Catch Up Day!

A small group of friends and I were discussing our need to catch up on our various card kits, subscriptions and virtual events.  We decided that our goal would be to post a card - or cards - from our unfinished stash on the last day of each month.  So...Here we are!

I see that I have fallen behind on this in 2024 (gasp!)  But, today, I start fresh!  Here's is my card:

This card is the last one for me to complete from the Taylored Expression's Virtual Stamp Joy which was held last March.

It's a top folded white base, with their "Sour Gummy" card stock for the embossed panel. 

The instructions were to use a wood grain background stamp on the panel as the first step. Since I could not find mine, I lightly inked the raised side of a wood grain embossing folder using the Sour Gummy ink pad. I placed the panel onto the inked side of the folder and rubbed my palm across the panel, being careful to keep the panel from moving so that it wouldn't blur.

Then the panel is dry embossed using Taylored Expression's "Baroque Bouquet" embossing folder. You want to position the card stock panel so that the raised image appears on the wood grain side, and slightly offset toward the left side.

The next step is to lightly apply "Silver Lining" Lunar Paste over the raised floral image. I did not have that color of Lunar Paste, So I used Silver Chroma Glaze by Brutus Monroe. This is considerably thinner than Lunar Paste, so I applied it with my index finger in a diagonal direction. Eventually I had to cover the whole panel and not just the floral image due to applicator error LOL.

The sentiment is heat embossed in silver and die cut with the coordinating die set. This is a cool set of sentiments and the matching die.  In one pass you can stamp and cut multiple sentiments at once. I love that!  The set is called "All Together - Happy Occasions" by Taylored Expressions. I highly recommend it!

The Sour Gummy panel is adhered to the white base, centering it top & bottom. A thin strip of Silver Foil card stock is glued to the bottom of the panel and the sentiments are attached with foam strips.

Even though I had to make some adjustments for what I had available, the end result is very near the original design from the class. I like the colors and the techniques so this will get a lot of use by me in the future.

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

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!

Stamps by Newton's Nook Designs were selected for this month's challenge. I decided to use their "Roses" set which they so generously gifted to all the attendees at our No Foolin' Retreat, held this past Spring.

Here are the two cards that I made.

This card features the rose stamp which has been gold embossed on the background panel and onto the focal panel.

Both panels have been mounted on a gray card stock.  Gold gems were used for embellishments.

For the second card I ink blended the background panel. Then the rose image was stamped in black.

The focal panel was embossed with Brutus Monroe's Raven embossing powder. Then the image was colored with Olo Markers. 

I masked off the image and lightly ink blended some green around the image. Then the image was trimmed and matted with black card stock.

Both cards feature the birthday sentiment included with the stamp set. For this card, it was also heat embossed with Raven EP, then leftover ink from my brushes were used to color the background. 

This card was also finished with gems in black.

Lots of doubles for this month! Same image, same layout, same sentiment and the same type of embellishments.I really like this little stamp set. 

I had a bit of trouble with the black embossed parts smearing when ink blending and using the alcohol markers. I need to consult the expertise of my friends because I know that Raven is their favorite black EP. 

Please visit the blogs of the other Double Duty members:

Barb

Jeanette

Carol 

Time is really flying this year. It's time for another challenge for the Creative Crew. Tracie is our hostess this month and she chose "It's All About Flowers" for our theme.

Tracie sent us "Tulips for You" by Penny Black.  Isn't she adorable?

The image is colored with Olo Markers and fussy cut by hand.

I cut out extra bins of the tulips from the spare image that Tracie included and mounted them behind the image.

Then the main image is popped up using foam tape. 

The lovely tulip paper is from the "Foiled Floral" series by The Paper Source

I added a sentiment from the "Modern Script Sentiments" collection by Pinkfresh Studio and also popped it up.

The ribbon is from my stash.

Thanks for a fantastic image, Tracie! I really had fun with it. Now off to admire the other creative Crew cards! Here's a list and links to their blogs or their gallery:

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

 

Double Duty with Altenew!

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 Altenew which have incredible floral stamps with matching stencils, dies and embossing folders. It was a tough decision but  I settled on their "Perfect Gift" suite of stamps, dies and stencils. 

We received this set in the Spring Crop and Create virtual card making event.  The pink floral is the design from the class, modified slightly.

I used a combination of ink cubes from Tayored Expressions and Gina K Designs and the stencils to color the flowers and leaves. 

The background flowers are stamped in a light grey ink and the sentiment is cut from black card stock.

The second card uses the same layout, however the images and sentiment have been gold embossed on Black card stock.

The leaves and flowers are water colored with paints that have mica in the pigment for a nice subtle sheen.

The black panel is mounted onto a purple card stock, however it's not obvious in my photograph.

I'm pretty happy with my end results.  Both cards will be mailed later in May to friends for their birthdays.  This set will get a lot of use from me!

Please visit the blogs of the other Double Duty members:

Barb

Jeanette

Carol 

Party Time for the Creative Crew!

Hard to believe that it's mid April already and time for another challenge for the Creative Crew. Terry is our hostess this month and she chose "It's Party Time!" for our theme.

Terry gave us really fun images already die cut! "Festive Balloons" by Simon Says Stamp.  Also included were some great designer papers by Stampin' Up called "Pattern Party".

I colored the images with some borrowed Copics and also colored the floral strip of paper. Then the balloons were given some Wink of Stella to create shine.

The sentiment was trimmed and mounted on the reverse of one of the DPs and the final designer paper was placed inside.  I like that all of the papers were included on my card.

Please use the links below to drop by the blogs and galleries of the whole Creative Crew gang. 

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

Terry, you really gave us a fun and versatile kit to work with! I'll be putting the extra images to good use for upcoming birthdays.  Thank you!

Hot Mess with Alcohol Inks & Yupo Silver Sparkle

Hot Mess = Success Day is the 15th!  Every month a group of friends challenge ourselves to get messy. We can do any sort of card or technique, as long as it meets our personal definition of getting messy.

This month I decided to play with Yupo Paper and some Alcohol Inks by Tim Holtz/Ranger.  I took two sheets of Silver Sparkle Yupo paper and applied the ink with a blender sponge tool that Tim Holz uses.

Here are my two panels:

This one used 2 colors on the sponge, Dijon and Lagoon.  Of course they blended to a green. Which I liked so I used it.  Look how glittery that paper is!

The second panel has just the Lagoon blue ink applied.  The photo really doesn't do it justice.

Here's the finished card:

The balloons were die cut from a section of the green panel.  Turns out that Yupo paper is REALLY hard to die cut. Who knew?

Once I separated out the left and right balloon pieces from the die cut, I traced around them and hand cut the blue inserts to make the blue ones.

The rest of the green panel was embossed with a striped design and the balloons were glued onto the embossed panel. Hint: it would have been better to use the clear glue dots rather than liquid glue. The liquid glue moved around too much.

The Birthday sentiment is by Taylored Expressions and colored with markers.

All in all, I learned a few things about working with the ink, paper and die cutting it. That makes me happy!  I will be trying this again soon.  Maybe for next month's Hot Mess challenge. 

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

Jeanette

Barb

Terry

Carol

The Creative Crew Tackles National Poultry Day!

 Carol is our host for the March Creative Crew Challenge. She informed us that March has a National Poultry Day on the 19th.  Who knew? Not me!

She gave us the "Rustic Rooster" image by Stampin' Up and designer papers from The Paper Studio's "Country Road" pack.

I really like the papers from Carol's kit.  The brick paper was especially realistic.

The papers are mounted on Close To Cocoa card stock by Stampin' Up.  Probably my all time favorite color!  

I embellished with some brown gems and blue ribbon from my stash.

The image is colored with Castle Premium Soft Touch pencils and leftover inks on yellow and green blending brushes were used for the background.  The edge of the die cut has a bit of brown applied with a blender brush.

Here's a closer look at the brick paper and the rooster.

Carol, thanks so much for a great kit this month! The card really seemed to come together easily (once I looked up how to color the rooster, hahaha)

Please drop by the blogs and galleries of the whole Creative Crew gang. Here are their links:

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