JULY 2018 ANYTHING GOES CHALLENGE AT THE HOUSE THAT STAMPS BUILT

Hi there, House friends!!! 

It's time for our favorite challenge at The House That Stamps Built...Anything Goes!  

I used an inspiration I found on Pinterest to create this card and for the life of me, I can't find it.  I thought I pinned it to my board....but apparently I didn't.  

I created this card by masking off the edges with post-it notes and sponging Distress Oxide inks in the center area.  I used my heat gun to dry the inks a bit before stamping the image RI#4302-I "Fairy's Fun/Bumblebee" in black dye ink.  Using my Memento black marker, I colored in the area of the image that was inside the sponged area leaving the area outside colorless.  For additional texture and interest, I stamps RI# 5125-C "Dragonfly Sil Sm" and RI#5704-L "Bamboo".  The sentiment is RI#3924-G "Friends Together".

I hope you found some inspiration here today and I hope you'll join me and my team mates in the Anything Goes Challenge at The House.  All the details on how to enter and what you could win if you enter are there. 

Here are links to the blogs of my incredibly talented team mates if you liked to see what they've created for this challenge.  

Donna - Heather - Joy - Laurie - Esther - Shirley 

Thanks for stopping by! 

SWEET AND FRAGRANT MEMORIES

Hi there, TJ fans!!!! 

Have you ever had a card idea that went south within minutes after you began the project?  Well, that's what happened with my project for this week.  One which I was absolutely sure would come together with no problems....boy, was I wrong.  

So, rather than keep re-doing the same idea I changed direction....from my collection of TJ stamps I picked three of my favorites and went in another direction...and I'm happy I did.  These stamps (and all other stamps in the TJ Store) are available to you, if you'd like to purchase them, with a 10% discount if you use my personal discount code of TJ10CHERI.  

To create this card I used "Lily Spay", "ATC Dotted Harlequin" and a sentiment from "Sentimental Sayings".  The coloring was done with my Chameleon ColorTone Pencils.  The image was first stamped in a dark green dye ink.  After coloring, I partially inked the harlequin stamp with a medium gray dye ink and off stamped it before bringing it to the panel.  This stamp gave additional texture to the background and was just the right touch.  The sentiment was stamped in the same gray color as the harlequin stamp.  Before placing the panel on a card base of darker gray, I used my VersaMark pen and heat embossed more textured ep around the outside edge.  

I hope you found some inspiration here today.

Don't forget to check out our new challenge...it's about making Artist Trading Coins.  You could win some awesome TJ stamps if you play along with us.  The details are on the challenge post.  

One more time, here's my discount coupon for you to use on your shopping trip the Technique Junkies Store.  Have fun!  

JULY 2018 INSPIRATION CHALLENGE AT THE HOUSE THAT STAMPS BUILT

Hello House Friends!!!  It's time to get inspired by another inspiration challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This is such a fun challenge and I hope you'll play along.

I used RI Stamps #1020100001-W "Flower Power Background", and "So Much " from RI # 10000 from the unmounted "Thanks" set.  The "Thanks" die I used on this card is from Simon Says Stamp, "Script Thanks"

The background was created using the stained glass technique, which I love for bold backgrounds like this.  

What inspires you?  Check out the details of the challenge at THE HOUSE and come on over and play along.  

For more incredible examples of this inspiration challenge please visit the blogs of my design team Rock Stars.

Donna - Heather - Joy - Laurie - Esther - Shirley 

I'm also entering and playing along with the new challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge "Use Die/and or Punch"  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  See you at the challenge!  

KEEP CHICKENS

Hi there TJ fans,

Waaaayyyy back in February, when it was cold and blustery, Technique Junkies Stamps introduced these chicken stamps knowing that some of us were thinking about summer gardens and barnyard critters like CHICKENS...

...I love chickens...I don't own any, but our neighbors do (or did) and those neighborly chickens would come over and visit me.  They would help me pick bugs/grubs/worms in the garden while I weeded and would cluck and purr as we all worked together to make the garden prettier!  

There were thirteen of them and they visited every day....even coming to the front door to pay a daily visit.  They always made me happy when I saw them.

So, when Technique Junkies Stamps came out with the stamp set "Keep Chickens"  I knew I just had to have that in my collection.  You can too, if you'd like to, at a 10% discount.  Just use TJ10Cheri at check out. Done!  

Here's a card I made in tribute to my chicken neighbors.

Keep Chickens!!! They make you happy!!!!  

Don't forget to use my discount code to get this stamp set for yourself.  Grab some chicken happy for yourself.  

PICK OF THE WEEK FOR THE HOUSE THAT STAMPS BUILT

Hi there, Cheri here with a fun little technique you can try.  It's called painting with inks on kraft.  

You'll need some kraft cardstock and open line stamps such as the ones I've used in my projects today.  RI#1508-P "Vine Corner Border", #1001-P "Blueberry Border", #1317-L "Vase of Tulips", #2512-E "Just a Note" and 8607-D "Thanks".  

For one week only, these stamps are being offered at a 20% discount.  So, grab them while you can at this fantastic discount.

Here are the supplies you'll need to recreate this technique. Distress Ink reinkers (you could use any inks even ink pads), white pigment ink, white embossing powder, and (if you'd like shimmer) Perfect Pearls.  Not shown:  Embossing buddy, MISTI stamp positioner and heat gun.

To begin, cover kraft cs with embossing buddy or some other anti-static tool.  Then, stamp open lined stamp on kraft in white pigment ink making sure to get a good impression with the pigment ink.  (that's when the MISTI comes in handy).  Then, sprinkle on white embossing powder over stamping and heat emboss.  

On a craft mat or some waxed paper or freezer paper, drop very small drops of the color reinkers you've chosen add a small spritz of water off to the side to help dilute the inks.  With a small brush, pick up a little water and a little ink.  Have a piece of scrap of the kraft cs on hand to test the color and a paper towel to help absorb extra water or color.  "Paint" inside the white embossed areas.

When you're painting is complete, clean up your area of excess inks.  Mix a small amount of water (spritz again), and a little scoop of Perfect Pearls and paint the area again with the shimmer if you like.  I like the shimmer so I added it to my images.  

There you have it!  Easy, isn't it? You can now finish your project as you like.  I hope you found some inspiration here today and I encourage you to experiment with inks you have and see what you come up with.  

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to grab the stamps I've used before the 20% discount runs out in one week.