Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Week 3 by Andie

During this time of quarantine, Brandy and I miss crafting together.  It isn't that we did so often - we didn't see each other every week sometimes.  It's more that we can't see each other.  So I had an idea to create a challenge each week - one just for Brandy and she could create one just for me.  Brandy has to amp the idea up and came up with our official title.  This is our third week of challenges.  I present to you Week Three of the Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.

Brandy's challenge started with options:

This week Brandy is offering Andie a gambler's choice: 

1. Mello Yellow or
2. Card for a Fellow

Both have specific completion elements so pick carefully. Once you decide I will send instructions for completion. 

I debated the options.  I was so excited.  I just couldn't decide.  I knew I was not afraid of yellow, but what did "Mello" mean?  Card for a fellow might be very good as I have an anniversary and a husband birthday in the next eight weeks.  Always practical, I chose Card for a Fellow and received this challenge.

Making a card for a fellow comes with these inspirational photos and instructions: We know making a general masculine card is a bit tougher than making one for a woman (as evidenced by the hundreds of flowers stamps in the stash compared to the three fishing ones).  So, the idea here is to make a card for a fellow that is just because, I love you, encouragement, thank you, and celebrates them for being men and what they bring to our lives.  So, this card needs to be uber masculine. Use metals, wood, tools, leather, cars, etc. vintage or modern it is up to you. The more depth/interest the better.

The color pallet provided is a recommended, but you are welcome to make adjustments. The size is up to you as well.

Here's my answer to the challenge:

 You can see I was inspired by the patterns, color scheme and the clocks in the inspiration photo.  The sentiment was stamped onto inked paper to create a common color scheme using my Concord and 9th Bold and Brushy Upper and Lowercase letter stamps in black in and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. 

I struggled a bit with this challenge.  The masculine, as expressed in the challenge, can be a bit more difficult that pretty flowers.  I knew that I had the chevron stencil and some Close To My Heart inks in the right palette. Still, my inks weren't quite as dark as they should have been to reach the inspiration palette.  After I got the background together (can you see where the stencil stuck to my paper and accidentally created texture?  At first "failure!" and then resignation that the style kinda works.

Next I tried to get the feel of leather by finding my kraft glassine paper and make the clocks using my Heartfelt Creations Numeral Clocks stamps and dies.  That felt like a failure as well, though I did like the card in the end.  I couldn't stop trying to achieve the design that I could see in my head so I made a second card with a bit of a twist.

 This card had many of the same elements, thought I added crumpled kraft glassine paper that got a little closure to the look/feel of leather.  I just don't know if I like the tan in the color scheme.  Not a bad card and I will use this for my nephew, who graduates high school this month. 

I had made duplicates of the backgrounds in the previous two cards just to make sure I didn't have a complete disaster.  I'm loathe to throw away pieces once I started and I was thinking it might work to add a bit of gold heat embossing so I made this Father's Day card.  I like how it turned out. 

The last card was a whim.  I found the clocks and the sentiment in an ephemera pack.  I decided to keep it simple and inked the edges of the die cut, raising them up with some foam squares. 

This took me quite a bit of time this week.  Definitely a challenge, but in the best way ever.  I didn't buy a thing, I used quite a few supplies that I had in the stash and now I have some cards for the men in my life.  Hooray Brandy, and thank you for the challenge.