In Color card challenge

Last week I shared a card I made with pieces I received as part of a card challenge. I had fun doing that challenge, so I decided to create one of my own with my little group of Stampin' Up! customers. When I sent out the new annual catalogs, I included 6" x 6" pieces of card stock and Designer Series Paper (DSP) for each of the new In Colors: Just Jade, Bumble Bee, Cinnamon Cider, Magenta Madness, and Misty Moonlight. I asked everyone to use at least two of the card stock and/or DSP pieces in their card(s) -- the amount and how they used the papers was up to them -- and to send me pictures of their cards by July 1. Here are the cards I received, as well as the two I created.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Sunshine Sayings

Paper: Whisper White, Misty Moonlight, Bumble Bee, Just Jade, Cinnamon Cider card stock; 2020-22 In Color DSP

Ink: Night of Navy

Accessories: Fun Flower, Leaf, 3/4" circle punches; Sunshine Wishes dies; 2020-22 In Color Enamel Dots; Dimensionals

I'll start with the cards I made for the challenge. I used lots of new In Colors on this one! The card base is Misty Moonlight with a layer of Misty Moonlight DSP on the background. I punched the flowers from a piece of Bumble Bee DSP and used the Bumble Bee card stock for the die-cut word (I cut out the word twice and layered them together to add a little dimension). Finally I used Cinnamon Cider card stock for the flower centers and Just Jade card stock for the punched leaves. I also used three Bumble Bee enamel dots for a little embellishement (one of them is the dot in the i in sunshine).

A typical A2-sized card is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2", but this card is actually 4" x 5-1/2". The reason for the difference is because I used 12" x 12" card stock instead of 8-1/2" x 11" to cut the card base. With 12" x 12" card stock, I cut off a 1" strip, leaving me with a 12" x 11" piece. Then I cut that into three pieces that are each 4" x 11", score them in middle, and fold them in half to create three card bases. No one will ever notice that the card is 1/4" smaller, and you can let elements go past the sides of the card just a bit, as I did here with the flowers and die-cut word.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Peaceful Moments

Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White, Magenta Madness, Granny Apple Green card stock; 2020-22 In Color DSP

Ink: Night of Navy

Accessories: Petite Petals punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Stitched Shapes dies, Layering Circles dies, White Perfect Accents, Dimensionals

Magenta Madness was the only new In Color I didn't use on my first card, so I wanted to include on this one. But it's an intense pink, so I toned it down by adding a strip of Misty Moonlight DSP on the white card base. I used magenta for the flowers and the scallop borders behind the white circle and the background strip. I wanted a bright green for the leaves, so I used a bit of Granny Apple Green card stock. I actually used the flower punch to make the leaves, too -- just punch a flower from the green card stock and use paper snips to trim apart the "petals"!

And now for the cards from my guest designers: Dixie, Lisa, and Ginny.

This flower image is so pretty -- I can't decide if I like it better in blue (above) or yellow (below). I love how Dixie used the Misty Moonlight woodgrain paper on the blue card; it's the perfect background for the flowers. And the layer of Just Jade card stock behind the focal image on the green card makes it look like a piece of framed art. The pearls on both cards are just the right finishing touch.

Lisa's first card is a bright, fun birthday card. I love how she used a tag as the focal layer and added the three pieces of DSP in the background. And how cute are those banners?

The second card Lisa made (below) is a clean and simple monochromatic card that could be used for any occasion. I love that dandelion image, and the touch of ink around the edges of the focal layer helps it stand out from the background but doesn't overpower the image.

The scene on Ginny's first card is so sweet, with the flowers, gate, and kitten keeping a close watch on that little blue bird. The Cinnamon Cider woodgrain DSP embossed with trees is so clever and a perfect background.

Ginny's second card is bright and bold and would bring cheer to anyone! The Magenta Madness die-cut layer over the Magenta Madness DSP is pink perfection, and I love the rhinestone flower centers.

I had a little prize for this challenge, so I wrote all three names on slips of paper and had my sister choose a random winner. And the winner is ... drum roll, please ... Ginny! Congratulations! Your prize will be in the mail soon. I hope my guest designers enjoyed the challenge -- and I hope you found some inspiration in these beautiful cards.

Thanks for stopping by!