Words....They Matter

{jane bosi}  This week I'm focusing on some of the awesome words available from Technique Junkie stamps!  I immediately fell in love with this large sentiment, You Make Me Proud #SD612, and new it would be the perfect focal point for the Directions technique!  You'll find that technique in the 2014 Oct/Nov edition of the Newsletter :)

I think this will make such a sweet encouraging card to perhaps pop up in one of my kiddo's lunch boxes?

My second card, also focused on a great sentiment, would also fit the lunch box bill :)

This sentiment, You Are Amazing #SDX045, is amazing!  I love the switched up script and versatile nature of this sentiment.  It's a definite must have as it works for birthday, thank you, encouragement.....just about anything!

Thanks for stopping!  Also, don't forget to answer the TJ Design Team call!!  It's a fabulous place to be :)

TTFN, Jane

Holly Brown: Distressed Daisies

Hi Junkies!  Happy New Year!  

I am starting out this new year with a new computer as my old one died last month.  We had JUST finished a monthly backup and the computer was restarting when poof.  The hard drive completely died.  Somehow the entire boot sector of the hard drive was wiped out.  So we spent about a week trying to restore it, bought a new drive and tried to copy files, but nada.  Now I'm learning a new computer with a new operating system, and I've had to reinstall some of my programs so I can do my work.  Hopefully I'm back to normal now.  :-)

I decided to play with one of my favorite techniques called Watercolor Distress from the February 2007 issue.  This technique is so much fun as you never know what you will end up with.  I used four ink colors - Plum, Wisteria, Wasabi (green), and Marina Mist (blue) - and I love this aged, almost vintage look of these colors together.  When you do this particular technique, every single piece will be totally different.

I stamped the gorgeous Vintage Daisy Collage stamp (Palettini Collection from Technique Junkies Stamps) right over the colored background and I colored in the butterfly and bee wings with a shimmery glaze pen.  The sentiment is from the Einstein Quotes set (Technique Junkies Stamps).  I stamped it on white cardstock and then cut the lines apart and glued them down separately for added interest.

I hope you give this technique a try - it's fun and easy!  :-)

Technique Junkies Design Team Call

We are looking for a few Dynamic Designers who are passionate about Stamping and Stampbooking to join our Creative Team.

Do you love to Stamp?  Do you love elegant, classical and whimsical images?  Are you active on Social Media outlets, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest?  Then we invite you to become part of the Technique Junkies Creative Design Team!

Technique Junkies purchased Stamp Camp in 2014, and has been working on a new website launch. We need a creative team to help us show off our new look and all of our new stamps to the world through your blog, websites, and other social media. The new site will be ready March 1^st, and we want a team that is ready to launch with us!

This special group will develop projects and tutorials for our website and blog, have the chance to have their designs showcased on packaging, and have their artwork displayed at tradeshows throughout the country.  In addition, Designers will have the opportunity to create artwork for future tutorial CDs in addition to creating work for the stamp line.

The team will officially start March1st, and will have a term of service through December 31 2015 (9 months).

 Who Should Apply?
We are looking for stampers, stampbookers and stamping papercrafters who have the following skills:
1.  Strong Social Media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Blog)

2.  Clear, Crisp, and Engaging Project Photography

3.  Fantastic project tutorials, tips, and how-to’s; both video and picture format.

4.  The desire to help Technique Junkies develop a stronger presence in the online stamping community. 4 projects per month are required, 2 on the Technique Junkies blog and 2 on your own personal blog.  There may be need for additional projects for blog hops and CD releases on a volunteer basis. Compensation for additional projects will be separate from what is listed below.

5. We love techniques, and if you do, too, this is a great opportunity for you. BUT - if you prefer clean and simple, or have another style, that is great too – variety is what we are looking for.

6. A commitment to the full 9 month term of March 1^st through December 31^, 2015.

What do I need to do to apply?
Send an email to designteam@techniquejunkies.com with the following information:
1.  Your full name, email address, phone number, and address. List your current design team affiliations (if any) and past affiliations.  Note: It’s okay if you have not been on a team before. I am interested in the quality of your work!

2.  Links to all of your social media outlets:   Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and any other on-line sites/galleries.

3.  Please share links to three (3) of your favorite stamping projects. Make sure that the projects represent your best photography and your personal style. I want to see what you love! Note that these do not need to be new projects, nor do they need to use our stamps or techniques for the application.

4. Tell us a little about yourself…how you started, what you love, the type of stamps (cute, elegant, weird, classic, vintage, photo-style, etc.) you like, What kind of stamps you are drawn to (birds, butterflies, geometrics, etc.).  Just a paragraph or two – whatever you are comfortable telling us.

5. What are your favorite mediums and coloring tools? Do you like to color or are you a master of ink? Or both?

What’s in it for you?
1. We will promote your name/work on the Technique Junkies blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Newsletters, and website.

2. You will receive a box of stamps/cds immediately when selected.  It’ll be like Christmas!

3. You will have a $75.00 stipend per quarter to spend on stamps. I always pay for postage.

4. You will receive a 30% discount on stamps beyond your stipend quarterly.

5. You may choose one tutorial CD per month.

6. You will receive a box of goodies from time-to-time to supplement the stamps above, and to keep things fresh.

The call is open immediately and will end on February 10^th 2015, at midnight EST. Confirmation emails will be sent out when we receive your application (but we do travel, so give us a day or two before following up). A final decision will be made by February 16^th, 2015.

I cannot wait to see your work!

P.S. Know another stamper who would love this? Pass it on!

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

Diagonal Popped Strips

Happy New Year.  I hope you had a nice Christmas and wish you all the best for 2015.

It's Beth Norman here with Diagonal Popped Strips, from the December 2014 issue.  Isn't it pretty with the distressed edging? 

My beautiful background stamp, and sentiment, is from the Technique Junkies Stamps.

Have a good day!

Happy New Year!

{jane bosi}

It's a brand new day, a brand new year!  The possibilities are endless and lay in front of you. What will you do?

For me, the answer is easy!  I will create.  I'll create art, techniques and a life in the process!

I'm using this beautiful Palettini (#P018 Vintage Botanicals Collage) image today for a colorful, easy card!  My watercolor paper background is colored with a collection of beautiful sprays. Once dry, I over stamped this beautiful image. To finish things off, I pulled the Bandana (August 2008) technique out of my arsenal of craftiness!

Go ahead, get your ink on!

TTFN, Jane

Merry Christmas from Judy Jackson

This technique goes back a long ways -- all the way to April 2004!   I still really like the technique.  All the stamps are Technique Junkie stamps and can be found on this web page:
http://www.stampcamp.com/christmas.html .

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and loved ones.


Judy Jackson
Merry Christmas to all!