Squirrely Challenge

The technique for this Squirrely challenge is in the current Technique Junkies Newsletter. It is the Tag Fence technique:

I ran white card stock through my Sizzix, using the tree bark embossing folder by Tim Holtz/Sizzix. Stampin' Up's tag punch was used to punch the tags. I stamped the floral branches and cut them out, mounting them on the outside of the fence. I love the background paper - actually the whole pad of paper! It is from Basic Gray "What's Up". To see Nancy's version for this challenge, go here.  Have fun trying this for yourself!

New Technique

I had several graduation cards to make last week. And, I was getting a little bored making basic layered cards. So, I pulled out the latest Technique Junkies Newsletter (www.techniquejunkies.com) and looked at trying a new technique. The above card, specifically the inked stripe and dot background, was created using the Antiqued Wallpaper Tutorial.

The background was embossed with an embossing folder and inked with distressed inks. Spritz the cardstock with water and flatten the embossing. I also added more ink. Head over to the Technique Junkies website for more wonderful ideas. All cardstock and ribbon are Club Scrap (of course) and the stamp is from Stampin' Up. I also added a little diploma charm for fun.

Gesso Techniques

The last class we had at Mini Retreat was a gesso techniques class taught be Nancy. She put together a Bind-It-All book, so that we had a master reference source. I believe all the techniques came from Pat Huntoon's Technique Junkies Newletter. (You should definitely check the Newsletter out - it's like mini classes with color examples sent right to your mailbox!) I trimmed down each of my samples and placed them in the book with the page across being instructions. In the first photo, I trimmed a square of each technique to use as the book cover.

We painted gesso on cardstock and sanded, inked, brayered, and "Cuttlebug-ed" the cardstock for backgrounds. I added one technique to the back (the second photo) in which gesso is painted onto a cardstock and you stamp into it, wiggle a bit, and remove. You are basically taking the gesso off the cardstock in whatever image of your stamp.