Hot Mess = Success in March

On the 12th of the month a group of friends and I have a "Hot Mess" Challenge.  We are to make any sort of card we like, as long as a mess is made in the process. 

I decided to play with a variation on a card made in last weekend's virtual card classes during Stamp Joy, which is hosted by Taylored Expressions.  Here are my first and third attempts.

Ink is applied directly to white card stock using ink pads. I really like this technique because it yields rich colors faster than blending brushes. 

Then I used Gold Glitter Glaze by Brutus Monroe and a dot stencil by Taylored Expressions for card #1.

The paper is saturated from the ink so the Glitter Glaze took a really long time to dry. Despite using my heat gun on the reverse side of the panel.  I just left it overnight to dry throughly.

Time for the 3rd attempt.  This time, using the same stencil I used Slippery When Wet (gold) Lunar Paste by Simon Hurley. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! 

I left it to dry overnight also.  

Both cards feature sentiments that were included in Taylored Expressions Stamp Joy kit. They're stamped onto a small piece of white with the same inks blended on to it. They are cut with a couple of dies from my stash.

These are flat, easy to mail cards.  Currently I am going back to flat cards so it's easy to pop one into the mail.

What happened to my 2nd attempt, you ask?   Well...let's just say it went wrong in so many ways. I wanted black polka dots on my blended panel.  But I also wanted some shine. So I dug out some Raven (black) embossing powder by Brutus Monroe that also has glitter in it.  

Now...I know better, but was in denial I guess 😂  When you ink blend a panel, the powder has a wicked preference of sticking to the paper, even though it's treated with a duster to prevent that issue. 

When I lifted the stencil, there was so much black glitter everywhere on the panel that I just put it in the trash. While attempting to knock some of the powder off by flicking the backside of the panel, I sent the panel across my desk, and right through the loose black glitter/powder.  HOT MESS.

I actually had to tell myself to remain calm. Glitter gives me anxiety under the best circumstances...heavy sigh.

Later, after the mess had been cleaned up I was laughing to my friends at my rookie mistakes and subsequent panic attack.

This morning, Amazon dropped off this little Lady!  (It's a small vacuum).  Thank you Barb!!  Her name is Nelle, short for Coccinelle, which is French for Ladybug.  Nelle should save me during future Hot Mess card making!

Be sure to stop by the Hot Mess Team and admire their creations!  Here are their links:

Jeanette

Barb

Terry

Carol