Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Using Capsule Crafting Week 1 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:  Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.  As the quarantine process has extended and even though there are re-openings everywhere, out of an abundance of caution and love for our fellow citizens, we continue to isolate to help slow the spread of the virus.  As such, we decided to modify the challenge for the month of June.  Instead of a weekly challenge, we determined to use a capsule crafting approach.  Capsule crafting was created by Kristina Werner and you can see her take in these posts.  I explained how I chose my capsule supplies in this post.  

For this card, I ended up using my Waffle Flower Springs dies to make an arrangement on the front of my card.  I ink blended Distress Oxide inks onto white cardstock, die cut the sprigs and placed them on an ink blended matting which I had sprinkled with Distress Oxide ink.  The sentiments came from my Clearly Besotted Sweet Little Sentiments  which I fussy cut out to create a unique sentiment strip.  The sentiments were also stamped in Distress Oxide inks.

As you can see, I played around a bit with the layout and colors arranged on the card front.  I also did a bunch of different sentiments so that I don't just add a bunch to the stash with the same sentiment.  So much fun!

Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Using Capsule Crafting Week 1 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:  Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.  As the quarantine process has extended and even though there are re-openings everywhere, out of an abundance of caution and love for our fellow citizens, we continue to isolate to help slow the spread of the virus.  As such, we decided to modify the challenge for the month of June.  Instead of a weekly challenge, we determined to use a capsule crafting approach.  Capsule crafting was created by Kristina Werner and you can see her take in these posts.  I described my selection for the capsule in this post.  

This card is also very similar than my previous cards using my capsule for crafting in that I am using my Honey Bee Stamps Cherish stamps and dies.  The technique that I used here is also very different than my previous cards.  I stamped the images onto some Toner Grey paper that I had using VersaFine black ink.  I then colored the images using my Polychromos pencils, die cutting the images after coloring and arranging on my card base.  The background was ink blended with some Black Soot Distress Oxide ink to further highlight the shadows created by raising the sentiment frame off the background with some foam squares.  Whew!  I'm having fun with our capsule crafting challenge and giving this very old-to-me Honey Bee Stamps stamp and die set.

Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Using Capsule Crafting Week 1 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:  Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.  As the quarantine process has extended and even though there are re-openings everywhere, out of an abundance of caution and love for our fellow citizens, we continue to isolate to help slow the spread of the virus.  As such, we decided to modify the challenge for the month of June.  Instead of a weekly challenge, we determined to use a capsule crafting approach.  Capsule crafting was created by Kristina Werner and you can see her take in these posts.  I explained my capsule selection in this post.  Here's a picture of the mood board that Brandy selected for me:

My second card used the same stamps and dies as my first card, but the technique is different.  

For this card, I stamped using my Honey Bee Stamps Cherish stamps to stamp clusters of flowers onto Bristol cardstock.  I then watercolored with my Distress Oxide inks so that the card.  My previous attempts at using the Oxides to watercolor weren't very successful and there are varied failures in this card panel, but overall, I'm extremely pleased with how this card turned out.

Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Using Capsule Crafting Week 1 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:  Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.  As the quarantine process has extended and even though there are re-openings everywhere, out of an abundance of caution and love for our fellow citizens, we continue to isolate to help slow the spread of the virus.  As such, we decided to modify the challenge for the month of June.  Instead of a weekly challenge, we determined to use a capsule crafting approach.  Capsule crafting was created by Kristina Werner and you can see her take in these posts.  We selected supplies from the stash in the following guidelines which also includes my selections:

• 5 stamp sets

1. The Greetery Alphabuds stamp
2. Clearly Besotted Sweet Little Sentiments
3. Honey Bee Cherish
4. SSS Beautiful Day
5. Clearly Besotted Stamptember My Best Friend

• 7 dies sets (2 have to be separate from stamp set)

1. The Greetery Alphabuds dies
2. Honey Bee Cherish dies
3. Waffle Flower Springs dies
4. Papertrey Ink Shape Shifters Circle 2 die
5. Waffle Flower A2 Layers dies
6. SSS Stitched Rectangles
7. Avery Elle Wonky Stitches Elle-ments

• 1 watercolor option (select from pencils, pens, markers, pan, but ONLY one).

1. Zig Clean Color Real Brush

• 1 colored pencil option.

1. Polychromos

• No limits on paper
• 1 embossing media (embossing powder or paste)

1. White embossing powder

• 1 stencil 

1. Tim Holtz String Layering stencil

• 1 ink brand (oxide and regular distress are separate brands)

1. Distress Oxides

• No limit on functional tools (die cut machines, pokers, paperclips, adhesives, etc.)
• 1 bling embellishment (bling, confetti, sequins mix)

1. Clear sequins

• 1 no line  and black ink option (i.e., Versafine and SSS Fog are acceptable.)

1. Versafine Black Ink
2. White Pigment Ink

• 1 can't live without it item of your choosing, but only one.  Can be an extra to the items above like a 6th stamp set, but not matching dies.  It could be one extra ink color not in the selected brand, but not a whole additional brand of ink.

1. SSS You Are background stamp

In order to inspire us, we each created a mood board of images form the internet.  Brandy's Mood Board for Andie:

So, here's my first set of cards made using my capsule supplies and inspired by Brandy's selection for the mood board.  I used my Honey Bee Cherish stamp and dies along with my Distress Oxides to stamp these cards.  The SSS Stitched Rectangle dies cut out the frame and mounted onto some patterned paper/cardstock.

I'm having so much fun and the inspiration is fabulous, so I'm sure more cards are coming from this challenge.

Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Week 6 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 sixth week of challenges.  I present to you Week Six of the Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.

Brandy's Challenge for Andie:

Your challenge theme this week is Let's Be Clear.  That's right, using acetate and/or vellum for the focal point of your design is your challenge.

The images used and sentiment selection are up to you.  The use of either or both transparent substrates must be the focus or what makes the card special.

The color pallet and images are provided.  These particular items have also inspired me!  I can't wait to see what you do.

Let's be clear.... I thoroughly enjoyed the creative part of this challenge.  Let's be clear - I have not previously executed an acetate card front before, but the process was easier than I thought.  Let's be clear - I thought about the color palette early on and realize now that everything is done that the orange and yellow end of the spectrum was not fully realized (though I did use some very pale yellow Nuovo drops).  I am so pleased with how this first set of cards turned out - which are my official entry to the challenge.  The acetate was stamped with a Just Rite background stamp using ColorBox Silver and Pale Green pigment ink.  I had stamped one in white pigment ink and smeared the ink a few hours later when I picked up the card front.  That's when I had the hair-brained idea to set the ink with hairspray.  That worked perfectly and these two cards could be made.

I stamped the floral image using my Simon Says Stamp Look for the Rainbows stamp set onto some Memory Box patterned paper and fussy cut the images out for use on the front of the card.  It is easier to see the background script print on the pictures of the inside of the card as the patterned paper from the floral piece creates a bit more contrast.

On the inside of the card, a simple sentiment from a Sparkle and Sprinkle Iris Garden stamp set which I ink blended some coordinating Bundled Sage Distress Oxide ink over the top.

I was so please and had the acetate out so I made a few more cards.

The following cards don't exactly follow the color palette of the challenge, but were inspired by the color palette.  I stamped the tulips using Distress Oxide inks and The Greetery Budding Beauties stamp set.  After that is was as simple as die cutting the frames using my Waffle Flower A2 rectangle dies and some leftover white cardstock lacey bits from a previous project using my Heartfelt Creations Decorative Lace die.  A few well placed Nuovo drops and the cards were finished.

All in all, I loved my challenge again this week and can't wait until next week.  I'll be back shortly with a post from Brandy's challenge.

Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Week 5 by Brandy

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 fifth week of challenges.  I present to you Week Five of the Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.

Andie's Challenge for Brandy:

For this challenge, Brandy is required to utilize the color palette provided and create a project that is inspired by the quote and includes texture as one of the main elements.  The texture may be:

• Tactile Texture – the real thing like the actual way a mermaid tail might have a scaly texture.
• Visual Texture – an illusion of texture created by the artist using color and/or pattern to create the impression of texture like that created using stencils or patterned paper. 

• Abstract Texture – also an illusion of texture created through the representation of texture using words which invoke a memory or thought of texture like a well stated sentiment such as “You are Mermazing” might invoke the thought of mesmerizingly shiny and smooth waves

This week Andie challenged me to create a card with a beautiful, summery color pallet and texture.  The inspiration clearly points to a mermaid and who am I to argue a good suggestion?

I have wanted to use my Taylored Expressions Be A Mermaid stamp and die set for a very long time, so it got put to work!  I used DVWV holographic paper to cut the mermaid tails. The DCWV holographic paper pad is one of my favorites!

The sun was stenciled using the MFT Radiating Rays (my favorite go-to sun ray stencil). I used Mustard Seed and Wild Honey Distress Oxide to try and achieve that very yellow sky sun you see in the afternoon at the beach.

The water is comprised of Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide on the bottom layer and the waves are from the Hero Arts Waves and Sea Confetti background die with Broken China Oxide on top. I was trying to create dimension and texture to meet the challenge. I wanted the reflection from the sun to show in the water, so I cut the background panel down to size.

Once again this week time was not on my side for finishing my challenge, but I got it in just under the wire.  I do plan to do more with these tools as I think it makes for a pretty look.

Have a great day.

Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Week 4 by Brandy

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 fourth week of challenges.  I present to you Week Four of the Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.

Andie's Challenge for Brandy:

For this challenge, Brandy was required to select from one of the video techniques provided.  These videos were some of Andie's favorites from a year ago (May 2019).

Creating an Interactive Birthday Cake Card - by Laura from My Favorite Things

How to Make 2 Beautiful Cards with One Die - by Therese from LostinPaper

No-Line Watercoloring in Real-Time by Kristina Warner

Creating a Magical Rain Shaker Card by Laura from My Favorite Things

Fun & Fresh Cluster Stamping w/Dawn - From WPlus9

Use some or all the video as inspiration (not imitation) to create your own project.   The transformation only has one instruction – use the color palette provided.  Brandy did not have to use the theme or products from the videos, just take something from the technique as an inspiration and transform it.

I was so excited to get Andie's Better Together Mix and Match challenge this week! I was given choices from her favorite videos of the last year, but the only requirement was I make whatever I picked my own and to use the color pallet.  I watched all the videos and decided I would combine one from Kristina Warner and Dawn from WPlus9. 

I used Kristina's galaxy painting technique as it incorporated the color pallet and Dawn's die cut base using the MFT Starry Circle.

I also used the MFT Somebunny I Love stamp and dies.  I colored the images with Copic markers using the color palette. I had bought this stamp set years ago, I am certain and never used it or the star dies.  This challenge gave me an opportunity to do so now.  I am very happy about that.

I had some time challenges this week, so I am the reason for delayed posting.   However, Andie and I agree this should not be stressful, especially since we are doing it to reduce stress in this crazy time. I do have two other cards using these products that I didn't get to finish for this post, but I plan to finish them.

Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge Week 4 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 fourth week of challenges.  I present to you Week Four of the Better Together - A Mix and Match Challenge.

Brandy wrote a poem for my challenge this week:

This week’s challenge is a bit funny, 

as it is all about being punny.

Don’t fret, you are all set,

write your own pun on the run; or

use one from Dawn or Lawn Fawn.

Please no perspiration, I provided inspiration.

The color pallet is bright, 

primary colors will make a pretty sight.

Use just the three or maybe

mix those colors for a rainbow effect, 

either way, the card will be perfect.

Rules are for schools, but there are a few,

Clean and simple is fine or add a layer or two.

Your images must correlate with the joke,

or you will owe me a lunch and a coke. 

Now go get creating my friend,

Because on Monday this challenge comes to an end.

My first card was very simple, but did give me an opportunity to use a stamp that I purchased on a whim and have never used.  It was a clear cut pun so I knew that I had to use it.  The trick is what to do on the card to make the sentiment (pun) seem appropriate.  I ended with a stenciled, ink blended sun behind some die cut letters using my The Greetery Slimline Alphabet dies. Simple, punny and definitely hits all the color palette.  However, this card took less than 30 minutes to put together so I decided to make a few more cards to respond to the challenge.

My husband and I are fixin' to celebrate our anniversary in the next month.  When I read Brandy's challenge I also thought of my Lawn Fawn Whale You Be Mine? stamp set.  I think this card also accurately captures the challenge - punny on the inside and outside.  Those whales were stamped onto Bristol and colored with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers and then fussy cut out to be able to mount on the front of an stenciled, ink blended sea.  I did get all three colors in, though because I used my waterbrush, the red and yellow are not quite as bright as I'd like in the final picture (better in person).

I didn't know if I was quite done because I also remembered by Clearly Besotted That's So Tweet stamp set.  I decided to put these two cards together after coloring some of the birdies from that stamp set.  I like the bluebirds best, but both cards are charming.

I'm so grateful for a bestie who is willing to inspire and challenge me.  This challenge was a bit out of my box again with that primary colors palette.  I'm loving the opportunity to stretch as well as the connection with Brandy each week.