It's been a busy few days so I was delighted to be able to sit down for a bit today and create my card for the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge:

Aren't these colors YUMMY?? Not something I would ever come up with on my own, that's for sure! I am finding as time goes by though that I am becoming less afraid of the bright color combinations...I just have to pair them with white space :)

I knew the Real Red would be the main color for this card and immediately thought of this beautiful pattern from the Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper. With this bright pattern and color combination I knew the card just HAD to be a birthday card. I puled out my catalog to find the perfect stamp set and came across the Tag It stamp set which I have had forever with great intentions but has never seen ink until today:( Especially sad since this stamp set will be retiring on June 1st. So if you like it, please be sure to grab it before it's gone, it will only be available while supplies last. The BEST part of this stamp set is that $3 of the sale of every stamp set goes to the Ronald McDonald House Charity!

I used Stampin' Write Markers to ink up the image. I love how easy it is to incorporate different colors on one image with these markers!

I wanted to keep the card cheerful but clean so I kept the details to a minimum. I used the Stampin' Trimmer Rotary Arm and the Small Scallop Rotary Arm Blade to add just a small scallop to the Bermuda Bay layer and repeated it on the layering for the main image. Two little banners finish the card off and provide color balance. I also used the Envelope Punch Board to round off just one corner of the card...just little details!

I didn't realize it at the time I was doing it, but if you look at my card you will see that each color is used in groups of three. That also provides balance.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Monday Stampers! Sorry to be so chipper about it...this is my short week at work so I am always happy about that!

Today's post was inspired by a Facebook posting of a delightful pillow...the colors really spoke to me and then I found a great sketch over at The Paper Players and away I went! lol

Aren't the colors in that pillow FANTASTIC?!? My Stampin' Up! mind immediately knew they were Smoky Slate, Real Red, Pool Party, and Midnight Muse...lol. I do that all the time, could that possibly be a sign of addiction?...nah...

Here's what these wonderful inspirations led me to create:

I kept true to my pillow inspiration in that the focus is the Whisper White and Smoky Slate with large pops of Real Red and little pops of Pool Party and Midnight Muse.

The Designer Papers used here are from several different lines...making this card a good example of how wonderful Stampin' Up!'s coordinating products are. I always know I can mix and match from across the entire product line and not worry that something won't match. Aren't those Candy Dots delish? The perfect accent!

This adorable sentiment can be found in the A Dozen Thoughts stamp set, I have found this set to be very useful...the fonts are very much on trend and with such a variety of sentiments you are bound to find something that will work on your card!

Please let me know if this pillow and/or my card have inspired you to creat something!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Make a Cake (126742), A Dozen Thoughts (131059)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Smoky Slate (131202), Real Red (102482), Pool Party (122924) Cardstock; Subtle (130132) Designer Series Paper Stacks, I Am Me (130138), Polka Dot Parade (126902) Designer Series Paper

Ink: Midnight Muse (126860) Classic Stampin' Pad; 2012-2014 In Color (126856), Real Red (100052), Smoky Slate (131898), Subtles (131263) Stampin' Write Markers

Tools: Big Shot (113439), 53); Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003); Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: 3/4" Smoky Slate (131152) Chevron Ribbon; Brights (130931), Nuetrals (130934), Subtles (130933) Candy Dots