TSSC 57: Faux Leafing

I haven't had the opportunity to play along with the Technostamper Sketch Challenge for weeks now. I am pleased to be a part of it today, albeit a little late in the day!

I love this sketch. It was open to so many possibilities! I decided to work outside my comfort zone with the palette I used today, too. I am always more comfortable with muted tones, not so much on the subtle side. This apricot color is one that I rarely use. Since my focal point uses the Faux Leafing Technique from the February 2009 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter, and the faux leafing mimics the apricot color so nicely, how could I NOT use it? I love the look of this technique -- so much like gold leafing (and cheaper and easier, too!). A close-up of the Faux Leafing is on the right. Have you tried this technique yet?

Go to Mary Jo's site to see the other players and the sketch, too, if you would like to play along.

Hope your Monday is happy!

All Stamps: Stampin' Up!

One True Love

I'll admit it.

I have One True Love. My husband. He is the most adoring, caring, loving person in the world. We still have chemistry after 21 years of marriage. He still makes my toes curl.

This is his Valentine. His real Valentine. The one that professes my love.

The card is a combination of techniques and background papers. Since he is an artist, I know he loves texture, so I made sure there was plenty of that, too.

The brown colored portion on the green textured layer uses the Background Burst Technique from the February 2008 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter. The stamp used there is from Stampin' Up!.

The green layer and the layer that says "One true love" are both background papers. The heart is a cuttlebug heart/die cut that I treated with the Cuttlebug Highlights technique from the October 2008 issue of the TJ Newsletter.

Now, off to spend my day with my love!

BC-86: My Scary Valentines

Today's Blogger's Challenge was a themed challenge: Valentines. Not so hard for the day before! Since I have two teen-aged sons, I chose to make Valentine cards that "spoke" to them. Nothing says "I Love You"more than skulls with eyes for hearts and telling them that they ROCK.

The top card is for my 15 year old (who is a bit indifferent to the art of stamping - hence only glitter on the skull eyes, and Crystal effects on the teeth). My 13 year old appreciates the finer side of stamping, so his card has texture from the Cuttlebug, a full glittery skull, and Crystal Effects on the teeth.

Both cards were made using the Triple Play Technique from the February 2009 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter. (yes, there is a third card -um, from the triple part), but that is for later this week -- I thought you might be sick of my Triple Play cards this week! All stamps: Stampin' Up! Just Jawing.

Hope your pre-Valentine's Day is filled with LOVE!

Fisher of Men -- My Funky Valentine

I just love this plate of stamps from Artistic Outpost. They are so vintage-chic -- and the sayings are all so much fun, too! This is one of the Valentines for my honey (yes, this is my funny one). I think I will put this in his lunch on Friday morning so that he knows I am thinking of him. That way I can give him a romantic Valentine Saturday!

If you missed it, this stamps sheet is the one I am giving away in THIS POST. Enter to win it!

My card was made using the Block Collage Technique (from the February 2009 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter). After I made the collage, I decided to cut it down quite a bit -- I wanted a frame effect. I layered that on chocolate chip cardstock, and that was layered on a piece of textured olive paper I made using the Cuttlebug Smoosh Technique (from the October 2007 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter). Oh, the fish on the line are cut out and popped, too, and I painted them with Shimmerz paints. Another TJ Vendor, Clear Artistic Stamps, has them in stock right now, AND TJ members receive a 15% discount! Sorry I didn't get a better shot of them.

Did you know that the newsletter is only $16.95 per year right now? The special pricing is only good for a few more weeks, so if you have been considering subscribing, do it now!! And yes, the pricing is also good for renewals, too. Please email me for details or if you would like an invoice from PayPal.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Wonderful Wednesday Giveaway - Artistic Outpost!

There are alot of pictures in this post -- just a little warning...I did it so that the questions about the flap for the Triple Play Technique (February 2008 Technique Junkie Newsletter) could be answered visually. I think the pictures will help!

The giveaway today is for these really cool Artistic Outpost stamps called "Keeper" (below). This fun plate is in the vintage-chic style that AO is known for. I am always thrilled with the variety, intelligence and wit that is the trademark style of Artistic Outpost! I love the sayings on this one -- and the "You're a keeper" makes this just right for card-giving for the boys in our lives. Make sure to visit the AO site -- and tell Robyn you we sent ya!

Just a little more about the Triple Play card -- I was asked about the flap. I took a picture with the flap open:

And another with the flap closed and flat:
I think my favorite parts of this card are the fishing lure on the front panel (with my feather) and the string of fish in the corner. I hope the lucky winner of the giveaway likes it too!
To enter the give away for the Artistic Outpost rubber stamp sheet and the card shown above, simply leave a comment on this blog entry telling me that you would like to enter by 11:59pm EST on Sunday, February 15th. No other entry methods will be included in the give away. If you email me to enter, your entry will NOT be considered a valid entry. When you leave the comment, make sure to put your NAME in the comment -- if you enter your comment as "Anonymous", I cannot give you the prize! Blogger does NOT record your email address for me, so you will need to check back to find out if you have won or include your email address in your comment so that I can notify you. A good way to do this is like so: phuntoon at optonline dot net -- it will help protect your privacy! I will have a random number generator pick one number from the comments to select one winner. Each give-away is separate, so to be eligible for a specific item you must enter that day's contest on the post where it is listed. Enter today -- good luck!

Congratulations to Sigrid Clack, the winner of this giveaway!

Valentine Triple Play and Block Collage

My Niece is in college in Virginia -- so I decided to put together a "Care Package" for her for Valentine's Day. This is her Valentine. I used the Block Collage Technique for the front panel, and Triple Play Technique for the card. Both techniques can be found in the February 2009 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter.
Stamps: Art by Moonlight

Blogger's Challenge 83: Duotone Resist

Today's Blogger's Challenge was a sketch challenge. Since yesterday was a "creative day" for me, I decided to add this to my (long) list of items to be completed.

The background on this card uses the Duotone Resist Technique from the February 2009 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter. The shade variation is very subtle in the background (and kind of hard to see in the picture, sorry!).

Stamps: Stampin' Up!, Innovative Stamp Creations (Background)