Karen Burniston Designer Challenge 95: Rainbow!
July 02, 2025
Welcome to our July Designer Challenge with a theme of "RAINBOW". I challenged the team and our guest designer to make a card featuring a Rainbow or using "Rainbow" as a color prompt. You'll be very impressed with their creations. For my card and video I am combining our Rainbow Add-ons with the Whirly Wheel die set to create an expanding rainbow wheel card.
Learn this card technique by watching the full YouTube tutorial here:
My postcard-style card measures 5" x 7" and features rectangles from Rectangles and Labels, Crosshatch. For stamps I used Whirly Wheel Words and Rainbow Greetings. I used Distress Inks in Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean and Wilted Violet to ink the stripes of the rainbow and the edges of the rectangle. I used Marvy Brush markers to color the arrows on the wheel.
Start turning the wheel and both rainbows start moving, revealing a hidden "Happy Birthday" message behind the front rainbow.
Keep turning the wheel and the rainbow expands, arcs across the card and then starts to lower again.
The back of the card is where I will sign the card. It can be mailed in an A7 envelope.
Ready to make your version? Here are the dies and supplies used in the video.
Now let's take a look at the wonderful Rainbow inspiration by our talented Design Team and guest designer. In each case you can click the designer's name to go to their blog or social media post where you'll find additional photos, supply lists and, in some cases, videos!
Meghan Kennihan joins us this month as a Guest Designer and used the RAINBOW theme as a color prompt for an adorable Photo Collage card. I love how Meghan has mixed the stamped images with coordinating patterned papers for the backgrounds of her photo frames. Be sure to click over to Meghan's blog for more info. Thanks for joining the challenge as our special guest, Meghan!
Meghan made a second card for the challenge in a summer theme, once again using the Photo Collage and rainbow-inspired colors. Meghan's coloring is exquisite on the stamped images and I love the combination of patterned paper, dies and stamps. Click over to Meghan's blog for more photo of this delightful card.
Sue Small-Kreider used the Rainbow Add-ons with the Flip Frame die set for a different look. It's always difficult to make pet sympathy cards but Sue created such a comforting card featuring the rainbow bridge. Click over to her blog for a process video on this card.
Sandy Diller created a wonderful Wizard of Oz card for the Rainbow Challenge. I particularly like Sandy's clever corner closure and how her card hinges at the edge of the gold so that the gingham background is visible when the card is closed and open. Be sure to click over to Sandy's blog to see a video of this card in action.
Jen Webster added a rainbow to a Wide Woven Basket card and the results are spectacular! This card would brighten anybody's desk and would be so fun to pull out of the envelope and display. I particularly like the way the rainbow ends suspends the sun and clouds. Delightful!
Frances Byrne made a stunning slimline rainbow birthday card and I love every detail! The Curved Edges are used for the grass and clouds and I love how Frances sprinkled in some birthday elements to the scene. Click over to her blog for more photos of this bright and happy card!
Lois Bak cleverly repurposed the cauldron from the Witch and Cauldron set to be a large pot of gold at the end of her rainbow. I like how the pot is attached half to the card and half to the rainbow. Click over to Lois's blog to see the front of this birthday card. Fabulous!
Nicky Foden finishes up this month's challenge with an absolutely amazing creation featuring the Tag Book Pop-up and a bunch of colorful fairies painting the scene. There are so many amazing details in this card! You can click over to Nicky's blog for a photo tutorial on this card. Love this so much!
In honor of Independence Day I made a version of the video card to celebrate 4th of July. I used the same dies and followed the video directions for the card, adding in decorator dies from Fireworks, Celebrate, Alphabet (USA), Numbers (4th) and Circle Charm Pop-up (large star).
Hopefully you feel inspired to add some colorful rainbows to your next card. Thank you to our amazing team and guest designer for this month's inspiration. Join us next month on Wednesday, August 2, 2025 for our next Designer Challenge with a theme of BOTTOM FOLD CARDS. The team will be flipping the script on top-fold cards showing some fun ideas for cards that have the fold at the bottom.
Happy Crafting!