First, Coffee

Hello Everyone! 
Today's card uses one of those images that puts a smile on your face, every time you see it!  
I could not resist this humorous feline with his cup of joe.  This stamp, First Coffee, is one of the September releases.  Gotta love the eyes!  You can pick him up at the Technique Junkies store for 10% off with code TJ10LeeAnn. 
I would also like to take this time to thank Pat and the whole TJ team for their kindness and welcoming me to the team 9 months ago.  As we all know, life happens, and with alot going on in life, it is time for me to say good bye.  This is my last post to the TJ blog.  Going out with a bang with this hilarious image! 

The cat is simply stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copics.  I then fussy cut him out.  My background is this fun dotty die cut panel on a wonderful teal blue card base.
I masked the cat off and stamped the sentiment onto vellum and heat embossed with black embossing powder.  I framed the sentiment and image with a stitched circle die cut.
That's it!

Pretty easy!  Thanks for stopping by and I hope I have inspired you to get out your craft supplies!

Thanks for visiting today and thank you for all of your encouragement over the last 9 months.  Hope to see you over on my blog, greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com. 

Happy stamping!

Lee Ann  

Two for One

Hello TJ Fans!

I consider the September release to be the release that just keeps on giving!  With soooo many great designs, it is hard to know what to play with first!  Take this Autumn Doodles Background stamp.  What a beauty!  I have made two cards using one technique~

I learned this technique from J. McGuire; its a great one if you love alcohol inks.
I started with a piece of Yupo and alcohol inks in a fall palette.  I created my alcohol ink background and then simply stamped the Autumn Doodles stamp in Alcohol Ink Lift Ink.
I then immediately stamped the ink that was on the stamp onto a piece of cardstock that I had ready in my MISTI.

Now I still have the original Yupo paper left that I had lifted ink from.  It had a beautiful texture on it from the ghost image of the Autumn Doodles stamp.  I used this to make on of my favorite backgrounds- popped up negative die cut pieces~

So there you have it- two for one.  So easy and artsy.  And this month's stamps really lend themselves to this technique.  You can get 10% off your entire cart (minus clearance items) with code TJ10LeeAnn.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Lee Ann 

Which Crown?

Hello Technique Junkies Fans! 

So sorry to be late today; I have been under the weather. 
This is a quick and easy card using the funny Need a Crown stamp.  I paired it with the Scribble Roses stencil from A Colorful Life.  You can get these products for 10% off with code TJ10LeeAnn. 

The image with sentiment was simply stamped on a card base using the MISTI.  I colored the woman with Copics. 
The card base was then put back in the MISTI (stamp still in position) and inked up the crown portion of the stamp with Versamark.  The crown was heat embossed with gold ep. I used a Versamark marker to ink up the earring and heat emboss it as well. 
I created a mask for the woman and then sponged light pink ink around the her.  I then used a darker pink ink and sponged through the Scribble Roses stencil.  Rhinestones on the crown and earring finish it off! 

That's it!  I hope I have inspired you to get crafty! 

Lee Ann  Barrett
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Sunflowers, Two Ways

Hi Technique Junkie Fans!

Hello Everyone!

The calendar says summer, but the school year says fall.  It is that time of year to head back to school and that means pumpkin spice is right around the corner!  I pulled out my sunflower stamps to make some 'feeling a bit like fall' cards.  If you are planning on shopping, you can get 10% off your order using code TJ10LeeAnn. 
You are probably wondering where the sunflower stamp is on the first card~

If you look closely, you can see the outline of the Single Sunflower stamp.  This is actually a Gel print.  I used various colors or acrylic ink and the Scribble Mask Stencil from A
Colorful Life on my gel plate.  When I was happy with my results, I carefully pressed the Single Sunflower image into the plate and lifted it off, removing the top layer of paint.  I took my print and let it dry.
I really like how this turned out.  I kept it simple and just heat embossed the sentiment from the Sunflower Sentiments set.

The next card is completely different!

I used a technique that Jennifer McGuire has shared, called 'fast watercoloring'.  The flower and leaves were heat embossed in gold on watercolor paper.  Using distress inks, I literally just rubbed the ink to the flower- direct to paper.  Once I had my image covered with ink, I spritzed it with water and set it aside to dry.  Once completely dry, I fussy cut out the flower and leaves.  I assembled them, along with a couple of die cuts onto a die cut hoop wreath.  The sentiment, Always Be There, was stamped with the MISTI for perfect placement. 

That's it for me!  Thanks for stopping by.  Don't forget, you can get 10% off of your entire order (excluding clearance) with code TJ10LeeAnn. 

Happy crafting! 

Lee Ann 

Take a Walk on the Beach

Hello TJ Friends!

Goodness, this summer is just flying by!  As this post goes live, I will be with about 129 other papercrafters at a retreat in Minneapolis.  I am hoping to come back refreshed and with new ideas and MOJO!
Today's card is all about the beach!  You can still get your 'beachy' stamps at a discounted price using code TJ10LeeAnn. 

This was super fun to make as I did some good old fashioned paper piecing.  I stamped the
Flip Flops Stamp onto some fun striped paper and then did some fussy cutting.
Next, I got to work on making the background scene. I used Copics for this.  To give the shoreline some sea foam, I used the very end of a brush to 'tap' on white acrylic paint.
The sand is also done with Copics.  At first it looked like a hot mess, but the more I worked it, the better it became.  The sentiment from the Seashells Set of 5 was stamped in brown on the sand, using my MISTI for perfect placement.
The ocean background was adhered to the card base.  I positioned my flip flops behind the sand and then adhered them to the back of the sand panel.  The sand panel was then popped up on dimensional tape and adhered to the card.
The final touch is the little flower sequins that I added to the flip flops.  I have had these for at least two years and this is the first I am using them!
That's it for me!  I have to get back to my classes and make and takes!

Remember, f you should want to shop (ahem, who does not want to shop?! )   you can get 10% off of your entire order with code TJ10LeeAnn.

Have a wonderful week and I hope I have inspired you to create something today!

Lee Ann
www.greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Shaker Jellies

Hello All!

We are into the dog days of summer here; makes me want to head to the beach!  The newly released Technique Junkies beach/sea themed stamps will have to do!  They are 10% off with code TJ10LeeAnn (actually, you can get 10% off your entire cart with the code).
Today I am sharing a super fun card using the new Jellyfish Stamp by Rita Barakat.  If you know me, you know I am not huge into cutesy stamps, so when I saw these Jellies without smiley faces, I knew I had to have them!

I stamped the jellies multiple times, using masking for some.  I colored them in partially with a Arteza watercolor brush.  I needed a background for my shaker card, so I used the Marble Swirl background stamp for this, stamping tone on tone.  I think the new Tidepool Background Stamp would work well for this as well.
To create my shaker space, I fussy cut around all of the jellyfish tentacles.  I know, I know, but I LOVE fussy cutting and I find it relaxing.  Besides, it does not have to be perfect, especially with the underwater scene.  The sentiment, Hang in There was then stamped over the jellies, and the card was assembled.  Using my MISTI gave me perfect placement of the sentiment.

I love all of the sparkley goodness in the shaker!
I hope I have inspired you to stamp, or maybe even make a shaker card!
Have a fabulous and crafty week!

Lee Ann
www.greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Sunflower Sentiments

Hello Technique Junkie Friends!

Today I am not sharing a Father's Day card!  When I prepared for this post, I totally forgot about it being Dad's Day.  So, today you get a Get Well card made with one of the June Release stamps, the Sunflower Duo stamp.  Looking to shop? You can get 10% off your order with code TJ10LeeAnn .

This beauty was perfect for a technique I had been wanting to try- Copic coloring over distress ink.  I started by smooshing distress inks on my craft mat, spritzing them with water and then pressing my watercolor paper into the inks.  I dried the ink after each layer applied.  Once I had achieved the desired effect, I stamped the Sunflower Duo on top of the dried distress ink with Memento Black Ink.  Using Copics, I then added color/shading on top of the distress ink.
Once I was done coloring, I did a version of the clipped corner technique, only this time instead of a corner, the right side was clipped.  The image was then matted and adhered to the card base.
My sentiment is from the Grand Greeting Sentiment Set.  It was heat embossed in white on vellum.
Lastly, I added a small scallop strip and some sequins for interest and sparkle.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you all enjoy the day and get to squeeze some crafty time in!

Lee Ann
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Starfish Wreath

Hello to Everyone!

Happy Summer to you!  I was blessed to just spend a week in the mountains and now look forward to a relaxing and crafty summer!  Here's to plenty of crafty time for everyone this summer!
Today's beachy card is made using the brand new Mermaid Kisses Stamp Set.  It is currently 15% off (through June 8th) as are all of the other new release stamps.

My background panel was made by dragging watercolor paper through distress inks that were smooshed onto my craft mat and then spritzed with water.  I dried after each 'drag' and then repeated the process, building up multiple layers of color.
I used the starfish from the Mermaid Kisses stamp set and stamped them in a circular fashion (I lightly traced a circle in pencil, then stamped the starfish, using the circle as my template).  I then fussy cut around the circle/wreath of starfish, on both the outside of the ring and the inside of the ring.  The starfish wreath was then brushed with Wink of Stella.
A piece of linen twine was wrapped around the starfish wreath and sequins added for more sparkle.
The sentiment, Together, was stamped in a teal ink and nested within the wreath.

If you are interested in purchasing products other than the new release stamps, you can get 10% all of the items with code TJ10LeeAnn!

That's it for me- I hope you find this easy card inspirational!

Lee Ann Barrett
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Snarky Sentiments!

Hello Everyone!

I have a couple of cards to share today and both have to do with food!  Hmmm, wonder what
this says about me??
Both cards use the Inside Out: Live Forever Stamp Set.  These are super fun and a bit snarky sentiments.  You can get them here and if you use code TJ10LeeAnn, you will get 10% off your order.   I challenged myself to let the sentiment be the focus of the card.

This first sentiment is a hoot!  Truth be told, I have often thought this, LOL!  I made my own background with the Birthdays and Donuts Stamp.  I used my MISTI and masked the sentiment off
to create this background.  A piece of vellum tones down the background, keeping the sentiment the focus.
I love the look of the Marble Swirl Background stamp- I stamped it tone on tone and die cut a circle from the paper, using it as a layer behind the sentiment.  The stamp reminds me of icing.  :D
And the INSIDE of the card (if you haven't guessed it already!)~

Or in this case, eat donuts!

Next up is a design that I keep coming back to- using the negative pieces from a background die.

I used some citrus'y' colored cardstock and die cut it, using negative pieces from the 4 different colors of cardstock.  The sentiment is heat embossed in white.  I took the idea of salt and added Martha Stewart clear glitter to each of the dots to mimick salt.  Once you see the inside of the card, you will understand the salt!

I made the slice of lime just by die cutting 3 different sized circles- 1 white and 2 lime green.  The lime segments where hand trimmed.
There you have it, 2 cards with a simple sentiment as the focus.
Are you up to the challenge?? 

 Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous and crafty week!

Lee Ann
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Celebrating Moms

Hello!

Mother's Day is a week from today so I thought today would be a great day to celebrate all moms and share some last minute card ideas!  You can get all of these Technique Junkies products at a 10% discount with code TJ10LeeAnn. 

This first card was really fun to make.  I started with white cardstock and a A Colorful Life stencil- Scribble Roses-, sponging a beautiful rose background in pink.  I stamped the roses from the Faith, Hope and Love Stamp Set, colored with Copics using the no line technique and then fussy cut out.  I also stamped the image in Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold ep and fussy cut the leaves out.
The image panel is die cut.  To assemble, I added some washi tape, a cardstock pink banner and the roses as well as a set of gold embossed leaves.  I stamped the sentiment from the All the Moms Stamp Set. using my MISTI to get perfect placement. 
The next card uses the Itoh Peonies Stamp Set.

While the first card came together easily, this one was a constant work in progress.  It did not turn out how I expected it to initially, so kept altering things until I was happy with the results.  The peonies were stamped on navy cs then colored with Prismacolor Pencils.  I was not happy with the overall look, so fussy cut out the main peony.  I stamped the image a second time, this time on newsprint designer paper. I then cut out the petals/flowers that frame the purple flower and assembled the whole thing on some purple cs.  The sentiment is from the All the Moms Stamp Set.  A scalloped cardstock strip and a baker's twine bow were added to finish of the card.  The sentiment is from the All the Moms Stamp Set. 

That's it for me.  Wishing all the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day!  And Hopefully a Crafty one too!
Should you decide to shop for a gift for yourself, code TJ10LeeAnn gets you 10% off your order.
New release stamps are 15% off through May 8th.

Lee Ann
www.greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Simple Elegance

Hello Technique Junkie fans!

Today's card is full of elegance but super easy!  I used the Black and White Swirls Stamp and my MISTI for this wedding card.  You can purchase this stamp and get 10% off of your entire cart with code TJ10LeeAnn.

Using the MISTI, I stamped  the image on an angle in the upper left corner of my cardstock; the MISTI allowed me to stamp the image multiple times to get a solid, inked image.
Once I was happy with the black image, I moved the paper slightly to the left.  And when I say slightly I mean like 1/16 of an inch or so.
After cleaning the stamp, I inked it up with a light grey ink and stamped a drop shadow on the image.

I used an edge die on the lower portion of the panel and then inked up the Love Complete sentiment and added that.  I love the font for the word 'Love!
The panel is popped up on dimensional adhesive.  I kept the embellishments simple with 3 gold pearls.

That's all for me!  Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Flowers for Mom

Hello Technique Junkie Fans!

Sometimes it seems like life is going from one holiday to the next.  What's coming up?  

Mother's Day!  

This month's release has some great stamps just for mom.  I used ' All the Moms' 

for this card.  And a PSA- Today is the LAST day to get 15% off all

 April release stamps, including 'All the Moms', no code needed, discount will

automatically show up in your cart~

 

The Lollipop Flowers compliment the 'All the Moms'

flowers nicely.  I stamped them a couple of times, using my MISTI to use multiple 

colors on the flowers.  They were then fussy cut out.  

Likewise, I used the MISTI to stamp the All the Moms image, allowing me to use multiple

different colors on the image.  I then heat embossed the sentiment to make it pop, but it does 

not show up in photos.  That too was fussy cut out along two sides. 

The images were then layered and dimension was added with dimensional tape.

  

Don't forget, today is the last day of the April New Release Sale.  

If you want anything other than the new release stamps, use

code TJ10LeeAnn to get 10% off your entire order.  

Thanks for visiting and I hope I have inspired you!

Lee Ann  

greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

For the Birds!

Hello, Hello! 

Today's card is CAS, but with what I would consider a mixed media kind of style.  I was inspired by a Technique Junkie fan, Karen Dunbrook, who does wonders with distress inks for backgrounds.
I used one of the March new release stamps, 'Fly',  which you can get at a 10% discount using the code TJ10LeeAnn. 

The image panel is a a piece of water color paper.  Distress inks were used; I put the colors down on my craft mat, spritzed them with water, then picked up the color I desired with a piece of acetate and smooshed it onto the paper.  I repeated this multiple times, layering the colors til I got the desired look. 
Once dry, the image was stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder.  I added a stitched edge to the left side of the panel to give it a more finished look.  A strip of black paper was added to the right edge to make the colors pop and then the panel was popped up on the card base using a piece of craft foam.  Sequins add just enough sparkle. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

  If you shop don't forget your 10% discount on your order with code TJ10LeeAnn.  

Lee Ann 
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Atomic Love

Hello Everyone!
Did you spring forward last night?  I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited about getting that extra hour of daylight in the evening!
Despite springing forward, it still feels like winter here in St Louis.  With our more recent cold snap, I have been crafting, crafting, crafting!  This brand new 'Perfect Atoms' Stamp is so fun!  It really lends itself to bright, vibrant colors!  If you haven't picked up your new release goodies yet, you can shop and get this fabulous image-well, your entire order- for 10% off with code TJ10LeeAnn.

Most of the card is done with Copics.  The image is colored with Copics and the poppy red strips of paper are actually Copic colored and texturized with burlap and alcohol.
But, I have gotten ahead of myself.  I started by masking off the frame of the image.  You probably don't even notice that a word is missing from the sentiment as well.  I masked off the word 'You' so that I could use my large 'You' die cut.  The die cut is 3 layers glued together and the top layer is sparkly with Wink of Stella.

That's it for me; I hope I have inspired you to craft, craft, craft!

Thanks for visiting!

Lee Ann Barrett
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Yupo, a Die and a Butterfly

Hello Technique Junkie Friends!

Lee Ann here today,   sharing a card using the technique of popping up die pieces from a background die- not sure if there is an actual name for this technique but I love the look of it.  With a few supplies- alcohol ink, Yupo, Technique Junkies Butterfly 2 stamp, and a background die, I created a card with significant Wow factor.  Thinking you need the Butterfly 2 stamp? 

 You can get 10% off of your Technique Junkies order using code TJ10LeeAnn. 
Who doesn't like a little extra pocket change!?

I started with a piece of Yupo paper and some alcohol inks in pinks, yellows and oranges.  I created a simple striped Yupo panel.
Using a card front sized background die, I die cut from both a white piece of cardstock and the Yupo paper.  So there is an easy way and a hard way to do this.  I chose the hard way.  Yep, pretty much every time!
 I used Press n Seal Wrap to remove the die cuts from the dies and once the pieces were out of the die, I transferred the pieces to another piece of Press n Seal so that I could add adhesive to the back of the pieces I was using.  While still on the Press n Seal so that the placement of the pieces stayed exactly where they were in the die, I adhered them to the card front.
It was a bit of a learning process; in reality, I should have put the adhesive on the backs of the pieces while then were still in the die and then adhere them to the card front.  Next time...
I used this popped up background for my Butterfly 2 that was colored with Copics and fussy cut out.

There were a lot of pieces left from these die cuts; you can see what I did with them on March 1st during the release hop!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you give this technique a try!

Lee Ann
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Birthday Balloons

Hi Everyone!

I have a birthday card to share today, using the Faith, Hope and Love Set.  Birthday?  I know what you are thinking; Faith, Hope and Love is not a birthday set!  Well, it is when you turn the cute heart into a balloon!  Need this set to make birthday cards?  Use code TJ10LeeAnn and you will save 10% on your entire order!

I just purchased some of the Distress Oxide inks; I know, I am a bit late to the party, but I was
pretty happy with the plan ol' distress inks!  I heat embossed the hearts 3 times and then painted them with distress oxides.  I used Spiced Marmalade, Peacock Feathers and Twisted Citron.  I then masked the hearts off and sponged the remainder of the card with the Twisted Citron and Peacock Feathers.  To add texture, I placed a stencil around the edges of the card and dabbed with a damp cloth to lift oxidize the color.  Black splatter adds interest. Lastly, balloon strings were drawn in with a Micron pen.
The sentiment, Donuts Happy Birthday, was heat embossed on a black panel.  The image panel was die cut out with a stitched rectangle die and the card was assembled.

That's it for me; I hope I have inspired you to look at your stamps differently, or at least to get inky today!

Lee Ann
greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Baby, You are So Loved

Hello Friends! 

I love vintage looking images and these 3 sweet little birds have just the look that I love.  If you love 

these birds as much as I, you can get a 10% discount on them using code TJ10LeeAnn. 

  I was waiting for the right sentiment to come along to make a baby card with these birds. 

Along comes the January release and the 'You are Loved' stamp~

I water colored a piece of watercolor paper using distress ink (Picked Raspberry) and then die cut a circle in it. 
The sentiment was stamped in grey on white cardstock and then clear embossed. 
The birds were stamped with Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored with Copics, then fussy cut out. I assembled the card, popping the panel up on dimensional tape.  The panel is off centered to the left and a small strip of pattern paper runs down the side of the panel.  I added the birds, some sequins and some die cut clouds.  I also added small pink pearls on the sentiment panel; I love the extra punch it adds. 
February 1st is right around the corner, which means a new release is coming!  We will be hopping;  hope you will join us! 
That is it for me!  I hope I have inspired you with my project.

 Lee Ann  

greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

The Kiss!

Hello, Hello!

Hope everyone is staying warm this January!
We have entered my favorite card making season- Valentine's prep!  There are so many fun images out there and it seems everyone is wanting to give (and receive) a valentine card.  The Kiss has become one of my top favorite Valentine images.  You can get 10% off of it, or any other stamp with code TJ10LeeAnn. 

I paired it with a sentiment from the Love You More set. 
I kept it very simple, focusing on the two cuties.  They were watercolored with distress inks.  I used my MISTI to get precise placement of color. 
Using watercolor paper, I inked up precise areas of the image, masking off some areas as I went along; this allowed me to put the color where I wanted it.  Once the color was down, I moved it around some with water.  I repeated this process until I reached the desired look.

Thats it for me; when I am not here, you can find me at Greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com.

Have a wonderful  and crafty week all!

Lee Ann

Celebrate in Style!

Hello, Hello!

Amazing how fast December goes, isn't it?!?  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas as we are now counting down to the new year.  And where did 2017 go??  2017 brought lots of new experiences for me and I hope that 2018 is the same.  Do you celebrate the New Year?  I used to like to stay up 'til the proverbial ball drop, but now I prefer my ZZZs!  You can usually find me 'celebrating' the new year at my craft desk!
Today's card uses the super fun Technique Junkies Darling Blooms stamp~

These flowers give me a bit of a 'flower child 60's' feel, and that is how I decided to color them- kind of wild!  I colored selected blooms with colored pencils on kraft cardstock.  The black background makes the colors pop.  The floral panel was fussy cut along the top edge and then popped up with dimensional tape.  The sentiment strip was stamped with the Celebrate in Style sentiment.
I hope you celebrate in style tonight as we ring in 2018!

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy New Year!

Lee Ann
www.greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Deck the Halls

Hello Everyone!

Lee Ann here, with an elegant Christmas card to share with you.  When I saw this Draped Ornament stamp, I knew I had to have it.

Such a simple stamp and yet so elegant!

I started by creating a simple template of the image.  I stamped the image on scrap paper and then loosely fussy cut it out.  This helped me to determine final placement of my images.
I stamped the image a total of 3 times.  The first time I stamped the image off center to the left on the card base.  The second time I did a bit of masking of a few ornaments.  I also used the template to determine exact placement of the second stamped image.  This one was stamped off center to the right.
The third image was stamped and the ornaments colored with Copics.  Then the image was fussy cut out.  I adhered it to the card using dimensional tape.  I added light shadows to the background ornaments with grey Copics.
The sentiment is from the Gifts of Christmas stamp set.  I added some shimmer to the ornaments with Wink of Stella.

I hope I have inspired you!  When I am not here, you can find me on my blog at Greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com.

Doing some last minute shopping?  Get 10% off of your purchase with code TJ10LeeAnn~

A Very Merry Christmas to all of you!  

Lee Ann