adventures with rainbows

 I've been keeping up with #The100DayProject this year, today is day 47.  Some days I have to CASE cards because I don't have an idea and some days ideas pop into my head from the challenge blogs I read.  This card was inspired by Shopping Our Stash #441 The Rainbow Connection (yes, that brings to mind a sweet little green frog!):

stamp set - Ornate Thanks; ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Pacific Point, Gorgeous Grape; card stock - Basic White, Basic Black, Gorgeous Grape

While I was putting it together yesterday, I caught sight of the Soar Confidently stamp set and decided there just had to be a rainbow balloon, too.  Today the perfect sketch was posted at Seize the Birthday:

stamp sets - A Wish for Everything, Sending Sunshine, Soar Confidently; ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Whisper White Craft, Pacific Point; Stampin' Blends - Poppy Parade light, Daffodil Delight dark, Granny Apple Green dark, Night Of Navy light, Blackberry Bliss light, Balmy Blue light; card stock - Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point; Stampin' Cut dies - Well Written

Years ago my parents and some friends owned a hot air balloon, and we traveled around a bit to balloon festivals.  The rainbow balloons were always a favorite of mine.

returning to challenge adventures

If you've been following along, you know I'm really busy at work during the first quarter of the year, and by March/April I'm ready for vacation - we took three this year, one week and two long weekends!  I've kept up with Card Buffets and haven't had to skip one yet this year.  In order to have choices at the buffets (it wouldn't really be a buffet if there weren't choices) I've made lots of cards.  As always, I use challenges for inspiration, but - this is where something had to give - I haven't had time to write up any descriptions for blog posts.  I finished the taxes today, so now I can get back to playing and posting - yay!  Of course, I went to one of my favorite sites first, and found a color challenge at the Watercooler:

I had a request for wedding cards on the buffet, and personally I forget to have anniversary cards on hand, so this is what I came up with:

stamp set - Best Birds; ink - Calypso Coral, Pool Party; card stock - Whisper White, Island Indigo, Pool Party; Big Shot with Happy Hearts embossing folder and Birds & Blooms framelits

For some reason, most of the choices I prepared for Card Buffet this month are in the blue-green-yellow range.  When I noticed that, I was inspired to try the rainbow challenge from CAS-ual Fridays, using this fun idea from Rachael Tessman:

stamp set - Sunburst Sayings; ink - Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Tempting Turquoise, Cucumber Crush, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red; card stock - Whisper White thick and regular; Big Shot with Sunburst thinlit

I maaaaaay have had a little too much fun with the sponge-dauber dots :)

And finally, I took another shot at the wedding card idea, using the sketch from TGIF Challenge and this fun idea from Carol Payne:

stamp set - Flourishing Phrases; ink - Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry; card stock - Sweet Sugarplum, Shimmer White; Fluttering embossing folder

Another case where I may have been having too much fun - when I pressed the Shimmer White card stock down on the inked Fluttering embossing folder, I intended to leave more white space around the edges to better correspond with the sketch.  It's pretty sweet this way, too, though.

adventure with things I love

There are so many things I love, everyday, that I could never list them all.  One is time at home, in my studio, which I have extra of this weekend (♥super love♥)!  I love rainbows (the Sunday Stamps   challenge) and the Watercooler Wednesday, where anything goes this week.  I love free downloads, especially these note cards, and I love figuring out ways to make someone else's great idea work for me:

stamp set - Sassy Salutations; ink - Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Cucumber Crush, Pacific Point, Elegant Eggplant; card stock - Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Cucumber Crush, Daffodil Delight

I also love having the right tool for the job - for me that's all Stampin' Up!®, all the time, but I couldn't have done this design without my MISTI.  

a less-is-more pile-it-on adventure

How can less-is-more be piled on, you ask?  When it's one-layer on a colored base (Less is More), with  a few other challenges piled on - a rainbow (Addicted to CAS) from a sketch (Clean & Simple).  And what teen girl (Pile it On) doesn't love butterflies (SUO Challenges)?

 stamp sets - Creatively Yours, Kindness Matters, Nature Walk, Papillon Potpuorri, Summer Silhouettes; ink - Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, Pacific Point, Elegant Eggplant; Stampin' Write markers - Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Elegant Eggplant; card stock - Bashful Blue

Some of the supplies I've used are retiring and will not be available after May 31 - contact me if you need to order them!