Thursday, December 31, 2015

Cut Borders From the Past

This is my last post for 2015!  Tomorrow will be the first Blog Hop of 2016!  While this card is not your typical Happy New's Years greeting, the sentiment is still true.   Don't stop playing in 2016, play with new things, play with new tools, play with new stamps, learn a new game, learn a new technique.  Continuing to play and to learn helps to keep your brain young!  


When I first read the directions for the Cut Border technique, I thought of these froggie stamps. I stamped them near the edge of my card stock. I colored the froggies with my Copic Markers.  The verse is from Stamper's Anonymous.

I punched holes for the brads. Then put the ribbon in the middle of the brad prongs, and pushed the prongs in the punched hole.  That created the gathers in ribbon.  Fun, isn't it?

Continue to learn, continue to play, and continue to share.  Have fun and enjoy 2016.  I hope your 2016 year is full of great blessings for each of you. Even if sad things happen (and they probably will) look for the good even in the sad occurrences of life.  I have had to learn to do this.

Blessings on each of you!

Judy

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Looking Back at A Smooched Card

When Smooch Paints first came out I was asked to demonstrate how to use them at a stamp convention.  I had to do a lot of experimenting with them and find out how they would work on different types of paper - both glossy and matte.   In that process I learned quite a bit about them. 

Here are some things I learned:
1. Smooch paints have a lovely shimmer
2. Smooch paints dry quickly on card stock
3. Smooch paints are opaque in nature
4. You can use Smooch paints on matte and glossy card stock, acetate, and metal.  
5. However, because are a "paint" they do not dry quickly on acetate or metal.  Thin coats will dry the best.  You can apply a thin coat and let it dry or use a heat tool to dry it. Then apply another thin coat and let it dry.  If you use too many coats or apply it thickly on acetate or metal it will not dry well.
6. When you mix Smooch paints with water the pigment in the paint separates. However, it is an interesting look.  But if you wanted the color to remain the same and just be less opaque you will be disappointed. 
7. You can  apply Smooch paints directly to rubber and then stamp.  However, you must clean your stamp immediately or it will dry on the stamp and be very difficult to remove. 

I saw Pat Huntoon at that stamp show and she asked me to write tutorials using these versatile products.  So somewhere in the archives of of the Technique Junkie newsletters are several tutorials using these products. Some were written by me and some by other folks.

Applying the Smooch paint directly to rubber is the technique I used to create this card. The rose is from Inkadinkadoo. The other stamps are from Stampin' Up!.

You have to sort of think in reverse when you apply inks or paint to a rubber stamp in order to stamp the image you wish to have.  Whatever ink you have on the top of the stamp is what is going to show.  So I painted the rose with a red Smooch paint, and then I applied the green paints (I used two colors) to the stem and the leaves.  I quickly "huffed" on the ink and stamped the image on black glossy card stock.  I did the same thing again and stamped the rose a second time.  Then I trimmed and mounted it on layers of card stock.  I used a large background stamp and inked it with an Opalite ink pad on matte black card stock.   I applied Smooch paints in two thin layers of color to the metal buckle.  Because the brush tip is really a type of flexible silicone and not bristles, you have excellent control over where the ink will be applied.  Then I stamped and punched out a greeting and layered it with another punched out piece of card stock.  I applied the ribbon and metal buckle embellishment -- and Ta-Da! I am done.

This would be a lovely wedding card or a move to new job, or a move to another part of our country, and so on.  You could change the stamped greeting to Happy Birthday, etc.

Have a inky week!


Monday, December 28, 2015

Another Blast from the Past

2016 will quickly be here.  The Technique Junkie Design Team is working on new cards with the new stamps!  January 1 we will have a Blog Hop showing off the new stamps!

But for now, I am sharing a few of my favorite works of art from times past!



This card was created with the Watercolor Reinkers technique!  I used stamps from Rogue Redhead stamps, Impression Obsession stamps, and from Too Much Fun rubber stamps. It is a fun technique creating a unique canvas on which to stamp an image.  I found in using this technique that I couldn't decide what stamp to use until the paper had dried.  Then I let the colors and pattern within the colors "speak" to me about which image I should use. 

One of the things I have always enjoyed about the Technique Junkie newsletter and CDs is the huge variety of techniques available in one place.   I enjoy learning new techniques to utilize the materials I have in a better way, and of course to learn about new products that I now have to have!  


Have a wonderfully inky day!  What you learned new in the stamping world?

Judy

Friday, December 25, 2015

A Christmas Card Memory Down Memory Lane

This will be very final Christmas card to share with you for 2015.    This card also is symbolic of my faith.

Even as a toddler, the young Jesus had the shadow of the Cross in His future.  This scene is so easy for me to imagine.  Joseph was a carpenter and I am sure there were many times the young child was in the carpenter shop with Joseph.   My son-in-law  is a carpenter by trade.  He doesn't just do this at work, he works in the garage at home.  Often his three children play out in the garage while he works on whatever project he is working on.  

I used a photo stamp that I have had in my collection for many years. But since I unmounted it, and forgot to write down which company produced this stamp I no longer know that information.  The verse is from Stampin' Up.  

To get a good stamped image from a detailed photo stamp, there are a few steps.  First of use dye ink.  Lay your stamp down with the image up. Use a rubber brayer and thoroughly  brayer ink over the the die image in BOTH directions.  This assures good coverage.  Use glossy card stock - but not photo paper.  If you try this with photo paper, it will be a mess.  Lay your glossy card stock over the image which is still face up.  Gently but firmly put one hand in the middle of the of the back of the card stock. This helps to keep the image from moving around,  Gently but firmly rub your fingers over all of the image. Let it sit for a few seconds, and then gently pull up the card stock off of the stamp die.  Let it air dry.   Remember that dye ink on glossy card stock takes several minutes to dry completely. 

Then you should be good to go!  

"Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15.  May you know the presence of the Risen Savior this Christmas season. 

Merry Christmas, 
Judy

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Another Look Down Memory Lane

The technique for today is Deconstructed Collage.  It is just about as it sounds in the name of the technique.  You basically deconstruct a collage image.   It is fun to do but very tedious!

The image came from Twisted Papers. Iused stamps from Our Daily Bread and Impression Obsession.

I finally sent this Christmas card this year to my sister-in-law and she loved it!


Enjoy this Christmas holiday with your family!

Judy

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

A Second Look Down Memory Lane

During these couple of weeks in December, I am sharing cards from various card I created using Technique Junkie techniques but not the the TJ stamps.  I am going back and finding cards I created several years ago.  You may or may not have seen these before!

The card I am sharing today using two Technique Junkie  techniques - Pulled Glimmers and By the Inch. The stamps I used are all from Artistic Outpost. I used a lot of Distress Inks and glimmer spray made from Perfect Pearls and water. The verse is stamped on colored vellum.


I hope you enjoy these cards in these visits down Memory Lane. Have a wonderful Christmas -- however you celebrate!

Judy

Monday, December 21, 2015

Love My Shoes!

Nearly every woman knows that the right shoes can "make" the outfit!  I don't know many women who (even as we grow older and older) do not want their shoes to meet 2 basic qualifications: comfort and style.  These two characteristics bounce back and forth in importance depending on how and when we will wear a particular pair of shoes. But no matter what the occasion or purpose for our shoes, women still want comfort and style in our shoes. Even the women I know who would be classified as "senior citizen" want their shoes to be stylish and/or cute.  So we love our shoes.  

I always had more shoes than my husband did. And he had more shoes than most men.  But retirement has brought about different needs for different styles of shoes than when I was working. But style and comfort are still important.  

So I just love this Technique Junkie November Release stamp Love My Shoes! http://techniquejunkies.com/love-my-shoes/.   I also used the November Release Technique Junkie stamp Celebrate in Style http://techniquejunkies.com/celebrate-in-style/.  Don't they go together perfectly?

I used the Antique Glimmers technique for the background and then stamp the shoe randomly over the background.  I inked up the shoe in a pigment ink (and the sentiment) and covered both with clear embossing powder and heat embossed them both. I used dye based markers to water color the shoe and added a few rhinestones for bling.  I layered the shoe on a vellum overlay to add a little more depth. I ran the shoe through my Xyron machine so I knew it would stick down very well.  I punched out the sentiment and layered it on another punched out piece of bright pink card stock.  


For the second card, I used the same Technique Junkie shoe stamp,heat embossed it with clear embossing powder, and color it in with Copic markers. For the background panel I stamped the Technique  stamp Love Fulfilled http://techniquejunkies.com/love-fulfilled/.  I stamped it on a white piece of card stock and then spayed it with Art Anthology Colorations Sprays. http://techniquejunkies.com/techniques-and-tutorials/products-and-accessories/?sort=featured&page=3.  I stamped the sentiment Live in the Present http://techniquejunkies.com/live-in-the-present/ on a piece of vellum and then tore the vellum to add interst. I placed it on the background panel placing the adhesive under the shoes. The shoe is popped up with foam tape that I could easily cut to fit correctly. 


Both of these shoe cards are very different and very unique in how I used the stamp.Do you have a favoite.

I hope your fingers are getting inky!


Saturday, December 19, 2015

A Look Down Memory Lane

I am in this phase of waiting now.  I have now received new Technique Junkie stamps and will start working on them today.  But I cannot show you anything "new" with the new stamps until January 1 which will be a blog hop day. I am finished making any Christmas cards for 2015.  So I though for the next two weeks I will show you some cards I made years ago for the Technique Junkie newsletter. If you had been a subscriber for many, many years you may remember some of these. I will be showing you for the next couple of weeks some of my favorite cards I created for the Technique Junkie newsletter. 



The technique was called Smooched Metal. I used stamps from Stamper Anonymous and Inkadinkadoo.


As a rubber stamper I have learned to appreciate the various qualities of many inks. Not all inks are created equal. Distress Inks are a unique kind of dye based inks and they are really fun to work with. 

The metal tag near the top is where I used the Smooched Metal technique. I used the Brick Texture Fades embossing folder and that is where I used the Worn Wallpaper technique. I added some filmstrip acetate strip, a vintage photo, a ticket piece, Tissue Tape, various ribbons, and a chip board button from my stash to add different elements to the card. 

This card is larger than most cards I have created. It will likely be a "one-of-a-kind" card. It was certainly fun to make!

Have a wonderful day!


Thursday, December 17, 2015

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!

If you are a fellow stamper, then you are probably like me in several ways. You like paper, and you have a lot of it. You like  ribbon, and you probably have a lot of it. You like embellishments, and you have a lot of them.  And you like (or love!) stamps, and you have a lot of them,  you follow blogs -- blogs of friends, blogs of folks you have never met and probably will not ever meet, you follow stamp company blogs, and you have a Pinterest account to get ideas for your cards.  I admit to all of the above.  And I do follow blogs - and there are quite a few,  I not only look through Pinterest for card ideas - I have a Pinterest account.

I get ideas for cards from many places - doctor's offices, bookstores, grocery stores, bill boards, magazines, clothing, Pinterest, Splitcoast Stampers, and from blogs of other people.  Some blogs are written by demonstrators for various companies, and some blogs are written by ordinary folks who just love to stamp.    While I own a lot of stamps, I do not own all of the stamps available on the market.  Therefore I seldom have the exact same  stamp(s) that a blog author will use.  But I get card ideas from the layouts or the design of the card.

Th card I will show you today is the result of  a card I saw on a blog.   I am not telling you the name of the blog author -- because I did not CASE the card -- I only was inspired by the lay out.


I used stamps from the Technique Junkie  Stamps Coffee Quotes set http://techniquejunkies.com/coffee-quotes/   to make my card. It is a Technique Stamp set. The coffee pot and the cups were all colored in Copic markers.

I know plenty of people who believe in drinking coffee -- and lots of it!

Have a great inky day!

Monday, December 14, 2015

Merry Christmas Nativity Die Cut Card



I am sure all of you fellow paper crafters will all know and understand  when I say when you get a new tool that you saw used for a neat card, then you want to use it almost as soon as you get it!  That us what happened to me.  I got both the Nativity die and the words die last February. I wasn't inspired for a Christmas card then.  But when I got the new embossing folder in a recent Stampin' Up order, I wanted to use it right away.  Even though I had already sent out most of my Christmas cards, I still wanted to use that folder!

I knew that this folder needed to be used to make a slightly larger card than a standard A-2 card. So I measured and used a piece of red card stock the complete size of the folder.  The embossing design goes right to the edge of the folder.  The middle of the embossing folder is empty and I wanted to layer a panel over the top to cover the empty space.  I cut the Nativity die out of black card stock.  I layered the die cut on Whisper White card stock.

That left space for a greeting.  I used a die cut of two words from the die set from Tim Holtz featuring holiday words.  I used a Stardust Gel Pen over the words to add some shimmer.

The Nativity die is from Cottage Cutz.  I used several colors of Smooch paints on the black card stock for the Nativity scene to add some color to some of the features.

Are you looking forward to Christmas Day?  I know I am.  It is always fun to see the excitement of little ones at Christmas time!

Have a wonderful Christmas.  May you all know the Lord's blessing on your life!

Judy


Friday, December 11, 2015

Wishing You Well!

I have another lovely card with the Old Pier Technique Junkie Stamp http://techniquejunkies.com/old-pier/.  I think it is a beautiful stamp and could be used for many occasions.   The background panel started with a white piece of card stock and then -- of course - Iused the Antique Glimmers technique, I used three shades of blue and a purple.  I wish the purple would have shown up a little more. 


I inked up the stamp with Versafine Black ink, then covered that ink with clear detail embossing powder, Then I used my heat gun and embossed it.  That made the details stand out more than just stamping with black ink.Then I used a Signo white gel pen and highlighted the waves in place all over the water.  That really added a touch of realism to the scene.

The sentiment comes from the Technique Junkie stamp set Sentimental Sayings http://techniquejunkies.com/sentimental-sayings/.   I stamped with Versafine black ink and heat embossed it as described above.  I ran it through my Xyron machine and layered it on blue card stock.  A few blue square rhinestones to embellish and it is done!

I hope this day finds you well and eager to stamp!


Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Old Friends

There are several things that are very important in life.  For me my faith is the most important.  Next would be family and followed closely after that would be friends -- especially friends you have had for a long, long time.  Connection with family is important -- you have a shared familial history that is not shared with anyone else - even if that family history has some rocky memories.  But old friends also have  shared experiences that others may not know about or even understand.   In times of struggles these shared experiences and love can be a very real help.   This sentiment on the Technique Junkie stamp Old Friends http://techniquejunkies.com/old-friends/ captures that emotion beautifully.  Even if you only inked up the sentiment top stamp and not the ladies, this stamp is worth having in your collection. At least in my opinion.    I stamped this image on vellum and colored it ink dye based markers.


To create this card I used the Antique Glimmers technique on a white panel. Then I stamped the Technique Junkie stamp Old Pier http://techniquejunkies.com/old-pier/.   I inked it with Memento Tuxedo back ink.  I tore the vellum around the  stamped image of Old Friends, ran it through a Xyron adhesive machine and place it on the  background panel. Then I layered it on black card stock, tied a shimmery blue ribbon around that panel and then adhered it to the base card.

Have a great inky day! 


Friday, December 4, 2015

O Come All Ye Faithful

After a month of sharing Technique Junkie Christmas cards -- I am now going to share some Christmas cards made with other vendors.  Todays card is a new set from Stampin' Up!  I am not a demonstrator for Stampin' Up!-- just a happy customer.

This card has a "Z-fold."  Score your 4 1/4 inch by 11 inch piece of card stock at 5 1/2 inches.   Then score the front panel at 2 3/4 inches. Fold your base card stock in half at the 5 1/2 inch score mark. Then fold the front panel backwards toward the first fold.  

I adhered scraps of background paper cut to fit on the folded front panel.   I stamped both the Nativity scene stamps and the verse with memento black ink. After it dried then I painted the scene.  I stamped about 20 panels with this scene so I painted them all in production line fashion. The first things I did were to use Copic markers for all of the skin that showed.  Then I used a metallic marker for all of the crowns and gifts.  I painted all of the yellow robes first on each panel, then all of the purple portions, then all of the reds, and so on.  That makes projects like this go faster because you do not have to clean your paint brush between each color on the picture. You only clean the color off once - when you  have completed painting all of a particular color for all of the card panels. 

Trim and layer the panel to fit on each card.  Be careful when adding the adhesive because you only put adhesive on the left side of layered panel.  Choose an inside verse that will easily fit underneath the panel so it will not show when the card is closed. 

While I think the card is very nice -- it is all flat with no other embellishments so it will not need extra postage.  That is a good thing at Christmas time - and it helps to hold down the mailing cost  at Christmas time.

Have a wonderful day and I hope you get inky!

Judy Jackson

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Two Similar Christmas Cards

As a stamper, I subscribe to many blogs for inspiration.  I do not always have the exact same stamps another stamper uses. Some times I do, but I will ALWAYS do something different to make the card my own.   Several weeks ago, Patty Bennett used some stamps from a new Stampin' Up set.  I did not have that set, nor did I have all of the exact same embellishments so I did it differently.

I created two cards - one with a white base card and one with a blue-green  base card. I am not sure which one I like best.


First I used a 3/4 inch punch and punched out a moon stamping two post it notes together.  One sheet is just too thin and will not punch well.  Then I tore a very fine edge off of a 5 inch wide post it note so it would still stick for the mask. I placed the moon mask up in the sky, and the horizon post it note about 1 1/2 inches up from the bottom of the white panel. I used Island Indigo ink for every thing.  I took a sponge and starting swiping the sponge back and forth over the sky, starting off of the paper and bringing the swiping down to the horizon line.  I made the top of the skyline darker.  

Then I removed the moon mask.  I used the taller version of the two long stamps in the new Tree Line - Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous.  All of the trees came from this set.  I inked up the trees and stamped over the horizon post it note.  Then i removed the stamp and "huffed" on it to dampen the ink again and moved the stamp to a new position, and stamped again.  That creates depth of field in the scene. 

Then I used a vellum piece that was exactly the same size at the stamped panel.  I positioned the tree and the sentiment (a retired stamp from Stampin' Up). I inked both stamps with Island Indigo ink  and stamped it near the bottom of the vellum panel.  Then I used a tiny random dot stamp (retired from Stampin' UP), inked it up with White Brilliance ink and stamped over all of the vellum.  That helps to give the impression of snow falling.  I used vellum adhesive on the back side under the tree and the "mas" in Christmas and adhered to the tree line panel.  

I layered that panel on a blue-green Star Dream text weight paper from Marco's or Paper Impressions. I then layered that panel on the base card.

Which card do you like best -- the white base card or the blue-green base card? 

Have you finished making your Christmas cards yet?  I hope to have them all mailed by the time you read this post!  

Judy

Monday, November 30, 2015

Are Rules Made to Be Broken?

Now we are almost into the month of December,. My Christmas cards are mailed. The Christmas decorations are out. Presents are bought and wrapped (I hope -I am writing this post in early November), and I have mostly moved on to mostly other things than Christmas cards.

When I was at the York Heirloom show and shopped at Pat Huntoon's Technique Junkie booth I bought some new stamps.  I am only now getting to make cards with these. This is one of those new stamps I bought.

Then I must also confess - sometimes as stampers we just hit a dry spell, when we cannot think of a new card layout or a new placement of element on the front of the card.  There are some things you can do about this when it hits.  You can give up until inspiration hits you.  That is not a good option in my opinion although it has happened tome this way in the past when I have been ill for a while.

Or you can look for new card front layouts and new ways of presenting the focal image.  There are lots of places on the internet to do this.  I subscribe to  a lot of blogs for this purpose. I follow those blogs whose author pays attention to detail and the way they create fits my own creative thinking.  Sometimes they do not show cards with stamps I like (or own for that matter) but I will like the layout. I will save those images.

You can look on Splitcoast Stampers for cards made with a specific stamp set or with a particular theme or subject matter in their search box.  I have searched both ways.  And in the last few years you can look on interest.  I rarely just "go" to Pinterest but use the email they send me to find new things.   And that was how I found this layout.  I thought it was perfect for this stamp set from Technique Junkie Stamps!

The Technique Junkie focal image stamp set is The Rules -  http://techniquejunkies.com/the-rules/.  I also used the Vintage Dictionary stamp http://techniquejunkies.com/vintage-dictionary-page/  for punching out the small squares.  Then I stamped - Love My Shoes http://techniquejunkies.com/love-my-shoes/  .  I only colored in the flowers because most of the shoe image would be tossed away.  I used a small flower punch and ;punched out an area within the stamped flower image.

All stamped images were colored in with Copic Markers.  I used a border punch and 2 layering square punches.   I stamped the lady first, then placed the layered squares, and then stamped the  two sentiments.  I swiped my Winkastella pen the dress and the hat, and the decorative part on the shoes.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Another Set of Park Walk Cards

I have two more for you today using the Technique Junkie November Release of Park Walk   . I also used some "mountain die cuts" I recently was able to purchase at the York Heirloom stamp show. 

This is the first card to show you today.  I used the dies and cut colored vellum - using green for the hills in the foreground and purple for the mountains in the distance. I layered them on top of each other to create depth.  I used Antique Glimmers of white card stock for the sky.  I colored the Park Walk image with Art Anthology Colorartions sprays  and you can find them on this web page - http://techniquejunkies.com/products-and-accessories/art-anthology-products/  .
 I sprayed the bottom of the  focal image of Park Walk.   I used the Coloration spray to give a "glow" on the focal image.  I sponged  green ink on the trees, and darker blue ink at the edge of the sky of the focal image.


I used a sentiment from the set Mae West Sentiments http://techniquejunkies.com/mae-west-sentiments/ and heat embossed it. I also used a chalk marker to color in the snow on the mountains.



And now for the vest similar second card!

Almost everything is the same -- except the orientation and this time I used Flower Soft on the mountain's. 

So which card do you prefer?  The card with the focal image on the right or on the left?  The card with the chalk marker or the card with Flower Soft?

Have a wonderfully inky day and a terrific Thanksgiving tomorrow!





Monday, November 23, 2015

Park Walk - Two Cards

I am show casing a new stamp from the Technique Junkie Stamps November Release.  It is called Park Walk     . Today I will be showing two VERY similar cards using this stamp and the stamp Pont Alexandre III http://techniquejunkies.com/pont-alexandre-iii/

The first card also uses Celebrate in Style     . 
 
I used Art Anthology Colorartions sprays  and you can find them on this web page - http://techniquejunkies.com/products-and-accessories/art-anthology-products/  .
  I sprayed the bottom of both the background stamp of Pont Alexandre III and the smaller focal image of Park Walk. I used the Art Anthology gel medium in a yellow tone to paint in the street lamps.  I used the Coloration spray to give a "glow" on the focal image.  I sponged navy blue ink on the background image, green ink on the trees, and navy ink at the edge of the sky of the focal image. I added some glimmer sprays to both parts of this card to add some glimmering stars in the night sky.
The verse at the top of the card was heat embossed in detail gold powder.   I added a ruffled ribbon at the bottom of the smaller focal image. 

The next card is "almost the same."  The Pont Alexandre II stamp was inked up with Versafine Black ink, and then I used detail black embossing powder and heat embossed it.  I used a verse from  Mae West Sentiments -http://techniquejunkies.com/mae-west-sentiments/  and heat embossed it in detail gold powder.    
 
Al of the other elements are the same. 
 
I am wondering which card do you like the best?  Since they are so similar it is difficult for me to tell. Have a wonderful day!
 


Sunday, November 22, 2015

Thanksgiving Place Cards

I have a large extended family and we live close enough that we often are together for Thanksgiving. I am the "usual" hostess for Thanksgiving every year. We all do our thing for Christmas.   This year our familial group will be smaller than it has been for years because other extended family units will be elsewhere --and for a variety of reasons.  One of the great nieces has a first baby due to arrive on Thanksgiving Day!  So her Mom and Dad and many of her siblings will also be there instead of here.  Other family members are in Australia and New Zealand, and their children are are with their in-laws. And other family members will be with family elsewhere.  So we only have 14 here this year.  Most years we have close to 30 or more.  Therefore place cards are a necessity for seating in tight quarters.

Depending on the year and who all is coming, I may or may not have enough place cards from previous years.  This is one of those years.   So I needed to make new ones. Since Thanksgiving is next week, this years place cards needed to be EASY!  And these are that for sure!



I saw the pumpkin pie somewhere on line.  There were no instructions and it was on a regular card.  I thought I could figure it out.  I had to do some trial and errors with different things. But here is what I finally did.
1.  I cut an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of crushed curry card stock in four pieces and folded each piece in half on the longest side.
2.  I stamped the Scripture verse from Our Daily Bread Stamps at the bottom.
3.  I stamped each name in the top right hand corner.  I used PegZ alphabet stamps to create each name.
4. I used a "Happy Thanksgiving" stamp from Stampin' Up! on the pie after I cut the slice out.
5. I punched these parts of the pie using these punches and colors:
    2 1/2 inch mirror silver card stock for the pie pan
    2 3/8 inch scallop punch - one of each Very Vanilla and Sahara Sand
    2 inch - Really Rust
    Autumn Gatherings strip die (Tim Holtz) - Very Vanilla
6. I assembled the pie first. Sahara Sand  on the bottom then off set with the Very Vanilla scallop punch outs. Then the Really Rust circle in the center.
7. I punched out a scrap color with the 2 inch circle punch.  And because I have forgotten all of my geometry and how to figure out the center of a circle, I cheated.  I used my scoring tool and scored the circle at one inch, then turned it and scored again at one inch, and so on until I had the section of the pie to cut out clearly marked.  Then I cut out the section of the pie, and use the rest as the template.  I drew faint pencil lines to show where to cut on my "pie."  I cut out the piece of pie.  Then I adhered the rest of the pie on the silver pie pan. I "pulled out" the piece of pie on the edge and adhered it.
8. Then I used glue dots to adhere the pie to the place card - making sure that the words were straight.
9. I used scraps of very vanilla from punching out the scalloped circles and covered the smallest leaves on the die I chose. I used Winka Stella on the top of the leaves to resemble sprinkled sugar on the pie crust leaves.

And now here are all of the place cards together.


I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!





Friday, November 20, 2015

Wonderful Wreath Christmas

This is another simple and flat Christmas card with no extra postage required. 

First I cut background paper to 4x5 1/4 inches. Then i cut each piece in half at the 2 inch mark.

I stamped the three layers of the Wonderful Wreath from Stampin' Up! to create the wreath.  And I used the companion die set to cut out the wreath.  I stamped the bow on dotted red background card stock. Then cut them all out using the matching die for the bow. I misted the wreath and the background papers with glimmer spray.

I adhered to the wreath to a piece of vellum 3 12 x 4 inches. Then I used adhesive on the back of the vellum where the wreath was adhered to the front of the vellum. 

I hope you like this card! 

Judy Jackson

Monday, November 16, 2015

One More Technique Junkie Christmas Card!

I ran an white card stock panel through an embossing folder.  I highlighted those embossed parts with a sponge.  I stamped the Technique Junkie Merry Christmas http://techniquejunkies.com/merry-christmas/ in the center of the embossing folder.  There was no embossed areas in the center.  I used the Technique Junkie stamp Wasted http://techniquejunkies.com/wasted/ to add some texture to the rest of the empty spots. I only inked the smaller dots on the stamps. I used markers to color in the M and the C in the greeting.    A few rhinestones add that bling we all seem to like on our Christmas cards. 


And this ends the Christmas cards I have created to this date as I am writing.  But who knows, I may  make some more!  Have a wonderfully inky day!


Friday, November 13, 2015

30 Days of Christmas - Day 30!!

I have 2 more Christmas cards for you.  All of these Technique Junkie stamps were part of the September Release.

This first card shows the tree http://techniquejunkies.com/partridge-in-a-pear-tree/ and the verse below embossed in white.  I used Copic markers to color in the pears and the partridge in a pear tree!  The grass and sky were sponged in. 



The second card features the Technique Junkie stamp Joy http://techniquejunkies.com/joy/. I used a specialty Christmas embossing folder. I had inked up the brayer and brayered over the embossed section.  Then I fussy cut around it and adhered it to another white panel.   I added a few red rhinestones as the berry accents.  A lovely triple bow at the bottom finishes the card.



Are your fingers inky yet from making your Christmas cards!  Mine sure have been!


Monday, November 9, 2015

30 Days of Christmas Day 26 - Technique Junkie Stamps!!!

This is Day 26 of the 30 Days of Christmas challenge both on the Technique Junkie Design team
blog http://techniquejunkies.blogspot.com/  on the various  Design Team member's personal blogs. 
In addition to the inspiration, ALL Technique Junkies Christmas Stamps are on sale at 20% off. Simply use the word Christmas at checkout for your discount. 
 
Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus.  It is an event to remember in the life of the church and believers. There have been many, many artistic impressions of this birth.  A classic one nearly always involves a Madonna and the Baby Jesus. 
 
 
I used a variety of things to color in this Technique Junkie Stamps image. First I colored all of the "skin" parts with my Copic markers.   Then I used Splash Art Anthology Gel Medium over the skin to create an element of resist.  Then I used other  Art Anthology Gel Medium paints to color the halos, the clothes, the wings, etc. leaving very little unpainted surface.  However, there was some and those areas were spritzed with a couple of colors of the Art Anthology sprays, and then quickly with a paper towel to absorb any extra spray. 
 
The simplicity of just the focal image appeals to me this year.
 
 
Have a wonderful stamping day!
 
 


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Little Missy and Friends

All children are precious, aren't they? But when they are your own children or grandchildren, they just seem to be more precious. 

So it was on this particular morning, after her breakfast Little Missy came into my bedroom while I was doing a breathing treatment.  The first thing she likes to do -- after saying hello and having a small conversation as she is only 2 -  is climb up on my bed and rearrange the pillows to suit her liking on any given morning. 

On this particular morning, this occurred over and over until she had not only rearranged the pillows but had also brought along several friends to sit with. 
When you have have a two year to photograph - you better be quick.  Otherwise, they will up and gone to something else almost before you can blink your eye! 

Saturday, November 7, 2015

30 Days of Christmas - Day 24 -- Beautiful Ornaments for Christmas

Even though the official 30 Days of Christmas has passed, I discovered I still had some cards to share with you.  Both of these cards feature the Technique Junkie Stamp Ornament 1 http://techniquejunkies.com/ornament-1/.  This card also features the Technique Junkie stamp Merry Christmas http://techniquejunkies.com/ornament-1/.  Both were heat embossed on shiny metallic text weight paper since I was layering this panel. I used a marker and highlighted the empty spaces in the letters. 



For the second card I used an embossing folder for the holly.   I used a marker and colored in the depressed spots for the holly and berries so when the folder pushed the card stock into those spots, the white card stock would now be colored.  I stamped the ornament on another white sheet of card stock and fussy cut around it before adhering it to the panel.  I also stamped the Technique Junkie word stamp Joy  http://techniquejunkies.com/joy/  at the bottom of the panel.


Merry Christmas to you!

Friday, November 6, 2015

30 Days of Christmas Day 23 - Technique Junkie Stamps!!!


 

This is Day 23 of the 30 Days of Christmas challenge both on the Technique Junkie Design team
blog http://techniquejunkies.blogspot.com/  on the various  Design Team member's personal blog. 
In addition to the inspiration, ALL Technique Junkies Christmas Stamps are on sale at 20% off. Simply use the word Christmas at checkout for your discount. 
 

This type vintage Technique Junkie Stamps St. Nicholas image is used over and over by many stamp companies, and I was glad to see it the Technique Junkie selection of Christmas stamps.  I used my Peerless water colors to color in the image.  
 
 
Triangles of background paper from Tim Holtz help to carry this theme of St. Nicholas.  Lots of layers add to the dimension and interest of the card.
 
 
Do you have any vintage St. Nicholas stamps in your own Christmas rubber stamp collection? If not, this is a terrific to add to your Christmas  collection of rubber stamps. 
 
Have a wonderful inky day!
 
 


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Pillows, Pillows, and More Pillows!




 
Pillows have been on my mind for the past few weeks. Pillows from Ron's shirts that is. I asked the kind folks at the Bernia store in Hanover, PA to embroider a statement of prose on his old shirts. Then those shirts were made into pillow covers (all removable and washable!) and one ball. One shirt pillow has part of another shirt attached to the new pillow cover. These items were made for our grandchildren and our great, great niece and nephews. The internment for Ron was this past Sunday afternoon, and afterwards we all had dinner at the Old Country Buffet. I wanted these young children to have a very tangible and personal thing from Ron -- their Poppa or Uncle. Ron was a well-loved man!








items were made for our grandchildren and our great, great niece and nephews. The internment for Ron was this afternoon and afterwards we all had dinner at the Old Country Buffet. I wanted these young children to have a very tangible and personal thing from Ron -- their Poppa or Uncle. Ron was a well loved man!



 
I was blessed to be married to Ron for nearly 47 years.  His death has left a huge hole in the hearts of many people -- not the least is my own heart. So this blog post is a sharing from my heart moment. 
 
Judy