Addicted to CAS: Sunshine & Rainbows

I am so loving the many rainbow cards I'm seeing on blogs and Instagram - I think we are all trying to do our part to brighten somebody's day with a card and rainbows are perfect for that!  Addicted to CAS has a rainbow challenge right now and I got the Taylored Expressions Over the Rainbow kit before it was sold out (the components are going to be sold separately soon) - so I'm definitely playing with rainbows. I posted a rainbow card yesterday doing using the stencil from the kit - today I'm using the rainbow dies and one of the arched sentiments.


I'm not going to have a lot of cardmaking time this weekend which usually would make me sad.  But my oldest son came home for the weekend - my youngest has been home with college shut-downs.  So we are all here. It's supposed to be a cloudy, stormy day and it's not like much is open - but my family loves games! So my oldest brought Catan to teach us, but I'm sure there will also be classics like Sorry, Sequence, and Scrabble and a deck of cards will probably come out too.  It's going to be a great weekend!
Sending sunshine and rainbows to all of you!
SUPPLY LIST
Taylored Expressions Somewhere Over the Rainbow Kit
Other stamps: TE Star Fall Background
Other dies: TE Build a Scene-Rolling Clouds
Cardstock: TE Confetti Cake, Grape Jelly, Lemon Meringue, Candy Corn, Watermelon
Ink: TE Sugar Cube, Oreo, Sprinkles
Other: Heat & Stick Powder, Glitter

Poppystamps: Winged Things

The challenge this month at Poppystamps is Winged Things.  I made an angel card yesterday (and felt quite proud of myself for for thinking of the angel with a wing challenge) but I also have a charming little hummingbird die in my stash from Poppystamps that I have not used yet.  Nor have I used the flower on this card and I have a brand new paper pad from Memory Box - so this was a card that had to happen!


I love these two dies - they are both so graceful. I have no idea whether hummingbirds like this type of flower - but it's art, not science!!  I do hear hummingbirds outside of my windows right now, but I don't have a specific place they congregate so I haven't really seen them yet. Have any of you watched hummingbirds?  They are actually fairly nasty creatures. You should see them go after each - they are tough little things.  But they are so beautiful and absolutely amazing!

I've just noticed my card totally matches their logo - I love being matchy-matchy!!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Poppystamps Birthday Blowout
Dies: Poppystamps Meadow Flower, Little Hummingbirds, My Creative Time Stitched Decorative Banners
Paper: Memory Box Garden Folly, Stampin' Up So Saffron, Taylored Expressions Lime Zest
Ink: Stampin' Up So Saffron, Taylored Expressions Lime Zest
Other: Pretty Pink Posh Buttercream gems

The Paper Players: Shine Bright

I don't normally order kits.  I usually like part of them and not other parts so kits aren't always worth it for me.  But the instant I saw the Somewhere Over the Rainbow kit by Taylored Expressions and especially the inspiration from their design team, I had it ordered and on my way to me before it was gone. (FYI - it is gone now, but Taylor has announced they will soon be selling the individual parts.)  For today's card I used the stencils, the stamps and the die cut clouds.  I have another card I'll post in the next few days when I know that the recipient has received it that includes the dies and a different set of stamps.


Besides the fabulous stamps and dies, the kit includes colorful envelopes (I mailed this card in bright orange) and envelope seals that coordinate with the rainbow.  This one went to my niece who is an early teen.  She will love the bright colors starting with the envelope and seal, the funky little patterns on the rainbow and I used a sprinkling of bling just for her.
I was inspired by the sketch at The Paper Players. The smaller inside panel made me think of letting the rainbow go off the edge. Thank you to TPP for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST Taylored Expressions Somewhere Over the Rainbow kit (sold out, but the components will eventually be sold individually)
Other dies: TE Mini Strips - Assymetrical
Cardstock: TE Oreo and Lemon Meringue
Ink: TE Oreo, Guava, Candy Corn, Lemon Meringue, Lime Zest, Salt Water Taffy (edges of the clous)
Other: TE Diagonal Stripe embossing folder, Pretty Pink Posh Marigold and Sparkling Clear Gems

CtS and Poppystamps: Hallelujah

I pulled this sweet angel out to play along with the challenge at Poppystamps: Winged Things.  I thought it was a unique take on something with wings!  But the challenge is getting close to being over and I hadn't done anything yet.  As I was sipping my first coffee this morning, I realized that the sketch challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch worked beautifully for it - but it ended in an hour.  I don't usually do cards in an hour - even the simplest cards. In fact, I sometimes spend an hour on the photo!!  But it can be good for me to work quickly and not stress.  Are there things I would do differently on this card given a few more hours!?  Yes.  But I have a lovely angel and another Christmas card made!  Now the challenge closes in three minutes - so no more words!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Memory Box Bold Christmas Greetings
Dies: Poppystamps Pinpoint Angel, Memory Box Bold Christmas Greetings die set, Altenew Dotted Swirls Debossing Cover Die
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Petal Pink, Memory Box Fairy Sugar Glitter Paper Pad
Other: Pretty Pink Posh Black Gems

Freshly Made Sketches: A Cheerful Hello

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Cécile and here’s what I did with it!

This card was another happy accident.  First, I had all the colors still out my desk from last week's FMS card - colors that made me really happy to work with!  Then, I was flipping through my stamp index (the backgrounds and accents folder...yes, I'm obsessively organized) and I saw this old WPlus9 set that had variable height elements just like the sketch.  And finally, I had recently purchased this fabulous alphabet and die set from The Stamp Market and each rectangle was exactly the same width as the columns of triangles.

Cécile always gives us the most creative sketches.  I might scratch my head for a minute when I first see them, but I always adore the unique look of my card when I'm done. I think the Freshly Made Sketches design team outdid themselves with this one - be sure to check it out. Then I hope you play along with us this week!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: The Stamp Market Alpha Cuts, WPlus9 Just Geometrics: Triangles
Dies: The Stamp Market Alpha Cuts
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Flirty Flamingo, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana
Ink: Stampin' Up Flirty Flamingo, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana, Taylored Expressions Lime Zest (my SU Granny Apple Green ink pad comes up really dark!)
Other: Studio Katia Ice Sparkle Crystals

CAS Colours & Sketches: Varied Vases

It's the fourth week of the month so this week's challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches is a sketch.

I was inspired by the three shapes - although I used them in a different kind of a direction.  I added a vase, with a heart and a little mat or shadow - the three elements in the sketch.  I strayed from the sketch a bit when I added the big bouquet of flowers but the Varied Vases stamp set and punch was one of my retirement purchases from Stampin' Up and I just had to use them!

This is my last week as a guest with CAS Colours & Sketches and it's been an honor. Thank you to the entire team for letting me play along.  I may not be a guest of the team in the feature but I will definitely be playing along!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Stampin' Up Varied Vases
Dies: Stampin' Up Stitched Labels Framelits (the heart) and Vase Punch, MFT Oval Shadows
Cardstock: Flirty Flamingo, Gray Granite, Balmy Blue
Ink: White, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight

Less is More with Christmas Throwdown Silhouettes

First I saw the challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown: Silhouettes.  I have collected so many different Christian silhouettes from Taylored Expressions - I love them all so had to play along.  I had a silhouette cut in a traditional black, then I started seeing white and cream cards in my feed - that's the current challenge at Less is More.  That wouldn't be a go-to combo for me, but the elegance of the design team cards and the gallery inspired me.


These border dies made it such an easy card.  The only extra step that I took was embossing the bottom strip hoping it would look like sand.  Otherwise, it was cut and adhere!  It was a truly awful card to photograph.  To see the dimension, I needed light - but light made my gems look dark.  In regular light those gems are exactly the color of the Buttercream cardstock (which is amusing given that even though they are from an entirely different company, they are also called Buttercream!)

Thanks to both challenges for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Taylored Expressions Simple Strips - Christmas
Dies: Taylored Expressions Follow the Star, Build a Scene - Snow Drifts
Cardstock: White and TE Buttercream
Other: TE Fine Detail Gold Embossing Powder, Stampin' Up Subtles Embossing Folder, Pretty Pink Posh Buttercream gems