Friends in Fashion

I thought I would try the Technique Junkies Punched Border Stand-up card technique. It was last weeks TJ try that technique challenge. I didn't get a chance last week to try it...better late than never!
My focal image and sentiment are from the Rogue Redhead Designs Milliner Misses plate. (By the way this plate is on sale this month!) The side cut outs border was done using the Spellbinders borders. I have a bunch of them, but hardly ever remember to use them. They worked perfectly for this card.
I am entering my card into these challenges: Ink on My Fingers Sunday challenge -- pink; Three Muses -- positive affirmation.

Rose Garden

I am finally back to blogging after being off for a couple of weeks. My Dad passed and I needed a little time for family and myself. I miss him terribly, but it's time to go on. Art is a wonderful way to help healing.

My card today is based on the Rogue Stampers sketch posted on Facebook. The background was done using a favorite technique from the current Technique Junkies newsletter, pearly gelatos. I then stamped over the color using a Rogue Redhead Designs script background stamp. The focal flowers, ferns, and sentiment are also RRD stamps. I stamped and masked the roses and then stamped the ferns. I love how the roses come to the front.  The lace came from my stash.
I am entering this card in the following challenges: Design Junkies Try That Technique --pearly gelatos; Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- use lace, ribbon, or twine, Vintage Journey -- spring flowers; and V's Sweet Ideas -- favorite technique.

Springtime

 I am really in the mood to see spring flowers. This week the Bloggers Challenge is fab florals. Along with my flowers, I had to add some butterflies. Yes, spring can't come soon enough for me. For my background I used some wonderful kraft colored textured paper.  The butterfly border (Tim Holtz) is die cut from similar white textured paper and tinted using distress inks. The focal floral image is from SweetStamps. These were colored using the spray mist coloring technique from Technique Junkies (Try That Technique challenge). The sprays I used are from Radiant Rains. It's been quite a while since I pulled them out to play with. The sentiment is from Club Scrap.
My card is also being entered into these challenges: SweetStamps Designs -- spring flowers and Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes.

Birthday Circle

Today I decided to play with offset dies technique from the current Technique Junkies newsletter. I also used the out of the box technique (Oct/Nov 2004).I used a kraft basecard. I chose several colors of cardstock for the frame and offset circles. I stamped the background frame and the brown circle with background stamps from Rogue Redhead Designs behind the scenes plate. The image and sentiment are from RRD Winter Women. The lime and orange circles were dry embossed using a Sizzix (Tim Holtz) embossing folder.
This card is being entered into these challenges: Technique Junkies Try This Technique -- offset die cuts; Flourishes Timeless Tuesday -- lotta polka dots; Three Muses -- out of bounds; and Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations challenge -- stamped background.

Love Letter

Today I had some extra time to spend in my studio, so there will be several posts. I decided to try a new TJ technique, washi shapes which just happens to be this week's Try This Technique challenge. Since I just bought some roles of washi tape a short while ago (which I  have never used) today seemed like the perfect time to try them out. To make my card I started with a red base card. I die cut the background panel using a stamp frame and then I die cut the sentiment "love". I also used an embossing folder to add the Valentine word background. The Cupid, heart and flower were all die cut using washi tape covered cardstock.

These are the blog challenges I am entering: Technique Junkies Try This Technique -- washi shapes; Mark's Finest Papers Color Thursday challenge -- bright colors; Flourishes Timeless Tuesday -- in with the new; Fashionable Stamping -- hearts and flowers

Snow Snow Snow

This will be the last posting for today. I have to say that I was a little nervous about using the TJ technique, shadow tiles. I had seen several cards using this technique and they looked so difficult. Since the Try That Technique challenge this week is shadow tiles, it seemed like the perfect time to take the plunge. I used my Martha Stewart scoring board and the technique was a piece of cake.
I love this little snowman from Serendipity. I bought him months ago, but never got a chance to use him.  I pulled him out today and had fun with him. The challenge this month at Serendipity is buttons. Every snowman needs buttons on his outfit. (The snowflakes are also buttons.) Tuesday Throwdown challenged us to feature a snowman. I guess no explanation is necessary here.

Scarecrow

Today's card features a favorite of mine, the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. I do understand his complaint. I've said the same thing myself many times. The image and the sentiment are from Artistic Outpost. The background was done using the embossed gelatos technique from the current TJ newsletter. I stamped the scarecrow a second time, colored him with gelatos, and popped him over the background.
I am entering this card in several challenges: Artistic Outpost Monthly Referral...anything goes; Ink on my Fingers Sunday Challenge...embossing powder; Tuesday Throwdown...favorite book; City Crafter...burlap love; and Technique Junkies Try That Technique...embossed gelatos.

Collage

What fun! This week the Stampotique Designers challenge was to make a one layer card. This challenge worked along perfectly with the Design Junkies Try That Technique challenge which was block college from the Feb/Mar 2009 TJnewsletter.
My focal image, the little sentiment in the top corner, and all of the collage stamps are from Stampotique. I used Ranger's sandal and rust inks for the stamping. this is such an easy technique, but the results are amazing.

More Christmas in July

I love the Try That Technique Challenge from Technique Junkies. Most often I am encouraged to try a technique that I haven't tried before. That was true this challenge as we were to try Bohemian Layers from the Feb-Mar/2011 newsletter. I decided to make a Christmas in July card since that was the challenge at both Creative Belli and Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends. The inks used on the background are Ranger cloudy blue, sailboat blue, and denim. The tree stamps are from Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Co. The background stamp is the music background stamp from I Brake for Stamps. The star and sentiment were die cut using Tim Holtz dies and grungepaper. I used my white paint dabber to color and some rock candy stickles to add a little sparkle. I am quite pleased with how the card turned out.

Pretty in Pink with Diamonds

This week's theme at The Octopode Factory Friday challenge is girls just want to have fun. Hels Sunday challenge at Ink on my Fingers is pretty in pink. I really think that these challenges work really well together. Let me add in the challenge on the Technique Junkies blog , the acrylic block taping technique from the current TJ newsletter, which I used for my background.
My image is Anabelle Lee from the Octopode collection. She does look pretty in pink and adorned with diamonds. The sentiment is computer generated. Of course, with a sentiment like that, I had to add a lot of bling. I even sprayed the background with glimmer mist for the sparkle.

Never Give Up Hope

This is my last posting for today. The Try That Technique challenge at Technique Junkies is challenging us to use the layered masking technique from the Feb/Mar 2012 TJ newsletter. I've been admiring this technique done by several of the other TJers. This was a great opportunity to try it for myself. 
I'm also excited because Cornish Heritage Farms stamps are back and now CHF is sponsoring a challenge. The theme is anything goes. Both the lighthouse and sentiment are from the CHF collection.

Cascading flowers

Hooray! The Try That Technique challenge is back at Technique Junkies. This week the challenge is the cascading images technique from the current Technique Junkies newsletter. My background image and the flowers are Heartfelt Creations stamps. The sentiment is from Rogue Redhead Designs.

Christmas Wishes

This card is an example of a Double Twisted Easel card (a technique from the new TJ 3D and FUN FOLD CD) Technique Junkies has been blog hopping with different vendors all week. This is a technique they challenged us to try.
Several of my favorite challenge sites have some sort of Christmas theme in their challenges. Kraft Journal challenges us to create a Christmas card (the base card is Kraft). Tuesday Throwdown is looking for a masculine holiday card. City Crafter says Santa is Coming and wants to see Santa. The Artistic Stamper's December challenge is Christmas.
All of my stamped images and sentiment are from Artistic Outpost's Frosty and Friends. I love these stamps. They are so cute without being cutesie. The Design Paper on the card base is from My Mind's Eye Christmas Lost and Found -- love that bling. The center is made from grungeboard die cut into holly leaves and colored using Pan Pastels.
I love that the card makes a great holiday decoration, but that it also folds down flat for mailing,

Ticketed Backgrounds

This week's Try That Technique challenge is tagged backgrounds from the Stampbooking CD.  Since I was making a card and not a scrapbook page, I didn't have small enough tags, so I used tickets instead. For my image I used a stamp from the new Artistic Outpost sheet, Favorite Book. The word tickets are from Tim Holtz's Adage tickets. The others were cut using a TH die.

Vintage Seamstress

This week the Technique Junkies Try That Technique challenge is Faux tiles from the Jun/Jul 2011 newsletter. I like this technique because it has such a vintage look.  The thought of vintage brought to my mind this Sew Much to Do stamp from Chapel Road Artstamps. I stamped the image and created the tiles. I decided that that buttons would be the perfect embellishments for my card. Did you notice that the entire card is done in shades of brown? Well, since Simon Says Stamp and Show has a one color challenge this week, my card works well for it.

Distressed Window Technique

This week the Technique Junkies Try That Technique challenge is Distressed Window from the Oct/Nov 2011 newsletter. I used several stamps from Chapel Road Art Stamps to create this card. The background stamps are floral background,  butterfly background, and mesh background. The sentiment is from Four Small Poems. The butterfly is cut from metal using a Cheery Lynn butterfly die.

Wonderful

This card began with the sketch from the Critter Sketch challenge.  The background was done using the Double the Fun technique which was the challenge for Technique Junkies Try That Technique. I did find that cutting package acetate with a Spellbinders die was almost impossible, but the Tim Holtz Sizzix dies went through like butter. Ink on My Fingers Sunday Challenge was looking for the complementary colors blue and orange.  My main image is from I Brake for Stamps. I thought she was beautiful for the Girl Power challenge at I Brake for Challenges. Her dress was paper pieced, the challenge at Creative Belli. Both the stamp and the paper have been in my collection a long while. The sentiment, from The Angel Company, has also been waiting a long time to be used.

Rarest of Flowers

This week the Try That Technique challenge is Background Whimsy technique. My card uses the dye ink version. My background stamp is the Floral Background stamp from Chapel Road Artstamps. The ribbon come from my ribbon stash. The flower is made using the Spellbinders Anemone Flower Topper die. don't you think that the background and the background stamp were made for each other?

Color Layered Koi

The Try That Technique challenge this week was Color Layering from the Jun/Jul 2007 newsletter. The koi was stamped using the technique. Then I masked the image and stamped the leaves. I sprayed the panel with Glimmer Mist which did cause some of the marker to wick into the watercolor paper, but that's the nature of water color. I also used the wisped corners technique to soften the stark white of the panel. The background paper is from My Mind's Eye and Club Scrap. All of the stamps are Stamp Zia.

Celebrating a New Stamp Release at Artistic Outpost

It's time to celebrate the holidays Artistic Outpost style with a new release of stamps. There are three fun new stamp sheets to choose from.

Halloween Treats :  Growing up, our Halloween decorations were Technicolor large die cuts of pumpkins and kitty cats and witches on broomsticks.  These stamps remind me of those “cardboard” cut-outs.  How I wished we had saved them!   Try mixing this set with our other Halloween collections as well as Apothecary!

Frosty & Friends:  I love the sweetness of vintage Christmas cards.  The secular imagery was dreamy and cute...so sugary sweet my teeth hurt just to look at them.  This collection features some of our favorite images from our own AO collection of vintage ephemera. 

Apothecary :  Before the invention of the drive-thru Walgreens®, the apothecary was not just a dispenser of medicines, but also a mix-ologist of tonics, keeper of secrets, and giver of advice.  Antique apothecary bottles are highly collectible in part due to the “mystery” of what could actually be in them.  Our AO stylized bottle has a blank space that our “product” labels fit perfectly into…or hand write your prescription on our vintage Rx pad.

Please note that due to the high volume during new releases, that “mounted” stamp collections may take 10 days to ship.  We will keep you posted on your order, and thank you so much for visiting our outpost.

Now to share some of the works I created using these stamps.

Halloween Treats

I used the Warhol technique to create this card. The kitty was stamped on small tags which had been colored with distress stains. The background is made from kraft glassine paper which was wrinkled thoroughly and colored with distress inks.

Frosty and Friends

You just have to smile when you see the stamps from this set. Frosty was done using the With and Without Collage technique from the April/May 2011 TJ Newsletter (also this weeks Try That Technique challenge) and the torn frame technique from Dec '08/Jan '09 TJ newsletter. The background was embossed with snowflakes and the top was cut using a Tim Holtz on-the-edge die.


Apothecary

This is a druggist I'd like to get to know. He's found the fountain of Youth and bottled it. I need some of that. The background is a page from an old Chemistry Handbook. I used part of an embossing folder for the pharmacist sign.

The other design team members have been busy creating great art pieces to share with you. Be sure and check out their blogs for more delightful inspiration.

Lisa - Gerrie - Sue - Louise - Stephanie - Lynn - Judy