Thursday, March 14, 2024

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

Sunday, March 3, 2024

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

Friday, March 1, 2024

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.  


Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Sunday, February 25, 2024

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 

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

TIC "CAT" TOE | "Cat" Checkers | "Cat"Gammon | Technique Junkies Board Game Ideas


I have to admit, the idea of using the new Fluffy Cats rubber stamp from Technique Junkies to make 3 games is off-the-scale ridiculous, even for me.  But, it was so much fun to do.  It started when I first stamped Fluffy Cats to make a card.  In the center of the image, I saw a Tic, Tac, Toe game.  I have no idea what part of my brain this came from, but I am not complaining, and I am embracing the insanity of it all.  HaHa.

Now come join me down the rabbit hole of my creative brain.

First, we need a bunch of cats for all the games.  I stamped Fluffy Cats several times using Archival Jet Black ink by Ranger, on white cardstock, using my Misti.  Then I used my Scan N Cut by Brother to cut them all out.  Easy Peasy!  Although the Scan N Cut got a bit wonky on some of the cats by cutting off their noses, I did manage to get most of the cats in the stamped images.  

Tic Tac Toe / Tic "Cat" Toe Game

The rules for Tic-Cat-Toe are simple.  The game is played on a grid that is 3 squares by 3 squares.  You are one color of cat and your friend is the other color.  Players take turns placing their cats in an empty square on the grid.  The first player to 3 of their cats in a row - up, down, across, or diagonally - wins the game.  

For the grid, I first tried using a black marker and a ruler but no matter what I did, it looked wonky.  So I jumped on Etsy and found THIS digital TIC-TAC-TOE set.  For only $.88 it made my life so much easier.  I printed 4 to a sheet of white cardstock and then die-cut them using both a stitched square die and a stitched rectangle die.  



We are ready to play.  Give a board and cats to each player and let the games begin. 


CAT-Checkers Game

There are 3 important rules when it comes to checkers.

  • Checkers can only move diagonally on dark squares.
  • At the start of the game, checkers can only move forward, meaning toward the opposite player's side. 
  • Checkers may move up and down when they become "kings" by reaching the last row of the opposite side.  
A checkerboard consists of 64 squares, 8 rows across, and 8 rows down, with 2 different colored squares alternating.  I went through my stash of scraps and found a lot of yellow and light blue, and I cut 32 of each using a 1 3/8" square punch.  Since the cats are black and white, I wanted to use colors where the cats will easily be seen.  


Before adhering them down, I did a quick test run on a piece of 12" x 12" cardstock and they fit perfectly with about 1/2" border.  Perfect.  


Next, using a Xyron 1.5" sticker maker machine, I adhered them to the dark blue cardstock.  


We are ready to play.  Give 12 white cats to one person, 12 black cats to the other, and let the game begin. 


Backgammon or Cat-Gammon

The rules of Backgammon are too much for me to type here.  Below is a screenshot of the rules and, if you want more info, head over to THIS website for more info.  


What I do know is this:

  • the board has 24 narrow triangles called points.
  • they alternate in color.
  • I need 24 points as there are 6 in each of the 4 quadrants.  
  • the two sides are separated by a ridge down the center of the board called the bar.
  • each player has 15 "checkers"/ "cats" of his own color.
Now to make the board. For this board to fit on a 12" piece of cardstock, the points need to be 1.5" wide x 4" long each, with the bar and each of the sides being 1" each.   

Let's make the board.  I used a piece of black cardstock, 12" x 12", for the board.  The rest is using scraps.  Look at your scrap pile first!  
  • I scored a piece of black 12" x 12" cardstock at 6".
  • Using scraps of Kraft cardstock, I cut 4 strips at 1/2" x 12" and adhered them on each side of the score mark and along the right and left sides of the board.
  • Then I cut 4 strips at 1/2" 4 7/8" and adhered them along the top and bottom of the board.  

To make the "points" or the triangle pieces, we need 12 pieces using 2 different colors or patterns.  I decided to go with green and light blue to make it easy to see and understand for you guys.  To get the perfect sizes, cut your first color piece 4" x 5.25".  Using a pencil and ruler, along the top of the piece make marks at .75", 1.5", 2.25", 3", 3.75", and 4.5".  Then flip it around and on the other side make marks at 3/8", 1 1/8", 1 7/8", 2 5/8", 3 3/8", 4 1/8", and 4 7/8".  Using a pencil and ruler, draw lines to make the triangles and then use a ruler and craft knife to cut them apart.  One piece will give you the 12 pieces needed.  Do this for both colors or patterns.


If you are using a solid color, you don't need to erase any marks because you can use the reverse side.  If you are using a pattern, make the marks on the reverse side and then cut.  Just make sure that you have 12 of each color or pattern.


To finish off your board, adhere 6 of them to each of the 4 quadrants alternating the colors.  


We are ready to play.  Give 15 white cats to one person, 15 black cats to the other, roll the dice, and let the game begin. 


And, there you have it - a bit of my zany brain working overtime.  I had so much fun making these game ideas and I hope you laughed a bit if you have read this far.  This Fluffy Cats stamp is part of the February New Stamp Release from Technique Junkies and you can save 10% at checkout by using my code - TJ10Michael.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today and, until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Monday, February 12, 2024

In Honor of Black History Month and Lincoln's Birthday | African Inspired Notecards | African Dancers Technique Junkies

 


Hello everyone!  Today I have a simple post to help celebrate Abe Lincoln's birthday and Black History Month.  Yes, that Abe, who led the USA through the Civil War, defended the nation as a constitutional union, defeated the insurgent Confederacy, and abolished slavery (per Wikipedia).  February is also Black History Month or African-American History Month - the month to remember important people and events in the history of the African diaspora.

The word "diaspora" is new to me and means the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland.  African-Americans, and millions of African-Brasilians, were definitely dispersed from their original homelands.  As a Jew, this can also be said of many of my ancestors - at least those who fled their homeland in search of a better life.

To help celebrate all of the above, I made some African-inspired notecards - A2 size and slimline - three with a hello sentiment and three without.  

  • I made my card bases using black, orange, and blue cardstock.    
  • I printed 3 of the papers from the African Inspired Patterns digital paper collection that I picked up from VNcharm on Etsy.  There are over 50 patterns to pick from.  I adhered one to each card front.
  • Then I stamped African Dancers from Technique Junkies,  3 times on white cardstock, layered them on a colored cardstock, and then to the card front. 
  • For my sentiment on 3 of the cards, I used the 2 hello dies from the All About You Word Die Set from Altenew
  • Lastly, I cut a piece of white cardstock for each card and adhered them to the inside for a message. 
Here are the cards without the sentiment - 





And here are the cards with the Hello sentiment on the front - 




I really love how these came out and I love all of the African patterns and colors, which, I think, go perfectly with the African Dancers stamp.  There is also a matching stamp set of African Proverbs that would also go perfectly with the African Dancers - both from Technique Junkies.  And, if you use my code at checkout, TJ10Michael, you can save 10%.  

I'd love to know what you think of these cards.  Do you have a favorite?  Let me know below.  Thanks for stopping by my blog today and, 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, ...