A tribute card for Memorial Day

Just a quick reminder on what Memorial Day is all about. A salute to our men and women in the service with a sincere Thank You for what you give/have given to keep our Nation free. 
God Bless America.

Stamp: Last Breath
Pat Huntoon

Same Stamps 2 Ways

Hello All Lanette Here!

I just love our new Crazy Cat Border Stamp! So I thought it would be fun to create two very different cards using this fun stamp... Heck I even used the same verse stamp and the same papers...

First I kept it clean and simple....

Next I mixed it up a bit with a bit of Distress Oxide Ink....

Here is a better look at the stamps I used today...

Crazy Cat Border

Cats and More Cats

And don't forget Pat has an awesome

 deal for the complete set of Distress Oxide Ink!!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! 

I hope that I have inspired you in some way!

TJ Inkspirations

If you haven't seen, Jeanne Streiff just announced the newest Technique Challenge on the TJ Facebook Group and blog. The challenge is to use the Shaped Stencils Technique (directions here) with Technique Junkies stamps for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate to anything in the TJ store.

Here is my take on the Shaped Stencils Technique:   I stamped and cut apart the Left Unsupervised sentiment, and used the Peeking Image over the shaped stencil. The shape is a circle die that I sponged ink through, using the Grammies's Lace stencil from A Colorful Life Designs. I colored my girl very lightly with Chameleon Colored Pencils.   I created the shaped stencil portion using the Stonework Stencil from A Colorful Life Designs through an Apothecary Die. To "grunge" my piece a bit, I sprayed the background with Timeless, Rustic and Warm Art Anthology Colorations Sprays. Once dry,  The Downtown Boy and Sarcasm stamps were stamped directly on the stenciled portion, using brown StazOn ink. The cat was colored with Chameleon Colored Pencils.

The Rules

You will have a whole month to complete the challenge. Enter as many times as you wish using the link list at the bottom of the post for a chance to win a  $25 Technique Junkies Gift Certificate!  You have until June 11th to enter. Winner will be announced June 12th. A few simple rules. You must use Technique Junkies stamps to be chosen to win a prize. If you don't have any Technique Junkies stamps feel free to play along and link your project but you will not be in the drawing for a prize. You must use the challenge technique in your project (that's the challenge!) No linking old projects. Projects must be new. Please list Technique Junkies stamps with links in your project posts. Please link directly to your project (not a general blog). If you have a problem linking to the challenge contact Jeanne Hope you were inkspired today! Pat

Happy Father's Day

Good Morning!

Chris here with a bit of Father's Day inspiration for you today.

Today I am highlighting both the Happy Father's Day stamp and a portion of the Call the Girls stamp.  I created this card first by misting spray stain onto watercolor paper then using my Misti stamping tool to repeatedly stamp the sentiment on the right side with distress inks to give the loose watercolor look.  

The drink is from of the Call the Girls stamp.  It was stamped with Memento ink and colored with Copics.  I then cut a mask for the lemon, so I could cover the whole glass with Versamark and dip it in clear embossing powder and emboss to give the shine of real glass.

I was playing with my gelli plate and some acrylic paints the other day, and loved these warm gray  backgrounds that I had made using some crinkled plastic wrap to create a subtle texture.  I loved the contrast of two of the backgrounds pieces and decided to make a simple Father's Day card for a husband who's out of this world.

And while creating some backgrounds I was using this A Colorful Life Texture stencil with my Gel Press.  When I peeled up my Bristol paper I had to do a double take.  This is one of a series of pieces I'd started when I could help but see something totally unexpected.  Do you see it?

I couldn't help it.  It was in my head.  

The Gel Press plate got pushed aside and the paint brush came out.

I had to get my Monet on.

Speaking of stencils...  There's a new stencil challenge that just started on Technique Junkies!  If you haven't seen it, you can check it out HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Enjoy your day!

It's Murphy!!!

Have you ever come across a stamp and just HAD to have it? OMG! Puppy With Bow is one of those stamps!

This is the stamp:

This is my dog, Murphy:

Can you see why I HAD to have this stamp? There was no question. He even has one short ear, the same one as the stamp. You would have thought he modeled for this (he didn't). In case you're interested, he is a Shichon/Maltipoo. Shitzu, Bichon, Maltese and Poodle. The sweetest little guy you'll ever meet.

So between Murphy and Puppy With Bow, I was totally inspired to create this card:

I started with an A2 card base in white with a black panel and some gray patterned paper as a mat. I stamped Puppy on Neenah white cardstock using Ranger Archival Ink (Watering Can). I added some colored pencil highlights and matted the panel with black cardstock. The sentiment is from Typewriter Set. It was stamped and die cut, then mounted on black cardstock and attached with foam tape.

But I'm not done yet...I have another card to share with you today!

Again using Archival Ink (Watering Can) for all the images on this card, I stamped Butterfly2 onto a Neenah cardstock panel three times. I then masked off all three butterflies and stamped Medium Porcelain Crackle, and removed the masks. I used several red/orange/yellow colors of the Zig Clean Color Markers and added clear lacquer to the top. I stamped the sentiment from the Things I Want To Do set, cut them out and mounted them to black cardstock. Using foam tape, I attached the sentiment to the panel and the panel to the A2 card base.

I hope I've inspired you to do some stamping of your own today! If you'd like any of these stamps, just click the links above. And to save 10% on your order at Technique Junkies, you can use my code:

And don't forget this month's technique challenge (info in the side bar)! You can enter to win a $25 TJ gift certificate!

Til next time,
Keepin' It Inky!

PUPPY LOVE

Hello Junkies!  

Pat has sooooo many incredibly awesome rubber stamps in the Technique Junkies store.  If you haven't browsed around, you are in for a real treat.  If you have you already know what I'm talking about.  Choosing TJ stamps from my supply to showcase and play with is one of my guilty pleasures. 

This week I couldn't resist this little guy!  He has such an adorable face and can be used with a variety of sentiments.  I used the incredible Chameleon Colortone Pencils to color him.  The trick and technique to coloring this stamp with these pencils is layering colors. What fun they are to play with! 

I used a background cover die I had to use up some card stock scraps and wasn't sure how I would use it until I stamped and colored this puppy.  It all came together quite quickly.  

I first stamped the puppy with my MISTI in "Potter's Clay" Memento ink and then began (I took my time) with light colors to enhance the scruffy hairs then built up in darker colors.  The technique is called "no-line coloring" and it can be achieved with many mediums.  This was the first time I tried it with the Chameleon Colortone Pencils and I really like the way it turned out.  

Technique Junkies has a new monthly challenge posted on our blog.  It was posted yesterday.  You have a month to enter - all the details can be found on the blog post HERE. 

Also, come on over and join us on our FaceBook Page.  Lots of fun, Junkies news and chatter there and a great place to post your creations.  

ENABLER ALERT:  If you find some stamps in the TJ Store you'd like and need a little savings on them, please use my code for a 10% off your entire stamp order.  (It excludes the new release and sale items) 

Grab yourself some craft time this week and get your fun on!  

Crazy Cat Border Bookmark

This is a birthday card for one of my daughters.  It encompasses two of her loves (besides her family of course!).  She loves cats, and loves to read.

I used three Technique Junkie Stamps - Crazy Cat Border - http://techniquejunkies.com/crazy-cat-border/, one of the sayings in the Bookworms set - http://techniquejunkies.com/bookworms-set-of-6/ , and Random ABC background -  http://techniquejunkies.com/random-abcs/.

I created the background paper for both the first layer and the the book mark with Distress Oxide inks - http://techniquejunkies.com/12-pack-of-ranger-tim-holtz-distress-oxide-in-pads/  -  in the same manner as the Antique Glimmers technique.  I used Twinkling H2Os and randomly colored in some of the cats on the bookmark and the pocket frame.

Since adhesives show through under vellum, I created a frame from card stock stamped with the Crazy Cat border stamp.  I adhered the vellum with my ATG adhesive, and attached it to the base card with the same adhesive.

I tied ribbons through the tag hole to pull the book mark out.  My daughter will love all of this!

Have a wonderful day -- and get inky!

Judy Jackson