then smeared Staz-On Timber Brown ink from the pad along the edges, getting more on in spots for interest. The green panel is crumpled, smoothed and then gone over lightly with a Distress Antique Linen pad to accent the creasing. For the main back panel I used Brilliance Galaxy Gold to repeatedly stamp the symbol. Just layer together onto a piece of burnt orange cs, adding small gold brads to the corners, and it's done!

Here's hoping your weekend is a really great one!!

Patina Flower Block

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

(Click photo for more detail)

Two things about my stamping 1) I rarely use any patterned paper and that's why I love the TJ thing so much - gives me almost unlimited options for interesting backgrounds, etc., and b) >;o) I generally can't see my finished card in my mind when I start a project so I make it up as I go.

I got the idea to emboss in a light shade and color in the flower from a card by Glenda C. posted on the Technique Junkies Retired Stampin' Up Card Gallery pages (under Reverse Prints). These pages are open for anyone to go look at and there is a Current Sets Gallery also. If you've never checked it out go see! It's amazing how many cards Pat has posted there!!

The background border is the Patina technique from the current Technique Junkies October newsletter. I hated to cover it all up but I always seem to make my main image panels too big and then my background pieces end up WAAAYYYY in the background! LOL

For the main image panel I started with Stampin' Up!'s Very Vanilla cardstock and stamped the Judi-kins artist's names background on it in Distress Antique Linen. Then I inked the flower block image from the retired Stampin' Up! set Reverse Prints with embossing ink and covered it with off-white semi-transparent embossing powder. I filled in the flower/weed with SU markers.

I used a sponge to add more Antique Linen over all and around the edges, then added Distress Tea Dye around the image with a small stencil brush. I added more Tea Dye around the edges, then a small amount of Distress Walnut Stain.

I stamped the verse "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song For he has done marvelous things." PS 98:1 by Biblical Impressions/Eureka and Rejoice by Stampin' Up! in Palette Burnt Umber ink. (Just a sidenote and why I picked this verse: I was running errands this afternoon and while I was sitting in my car waiting for the light to turn, I saw the most amazing grass seedheads in the median! They went sideways and hung there like bleeding heart blooms would. I had never noticed this type and was so amazed at the precision of each one, wondering what the purpose of that shape was. Seems the longer I live the more proof I find that nothing in God's creation is random and I always love to find out how/why.)

To add some dimension I used the previous Distress inks to add second generation flourishes from the See-D's/now InkBoutique Shabby Chic and Aged and Elegant sets.

When I got ready to layer cs to finish I found I didn't own any brown to match or even blend with what I had used for ink. Argh. So I swiped my Distress Walnut Stain pad over scrap SU Very Vanilla till it was completely covered.

And that's it! :o)

Thanks for looking!!

a HOT technique!! LOL

This card features a technique from the Ultimate Subscriber section of Technique Junkies called Reverse Soot Stamping, and I really enjoyed doing it. My only tip - when it says keep water nearby it's no joke!! I actually did all my soot work over the bathroom sink and that worked great.

The cardstock colors I used were Stampin' Up!'s retired In-Colors Cool Caribbean and Cranberry Crisp and then some generic gray toned ones to blend with the soot effect.

The horses image is from a retired Stampin' Up! set titled Equestrian Dream, the tracks quote is from Rubbernecker, and the blanket is Stamp Cabana. I looked thru all my Bible verse stamps hoping for a good visual one in the right size but came up high and dry. Will have to look for some good ones in cool fonts soon... For the blanket, I smudged the blue and red inks plus Chocolate Chip onto the stamp right from the pads onto gray cs, then sponged a little more blue in, and then edged with a sponge and Chocolate Chip.

For the background behind the main panel I stamped SU's Sanded bkgd in the CC ink, then used a ruler and paper piercer to make a subtle border. This was layered onto the blue cs and then dark brown. It's really hard to see but there is an antiqued silver concho type bead in the center of the string which is fine linen twine.

I roughed up the gray cs with a Tim Holtz distressing tool, then layered onto a blue cs with sponged brown edges.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of the weekend!

Layered Collage Shells

Before I get to the stamping, I just have to say - how awesome are those Olympic athletes?!! I'm not generally a sports fan, or an athlete myself, but I realize how hard they would have had to have worked day in and day out to be where they are right now. I watched the Women's Marathon last night (never planned to do that in my life!) but the scenery of the city was beautiful and I actually cried when the winner circled the track to win. And Michael Phelps - so incredibly happy for him to have reached a seemingly unreachable place, and that his team mates got to contribute!

Okay, on to the card I made...

It took me till almost now to grow attached to the Stampin' Up! 2008 In-Colors LOL but they've finally grown on me!

This card features a technique I came up with and submitted to Pat and it's in the current Technique Junkie newsletter (bowing humbly here LOL ;o). It's called Layered Collage and you really only need 4-5 stamps and 3 ink colors. It's very simple, and gives a complicated collage look for those who feel challenged but want to expand their style.

Click photo for more detail.

This card is quite large at 6" x 6 3/4" because the collage stamp I started with was already a big one.

I started with a Soft Sky cs, and used River Rock to stamp the Background Text - Medium (A Stamp in the Hand). I overstamped the Parisian Shell (Stampington & Company, generously given to me by my stampin' friend Cheri :o) using Groovy Guava. I stamped the shell (an ancient PSX stamp) and starfish (an even more ancient Comotion stamp!) as shown using Blue Bayou. I wanted the shell skeleton to have some added interest so I used my Signo white gel pen to highlight and my rubber-tipped Colour Shaper to shadow with the blue ink. I roughed up the edges with a Tim Holtz distressing tool and layered it to a Blue Bayou cs panel.

I stamped the quote (and by Nature I'm sure he meant God ;o) by Northwoods Rubber Stamps on a River Rock panel in BB ink. I got out my stamp positioner (which I would definitely take with me to a deserted island, were I able to stamp LOL) and stamped the shell and starfish on the bkgd panel as shown. I layered this panel to a True Thyme cs and set aside.

Well, you know how I hate to break down and use designer paper for anything LOL so for the main background, I used a piece of SU's Whisper White cs and ran my GG pad over the whole thing. I marked it up further with some RR ink straight from the pad, and then used a sponge to edge the whole thing lightly with TT.

Enjoy your Sunday - may it be restful :o)

Bandana Dog

Here's another fabulously user-friendly technique from the new Technique Junkies newsletter! It's called Bandana, and the results are striking every time. The feel of the piece changes so much depending on the stamp images and colors used.

Click photo for more detail

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

I had the background made and waiting around for a good use, and had also been meaning to try making a bandana for this dog in particular (from my Rare Image Rubber Stamps sheet on the sidebar). When I saw last week's SplitCoastStampers layout, it all came together in my mind. PLUS, I had just picked up a pack of this greenish khaki paper at a garage sale and was itching to try it out (very close to Stampin' Up!'s River Rock, with a bit less green).

I stamped the dog on the white panel, masked it with a Post-It, then masked the sky area, and sponged SU's River Rock over the grassy area, darkening shadows, etc. with a colored pencil. I reversed the sky mask to cover the grass, and sponged SU's Soft Sky over all, and then SU's Blue Bayou over the right side.

I laid a piece of see thru paper over the dog, traced a line where I wanted a bandana to go, and laying the paper over a scrap of my Bandana background cardstock, trimmed it and adhered it as shown. I used a little blueish grey marker to shadow his legs, then layered the main panel to black, and then to Blue Bayou.

On the background panel I stamped SU's Scratched bkgd in River Rock, then sponged the edges with same. I cut my triangles from the Bandana bkgd cardstock, layered them onto black and adhered as shown, adding the phrase (Kolette Hall, from Michael's 1$ bin) in black Staz-On, and the brads. I adhered this panel to a black cardfront.

*tip*

Anytime I need triangles, I measure a square, cut it on the diagonal, and perfect edges every time! To do layering, just add another 1/4" or more to the size of the original square for the next layer's square.

Thanks for stopping by! :o)

Tres Pears

Here's another card featuring a background technique from the current Technique Junkies newsletter called Pearlized Gesso. The crosshatch pattern is shimmery in real life (what looks like yellow is actually gole) and yet is subtle enough not to scream "BLIIIING!!" The card is actually more muted in person.

For the main image panel, I inked the pear stamp (Hampton Art Stamps) with mustard ink, then rocked just the edges in the green pad to get a graduated tone. I inked the stem with the brown ink, and stamped the center pear on Stampin' Up!'s cream cardstock. I then masked this by stamping the pear on a Post-It, trimming closely, and placing over the stamped pear. I stamped the pear two more times, one on each side, before removing the mask. I stamped a mesh texture (All Night Media) in brown ink along the bottom, and over stamped this with the Pears text stamp (A Stamp in the Hand).

I sponged the bottom edge with the brown ink, and the top with the mustard. I layered the main image panel to dark brown, then over an openwork green woven fiber ribbon that was wrapped around the background panel. The photo tabs are antiqued gold, and the ribbon is tied with thin linen cord.

Thanks for looking!

Thank you, and a card!

Thanks to any of you who wrote, or thought of us, or kept us in your prayers since Stripey's passing away - it has helped more than you know and we appreciate it so much. Chevy is doing well - his exuberant personality has helped and the other cats are good at distracting him (I mean, he is easily distracted LOL) Yes, we can actually laugh again here :o)

Here's a close-up of my favorite technique from the current Technique Junkies newsletter and also my favorite card that I made for the issue. I'll be posting some more close-ups this week... Also, go see Pat's blog for more!

Card measures 6" x 5 1/4"

I used Distress Broken China, Faded Jeans, and Weathered Wood, and I love how they blended together. The flourishy stamps are Autumn Leaves, the phrase is Time to Stamp/I Brake for Stamps, the sand dollar is DeNami, and the starfish is from an older Close to My Heart shells set. The Cuttlebug folder is D'vine Swirls.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more!