Lucky and Love...

...are two of the themes that both fit well into the cards I created today!   They are all also very much Clean and Simple cards and I'm working hard on making more of more of the this style and also trying to incorporate some of the fun ideas from the CAS 3 Class, which I'm loving and which sadly, is also winding down already!!

  Today, I am also very happy to be sharing cards also created for some of my favorite challenges and I'm starting with this first card which was created with two challenges in mind.  The first is the current Color Inspired Challenge over at Reverse Confetti as well as the new Sketch challenge over at Cas(E) This Sketch.

  

     I used the colors (Yellow, Green and Navy), from the Reverse Confetti Challenge along with CTS # 88 and came up with this bright and happy Birthday Card, which will work out perfectly for a friend who will be celebrating her birthday next week.   The papers are all from a new Stampin' Up Set which I loved because it's full of lovely Polka Dots along with other fun patterns in a variety of trendy colors.  This one is the 2012-2014 Color Design Paper Stack, and I also bought the 2013-2015 Stack, which comes in pretty pastel colors, a great purchase and a lot of paper for the money!!    I used a variety of my favorite dies to cut each of the elements.  The sentiment is from the "Lots to Say" stamp set, which I bought from  Reverse Confetti when I first found them.  It was stamped with Nautical Blue ink, from the Memento Luxe line. It's a stamp set I absolutely love and have already used many times, making it well worth the money!   I created the card base with some yellow cardstock and the little added bling is called "Candy Buttons" and is also new, at least to me, and is from Stampin' Up!

and here is different view.....

  My second card of the day is very much a CAS style card and although it is done in two layers, for added dimension, but I do think it will be sharing it over at the CAS Gallery as one of my class inspired cards.   The other inspiration for this card was the new MUSE Card and this amazing card that was created by Marion Vagg.

  I liked her idea of using a variety of rainbow colors and one die cut that she cut in a rainbow of colors, with only one being in black.   I took that idea and instead used my "Retired"  Stampin' Up Heart Punch with my new Lawn Fawn "Let's Polka paper to create a rainbow of hearts, all on a crisp white background.  To tie her her ONE black element and also use a word, I die-cut the word Love with this SSS die set in black shimmer cardstock and added it below my hearts!!   This also turned out to be my favorite card of the day!   I am always fond of  hearts, the word "love" and polka dotted papers.  Not to mention the color "Purple" in case you didn't already know that!!

  And that brings us to my third card today which again was inspired by another challenge, this one being the latest over at "Addicted to CAS" where our Code Word is "Luck". 

 

  This challenge has been on my desk for awhile and I was kind of stumped on ideas, until I started looking through my stamps for some inspiration and came along with little set, which is another of the fabulous SSS Exclusives, designed by Kristina Werner.   Once I started reading some of the sentiments I pulled off two, that worked out perfectly together.  I also then grabbed a little four leaf clover, which always is a symbol of Good Luck to me!  I pulled out some white Neenah card stock and started by stamped my Greeting in black and my little clover in a new Mint Green Ink, which is part of the Sweet Treats Collection, just released by  SSS!   The rest are simply strips of assorted green patterned papers that I pulled out of my scrap bin.   I added a little green pearl to the center of my card front, round the tops corners and then added it to a piece Bazzill Easter Grass card stock that I had cut and scored to create my A2 card base!!   I am really starting to use multiple sentiments to create custom greetings and I love that many of the new stamp sets are being designed to use in this way!!  Yippee!

   I tend to be drawn to sentiment stamps and I love unique and fun fonts and after seeing a set used in the Classroom I was very excited to find a new store called Winnie & Walter, which I just LOVE!   The set that I was first drawn to was this one, called "The Big The Bold and The Happy".  I think I saw it first on a card that Jennifer McGuire had recently shared on her blog.   Well, imagine my surprise when I went over to the store to buy it and then found that there are "matching" cut files (currently a freebie if you purchase the stamp set) that were designed to be used with this set.   Now I can can cut the same words on my Silhouette!!   Woohoo!!   I also found another fun Freebie Cut file and another awesome sentiment set,called The Big The Bold and You", that I just had to have!   I'm so happy I headed directly to the store, as I had tried to buy them at SSS, but they are all SOLD OUT!!  Something that happens VERY often once Jennifer or Kristina use it or share a link in class!   I've now learned to always check directly at the store and it turned out even better, because I never would have know about the Cut Files!   Winnie & Walter had now been added to my never ending bookmarked selection of awesome craft stores and I know it's one I will shop at again.   

   And one more fun new blog I found yesterday, thanks to my Ellen Hutson Newsletter, is the home of "Iron Craft", which is is fun take on the "Iron Chef" TV Food show, but with a Crafting Theme.  This is the creative idea of "Chiatali",  the blog owner and a wonderful designer, who is also a Software Engineer and Illustrator -- (Smart Cookie).  Her blog is called "Cuts Crops and Creativity" and that's where you'll also find the "Iron Craft" Episodes.  I can hardly believe I am just finding out about this now, but I already am loving it and have already subscribed to her blog, so I can keep up to to date and go back and review some of the designers who were part of this awesome idea last seasons.   Yesterday, started the first episode for this year and one of my all time favorite designers, Julie Ebersole, was the Guest Designer.   There is a fabulous video chat done between Julie and the each then create a card using the exact same supplies.  I really enjoyed it and think it's an awesome idea!  I plan to now to back and slowly catch up on the first 25 Episodes from "Season One", which you can find HERE!    I highly recommend you stop by and watch!