Dogwood Blossoms that Match My Own Tree!

For those who know me well -- they know I love flowers - flowering bushes, flowering trees, bulb flowers, annual, perennials, and especially "winter over pansies!"  I have silk flowers in my house so I can have flowers all of the time.   My regret regarding flowering trees is that they last such a short time.   So I try to space them out. I have this lovely dogwood tree and in August I have a Crepe Myrtle!  But then if  those trees and bushes bloomed all of the time we wouldn't appreciate their blooms as much.And if they apple, cherry, pear, peach, and veggie blossoms didn't change we would miss out on all those yummy things to eat.  So I will be grateful for the blossoms when they come.  

And my Dogwood tree is in bloom as I write this in late late April.  We had had a hard winter with lots of snow --and that is hard on a dogwood tree. So my whole tree is not in usual full bloom.  And these trees tend to be on the smaller side anyway.   So this is the top part of my tree. 

And here is my card. Do you see how the blossoms match?  This is a beautiful Technique Junkies May Release called __________________ - _________________________. 

And the Birthday Wishes stamp just goes with this card -- http://techniquejunkies.com/birthday-wishes/.   Quite fun and whimsical. 

I used my Copic markers to color the image and sponged in the sky.

And don't forget the Dogwood Branch  stamp http://techniquejunkies.com/dogwood-branch/  is a Technique Junkie May 'release and is on sale for 15% off until May 8! So go shopping -- it's a sale already!

And if you did not read my blog post from yesterday's Blog Hop - I have a contest on my blog. So please read it at http://judysstampart.blogspot.com/2016/05/oh-merry-merry-month-of-may-and-new.html  and please a comment before May 5.

Have a great week and get inky!

May Blog Hop -- New stamps, new inspiration!

Welcome to the hop! Today is May 1st and that means that it is release day! We have a baker's dozen of new stamps for you that you will just adore! To celebrate, the Technique Junkies Design Team is featuring a BLOG HOP! Not only that, but the May Release Stamps are 15% off through May 8th. Simply make your selections, and all the May releases will automatically be discounted at checkout. Now for a little inspiration:

First up is a creation using two of the new releases. The bottom layer uses the 9 stamps in the London Calling Set to create a collage background. Layered over it is the London ATC. I think they work smashingly together.

But it IS May, so how about a few flowers?

On this 4" x 4" card, I used the Dogwood Branch Stamp with one of the sentiments from the Beautiful Faces Stamp Set. The flowers were colored with Copic Markers and the background is the Cracked Stencil (from Art Anthology) that has been stenciled with ink.

One more on this blog before I release you to the hop:

This simple card uses the Mama and Baby Background stamp with two of the stamps from the Beautiful Faces stamp set. Isn't that just perfect -- and unexpected -- for Mother's Day?

Now that you have seen a few things that I have created, let's move on to the hop (more from me later in the hop line-up). Simply follow this list to the end, then go shop -- make sure you get your 15% off the new stamps!

Here is the line-up:

Design Team Blog: http://techniquejunkies.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-blog-hop-new-stamps-new-inspiration.html

Karen McAlpine: http://dreamingncreating.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-new-release-blog-hop-with-technique.html
Kathy Stacy: https://craftynurse4u.wordpress.com/2016/05/01/technique-junkies-may-blog-hop/

Jane Bosi: http://janembosi.blogspot.com/2016/05/hop-on-bytechnique-junkies-may-hop.html

Beth Norman: http://www.sunflowers-dragonflies.ca/blog/44442/technique-junkies-new-stamp-release/

Judy Jackson: http://judysstampart.blogspot.com/2016/05/oh-merry-merry-month-of-may-and-new.html 

Tonya Davidson: http://stampintonya.blogspot.com/2016/05/mays-new-releases.html

Pat Huntoon: http://patstamps.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-blog-hop.html

Robin Redd: http://robinredd.typepad.com/reddrobinstudios/2016/05/blog-hop-into-may-technique-junkies.html 

Marilyn Hughes: http://dollsetc.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-new-releases-technique-junkies-blog.html

I hope you are inspired by our Blog Hop Today...Have fun and Happy May!

Pat Huntoon

Elegant Mums Just Perfect for Mother's Day

Hello Junkies!
Karen McAlpine with you today and I have been having a busy week working in the yard and crocheting more baby gifts.  Of course, I still made time to make a few cards for the ladies.  Today's cards were made with a stamp from the April New Release collection by Technique Junkies. This stamp is perfect for Mother's Day cards.  Take a look

Materials List:

Stamps: Elegant Mums and Classy and Fabulous Sentiment from Technique Junkies

Ink: Victorian Velvet, Spun Sugar, and Fired Brick Distress inks

CS: pink

Paper: Mixed Media pad from Strathmore

Sprial Punch

Label Punch

Ribbon

Lace

Pearl trim

Make It:

• Punch the top edge of the pink CS with the spiral punch
• Distress the pink CS with Spun Sugar and Fired Brick ink
• Tear a sheet of the mixed media paper torn from the pad-keeping the spiral edge in tacked
• Ink Elegant Mum with Victorian Velvet ink and stamp on a sheet of the mixed media paper torn for the pad--don't cut off the spiral edge

Note: don't clean your stamp!  The Distress ink is very wet!  So, I stamped a second image--you will see it on the second card later in this post.

•  Add Spun Sugar ink to the stamped image using the direct to paper method ( no tool needed-just gently sweep the pad across the paper)
• To the centers of the flowers, add Fired Brick ink with a stencil brush
• Heavily distress the edges and add to the pink CS base
• Stamp the Sentiment, punch, and distress 
• Punch a second label from pink CS
• Layer both labels over a piece of  lace, gathered ribbon and some pearl trim

***Perfect for a Mother's Day Card!!  Just stamp a sentiment on the inside and you are good to go.  That is what I will be doing with both cards!!


Second Card:

This is the second stamp impression I made without reinking the stamp. I stamped on a soft cream CS and added a layer of white.  The card base is lavender CS

I layered some pretty fibers onto the card --a ruffled ribbon, burlap rick rack, and white tulle.  Another perfect card for Mother's Day!!

So glad you stopped by today.  **Sunday is the May New Release blog hop!!  What happened to April, right?  The months are just flying by!  I hope you have a super day and that you find time to create a little something for someone special. 

See you again soon!

Karen McAlpine

Dreaming and Creating

Tip Toe Through The Tulips

Hello Junkies!

Kathy, The Crafty Nurse here today with a quick card using "Tulips #S662" from the Technique Junkies March release.  The background was created using the "Background Whimsy - Copic Method" from the Bodacious Background CD.  Instead of outlining the image completely with the white gel pen, I did a more freehand approach giving it more of an artistic feel, which I think works with this gorgeous stamp.  My sentiment is Kindness Matters SDX026".

As we are coming to the end of April, I can't wait for you to see the May release stamps.  Be sure to stop by the May Blog Hop on Sunday, May 1st.

See you then!
The Crafty Nurse

How to Color on Kraft Paper

 Hello, Beth Norman here today with a long tutorial on how to color a flower onto Kraft paper.  I used one of my favourite stamps, Flourished Floral.  In this tutorial you will see that I use Prismacolor pencil crayons and odorless mineral spirits (OMS).  If you don't have Prismacolor pencil crayons OMS will not work, but don't worry, just color away.

Supplies:  Prismacolor pencil crayons, white Prismacolor pencil crayon, odorless mineral spirits, paper stumps, Kraft paper, stamp, black ink (not in photo)

Stamp out your image onto Kraft card stock and let dry for about 15 minutes

Color your entire image with white pencil crayon

 

Color your flower with your first color

Using your blending stump with OMS (dip your paper stump into the OMS) spread around your color until a smooth finish is achieved.

\

Take your darkest, of three colors and add color on the top edge of every petal

As previously done, take your paper stump and OMS and blend out the darkest color, drawing it downwards towards the tip of your petal

With your third color (I chose a bright pink) do the same as in previous steps but this time color close to the petals so you have just a fine line when you pull out your color.  Next, color the rest of your stamped image

Take a darker green to color along the flower petals and using your blending stump and OMS, pull out your color

I like to leave white space in all of my colored work because it adds a feel of dimension.  On Flourished Floral, I chose to do this on the smallest pieces of flower.  When an area is as tiny as this simply draw a line along the bottom of the area you are coloring, or else you will not have any white space

Take your blending stump dipped in OMS and simply draw along the colored pencil line without drawing it upwards

Finish your card as desired

Feeling Crabby?

Hello Inky Friends!

I hope this project won't leave you feeling crabby but ready for some beachy fun! (and maybe hungry?) LOL

For this project I used one of the April New Release's called Crabby. I'll admit that when I began playing, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to come up with- card, art or otherwise. I knew I wanted to try a beach with the Art Anthologly Paints, Sprays & Texture.

I also used some Tattered Angels products as well.

I began by spraying out some some of the inks and manipulating the beach colors a little heavier in some areas.

I then took a darker color and a toothbrush to splatter some specs of sand.

 I sprayed some pink onto white and heat embossed the crab with a cranberry colored powder.

I didn't get a WIP photo of the smear of A.A. Paint I added in for the water but here's a close up of it. I applied a Fiber Paste with a palette knife for the clouds to add dimension.

Close up of crab and an extra sand mound I popped up.

Close up of the word DREAM using the Soliloquy Stencil

So there's the final piece! I think the crab is dreaming that it won't wind up on someone's dinner plate! HAHA!

Hope this inspired you to create some seasonal pieces of art for your home or possibly as a gift and not just for cards!!

Until next time...

Happy Creating!!

-oxox-
Tonya :)

Bullseye Bloom Card

Hello!  And, a Happy Wednesday to you!

This week in Southern California, 

we skipped right over spring and jumped right into the heat of summer!

I thought I'd make a card to get that spring feeling back.

I made this card by stamping S655 Bullseye Bloom with a VersaMark stamp pad.

TS-VM VersaMark Stamp Pad

I colored the S655 Bullseye Bloom stamp with a sponge applicator and chalks.

 I used SD413 Find Our Way for the sentiment focal point.

What are your go-to Technique Junkie stamps that bring back that spring feeling?

Until next time...