Jenny's Coat technique

The technique for this card is called Jenny's Coat. I got this technique from the Technique Junkies newsletter. It was suggested to them by Cathy Yamashita. It's really quite simple! Use DSP (patterned paper) and stamp your image on it using VersaMark. Emboss using clear embossing powder. Use a brayer to apply black ink over your embossed image. Wipe off any ink on your embossed image using a soft cloth or paper towel. That's it! Your patterned paper shows through your embossed image! Can't get much easier than that! Here is a list of the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Upsy Daisy

Cardstock/paper: Basic Black, Real Red, Love Impressions DSP, Red Glitter paper

Ink: VersaMark, Basic Black

Other: clear embossing powder, heat too, Stampin' Dimensionals, Small Heart punch

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Textured Toothpaste technique

This was another fun one using an every day household item! TOOTHPASTE! Everybody has toothpaste at home (well...unless everybody in the house has dentures I guess LOL). This technique came from the Technique Junkies Newsletter. It's pretty simple. You get one of those little painter palettes and squirt some toothpaste in the little cups. You squirt as many times as different colors you plan on using. So, for this card I had three different "squirts" of toothpaste. And, on a side note, the tutorial said it didn't matter if you used gel toothpaste or paste toothpaste. Anyway, then you add reinker to the different squirts of toothpaste and use a toothpick or spoon or whatever to stir up each squirt to mix the reinker and toothpaste. Then, you place a brass stencil over your cardstock and use a paintbrush to paint the toothpaste into the open areas of the stencil. Then, remove your stencil and cover your colored toothpaste with Ultra Thick Embossing Powder. Heat it and you are done! Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Live, Laugh, Love

Cardstock/paper: Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Rose Red, Springtime Vintage DSP

Ink: Rose Red, Baja Breeze

Other: toothpaste, paint palette, reinkers in Rose Red, Baja Breeze and Pear Pizzazz, ultra thick embossing powder, paint brushes, heat tool, toothpicks, Antiques brad, metal stencil

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up! except the toothpaste, paint palette, ultra thick embossing powder, paint brushes, toothpicks and metal stencil

Texture Duet technique

I know I say this about alot of these techniques but, really, this was SO easy! Seriously easy! I have tried some techniques that were more difficult and, quite honestly, they came out NOTHING like the picture in the technique tutorial showed. Maybe it's that I say all of the ones I've posted are easy because they easy ones are the only ones I can manage! (grin) This one is really basic! What you are going for is one texture at the top, a different texture at the bottom and a "non-textured" area in the middle. All you do is put your cardstock in your embossing folder but only have part of the cardstock actually "in" the folder. Run it through your Big Shot. Then, turn the paper around and run the other end through your Big Shot using a different embossing folder. Then, use whatever scoring tool you normally use to put a "line" at the top and bottom of the untextured (is that even a word? untextured?) section. Then, using the scoring tool, you "frame" the whole piece of cardstock. I'm not sure you can really see that part in the picture above. But, there is a scored line about 1/8" in from the edge of my cardstock all around the edges. If you have any questions please either leave a comment here or email me. This technique came from the October/November Technique Junkies newsletter. The "original" idea came from Lee Conroy. Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Tiny Tags

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, Perfect Plum

Ink: Wild Wasabi

Other: Big Shot, Finial Press embossing folder, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, ScorPal, Victoria Crochet Trim, 3/4"X16/16" Oval punch, Small Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

All products (except ScorPal) made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Ice Crystals technique

This was one of those "OH...cool" things for me! I was not expecting my cardstock to look so cool after it dried! I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't this! It reminds me of a thick layer of ice on a window. The first picture is of my finished card. The second picture is of the plain cardstock after it dried. See the sort of glazed look of it. I used the Concord Crush piece of cardstock for a different card. This is one of my new favorite techniques now! And, again, it's really quite simple. Basically, you need a bowl, 1 cup of boiling water, 1 cup of Epsom salt and a paintbrush! EASY! Most folks have Epsom salt but if you don't it's quite easy to find at your local drug store and it's not expensive! For me, that is a BIG plus! You pour the boiling water into a bowl and then add the Epsom salt. Stir until the Epsom salt is all dissolved and then "paint" it onto your cardstock. Then, let it dry! You can also use white or cream colored cardstock and add some reinker to the Epsom salt/water mixture for a more subdued color. The hardest part about this technique is waiting for the cardstock to dry! You won't see the effect at first but as it dries you start to see the frosty effect of the drying Epsom salt. Here is a list of the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Cute by the Inch

Cardstock/paper: Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Whisper White, Sunny Garden DSP

Ink: Poppy Parade

Other: Poppy Parade 1/2" Stitched Poly ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, other items mentioned in paragraph above.

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up! (except the water and Epsom salt and such!)

Background Pop technique

Yet another really easy technique! You just stamp your background on two pieces of cardstock. Then, on one of them stamp your "image" stamp (the little flower in this case). Then, cut it out and place it on the main background piece of cardstock right over where the background stamp lines up. EASY! Here are the products I used to make this card.

Stamp sets: Pretty Petals background stamp, Simple Friendship

Cardstock: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry

Other: Stampin' Dimensionals, Rich Razzleberry 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Glitter Window technique

I don't use glitter very often. I end with the stuff EVERYWHERE! After making this card I saw a piece of glitter on the bathroom floor!!!! I swear, I get the stuff everywhere and it's harder than poo to get cleaned up! At least it is for me! I know it's hard to tell from the picture but there is glitter all over the punched out part where the text is! This technique is fairly simple (except for getting glitter everywhere!). First I cut the strip of Daffodil Delight and stamped the little cupcakes all over it. Then, I punched the shape out. Then, I laid the Daffodil Delight strip over the Whisper White strip and stamped the text where it would show through the window. Then, I flipped the Daffodil Delight piece over and placed a piece of clear packing tape on the back of it. Then, I flipped it back over so that the stamped side was up. Then, I just dumped the glitter over the tape showing through the "window". Rub the glitter in (hence, glitter ALL over my hand which then ended up on my face and everywhere else). Dump off the excess glitter. Then, I lined up my piece of Whisper White so that the stamped text showed through and glued it in place. Then, it's a simple matter of finishing off the card! EASY but MESSY (at least for me!) Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp sets: Itty Bitty Bits, Full of Life

Cardstock/paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Sweet Stitches DSP

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Chocolate Chip

Other: clear packing tape, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, XL Decorative Label punch, XL Build-A-Cupcake punch, Sweet Stitches Designer buttons, Whisper White 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, glue dots

All products (except packing tape) made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Shimmering Success technique

The technique used on the background of this card is called Shimmering Success. The instructions for the original technique called for Lumiere. I don't have any Lumiere anymore and Stampin' Up! doesn't sell it anymore. So, instead, I used the Frost White Shimmer Paint that Stampin' Up! does currently sell. The second picture above just shows you a close-up of the technique. So, anyway, the technique itself is really easy. You start with Glossy White cardstock and brayer on your color of choice. Then, using plastic wrap or a sponge you just dab on the Shimmer Paint. Let the Shimmer Paint dry completely. Then, stamp on an image or leave as is and use without a stamped image. If you do stamp on an image use StazOn. If it's an open image you can then color in the image using an AquaPainter and ink or water color crayons! Easy! The hardest part of me is waiting for the Shimmer Paint to dry! I am NOT a patient person! (grin) Here is a list of the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Easter Blossoms

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Marina Mist, Whisper White, Glossy White

Ink: Certainly Celery, Soft Suede, Timber Brown StazOn

Other: brayer, Frost White Shimmer Paint, plastic wrap, Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

All products (except plastic wrap of course) made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Rainbow Embossing technique

I am such a simpleton! LOL I LOVE heat embossing! I could sit and heat emboss and watch that embossing powder melt all day long! LOL And, yes, as you might have suspected from that comment...doesn't take much to keep me entertained! LOL Anyway, this technique is called Rainbow Embossing and it's as simple as using at least two different colors of embossing powder on one image! You just stamp with your VersaMark, add the first color of embossing powder, shake of the extra CAREFULLY and then add the next color. I used just two colors on the image here. I used Stampin' Up! Iridescent Ice in the center and then one of Ranger's embossing powders called Pearl Blue on the outer part of the medallion. Here is a list of the items I used to make this card.

Stamp sets: Medallion, Thoughts & Prayers

Cardstock: Very Vamilla, Night of Navy

Ink: VersaMark, Very Vanilla, Night of Navy

Other: embossing powders (Iridescent Ice by Stampin' Up! and Pearl Blue by Ranger), heat tool, sponge, Wide Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Vintage Flower Adornments, Very Vanilla 3/8" Taffeta ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, glue dots

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up! (except for Ranger embossing powder)

Faux Metal

I made the three "medallions" across the center of this card using the Faux Metal technique. Again, this is another technique that is SO simple but looks just stunning! First, you ink your stamp with VersaMark but then just set it aside. I think the VersaMark must help keep the melted embossing powder from sticking to your stamp. Then, you cover your cardstock with VersaMark. Either use a brayer or you can just use the "direct to paper" method. Then, cover your cardstock with embossing powder and melt it. While it's still hot add more embossing powder on top of what you just melted. Heat it again until that embossing powder melts. Keep adding embossing powder while it's still hot and melting for at least 4 more times. You want a nice thick layer of melted embossing powder on your cardstock. After you have a thick enough layer while the melted embossing powder is still hot press your stamp down into the melted embossing powder. Hold your stamp there for just a second to be sure you get a nice image. Then, let the embossing powder cool and cut out your image and use as desired. EASY but a really cool effect! Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: Cute By The Inch

Cardstock/paper: Note Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Springtime Vintage DSP

Ink: VersaMark

Other: heat tool, silver embossing powder, Whisper White Organza ribbon, Vintage Flowers Adornments, Scallop Square punch, glue dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up!

Frost Background technique

The technique used on the background on this card is called Frost Background. It's really simple to do. All you need is some wax paper, some dye inks, a brayer and some glossy cardstock. I just LOVE anything "faux" and anything using simple items around the house for something other than what they are intended to be used for! So, all you do is take a piece of wax paper and crumple it up really good. Then, flatten out the wax paper and use your brayer to cover it with ink. Then, flip the wax paper over onto your glossy cardstock and use the brayer again to roll the inked side of your wax paper onto your glossy cardstock. Then, remove the wax paper from the cardstock and let it dry! Easy, peasy! Here are the items I used to make this card.

Stamp set: All Holidays

Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Glossy White

Ink: Tempting Turquoise

Other: wax paper, brayer, silver brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Ticket Corner punch

All products made by/sold by Stampin' Up!