The Creative Crew are Spunky!

 I'm just a day behind in getting this posted...life happens!

Carol is the host for this month's Creative Crew Challenge and here are her own words:

"Our theme for the month of February is Spunky Older Babes...aka S.O.B (spunky old broads). I think we are a spunky group of ladies.  The month celebrates women who are intelligent, confident, not afraid to speak their mind or reinvent themselves. As we age we don't get as much recognition as we did when we were younger but we are the same if not better. So show us how spunky you are.

The kit contains lady image from Rubbernecker and sentiments from Dylusions clear stamps. The DSP is from The Paper Studio "Pretty as a Poppy". The kits contain different papers from the paper pack as it was a smaller stack."

Here is what I created with Carol's kit 👉 👉:  

This spunky lady is colored with my Olo Markers, and the sentiment was also colored with a marker and then hand cut & mounted on black card stock.

The papers from Carol are so elegant and pretty, that I thought she needed a little glam with her outfit. So a Wink of Stella provided some sparkle to her scarf and leggings.

Please visit the blogs and gallery of the rest of the Creative Crew.  Their links are listed below.  Thanks for stopping by!

Barb - Barb's Inkin' In Retirement

Carol - Lost in My Craft Room

Jeanette - Cre8tive Play

Lorraine - SCS Gallery

Terry - It's Totally Terry

Tracie - Crafty Creations by Tracie 

Hot Mess = Success with a Variety of Products

On the 12th of each month we have a challenge amongst friends. Create SOMETHING making a mess SOMEHOW.  LOL  Each of us can define "messy" in our own way, but we must end up with a card. It's a lot of fun!

I'm cheating just a bit this month by using a panel that I made a few weeks back, but decided not to use.  Here's my card:

The green background panel was created with a stencil by Gina K Designs. I can't find the name of the stencil, it was part of a Let's Stmap Together kit received in May 2024.

"Later Gator" Lunar Paste by Simon Hurley was applied with his applicator tool.  It's very shiny in real life. Hopefully the picture below captures some of the shine.

The panel was trimmed and matted using Gina K Designs Master Layout dies, sets 1 & 2.  

The Happy Birthday sentiment is by Taylored Expressions and is from the "On Occasion" set. It's stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne pigment ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. 

I really like the easy-to-mail style and the rich background of this card. I think I will be making some more cards with similar products. 

Thanks for dropping by my blog!  Be sure to visit my Hot Mess friends using the links below.

Jeanette

Barb

Terry

Carol

Unused No More Challenge: Rubbernecker Stamps, Now Brass and Bliss

We all have stamps, dies, stencils, etc. which are waiting patiently (?) for us to use them for the first time.  Voila! Jeanette and Barb came up with the Unused No More challenge. We will all create with previously unused treasures from our stash and share our creations on the 6th of each month.

This month I chose "Watercolor Lotus" from Rubbernecker Stamps, which became Brass and Bliss last spring.

This pretty stamp set was gifted to those of us who attended the No Foolin' Retreat last April.  Barb, our amazing retreat coordinator contacted a number of companies asking for any gifts they could donate to us. 

Rubbernecker Stamps has been over-the-moon with their generosity. They've gifted us many stamp sets the past two years.

I decided to try and do this lovely image justice with watercoloring.

The image was stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Then the images were watercolored with Kuretake's Gansai Tambi Pearl pigments: Pearl Pink #734 and Pearl May Green #751.

Here's a photo where I try to show the soft sheen that these watercolors give the images.

The panels were die cut with "Notched Corner Frames" by PinkFresh Studio and foiled sentiments by PinkFresh Studio were added.  

These cards are completely flat because they will hit the mail early next week to my mom and 2 other women.  I try to send them a little mailbox love each week.

The embellishment sparkle is a new favorite for me. These are completely flat glitter confetti by Trinity Stamps. Loads of sparkle that looks dimensional, yet they are completely flat! 

Here are those in our group who also have blogs.  Please drop by and admire their creations.

Barb - Barb's Inkin' In Retirement

Carol - Lost in My Craft Room

Jeanette - Cre8tive Play

Terry - It's Totally Terry

Rebekah - istampscrapcraft

Shelly - My Creative Rumblings

January Catch Up Cards

Several friends and I enroll in various Virtual Card Making events and classes.  Sometimes we are unable to attend the class when it is live, but fortunately the videos are available to participants to view later. 

One day we were lamenting how behind we were. One thing led to another and the concept of the Catch Up Challenge was created!  On the last day of the month we would post cards made from an event or a kit received in the past. 

This month I went back to an unfinished class from March, 2022 at the Crop & Create Delivered virtual card making event.  One of our favorite designers, Taylor VanBruggen, featured one of her Create-in-Quads stencil sets and taught us how to make 4 cards out of one round of stenciling!

I must admit that I like the cards much more in person than I do in the photographs.  The colors are very pretty together.

The card bases are all Poblano Pepper by Taylored Expressions.

Ink colors all by Taylored Expressions:

• Peapod
• Spearmint
• Poblano Pepper
• Blue Corn

The designs are all from the class. I only deviated one sentiment to make it an appropriate card for sending it to someone  now.

The stamp set was also part of the class and is called "Oh Yes You Did".  The stencil set is Create-In-Quads Hexagon.

I want to try this stencil  set with some of Simon Hurley's Lunar and Solar pastes, and with some metallic inks by Lisa Horton. Stay tuned!

Here are the links for my friends in the Catch Up Club.  Please visit their blogs and admire their work from some past project or class.

Barb's Inkin' to Retirement

It's Totally Terry

Cre8tive Play: It's Cheaper than Therapy

Encore Challenge #1

Some friends and I are starting a new challenge this year - the "Encore Challenge".  The concept is to retrieve something (dies, stencils, stamps, etc) that we have used once.  We promised ourselves that we would use it again, but then the speed of life takes over and we have yet to use it again!  The Encore Challenge will hopefully prompt us to get back to these favorites.

Here's my card, featuring stamps and dies from Gina K Designs, Honey Bee Stamps and Concord & 9th.  

All of the sets were part of the Let's Stamp Together kits received in prior years.  

• Lemons & sentiment: Gina K Designs
• Leafy branches: Concord & 9th
• Bushel Basket: Honey Bee Stamps.

The wood grain background was made with an old embossing folder.  Gina K Designs  Soft Stone ink was rubbed across the embossed panel to highlight the texture.

I have to admit that this card took several turns during its creation, and it's not entirely what I envisioned.  But that happens sometimes!

I encourage you to visit the blogs of my Encore Challenge participants!  The list and links are provided below:

Barb - Barb's Inkin' In Retirement

Carol - Lost in My Craft Room

Jeanette - Cre8tive Play

Terry - It's Totally Terry

Rebekah - istampscrapcraft

Double Duty Featuring Concord & 9th

On the 22nd of each month some friends challenge ourselves to create 2 different cards repeating the same image, sentiment, etc on each card.  We have a predetermined list of the stamp company or specific challenge for each month and then...away we go! 

This month we feature Concord & 9th.  I've been wanting to learn how to use their Turnabout Stamps so that's what I decided to try, and here are my cards:

These were made with the "Contempo" Turnabout stamp set. 

The yellow & blue card was made with these Concord & 9th inks:

• Buttercup
• Blueberry
• Poppy
• Parsley

The sentiment is part of the stamp set and was stamped with VersaMark and Blueberry inks and embossed with clear embossing powder.

The pink card was made with the following inks:

• Concord & 9th Briar Rose
• Concord & 9th Honeysuckle
• Simon Says Stamp Taffy
• Simon Says Stamp Peony

The sentiment was stamped with VersaMark and Peony inks and embossed with clear embossing powder.

Both cards were die cut with oval frames by Newton's Nook Designs.  Each card base was embossed with a cover plate and the pink card has a light brush of Peony ink blended onto the white panel.

Please drop by the blogs of the other Double Duty members and comment on their work:

Barb

Jeanette

Carol 

Terry

Creative Crew, January 2025

It's a new year, and a new round for the Creative Crew! I have the privilege of being this month's hostess, and I selected stamps and dies from the "You Are So Loved" set by Gina K Designs.  

There are a lot of images in this set and everyone was sent some extra
images which are optional.  The main image is the set of hands holding hearts and the You Are So Loved sentiment.  

Also included in their kits was a panel of Holographic cardstock by Pink & Main, an embossed panel using "Cross My Heart" embossing folder by Spellbinders using Cherry Pop cardstock by Taylored Expressions, and a heart panel made with Bee Sting Lunar Paste by Simon Hurley, using a heart stencil by Gina K Designs.

My images and the sentiment are colored with Olo markers and all hearts have Wink of Stella added for some soft shimmer.

I hope that you join me in visiting the blogs and gallery of the rest of the Creative Crew.  Their links are listed below.  Thanks for stopping by!

Barb - Barb's Inkin' In Retirement

Carol - Lost in My Craft Room

Jeanette - Cre8tive Play

Lorraine - SCS Gallery

Terry - It's Totally Terry

Tracie - Crafty Creations by Tracie