Double Duty Challenge with Concord and 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 went with "Pop Up Par-Tay" stamps, dies and stencil.  Using Cloud 9 Metallic Pigment Inks by Lisa Horton Crafts, I ended up with these!

Starting with two 6x6 panels one in purple and one in blue, the metallic inks were sponged onto the panels.

The blue panel has silver and gold metallic inks.

The background panel is embossed with the Diamond Cover Plate die that was included in the Jolly Holiday virtual card making event by Scrapbook and Cards Today.

The balloon die is part of the Concord & 9th Par-Tay set and the sentiment and balloon strings are from that stamp set.

The purple panel used silver, gold and copper pot inks, which are all by Lisa Horton Crafts. 

The same stamp set is used here. It's white embossed onto one balloon and  the sentiment banner.  The same cover plate from the first card is used to emboss the background panel.

Here's what direct-to-paper with the gold and silver metallic ink pads looks like:

You can see how solid and opaque the coverage is!

The sentiments and balloons were die cut from this.

Stamping the sentiment on top of the metallic inks required repeated impressions. Not a problem with a MISTI tool.

Another bonus to these cards is that they can be mailed easily. They're very flat. However the extra shine really makes them stand out.

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

Barb

Jeanette

Carol 

Creative Crew Challenge with Newtons Nook!

Yay! It's the 15th and posting day for the Creative Crew!  

Tracie hosted this month and chose "Sips and Stories" by Newton's Nook. She chose this image because November has National Animal Shelter Appreciation week and also I Love to Write Day on the 15th.

Here's my card. 

The image is colored with OLO markers.

Designer papers from Tracie include "Lovely" by Close to my Heart.

The I love Books die cut is by Newton's Nook Bookmark die set.

I added some heart and star embellishments from my stash.

Tracie asked us to share a good book we are reading or have read recently.  At this time I am making slow progress on "Revelations of Divine Love" by Julian of Norwich. I'm studying the version that was modernized slightly when published in 1934.  

It is the account of visits to an Ankress (or recluse) named Julian or Juliana who lived in a cell attached to the Church of St. Julian at Norwich. Her revelations occurred in May of 1373 at an estimated age of 30, and were shared when she was approximately 70 years old.  It is a fascinating study for me. 

Hot Mess = Success: Lift Technique with Alcohol Inks

Each month on the 12th a group of friends challenge ourselves to get messy with our creative process.  The type of mess, and our individual definition of messy is wide open.  All that matters is that at the end of the mess we end up with a card created!

I haven't played around with alcohol inks on Yupo paper so decided to give it a go.  This is my first set of cards:

This represents a panel that I wanted to throw away. The inks did not blend the way I wanted and adding rubbing alcohol to help them blend seemed to make things worse.

I set it aside to dry and started again with a different set of colors. Here is my second set of cards:

Both cards feature the "Lift Technique".  Using a stamp with a large, bold design, and starting with the blended Yupo panel, the stamp is inked with the Lift ink pad. 

Stamp firmly down onto the blended panel. Then quickly stamp it onto the blank white card stock panel. A MISTI or other stamp position tool really helps!

Then take a clean paper towel and carefully blot the Yupo panel. Be careful to always fold the paper towel so that a clean section is used each time you move around the panel. The image then appears, just like magic! When no more shine from the lift ink remains you are now finished with that panel.

By now my first attempt at blending inks onto a Yupo panel was dry.  I thought that since I was going to toss it in the trash, why not give the lift technique a try on that one. I turned out better than I expected. 

The stamp used is "Inked Florals" by Unity Stamp Company. 

Be sure to visit the Hot Mess Team and see what Hot Mess they have for this month.  Here are their links:

Jeanette

Barb

Terry

Carol