Check The Technic

I know it comes the same day every year, but this year it snuck up on me! That is why I am just posting my cards now... because I spent all weekend making Christmas cards. I have a short attention span sometimes and get very bored when I make more than 15-20 of one kind, so I have made three different cards so far this year.I need 65 cards total, so I need to design and execute more today! Maybe next year I will get my act together and make them early. But heck, we just put our tree up this weekend, too...so I probably will get those cards done next year right around the same time.

This card was inspired by a card I saw on the internet...but I cannot remember who posted the original. Please give me a shout if it was you so I can credit you with the design! The punched "evergreen" is a fern stamp, and they green was spritzed with Glimmer Mist, so it is sparkly in person. The bird punch, silver waffle paper and the greeting are  from Stampin' Up!.  The silver bow got smooshed on my scanner bed, but it is pretty in person. The paper used on the bird and the greeting is a luscious striped lustre paper from Paper Temptress. It is gorgeous in person!

I don't know why I feel compelled to make such labor-intense cards...but these took a ton of time!

Okay, you have to admit it. The dramatic scene in the Twisted Papers digital image is pretty hysterical. I thought it was a great image to use for a Get Well Card -- especially if the recipient only has a cold.  I colored the black and white image with colored pencils, then layered that on a background made from the Texture Plate Smoosh Technique from the December 2010 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up!. 

Happy Monday!

Well it certainly has been a long time since I posted! Several things -- both business and personal, have kept me busy, and I have neglected blog land.  To make up for it, I have a great giveaway to celebrate the new December 2010 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter.  The issue was mailed yesterday and the online-link to the issue is live NOW! If you are a subscriber, go HERE to take a peek.

In the meantime, the card above represents the Deconstructed Collage Technique from the December issue. Can you see the popped layers from the image? This stamp is one of the many collage-style stamps from  I Brake for Stamps that are perfect for this technique. When you go take a peek at them, make sure to use the discount code from the Subscriber's-only page when you check out!

Okay, now, one of the reasons I was not online much in the last few weeks is because I went to Prague and Vienna with my husband. I have been saving my miles and credits on my credit cards for 10 years -- and to celebrate my 50th birthday this year, we used ALL of them so that we could go to Europe FREE!!  Won't you celebrate with me?  I am giving away this European-looking set from I Brake for Stamps this week:

Isn't it gorgeous?

I (my random number generator) will be selecting a winner for this giveaway from the comments left on my BLOG on Monday December 6th. When commenting, make sure to leave me enough information so that I can find you.An email address is ideal! Good luck!

The winner of this giveaway is Seamom! Congratulations!

 

Sometimes things are just crazy.  Did you ever feel that you were underwater and every few minutes you are allowed to surface for a gulp of air? That has been my life for a whole month. But I have to say -- it's all good! 

This piece of art is from the Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD.  Called a Pop-out Tunnel Card, it is surprising easy to make, and is really cool when the recipient opens it and the greeting or image pops out. All of the stamps and paper on this project are from Stampin' Up!.

The Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD was launched this past month -- and received very successfully. At $17.95, the  CD contains 60 pdf step-by-step pictorial/tutorials -- pictures for each step -- and it has been a hit with Technique Junkie subscribers and non-subscribers alike. If you have not already done so, you can click on the link above to order it.

On November 5th -- which, in come to think of it, was over a week ago -- Donna Duquette and I hit the road and exhibited at the Greater New York Stamp and Scrapbook show. Poor Donna...not only did she have to put up with me on the ride from Connecticut to Long Island with me chattering in her ear, but the car I was driving broke down, too! It added an extra 2-1/2 hours to the day. Donna should be sainted! What a crazy day it was. We did have fun, though, and met a ton of people.

Donna did a million - nay, perhaps a billion -- demos of one of the upcoming December techniques. I can assure you (based on the reception from people at the show) that you will love this technique when it comes out. Donna's newly developed Carpal Tunnel syndrome is testament to that! Thank you, Donna, for smooshing your heart out!

Many thanks to Mary Garvey and Dee Ruger -- both of them did booth time and helped out with set-up and during the show hours. Thank you both!

Okay, enough blathering on. Just thought I would share a bit of life from planet Junkie!

I love this little notecard holder. I made the box with one peice of paper and scraps of designer paper. Then I made quick little notecards with some white paper...isn't this a great gift idea? I think I will be making a version of this to have on hand as an extra little holiday gift item. Just a little something extra -- and it is virtually no effort to make.

And yes, of course it is on the Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD. If you have ordered yours, know that it is being printed right now -- and I will have them in the mail to you within a week! If you still need to order it, you can do it HERE, or order with renewal HERE or order with a new subscription HERE.  Lots of options for you!

I used a retired Stampin' Up! Greeting stamp with a Feather from Fred Mullett Jr to decorate my box and cards. Oh -- the box lies flat, of course. I just have it standing on edge so you can see it better!

I love this sweet little Circle Tab Card idea. It really highlights the focal image of the card, yet is easy to make and eye-catching. Of course, the dimensions and step-by-step pictorial is on the soon-to-be-released Technique Junkie Newsletter  Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD. Have you ordered yours yet? If not, click on the link above to order, or if you would like to renew your subscription also, you can order from THIS page.

 There are all kinds of cards and projects on the CD -- from simple to sublime. Hope you like this one!

Thanks for stopping by today -- I will have a new project for you tomorrow, too!

I can't get enough of these folds! This one is particularly great -- it is a longer-than-normal accordion card that leaves you plenty of space to decorate AND write a greeting to the recipient. I have a hard time taking a picture of this one to capture the beauty of it, so I hope you get the idea. It is a three panel, Vertical Accordion Card from the soon-to-be-released Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD. Have you ordered yours yet?

You can order it HERE - or renew your subscription at the same time as ordering it HERE. You do NOT need to be a subscriber to order the CD, either.

There are 60 Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts Projects on this CD. 30 of them are from the Technique Junkie Newsletter Archives, and 30 of them are brand new for you! All of them are in step-by-step picorial format, and are printable to 8-1/2" x 11" paper. They are friendly to Macs and PCs alike, since they are in PDF format. The Cd will be shipped in early November, so you will have plenty of time to make Holiday Gifts and Cards, too!

My card was made with Club Scrap Stamps and Paper.  Thanks for stopping by today!

I guess that question in my parent's time would have been provocative. Not here though -- because I am talking about Swing Cards. This Online Bonus Technique is from the October 2010 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter, and is also found on the soon-to-be-released Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD.

Come swing with me! You can order this CD here. If you need to renew your subscription and want to purchase the CD at the same time (or if you just need to renew), you can use my new shopping cart feature on THIS PAGE.

I always wanted to use this chickie stamp outside of Easter -- after all, I bought the Stampin' Up! set for the "You crack me up" stamp -- and when I came across the "thanks, pal" Club Scrap stamp in my stash, I knew they were meant to be together.

Have a great weekend!

Hey! I haven't had a giveaway in a couple of weeks -- today's the day! Our sponsor this week is Twisted Papers. Today we are giving away the Victorian Nature Illustrations CD from Twisted Papers, along with the Puzzle Layer Card (Technique Junkie Newsletter, October 2010 issue), above. There are 280 images on this CD -- some in black & white (as was used here) and some in color. These images were painstakingly restored and every other one of them is just beautiful as this image. I love this CD and turn to it all the time for images! Being able to print them to any size, color them, use them as-is, etc. makes them extremely versatile. If you have never used a digital image, here is your permission to give it a try!

I also love that Twisted Papers includes thumbnail print-outs of the images with the CD. It comes in very handy! You will find lovely images for all four seasons on this CD. If you haven't looked lately, you might be interested in knowing that Twisted Papers has 33 CDs out, too.

To enter this giveaway for the Twisted Papers CD (and the card above), simply leave a message on this blog with your email address. I will pick a winner on FRIDAY, October 20th at 9 a.m. EST.  Good luck!

Congrats to Pam Tiedtke, the winner of the CD and Card!

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 Okay. I have a confession. Ready?

 I used to think I was fold and construction-card challenged. I did. I thought I couldn't do it.  But you know what? With good directions, ANYONE can be...um...constructive. 

So on the new Technique Junkie Newsletter Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD, there are plenty of ideas with excellent directions. So you can make something fast and simple -- like the Attached Pocket Card above -- or you can elect to make something more challenging.  Either way, I promise you that you will have fun!

Okay, so tomorrow I will post something from the October issue and not from the CD...  but I am so excited by what you will receive on the CD that I will get right back to it later this week.  Hope ya' don't mind!

BTW- I am working on a page for you that lists all of the Techniques on the CD. I promise I will let you know the location ASAP.

In the meantime, if you haven't yet ordered it, you can order the CD using this button:

And thanks for allowing me to confess! Until tomorrow --

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I love this Stationery Box. It is remarkably easy to make -- a few pieces of paper, a few cuts, a few folds...and viola! When closed the box is pretty enough, but when opened...it fits cards, envelopes, tags, a little notebook, a pen, stamps, and little note cards, too. It is a gorgeous little package of delight! This box is found on the Fancy Folds and Motion CD, which is available for pre-order now though the link at the end of this post. The CD has step-by-step directions to make the box, with pictures for each step -- all in a printable pdf format, making it simple for you to follow the directions. There are 60 projects on the CD in the same format!

I am exhibiting and demoing at the Greater New York Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Show in Smithtown Long Island on November 6th. As part of that, I am teaching a class on how to make this exact box! If you are interested in attending the show and/or signing up for the class, I encourage you to visit http://stampsmith.net/newyorkshow.htm for full details. I would love to have you join me!

I am fortunate to have Donna Duquette joining me at the show. She and I will be demoing several of the new Fold/Motion cards that are on the CD. Come by and meet us!

If you would like to pre-order the Fancy Folds and Motion CD, which ships in November, simply click the link below:

I will be posting new artwork from the CD all month long...make sure to order yours!

 
My apologies if you get this post twice -- the initial post had some issues...

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I am thrilled to announce a brand new product from the Technique Junkie Newsletter: 

This CD contains 60 Tutorials for all things folded and motion-related. There are 30 Brand new tutorials on this CD, and 30 from the TJ archives.  All of the tutorials are in step-by-step pictorial format, and are printable to 8-1/2" x 11" paper.  Everything on this CD folds or moves! Of course, there are explicit directions for each tutorial...and fabulous examples from the TJ Design Team. This new CD will ship in November.

Here is a preview of one of the cards -- a Tall Graduated Accordion Card -- on the CD:

The CD is $17.95 for US and Canadian Residents (Overseas, $19.95US). Pre-orders start TODAY! 

Email me for an invoice  or send a check to me at::

Pat Huntoon

Technique Junkie Newsletter

PO Box 16547

Stamford CT 06905

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Hey Junkies! Want to become a Technique Junkie Subscriber for LIFE?

Here is your chance! Enter the Technique by Design Challenge and submit your card to us by November 15th -- a winner will be selected randomly from the submissions and they will receive the Technique Junkie for Life prize! That means I send you everything from the TJ archives that you may not have PLUS you receive all future issues and CDs automatically for as long as I publish the newsletter.  Come play along and help me celebrate the TJ Newsletter's EIGHTH Anniversary!

Lets get down to the details.  first, if you started with my blog, stop reading and start the blog hop back at the beginning -- 'cause this here's the last stop, ma'am! Click HERE to start with Judy Jackson's work on the Technique Junkie Design Team Blog to, then wind your way through our other designer's blogs to get back here. I promise a ton of inspiration for this month's sketch challenge!

My card uses this issue's sketch with the Designer Souffle Technique and the Smooched Metal Technique. All of the stamps are from Stampin' Up!.

Okay, it is your turn to play! Simply check out the sketch in the newsletter, or check the online issue, and play along. Make sure to use a TJ technique on your card for your entry to be valid. Submit your creations directly to me at phuntoon@optonline.net or to the TJ egroup and you will be entered to win! (You must be a current TJ member to play along with us.)  I will use my random number generator to select a winner on November 15th 2010.  Good Luck, and I can't wait to see what you do!

Today I am excited to announce that the Technique Junkie Newsletter is the sponsor on the Play Date Cafe Challenge Blog. If you are not familiar with PDCC, each week their designers are given a weekly color challenge. The designer create artwork based on the color inspiration, the artwork is posted,then readers are challenged to play along -- for a prize,

This week the colors are for the challenge are Chocolate Brown, Hot Pink, Orange,and Turquoise. A color challenge to be sure! This week, to add a little more spice to the challenge, I offered a tutorial from the newly-published October 2010 TJ issue: Clipped Corners. The tutorial is HERE for you to play with, too! 

If you want to play along this week with PDCC, the prize winner will receive three years of online-access to the Technique Junkie Newsltter: online access to the 2009, 2010 and 2011 issues - over 280 techniques! Go on over to the PDCC blog to see all the details.

Here is my card using the PDCC colors:

I hope you like this tutorial. The format this is in is the same format as the tutorials on the Technique Junkie CDs. If you haven't ordered your copy of CD8 -- 100 tutorials just like this one -- please email me for ordering information.

My card was created with the colors from the challenge, and of course it uses a multitude of techniques. The Southwestern Images (I Brake for Stamps) are done using the Pencil over Ink Technique from the February 2005 issue of the Newsletter. The orange brick background uses the Acrylic Emboss Technique from the August 2010 issue, and, of course, the piece uses The Clipped Corners Technique, above.  The verse is from Club Scrap.

CD8 is coming TODAY! I expect shipment of the CDs today -- have you ordered yours?

The 8th edition CD contains 101 tutorials -- all of the step-by-step pictorials from the Technique Junkie Newsletter October 1009 through August 2010 issues plus 10 bonus techniques. 

Renewal with the CD is $29.95 ($32.95 Canadian; $35.95 overseas).  Not a subscriber? No problem! The CD is $19.95 alone, or $29.95 for the CD and one year of the newsletter.

Email me for an invoice today!

The above artwork uses the Spots and Phrases Technique, one of the 10 bonus Techniques on the CD. Stamps used: Post Impressions and Stampin' Up!.

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Call me crazy, but I can't stop adding this webbing to my cards! Today I used the wild webbing technique, one of the Technique Junkie Newsletter  Bonus Techniques from CD8, to accent these stamps from Alluring Impressions, our giveaway sponsor this week.  This week's winner will receive the card above, a sample of Alluring Impressions's Stamp Storage sheet, and the stamps below:

If you haven't been to the Alluring Impressions website lately, go take a peek -- and when you start to fill up your cart, remember to use the code TJAUG10 to get 10% off of your order!a

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Alluring Impressions stamp is, and make sure to leave your email address. My random number generator will pick a winner of Monday, September 13th at 9am. Good Luck!

Congratulations to Kathy Jo Connors, the winner of this giveaway!

Today's Try that Technique is Fossil Stone from the April 2006 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter. Try that Technique is a feature started by Beth Norman and Diana Enns; each week a technique from a past issue is spotlighted and we encourage you to try it.

Fossil Stone is such an easy technique! If you have the 2006 issues or the Purple CD4 (2006), I encourage you to Try that Technique this week!  Post your work on the TJ egroup or the TJ Design Team blog on Beth's post with a link HERE. You could win a week on the TJ home page!

A little about my card...first, the background is Fossil Stone, and it has been stamped with a definition background stamp from Innovative Stamp Creations. The gorgeous butterfly collage is from Alluring Impressions (make sure to enter TJAUG10 for 10% off at Alluring Impressions!), and was colored using the Ink Wash Technique (April 2007 Technique Junkie Newsletter). The card also has a bit of Wild Webbing, one of the 10 bonus techniques on the soon-to-be released CD8.  Now, I didn't originally intend on adding the webbing to this piece, but I was looking for an accent...and it was sitting on my desk...and it just kind of attached itself to my piece.  The colors were just too perfect together!

Oh - one more thing...after I finished making the card and photographed it, I realized that it is the exact same layout as yesterday's card. How could I not realize that until I was ready to post this?

Today we have a great giveaway for you -- a sample card from the upcoming CD8, and the gorgeous stamp set from Artistic Outpost below.

First, about the card: This card uses the Wild Webbing Technique -- one of the 10 bonus techniques from the soon-to-be-released Technique Junkie Newsletter CD8.  This technique was develop by the fabulous Kathie McGuire (you know it has to be good!)-- and I have to tell you, I have had a blast making these cards. Trust me when I tell you that the picture of this card does not do justice to the webbing or the extreme coolness of this technique! This is one of these uber-cool, must-learn-how-to-do techniques. Still need to order the CD? $14.95 for subscribers in the US ($29.95 for CD/renewal in the US). Email me for an invoice from PayPal.

The stamps are all from the Artistic Outpost stamp sheet that is part of our giveaway this week. I adore these stamps -- they are some of the most beautiful and elegant stamp sets in my stash (as all of the AO stamps are!).  The images were stamped on White Lustre paper from Paper Temptress. The bird just POPS off that paper!

Here is the Artistic Outpost sheet we are offering:

 To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post with your email address. Entries without email addresses will NOT be eligible for this giveaway. The recipient of the card and stamps will be selected on Monday, August 30th at 9am by my random number generator. You do not need to be a TJ subscriber to enter or win.  I do NOT use your email address for any other purpose than the giveaway and I delete them after the winner is selected by my random number generator. Good Luck!

The winner of this giveaway is Ardis Smith -- congratulations, Ardis!