Craft Room Reveal

I can now share the finished craft room.  As usual, with ANY craft room, this will likely continue to be a work in progress. As I ponder a new or different way to store some things - I will continue to do that. But for the most part, it is finished. Before any work could begin, I first had to plan. For me -- it is best if I can make a plan on paper and so I did!

I printed out some free graph paper at 1/2 inch to one foot scale. I measured everything that "had to be in my stamp room.   I cut out pieces to represent each thing and put removable adhesive on the back.  Then I could make some adjustments as I planned and as the work progressed.

 This is just as you enter my stamp room.  Then have a look at the counter space. 
 

 

 My son-in-law built me three narrow shelves and attached them to the wall just above the counter top.  The shelves are 2 1/2 inches wide -- and then custom spaced to fit the height of the jars or bottles. The shelves run the entire length of the counter top.

As you come into my room, punch storage is just the behind the door!

 

All stampers and scrapbookers  use a lot of ribbon.  But the question is where do you store it?  And how to store it so you can get at it easily?  My solution  is PVC gutters attached to the wall!

 

A central place in my craft room is my stamp desk or table ---

 

On my desk top -- and in the desk drawer -- are the things I use quite frequently.

 



And then behind my stamp desk----

To the right of my chair is a 2 drawer filing cabinet with  scraps of paper all filed according to colors.

To the right of my stamp desk (and on the wall that is angled) is a book shelf for my DVD stamp cases.

And then any stamper or scrapbooker needs card stock, correct? And then there are embossing folders -- they are in three drawers to the right of the dark blue filing cabinet.

In each base cupboard there are 3 pull-out shelf drawers. Very useful in storing a lot of things. 

And now for the Bigz Dies and the Movers and Shapers dies.

 

And the cupboards hold all sorts of things!

 

I hope seeing the various areas of my stamp room has helped to inspire you with some different ways to store your craft items.  If you have any questions about my storage areas, please ask. I will try to answer in a timely manner.

 

 

Have a great stamping (and organizing) day!

 



Technique Junkie CD Sale

This notice is not really from me -- but I am sharing it.  It comes from Pat Huntoon the owner of Technique Junkie things.

 

It has come to my attention that there were issues with the link for discounts on the Technique Junkies CDs, preventing many people from ordering them at a 20% discount. To fix that (and apologize) I have created a new code for ordering CDs with for a 25% discount! Simply use the word techniques at checkout to receive your discount.  I also added all of the Annual CDs to the website, so those are now included in the discount.   Please note that this discount applies to CDs ONLY, not on rubber stamps or other products.

 

I apologize for the initial discount issue and hope you will still consider ordering a few with the awesome new discount! Thank you for your continued business. Sincerely, Pat Huntoon www.techniquejunkies.com phuntoon@optonline.net

 

 

Technique Junkies LLC PO Box 16547 Stamford CT 06905

Art Anthology Products

I love learning new techniques.  I love learning about new products for stamp art.  When you combine the two -- it is very nice!  Since Pat Huntoon (owner of Technique Junkie stamps and all of the newsletters and CDs for Technique Junkie) has been showing the Art Anthology products she discovered a few years back.   However, since I had to downsize my stamp room, new stuff and new tools must be truly usable for me to buy them. I am both a visual and an auditory learner -- but I learn techniques best if I can somehow visualize it. So I read her blog, I read the Art Anthology website, and I pondered. 

It wasn't until the recent stamp show in Westminster, MD that I got to see these products in real life and played with them at the Technique Junkie booth that I decided I really must have some of these. So now I want to share with you  the things I have learned about these products. And of course I have cards to share with as well. 

But here is what I have learned:
1. Art Anthology paints are really a "gel medium" but you can paint with them in different ways.  More info on this later with examples.
2. Art Anthology paints dry fairly quickly -- but as with any kind of paints the thicker the paint the longer it will take to dry.
3. You can hurry this process a bit by using a heat gun.  But you have to remember that the heat gun  will make the paint  feel "tacky" even if it dry until it has cooled.
4.  You cannot use typical brayering techniques  because the paints dry so quickly.
5. Art Anthology sprays do not have a wide "spray area" and they are permanent when sprayed on fabric if they are allowed to dry well.
6. Art Anthology sprays are not water reactive.
7. Neither the sprays or the paints hardly have any smell at all.  So you do not necessarily need to use them in a "well ventilated" area.
8. The Art Anthology paints, while not really an adhesive will adhere very small things to a design.
9. You do not need  fancy and extremely high quality paint brushes. 
10. After you have painted with the paints, the brushed must rinsed very thoroughly.  Otherwise, the paint brushes will become stiff and may not be usable.
11. If you need to stamp on top of the Art Anthology paints -- you will need to use Stazon you will need to use Stazon or Ranger Archival inks.  Otherwise, the ink will not dry.  It would similar to stamping on glossy card stock.
12. The Art Anthology paints will also resist the Art Anthology sprays.  So when you paint first and then spray the spray does not change the color of the paints. The thicker the paint, the better the resist.

I will show several cards today using the same flower from Greetings http://techniquejunkies.com/greetings-set/. This is the first one of seven.  I stamped the flowers several times.  I used Memento ink.  I then started with  one of the yellow Art Anthology paints, then added some red, and then the green.  I added a brown in the center of the flower, followed by some

Prills which when the dry stuck very well to brown paint.   Then I sprayed some Art Anthology sprays for the background. I then stamped a greeting and added a rhinestone embellishment. The greetings is from the set "Things I want to Do." http://techniquejunkies.com/things-i-want-to-do/

For the above card I stamped Random ABCs http://techniquejunkies.com/random-abcs/  and then flower several times.  Then I painted the flowers with a red Art Anthology paint thinned with water so it is not as "clumpy." I added the Art Anthology sprays and it still resisted!   I added a saying "Seeds of Today" http://techniquejunkies.com/seeds-of-today/ on some card stock with the "over spray" (I had placed a scrap nearby purposefully). Layers and a ribbon -- done.

The next card was done with similar techniques as the card above.  I also some leaves by laying down some paint with my brush in a "leaf shape."  It is not exact but gives a impression of leaves.  I used a greeting from the same set as the flower.  Some Prills and some ribbon, and layers -- done.

 

For this next card I sprayed the Art Anthology sprays first and then stamped. The paints were only slightly thinned with water and then Prills. More leaves were painted in.  Then I used a stencil from Art Anthology --  Soliloquy Stencil http://techniquejunkies.com/soliloquy-stencil/ and I used Lava Stone paint http://techniquejunkies.com/lava-stone-effects-dimensional-medium/ to add the word to a piece of  yellow vellum. When that was dry then I torn the vellum, ran it through one of my Xyron machines and adhered it to the card front.

This next card is a result of  trying to brayer the gel medium paints to the card.  It did not go well until I added a lot of water. Then it worked because didn't dry so quickly.  Again I added leaves to the stems and I used a different word on the stencil with the same paint.

 

Anyone who follows my blog knows I really like using the Antique Glimmers technique from the Technique Junkie newsletter. So I wondered if I could that with these Art Anthology Gel Medium paints.  You tell me -- does it work?

 I placed a small amount of the gel medium paints on my craft mat.  I sprayed the paints VERY LIBERALLY with water.  Then I started pulling the card stock back and forth through the paints with the water until I had the coverage I desired. What I liked about doing this was the intensity of the colors were quite varied.  I let it dry for quite a while before stamping the flowers and then painting them.  I had already discovered through "boo-boo sheets" you never see that for this step of stamping I need to use Stazon as regular dye-based inks would not dry and would smear badly!   I used Stazon ink and stamped the greeting. The greetings came from the set "Things I Want to Do." http://techniquejunkies.com/things-i-want-to-do/ . 

So I am curious -- did you learn anything new about Art Anthology products? 

Have a wonderful day!

Two New Cards from My "Card Starts" Basket

Anyone who has been following my blog over the past few months knows I have to "downsize" my collection of stamping supplies.  However, one thing I refuse to get rid is all of the "starts" or "beginnings" of cards.  They used to be in a drawer and now they are in a basket.   The things in this basket are in various stages of beginnings. Some things are only stamped. Some things are stamped and colored in. Some things are only backgrounds. Some things are already layered but most are not.  

I needed two cards for two different people for two different reasons.  One is for a sister-in-law and I just needed to say thinking of you. The other is for a friend and her husband as his mother recently passed away.  I looked in the car starts basket for some inspiration.

This one is for my sister-in-law.  The verse is form Repeat Impressions.   The rose stamp is from Inkadinkado. I used the technique called Smooch Direct from the October 2009 issue of the Technique Junkie newsletter.

 The focal image of the  stained glass window is what t found in  the card starts basket. I do not remember who makes the stained  glass window stamp. It was already all painted in with the Twinkling H2Os.    I realize it's original intention as a stamp would usually be considered for Easter.  But I think it works for a sympathy card as well.

When you need to BE creative and make a card for some one, having a basket or a drawer of "card starts would be a very good way to begin your thinking.

Have a great day.

Judy Jackson

Another Face Card

If you have not learned this yet, Sally Lynn MacDonald is a gifted artist.  She has designed quite a few of the new stamps in the Technique Junkie line.   Many of the new design's are very different than others being offered in the Technique Junkie stamp line.  Her varied designs are found in the Palettini collection - http://techniquejunkies.com/palettini-stamps/.  Have you looked at all of those stamps?  This particular face is Let's Face It 4. http://techniquejunkies.com/lets-face-it-4/   And the sentiment says "I dare you to believe in yourself." http://techniquejunkies.com/believe-in-yourself/ 

I colored her with Copic markers and layered her lovely face on several layers of different blue card stock and designer paper.  I added a clear rhinestone colored over with a teal blue Copic marker to match the other shades of blue in her hair and the  various layers.  the sky is sponged with a pale blue.

Have a wonderful stampy day!

July and August Release Stamps

After my hubby passed away I was so overwhelmed with everything that there was to do.  The "tyranny of the urgent" was my life for many days and weeks.  For many weeks there were cards to be read in my mail box, bank accounts, bills, credit cards, life insurance questions, and more to do every day.  And that doesn't count planning the funeral service and all of the physical things that had to be done in my house.   So I stamped cards only as I had a need to do so -- including for my blog or the Technique Junkie Design Team blog. Needless to say, I was woefully behind  in stamping the new releases for Technique Junkie Stamps.   I have finally caught up with stamping.  I still am dealing with the financial aspects of everything but I have reached the point where I have to deal with those things as they appear in my mailbox.  It is a weight lifted on my shoulders.  So You will have to bear with me as I share a few cards today created with August release stamps.  This post will feature "doggie stamps."  Another blog post soon will feature other July or August release stamps.

This  doggie obviously wants to have fun but he must have had something not  fun happen to him. http://techniquejunkies.com/fun-and-games/   I used dye based markers to color him.  I layered him on panel stamped with an alphabet stamp.  http://techniquejunkies.com/random-abcs/

The next two cards use the same doggie stamps - http://techniquejunkies.com/dapper-doggie-couple/.

 

This cards also uses a July Release background stamp called Star Gazers - http://techniquejunkies.com/stargazers/.  Dye based markers were used to color the dogs and the flowers.  The sentiment is Believe in Yourself - http://techniquejunkies.com/believe-in-yourself/. 

The sentiment and Treble-Clef stamps are http://techniquejunkies.com/life-is-a-song/  and http://techniquejunkies.com/treble-clef-small/.

More cards to come! Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Christmas and September Release Blog Hop

I have a friend who feels it his task on his Facebook Life to keep us all informed as to how many days it is until Christmas. He starts giving us this information very early in the year -- about March! There is even a website to help a person know exactly how many days and hours it is until Christmas. So as of today, September 1, 2015, it is only 116 days left until Christmas!  I subscribe to another blog  where the Design  Team designs 52 Christmas a year -- one each week. So clearly Christmas is on nearly everyone's mind for at least some of the year. If you are like me (and I do not know of very many folks who have been Christmas shopping already - but I have!) and shop for Christmas presents all year long.  The adult children and spouses are easy to shop for -- the grandchildren are not always so easy. 

And stampers must begin the process of getting cards ready long before the Christmas shopping season usually begins. Very often rubber stamp introduce new Christmas and fall stamps in September.  Why? It takes time to decide on what card or cards to make. It takes time to decide on the stamps to use.  And it takes time to actually make the cards.  And depending on how many cards you actually make, it may take a lot of time!

Therefore, Pat Huntoon has introduced a bunch of new stamps for Christmas and Halloween.   The Technique Junkie Design Team is helping to launch these new stamps.  You should have come here from Jerri Jones http://www.abushelandahug.blogspot.com.  I am certainher projext will be wonderful. .  Enjoy hopping along!

 I have four cards for you today -- I hope you enjoy them. 

The card above uses Draped Christmas -- isn't it elegant? http://techniquejunkies.com/draped-christmas/ and the lovely Joy stamp http://techniquejunkies.com/joy/ . I heat embossed both with silver embossing powder on dark blue card stock.  A silver ribbon and layered on silver card stock finishes it off.

 

The next card uses the same two stamps. But this time I used background paper and I heat embossed a teal embossing powder.  I used the same two stamps as above. I added some "bling" with rhinestones and teal pearls.

 

My third card uses the Partridge in a Pear Tree stamp http://techniquejunkies.com/partridge-in-a-pear-tree/ .   For my song paper I did a "Google" search for a png version of the song. When I found what I was looking for I printed it , layered it, stamped the image with a Memento ink on card stock vellum.. 

 

My last card for you today features a very traditional font for Merry Christmas http://techniquejunkies.com/merry-christmas/.  It was heat embossed with black powder and colored in with markers.

 



I used a piece of back ground paper with little Christmas lights and stamped the song image on top.  The song is O Holy Night   http://techniquejunkies.com/o-holy-night/.  It is all layered as you can see.

I hope you have had some wonderful inspiration from this blog hop.  I am curious -- how many hand stamped Christmas cards do you create and mail each year? I have blog candy here for this hop.  If some one makes and mails more than I do each year, I will draw the name of one person who creates  more cards than I do (I am not telling you now!) and mails them!  I will mail that person one Christmas card made from one of the new Technique Junkie Christmas stamps.   It may not be one of these four cards.  Please include your email address in this format (for protection)  stampingsally at your server dot com. Sending your email address this way helps to prevent the "harvesting of email address" from various blogs.

I want to send you on the way to the next blog to hop so that you can see the exciting work being done.

Design Team Blog http://techniquejunkies.blogspot.com

Pam DeChellis http://journeyawakensthesoul.blogspot.com

Sally Lynn MacDonald  http://www.sallylynnmacdonald.com

Beth Norman http://sunflowers-dragonflies.ca/blog

Jane Bosi http://janembosi.blogspot.com

Jerri Jones http://www.abushelandahug.blogspot.com

Judy Jackson http://judysstampart.blogspot.com/ - You are HERE

Gini Cagle http://ginicagle.blogspot.com

Marilyn Hughes http://DollsEtc.blogspot.com

Robin Redd  http://robinredd.typepad.com/reddrobinstudios/

Kathy Stacy http://craftynurse4u.wordpress.com

Pat Huntoon http://patstamps.blogspot.com

 

 

After you have finished hopping your next stop should be here: http://techniquejunkies.com/september-2015-releases/. Please remember that all September Releases (only) will be discounted with a 15% off through September 8^th. The discount will show up in your shopping cart at checkout.

 

Have a great inky day -- and remember how many hand stamped Christmas cards do you make each year?  Reply in the comments, please.