Technique Junkies April 2024 New Stamp Release | Adulting Is Overrated

Welcome to the April 2024 New Stamp Release with Technique Junkies.  This month there are 13 new stamps - something for everyone - and they are all 15% off through Thursday, April 25th, if you use my code - TJ10Michael - you can take 10% off the rest of the website.

If you love and want ALL the new stamps, grab the Gotta Have It All Bundle, all the new stamps for $95.02.  These stamps would normally cost $127.35. You save $31.83 by buying the bundle.  It's a great deal and it's like you're getting a few stamps for free.  

To help celebrate the new release, I made this cool, colorful, and glossy card using the new Beer Glassware stamp.  I wanted a snarky(ish) sentiment to go with the Beer Glassware and, as I dug through my stash of Technique Junkies stamps, I came upon Adulting is Overrated, which is perfect!  

Here is how I made this card if you would like to give it a shot also.

• The first thing I did was to stamp Beer Glassware on white cardstock, trimmed it to 4" x 5.5", and colored the different beer glasses using Ultra Fine Tip BIC Intensity Markers.
• I applied Glossy Accents to each of the beer glasses and set it aside to dry.  You can also use Diamond Glaze if you have it. 
• I made a top-folding A2 card using black cardstock.
• I cut a piece of white cardstock using a 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die, stamped Adulting is Overrated in the lower right corner, and adhered it to the inside of the card.  

• When the glossy accents were dry (the next morning), I adhered a piece of black fun foam to the back and then adhered to my card front.  Below is a close-up of the beer glassware once the glossy accents dried.   

Below are links to all the Makers on the Technique Junkies Design Team.  I hope you can find some time to go check out what everyone else has made with the new release.  

Technique Junkies Blog

Pat - The Technique Trail

Debra - Meticulosity 

Pam - Mustang Creations

Shalana - Scrappin With Shalana

Jeanette - Cre8tive Play

Christine - Purple Lake Stamps

Darlene - Dar's Blog

Patti - Cherish Each Precious Day

Enjoy the rest of your day.  I will be on the Technique Junkies Blog tomorrow with another card. Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Zen Circles 2 Cards | Use Positive and Negative | Technique Junkies

 

Hello everyone.  Back on March 1st, I shared a shaker card I made using the Zen Circles and Feel Like Sunshine stamps from Technique Junkies, which you can see HERE if you want. 

I cannot state enough how much I love this image.  

But I had forgotten that I had already started a more in-depth step-by-step with photos, and I never showed the card I made using the negative space I cut from the image.  

So, consider this a sort of Part 2 to my March 1st post.  :-) 

Card No. 1 - Shaker Card

After stamping and coloring the entire Zen Circles image using Ultra Fine Tip BIC Intensity Markers, I used a kraft knife to carefully cut out the area in the center of the card, leaving room around it for foam tape.  

I stamped Feel Like Sunshine on the front of my A2 card base.  Then, using my colored piece as a template, I carefully drew around the inside of the center using a pencil.  This way I will know where to place my shaker elements.  

I cut a piece of acetate, 3 7/8" x 5 1/8", which I adhered to the back of my colored Zen Circles piece and then I added my foam tape on top of the acetate and around the cut-out section.  I am using a window foam, which is a little thicker than normal foam tape.  

I placed a small roll of tape on my sentiment, then added the shaker elements inside, then carefully and slowly erased the pencil mark.  I brushed the back of the acetate with an embossing buddy to remove any static and then adhered the Zen Circles piece with the acetate on top of my shaker elements.  To add a splash of shimmer and shine, I adhered some small crystals to the front of the card.  

Card No. 2 Using the Negative Piece  

This card uses the piece piece I cut out when making the shaker card, above.  

I made a top-folding A2 card base using blue cardstock.  Then I cut 2 pieces of white cardstock, 4" x 5.25".  One I adhered to the inside of the card.  Using the 2nd, I embossed it using an embossing folder I bought here in Brasil, and adhered it to the card front.

I adhered the negative piece I cut from the first card to the card front using foam tape, and then I adhered one of the Tim Holtz quote chips covering part of the negative piece. 

Here are both cards again.

I hope you have enjoyed these 2 card ideas using the Zen Circles and Feel Like Sunshine stamps.  If you go shopping on the Technique Junkies website (www.techniquejunkies.com) you can save 10% at checkout by using my Friends and Family Discount Code - TJ10Michael

I'd love to know what you think of the cards.  Have a fav?  Leave a comment below and let me know.  Thanks!!  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Crafty Elves Countdown to Christmas - March 2023 - Christmas Fishes

 

Hello everyone.  Believe it or not but I have yet to make a holiday card this year (not counting this post) and I've missed making them.  I've also missed Debra and Lisa, my other Crafty Elves and I decided to join them this month for the March 2023 Crafty Elves Countdown to Chrismas.  

And, I have a theme - Christmas Fishes.  

I've always wanted to make a "Christmas Fishes" type of card and the other day while organizing my Technique Junkies stamps, I found 2 fish stamps and decided to finally get this idea off my bucket list. LOL 

Christmas Fishes Card

• I stamped Fancy Fish from Technique Junkies on a piece of white cardstock using Sea Glass, Blue Lagoon, and Blue Raspberry ink cubes from Gina K Designs.  I tapped Sea Glass first, then some Blue Lagoon, and then I used Blue Raspberry around the edges.  
• I made an A2 card, adhered some striped Christmas paper to the card front, then my stamped image to a piece of red cardstock, and then to the card front.
• I decided not to color the fish so that the Santa Hats would pop more.
• Using scraps of red cardstock and scraps of white glittered cardstock, I die-cut a bunch of Santa hats using dies I picked up here in Brasil, and adhered one to each fish.  
• I made my Christmas Fishes sentiment on the computer, printed it on white cardstock, die-cut it using a banner die, and adhered the 2 words to my card front. 
• Lastly, just to annoy Debra and to add a bit more quirk to an already quirky card, I added a googly eye on each fish. 

I hope you have enjoyed this card and I really hope you will find time to visit the other Crafty Elves and see what they made.  All of our social media links are below.  

Michael - World of Michael Trent

Blog

Instagram

Facebook Page

YouTube Channel

Debra - Meticulosity

Blog (today's card)

Instagram

Facebook Page

Lisa - Life of a BZ Scrapper

Blog (today's card)

Instagram

Facebook Page

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.  I would love to know what you think of this card idea - leave a comment below and, until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Coffee & Friends Card with Technique Junkies and Paper House Productions

Hello all.  How are you guys doing today?  I'm sitting here in my studio, having a cuppa Joe, on this rainy and chilly Saturday morning in the countryside of São Paulo, and I wanted to pop out a quick coffee-themed card.  

So, here goes...

• I made a top-folding A2 card base using Kraft cardstock. 
• I die-cut a piece of white cardstock with a 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die, which I adhered to the inside of the card leaving space for a message.
• Next, I stamped Whimsical Coffee Background from Technique Junkies, colored the various cups and words using Ultra Fine Tip BIC Intensity Markers, die-cut it using the same 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die, adhered a piece of black fun foam to the back, and then I adhered it to the card front.  

• I cut a piece of Kraft cardstock, die-cut it using the 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die (so the stitching will match up), embossed it with the Cross Weaves 3D Embossing Folder from Altenew (just to add some texture to the card), and then distressed the edges with black ink.   
• I adhered one of the stickers from 3D Coffee Talk Stickers from Paper House Productions to the embossed Kraft piece and then it to my card front. 

Done!  Hope you have enjoyed this quick card.  Enjoy the rest of your day or weekend depending on when you read this post.  If you love Technique Junkies products as much as I do, you can save 10% at checkout by using my code - TJ10Michael - just head over to www.techniquejunkies.com

Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Happy (Pizza) Pi Day | Sketch Challenge 19 with Tawny Owl Paperie | Inky Inspriation

Hello everyone and Happy Pi Day.  For many, Pi means 3.14 or 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197.  But, for crazy cardmakers like me, it means making a card with a pie or, in my case, a pizza pie.    

So, today I want to share two quick and crazy "pizza" Pi cards I made to help celebrate Pi Day.  I made these cards using a card sketch from Tawny Owl Paperie | Inky Inspiration on Facebook for Sketch Challenge 19.   

Here's the sketch we have to use.

To make these cards I used 3 digital products from 2 different stores on Etsy - digital pizza paper and digital pizza clipart - both from  Pretty Grafik Design and a digital pizza box template from Your Mini Designer.   

Following the sketch, above, I adhered a piece of red cardstock to the front of my A2 card bases.  Then I printed one of the papers from the digital pizza paper collection, die-cut it using a 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die, and adhered this to the red cardstock.  Then I adhered a strip down the center and another of the digital papers.  

For the first card, I printed the pizza Pi (pie) from the clipart collection several times, die-cut them with a circle die, glued them together and adhered them to the card front on a red plate cut from cardstock.  I typed up the Happy Pi Day sentiment, printed, die-cut, layered and adhered to the card front also. 

For my 2nd card, I printed one of the digital pizza templates, cut it out, put it together, and adhered it to the card front.  Then I used one of the pizzas I printed, added a piece of fun foam behind it, and adhered it to the inside of the box.  Lastly, I typed up the Happy Pi Day sentiment, printed it out, die-cut it with a stitched rectangle die, and adhered this to the inside of the card. 

And my 2 quirky Pi Day cards are finished.  I love them both but I really love the pizza box and how the card has the 3D element on the front.  Do you have a fav?  Let me know below in the comments.  

Thanks for stopping by the blog today and, until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Let The Paper Do All The Work | Feel Like Sunshine | Technique Junkies

Hey all. 

Today is all about making a card in less than 5 minutes. 

Well, after you gather your materials. 

The other day, while making another card, I had stamped a few of the new Feel Like Sunshine stamp.  It's part of the March Stamp Release from Technique Junkies (and 15% off through March 8th).  

I knew I had papers in my stash with some sort of sun or sunburst on it.  So I dug into my stash and found this sheet from My Mind's Eye from 2012 with some funky-looking sunbursts all over it. 

I grabbed my 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die and cut out the part of the paper with a big yellow sun.

Next, I adhered a piece of fun foam to the back and then to my A2 card base that I made using orange cardstock.  

I took one of the Feel Like Sunshine sentiments I had stamped last week, layered it on a piece of the same orange cardstock, and die-cut it using the same stitched rectangle die (so the stitching matches up).  

Lastly, I adhered the sentiment across my card front and then I added a few enamel dots from Pocketful of Sunshine from Altenew to the card front.  Done!

Now...go check out your stash of papers to see which of them can be paired with a sentiment stamp and go make a 5-minute card.  LOL. I hope you have enjoyed this quick idea.  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Technique Junkies March 2024 New Stamp Release | Zen Circles Shaker Card

 

Hello everyone and welcome to the March 2024 New Stamp Release from Technique Junkies.  This month there are 13 new stamps, with 1 set filled with 5 inside/outside snarky sentiments.  And, they are all 15% off through Friday, March 8th.  

If you love all the stamps in the new release and want them all, grab the Gotta Have It All Bundle.  You will get all the new stamps for $92.52 - normally $123.35.  You save $30.83.  It's like getting a bunch of stamps for free.  

To help kick off the March release, I made a very cool and colorful shaker card using the brand-new Zen Circles and Feel Like Sunshine stamps.  Well, I think it's cool.  Hopefully, you will also.  

• I stamped Zen Circles on white cardstock, die-cut it with a 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die, and colored it in using my Ultra Fine Tip BIC Intensity Markers.  
• I made a top-folding A2 card base using white cardstock.  
• I cut out the center part (save for another card), centered it on my card front, and, securing it with my fingers, stamped Feel Like Sunshine on the card front so it would show through the card.  
• I adhered a piece of acetate to the back of the Zen Circles piece as well as foam tape.  
• I carefully placed my shaker elements on top of my sentiment and then adhered the Zen Circles to the card front - making a shaker card. 

I love how it came out and hope you guys give it a try.  

Both of the stamps I used on this card - Zen Circles and Feel Like Sunshine - are 15% off through Friday, March 8th (no code necessary) and, if you use my code - TJ10Michael - at checkout, you can save 10% on the rest of the website.  

Below are links to all the Makers on the Technique Junkies Design Team.  I hope you can find some time to go check out what everyone else has made with the new release.  

Technique Junkies Blog

Pat - The Technique Trail

Debra - Meticulosity 

Pam - Mustang Creations

Shalana - Scrappin With Shalana

Jeanette - Cre8tive Play

AJ - Art Cards By AJ

Christine - Purple Lake Stamps

Darlene - Dar's Blog

Enjoy the rest of your day.  I will be on the Technique Junkies Blog tomorrow with another card. Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Wedding Album / Storage Box on Steroids /Your Book of Memories / Biggest Album I Ever Made

OMG!  Today I was looking through some "draft" posts for my blog and realized that I never posted this wedding album and storage box that I made.  I'm nuts!!

I made this album and storage box more than two years ago for a couple in town. I'm calling it the "Wedding Album On Steroids" because of the number of hours spent on it and the size of the album.  It's the largest album I ever made and, I also think, it's the best I ever made.  It's also the first time I made a matching storage box from a raw MDF box for the album to be stored in.  I'm really proud of it and hope you guys love it as much as I do.  

I LOVED making this album and have already started a new one for the next couple that wants to tie the knot.   

Below is a link to a video I made showing and explaining everything I used and did in the book.

Here are some photos of the album/box.

The top of the MDF storage box.  Photo of couple
inside an embossed chipboard frame 
surrounded by flowers. 

Looking into the storage box at the cover
of the wedding album. 

The best part of the storage box are the metal
dove feet.  

Back of the album cover that opens for photos and 
pocket with a window on the right for a larger photo.

Back of the album cover with the flaps open. 

One of the inserts that slips into the page.

Space for photos or for writing about the
wedding or each other. 

Lots of pockets and tags for photos.

Photos slip in these pockets.

Belly band with pockets for photos.
Photos can also slip behind the belly band. 

Waterfall component with space behind for photos. 

There is so much more to this album than the photos can show.  To understand and appreciate this book, please, go watch the video.  Then, I would love to know what you think.  

All of the supplies I used to make this album and box are listed in the info section under the YouTube video.  

Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael