Color Dare Challenge #706

Back with another color palette to play around with at the Color Dare Challenge #706! This is such a fun challenge — you are given two colors, and the third color is your choice. The only catch is that it needs to be something other than the free colors of black, white, neutrals, or gold!

I added a turquoise-green as my third color, which may have been influenced by the three colors in my last Color Dare challenge!  But these saturated colors needed another bold partner and paired perfectly with the fun Garden's Edge Stamp, Stencil & Die Set from Concord & 9th. A bonus for me was that this set also includes two “friend” word dies! I used the script version for my card. The stamp set includes two border designs, and it’s intended to have a whimsical, flowy feel, so the stencil and stamp are not meant to line up perfectly.

Once I finished creating the floral pattern, it was time to assemble the card. I went to some oldies in my stash for help.  The card base is a hand-drawn lines background stamp from MFT. To bring in more of the orange, I pulled out my “splatter” stamp from Stampin’ Up!. The verdict is still out on whether I like the splatter, but the clusters of gems and the inked edges seemed to tone all of those little dots down a bit!

I hope you’ll join us for Color Dare Challenge #706 — I can’t wait to see what you choose for your +1 color! Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

ATS&M Challenge #518- Birthday Theme

“Birthday” is the next theme over at the Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge Blog!

For my card, I used Kristina Werner’s Audrey Blooms Stencil Pack, a layered stencil set that actually creates two card fronts filled with these fun blooms. I may have gone a little “splatter crazy” by picking up some of the stencil ink colors with salmon, blue, green, metallic Distress spray, along with a bit of plain old water for extra texture and interest!

The little scalloped frame is from Kristina's A2 Detailed Frames Dies. I glued together three layers of cardstock to give the frame some added dimension, then created the sentiment using a “happy” die cut paired with the “birthday” portion of a letterpress die from my stash.

To finish the card, I added a few enamel dots for the perfect final touch.

I hope you’ll have time to play along with us over the next two weeks! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. 

In kindness, Cathy

Color Dare #704 & A New DT for Me!

 Happy to announce that I’m now part of the Color Dare Challenge DT! I’m on Team B and will be posting every other week. I absolutely love a good color challenge, and these palettes are so inspiring!

For today’s card, I used a new-to-my-collection Altenew layering die set called Botanical Waltz. I made the mistake of watching one of Altenew’s new release videos a couple of months ago, and somehow this set magically landed in my cart!

The layout featuring the three blooms was inspired directly by the Altenew inspiration folder. It’s a simple design, but it really showcases the three colors from this week’s challenge beautifully. I added some stenciling to the card base, a sentiment, and a few gold pearl accents to finish everything off. 

Honestly, this card practically made itself, and I just love how it turned out! I hope you’ll play along with these fun colors—I can’t wait to see what you create in the Color Dare gallery. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! 

In kindness, Cathy

Addicted to Stamps & More #517 - Christmas

“Christmas” is the new theme at the Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge Blog! My card features the Cozy Toes Stamp and Dies from Concord & 9th. I created the look of stockings hanging from a fireplace mantel and kept the design festive with a variety of patterned papers paired with the stamped stockings.

To finish the card, I added a sentiment along with a few embellishments for some extra holiday sparkle. I hope you’ll take advantage of this challenge as a fun way to get a head start on the holiday cards you’ll need in December! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge Blog - May Theme: Layers

Welcome to May’s layer-themed challenge on the Dragonfly Dreams Blog! This month’s theme was my pick, so I really leaned into it—I love layering anyway, but this card might take the cake. Even without counting all of the flowers, there are 8+ layers here!

A couple of months ago, my sister-in-law lent me the Into the Blooms: Fun Flowers die set from Papertrey Ink. I went a little overboard (in the best way!) and die-cut a ton of flowers from white cardstock, then brought them to life with ink blending. It turned into quite the project—I’ve made over 10 cards so far and I’m still adding the finishing touches like sentiments and sequins. It feels great to finally clear some space on my craft desk!

For this card, I paired the florals with the Vases 13 die from Papertrey Ink to anchor the arrangement. Behind that, I layered three of Altenew’s Nesting Arch dies to create a soft, grounded backdrop. I’ve also been making a real effort to use up my patterned paper stash—you’ll spot a few in the layers here, including one that’s been sitting in my scrap drawer for over 10 years!

I hope you’ll take some time to join this month’s challenge. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

In kindness, Cathy