Stencil Punches by Judy Jackson

We are now in the last issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter -- and it makes me sad. I feel the need to share my Technique Junkie journey with you, so please bear with me.  I well remember when my hubby and I retired.  We moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to family and have better winter weather than we had in Upstate New York State near Albany.  My entire collection of  stamping friends (and many other friends) and a great stamp store were left behind.  I had purchased or had subscribed to a number of stamping magazines. I was desperate to find a nitch in the stamping world to fit my needs here in Pennsylvania. I already knew there was a good stamp store in this area but I needed new stamping friends and new stamping inspiration.  Every woman I met in our new neighborhood, I asked if they rubber stamped or scrapbooked. I only found one.

Pat Huntoon knows full well how much I have loved the Technique Junkie newsletter.  But she doesn't know how I found my wonderful circle of friends here in my little town. 

I had googled stamping magazines or stamping techniques from my totally unfinished computer office.    Our ONLY computer was a desk top model back in 2003 so it was BIG.  It was on my "desk" -- an unpacked box in our office.   Somehow, up popped the website for Technique Junkie newsletter. I poked around a bit, but could not see any real tutorials but could see the gallery of cards.  I could not figure out the "how" to create what I saw, and that frustrated me.  At that time Pat Huntoon had a Six Month option for subscribing to the newsletter. So I tried it, and was hooked.  I loved how the techniques were written clearly, how there were several samples for every technique, and how people shared  their work so willing in their emails to the group.   This was very exciting to me!

Then one day, some one posted a beautiful card using a technique I had never heard of.  It was the Acetate and Tissue technique in one of the first two newsletters back in 2002.   I posted a question -- "how do I do this?"  The artist of the card did not answer.  I had not even yet received my first newsletter so I didn't know you are not supposed to share the techniques in writing .  But one lady, Carol Taggart, replied to me asking where I lived in Pennsylvania.  When she learned I lived relatively close to her, she invited me to her home and she taught me how to do this.  How wonderful to have a new friend and she stamped!! Afterwards, she invited me to come on over to another lady's home for a Stamping Wednesday session. These ladies stamped every Wednesday -- for hours and hours!  How fun.  And still today a group of stamping friends is active on Wednesdays.  Most of the ladies have changed due to life's circumstances, but Carol and I are still going strong for our Wednesday Stamping adventures. So the Technique Junkie newsletter helped me in our new area to find a group of friends to stamp with. I am very grateful for the Technique Junkie newsletter for many reasons.  I have found stamping friends are the best!

My own stamping skills have also greatly improved over the years.  Isn't it illuminating to look back at the cards we made when we first started stamping? Growth is wonderful!

And now I will share with you about the card at the top of the post.  I created a stencil with a snow flake punch and I worked a way at it.  The verse at the bottom is a Palettini stamp from Technique Junkie Stamps on this web page - http://www.stampcamp.com/palettinistamps1.html.

Only a few more posts from newsletter techniques to go.  I hope the Technique Junkie newsletter has inspired you at least as half as much as it has me over the years.  I understand Pat's reasons for the end, but I will sure miss it.  I would be interested to know how you found the Technique Junkie newsletter and what has it meant to you over the years.

Have a great stamping day!

Judy Jackson

Tissued Watercolors by Judy Jackson

Last week I showed you two card  using the Crinkled Watercolors technique. This week I am showing the cards created from the "left over" parts from the two cards I showed you last week.   I think you will agree these two cards while very similar in color tones are very different in the final look. That only goes to show you that the very same background technique and color scheme can be used to create very different looking cards. That is one of things I love about stamping - the very versatility of stamping, the varied purposes for stamping, and the extremely varied looks of the final cards.  Rubber stamping feeds my creativity.

This is the blue and green background left overs from the Crinkled Watercolors.  So I pulled a previously created tag from my "card parts" drawer and altered it a bit to make it not only fit the card base but I also added some sponging to blend the colors.  It has a very soft look now.

And here on this card, I used another tag from my card parts drawer. The rose is from Me and Carrie Lou, The verse at the top is from Impression Obsession.  The speckled dots stamps is from Stampin' Up. I sponged the tag, added the speckles on both the tag and the background, added ribbons to the tag, and then added the embellishments.   All in all a lovely card I think and an appropriate card for a wedding or a wedding anniversary!  .

I hope you have a chance to get crafty today!

Judy Jackson

Aged Tiles Christmas Cards by Judy Jackson

 

 

Good day from Judy Jackson.  Because the base card layer is white card stock, it is hard to see in a scan.  So I scanned the back of a blue children's book sitting on my desk.  That way the white edge will show up. There is no blue card layer. OK, now I have explained this.  I feel better and can go on with this blog post! 

 

 

Years ago I unmounted a bunch of stamps (nearly every wood mounted stamp I own) and forget to make a note of some of the stamp companies who made the stamp.   So I do not know who makes this stamp. I have tried to find which company made this stamp but I have been unsuccessful so if you know please let me know.  Ann Clack has let me know this stamps is from Stampendous!  Thank you Ann!

 

I wanted to get a head start on Christmas cards this year so I have been working at it bit by bit.   This is a fairly easy technique -- a bit fussy but really not too time consuming at all. Plus it has the additional advantage of being flat without a lot of necessary embellishment so it mails quite easily.  The technique is "enough" all by itself.   As you can see I made two versions. I know the first one is nice all by itself - its simplicity has an elegance of its own. But I decided I wanted another layer behind the tiles.  Only a very small amount of the focal image is colored and I colored those little areas with my Copic markers after it was put back together.  Then I added a bit of glimmer spray on both cards.

 

The Aged Tiles technique is from the April/May Technique Junkie newsletter. 

 

Which one do you like best?  Hope you have a creative day!

 

 

Judy Jackson

a Polished Stone Card by Judy Jackson

This is a long ago standard technique that has been around for a long time.  I recently made a few backgrounds using that technique.  Tonight I was doing some tidying up  work – not really but finishing some Christmas cards I started a couple of months ago. Every year it is my goal to have Christmas cards finished early and before Thanksgiving.  I have never made that goal!  But this year I just might!    I have 18 full cards made, and 75 focal images colored. I am not sure just how I will use those 75 images in a card design, but they are all colored!  And those are just big steps towards being done, I am pleased with myself. 

 

So in doing this tidying up stuff, I came across the piece of polished stone and thought to myself I should use that tonight on a card.  So I then searched through my drawer of pieces of “card starts.”  Do you have a drawer or box or envelope of “card starts?”  So with the elements “found” I put together this cards.  The focal image is colored with water color pencils and blended with an  aqua pen. I did have to stamp the saying fresh tonight. J 

 

All stamps all from Stampin’ Up!

 

Be creative today!

 

Judy Jackson

Inked Shadows by Judy Jackson

 

I used a die cut from Sizzix.  I sponged ink on the flowers as well.   Stamp credits are from Stamp Camp. I spritzed some glimmer spray to add some highlights!  I LOVE glimmer spray!  It often adds just the right touch.

 

I hope you Christmas holiday was just wonderful!

 

Judy Jackson

A Rainbow Edged Christmas Cards by Judy Jackson

Soft pastels are used in this wonderful Rainbow Edged techqniie.  It just goes with this Nativity stamp from Stampin' Up! The verse is an unknown stamp.   One Christmas card done ~~ many to go!

Have a great and crafty day!

Judy Jackson

Smooch Painted Texture by Judy Jackson

Good morning everyone from Judy Jackson.  Are you like  frantically trying to get "IT"  all done in time to enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with family?  I know we all have a lot to do  right now!  I am busily trying to get my Christmas cards all made! 

Then I just wonder have you seen a product  or a stamp or an embossing folder and said to yourself, "I know exactly how I will use this!"  I saw these new Tim Holtz embossing folders and that was exactly what I said to myself!  These folders needs SMOOCH!  I was very excited and could hardly wait to receive it.  And today I made two cards with these new embossing folders using theSmooch Painted Texture from the December 2011/January 2012 Technique Junkie Newsletter.  I hope you like them! 

I used a small piece of mica and embossed the greeting one the pine bough and pine cone card.  The greeting is from Sweet and Sassy Stamps.  Add a little Distress Stickles (Picket Fence) and some sparkly Fluff for snow in the needles and the pine cone.   The finishing touch on both cards is a few spritzes glimmer spray. 

 

I think these two embossing folders just cry for using this technique.  What do you think?

 

Enjoy planning and making your Christmas cards!  And may it be a merry time!

 

Judy Jackson

Pulled Color by Judy Jackson - 2 cards

 

Hello from Judy Jackson.  I have done something computer wise right and am now able to post to this blog.  Both of these cards use the Pulled color technique from the August-September newsletter.   I LOVE this technique. It is simple enough but produces a WOW background in my opinion.  

The first card uses a Stampin' Up stamp and the second card (with the chair) uses a stamp from an unknown company.  I know I bought it at one of the Big Box craft stores. And since then I have done this massive unmounting of my wood mounted stamps. I evidently forgot to write down what company made this stamp.

I hope you have been doing some crafting this summer and will do more this fall! 

Happy stamping!

Judy Jackson

A Confession with Negative Positive Technique by Judy Jackson

Howdy from Judy Jackson. I miss spring and summer already but here it is fall by the time you read this! Fall is a time to be thankful -- well everyday as well! And there I was in my craft/stamp room working away on cards for the October-November Technique Junkie newsletter. The Negative-Positive technique is a fun one to do - and so is deciding which stamps you have that will lend itself to this technique. I had decided to use a house mouse stamp i have for a card with this technique.

I was coloring away with my Copic markers on my chosen image -- and looked at my coloring and that is nice, I think I am finished and ready to assemble my card. Oops. I colored the entire image and I was supposed to cut it in half and only color one side -- hence the Negative-Positive technique. And so now what?

One of the things I have heard many times and have told fellow stampers is, "There are no mistakes in stamping, but only opportunities for creative fixing!" I was not going to put my colored image for a later card and start over! So I stamped another house mouse image, cut it out, placed one cut out image on top of the other and made any necessary trimming. Then I proceed to follow the rest of the instructions for the Negative-Positive technique and assembled two cards instead of one!

This house mouse stamp is from Stamparosa and the words are form Stampin' Up.

I hope you are having a fine creative day. Remember mistakes are only opportunities to be creative!

Judy Jackson

Popped Blooms by Judy Jackson

Using punches to add embellishments -- sure, but this cute technique uses punches to add the stamped flower image to the stamped stem. Using this technqiue makes for a cute and quick card! Stamp credits -- Stampin' Up!!

I spritzed some glimmer spray to add some visual interest to the card.

Hope your day is going well!

Judy Jackson

Woven Art by Judy Jackson

Good day to all of you from Judy Jackson!

This technique is not hard and certainly gives a different sense of dimension and texture to your card than if you just used a flat printed image. Why don't I think of doing things like this? This particular image is from the several "sample pictures" that were just loaded on my computer in the pictures folder. So I have no idea whose picture it is! It works great for this technique from the June/July newsletter.

Stamps are from Stampin' Up! and PSX. I sprayed a gold glimmer spray over the surface of the card.

I hope your summer is going well, and you are finding time to craft with folks.

Judy Jackson

Smooched Metal Meets Worn Wallpaper by Judy Jackson

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. I have a friend who came over and we spent the morning playing with Distress Inks and using several of the TJ techniques that use Distress Inks. She is a subscriber to the TJ newsletter but hadn't used her Distress Inks until recently.

So this is a card I worked on toward the end of the morning. I didn't get it finished until tonight. 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!

I used stamps from Stamper Anonymous and Inkadinkadoo.

I hope you get inky and creative!

Judy Jackson