Ink to Paper Project: Reach Out {Sending Hugs with Rainbow Cheer}

Hello, my wonderful crafty friends! It's so good to be here today with a new Ink to Paper Project: Reach Out post! I've created 2 cards for today's "Sending Hugs with Rainbow Cheer" theme and I hope you feel inspired to play/craft along! If you join me regularly, then you will know that I have been mailing out MANY cards to friends, neighbors, family, etc. I think we are all thinking of ways to bring happiness and cheer to those around us during these crazy, uncertain times! I'm so grateful for this card making industry/hobby that allows me to use my talents to bless the lives of others! How about you? Are you getting some crafty time to make some cards to pop in the mail? I sure hope so! If not, please take some time to join this week's challenge!

I chose to use a rainbow theme for today's cards because I think rainbows are such a universal symbol of hope and of happiness, especially when paired with hearts and sunshine!

Funny story: My daughter went to get the mail yesterday because she had a package coming that she was excited for. She brought in an extra package and told me that it was "my stamps". I was confused since I hadn't ordered any stamps, nor had any DT packages coming. I told her that I didn't order any stamps so they couldn't be stamps! She rips open the package to reveal my LARGE order of postage stamps! LOL! Oh.....THOSE stamps! Ha ha! My mailing of cards had come to a stand still when I ran out of postage stamps (besides  some Christmas ones that I didn't want to use! LOL! Anyway, I'm back in business and hope to get some popped in the mail TODAY!

My first card uses some simple strips of cardstock scraps in some of my favorite cardstock colors: Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Burst, Harvest Gold, Green Parakeet, Aqua Mist, and Lilac Grace; I simply adore a pastel rainbow! All of these strips are adhered to a base of white cardstock using ScorTape for security. I layered that onto a panel of white cardstock that is dry embossed using the fabulous Sunburst Frame Die with Harvest Gold ink blending around the perimeter. 

This set the stage for the rest of the design elements. I stamped the hearts and colored them using Copic markers. All of the images and sentiments are from the Simply Sweet: Sending stamp set. I also stamped the cute little sun and heat embossed the "sunshine and rainbows" portion of the sentiment. 

I die cut a banner using the Banner Builder Basics die collection and then stamped the alphabet blocks in coordinating ink colors as the paper. I used quite a few foam squares for this particular card, but I really wanted to give it the depth and dimension for a nice impact!

One of my favorite accents on my rainbow cards is to use some rainbow gems in matching colors!

My second card is simpler in design, but I was dying to use the cute arms from the new Hats Off stamp set. Ashley had suggested it and I just love how these two arms look like they are wrapped around like a hug! They go perfectly with the "sending handmade hugs" sentiment as well! This card uses the same supplies, but this time I simply dry embossed the panel from a piece of Harvest Gold cardstock. I used the Love to Layer: Notched die collection for the focal layer. The smallest die in the collection was the perfect size for these cute little arms to be hugging!

I added the hearts underneath the focal panel, using two to create a circle. I added some jewels to this design as well! I had so much fun creating these two designs! I hope you get a chance to join us this week to "Send hugs with Rainbow Cheer"! Thanks for fluttering by!