Monday, April 23, 2012

Mini Album Mania Blog Hop!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Technique Junkie Mini Album Mania CD blog hop! If you've landed here first, make sure you go back to the TJ blog and start at the beginning - you don't want to miss any of the fantastic albums that we're sharing!

A couple months ago, Pat Huntoon asked me to contribute to a new CD she was putting together. Even though I have pretty much NEVER scrapped in my life, I said yes. After I got my assignments I was like...what on Earth have I gotten myself into?! Yes, two gorgeous children, tons of photos and yet I am still a dunce when it comes to making scrapbooks. Thankfully, the incredible ideas on the CD inspired me and I think I've found a new hobby!







Ok, now...don't laugh! Yes, my first scrapbook is about one of my chickens. I know, crazy. But Cheepers is a pretty special girl. She was the only one out of a dozen that we hatched in our incubator, so we feel very attached to her!



This album is called the Toilet Tube Album. What a great way to recycle, right? Each of the pages forms a pocket that holds a little pull-out. I absolutely love this little album! The first pull-out is when Cheepers was hatching. This was the first time we'd ever tried to hatch our own eggs and it was amazing. I could hear her cheeping away before she even hatched - hence the name!

My album pages were covered with some paper I had lying around (I can't remember the maker, sorry). To give it a little interest, I highlighted the flowers with Tumbled Glass Distress Stickles. I love that little bit of sparkle it adds. The title piece was cut from green cardstock using the Sizzix Mini Labels die. On top of it I added a little banner that was cut using the Tattered Banners die.  The metal tab is from the new Idea-ology File Tabs set.



Oh my goodness...who wouldn't fall in love with this little baby? The first pic is my daughter holding her after her feathers had dried. The next pic is a little 'glamour shot' I took a few days later. In the third one, you can see she's starting to get her little wing feathers. So cute! All of my pull-out pages were cut from green cardstock and stamped with a chicken wire stamp from Oxford Impressions. The tabs were cut using the Sizzix Tiny Tabs and Tags die and attached using the Idea-ology Tiny Attacher.


For the first few weeks, Cheepers lived in a little bin in our kitchen. Naturally, she was pretty tame and would let me hold her, or she'd perch on my hand. The first pic is when she was going through a bit of an awkward stage - feathers growing in, giant feet - she was a gawky teenager! Cheepers was very happy when she figured out how to fly up and perch on the edge of her bin. For some reason she never left it. Yes...lots of newspaper had to be put down. :) The last pic is when she got to move out to her grown up 'apartment'. She had to be kept apart from the rest of the chickens until she was old enough to defend herself (they can be very mean - pecking order is a serious business).


Almost big enough to move in with the big girls, now she's growing into her feet and feathers and has a nice little comb going. The next picture was taken after she'd moved into the big coop - she immediately started bossing everyone else around! Go Cheepers! The final pull-out is of her first egg. Her entire journey (from egg to egg) only took six months - isn't that incredible?

So, out of curiosity, what is the strangest thing you've ever made an album for? In a related question - how crazy am I? Wait, don't answer that! ;-)

Thanks so much for visiting! Your next stop on the hop is Chris Dickenson's wonderful blog. Chris is one of my favorite TJ designers and she has something wonderful to share!

Most of the supplies I've used can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Be sure and use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% off your order!

InLinkz.com
The Mini Album Mania CD contains 35 tutorials in PDF format. There are SO many fantastic ideas on this CD! I have more mini books to share in the coming days that will seriously blow your mind. Seriously! If you'd like to purchase the CD, you can do so through the link below. The cost is $14.95 plus shipping.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Pop-Up Tag!


Today, my first project as a Sizzix Design Team member is up on their blog! Here is a little sneak peek for you - it's a pop-up tag made using lots of Tim Holtz Alterations dies and my favorite new Scallop Pop-Up die from Karen Burniston. Very fun! Make sure you check it out and let me know what you think!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Gratitude


Last Friday marked the launch of the new Compendium of Curiosities, Vol. 2 challenge, hosted by the lovely Linda Ledbetter, and sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Each week, she will choose a technique from Tim Holtz' fantastic book to inspire us. This week, she chose the Custom Foam Stamps technique - one of my faves! Strangely, I had just cut a stamp from the Distressed Doily die from Sizzix right before her announcement. Kismet!

Since I already had my stamp, I just needed to grab a few more things and put it all together.  A few days ago I got this beautiful set of stamps, called Flower Market, from Artistic Outpost and thought they would be perfect for a feminine, spring tag.

I also just got the new Sizzix Tattered Flower Garland die and, after watching today's lesson in the A Cut Above class, I HAD to try it out! It's so cool!! How scrumptious are those flowers?! I cut them from plain cardstock and then thought they needed a little jazzing up. I dabbed all over them with a Snow Cap Dabber, but they still needed something. Hmmm...I thought...how about a little shimmer? Since the Creative Chemistry 101 class from Tim, I have been obsessed with Perfect Pearls! I sprayed my flowers with it, then my tag, then the label, the lace...everything! It give the whole tag the most beautiful shimmer and really elevates the flowers to something special.

Isn't this little girl precious? I wanted to color her with my new Distress markers, but I wanted the color to be subdued, so I scribbled on my craft sheet and then picked up the color with my water brush. Diluted just a bit, it gives her a sweet vintage look. You can just see my doily stamp peeking out from behind her - it got a little more covered up than I wanted. I 'inked' it with a Snow Cap Dabber and then stamped it onto yellow cardstock that I cut into a tag shape using my Tag and Bookplates die. The quote is from the same Artistic Outpost set as the girl, and the frame is from Tim Holtz' new Sketch stamp set.

Most everything I used on my tag can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. If you're in the mood to shop, be sure and use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% off your order!


I'm also submitting this for the SSSS Anything Goes challenge - such an easy one, how could I not! ;-) Thanks so much for visiting!

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Operation Write Home


Today I'm sharing a card that was made for the Operation Write Home blog hop, over on the Sizzix blog. The theme is 'Make Them Laugh'. Super tough for me since I don't have any humorous stamps and don't usually make cards! I thought this was very much worth doing though, since it's such a worthy cause!

Many of you may know that my son joined the Air Force last year. This fall he will deploy for the first time - not what any mom wants! It is awesome that there are groups like OWH out there to make things easier for our troops and their families.

I thought that these stamps from Artistic Outpost's Send in the Clowns collection would be perfect for a little get well card. As you can see, I once again put my Karen Burniston Scallop Pop-Up die to work (honestly, I am more than a little obsessed with it!).

I love the clown on the front - not a scary clown, just cute! He was stamped several times on different papers and then pieced together. Behind him I added a panel cut from kraft cardstock using the Sizzix Mini Baroque die and embossed with the Retro Circles Texture Fade. The balloon he's holding was made using the Mini Hearts die. The sentiment was stamped onto a banner cut using the Tattered Banners die. Inside, I added a little polka dot pennant I made by combining pieces cut using the Pennant On the Edge die and the Mini Scallop and Pinking On the Edge die. The sentiment banner is mounted on a piece of kraft cardstock cut using the Mini Labels die.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Make sure you visit the Sizzix blog to learn more....I hear they are giving away some prizes too!

All the products I used in my card can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Don't forget to use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% off your order!



Have a great weekend!!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Inspiration Journal Challenge + Sunday Stamper!

This month, the challenge over at the Inspiration Journal blog is water coloring. You can use any medium, any technique, as long as it's water color-y! I decided to put my lessons from Tim's Creative Chemistry class to work and try my hand at Brushless Watercolor. I'm slightly embarrassed to say this is the first time I've ever tried it!! That's what is so amazing about the class - even if you think you've done it all, there are probably gaps in your experience, so everyone can benefit. You can still sign up for the class, too. The videos will be available forever. I think it is well worth the price!

Tag deets: I cut the tag from watercolor paper using my Sizzix Tag and Bookplates die. The butterfly (from Stampers Anonymous' Fairytale Frenzy set) was inked with Barn Door, Wild Honey, Broken China, and Brushed Corduroy Distress inks and stamped onto the tag. The other images are also from the same set, except for the quote, which is from Stuff to Say. I couldn't leave it without a little embellishment, so I added an Idea-ology Word Band to the bottom, which was attached using my Idea-ology Tiny Attacher.

BTW, you need to check out Hels' Sunday Stamper for this week! She's celebrating her 200th anniversary (wow!) and giving away an amazing prize package. The numbers on my tag don't exactly jump out at you, but I was dying to use this stamp (I just got it!) and had to work it in. Make sure you stop by her blog and check out the amazing submissions.

Everything I used can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Make sure you use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% off your order!


Thanks so much for stopping by today - have a great weekend!!