Bloggers Challenge ~ Color Challenge + A Craft Pad Tip!

I'm really starting to LOVE Friday mornings. I drop Alexis at school and head home to complete my bloggers challenge. I really look forward to getting that creative direction. It pushes me in a direction I may not have thought of on my own.


I'm a procrastinator for sure!


I just typed a whole long story about how I arrived at this, with the color combination I was *supposed* to use, and realize I grabbed the wrong color!! OH BOY>>> Well I don't have enough time to do it over, so here goes. I like the way this came out. I pulled out the 3 colors that I *imagined, i guess* the color challenge was. Old olive, red riding hood red, and Ruby red... Don't know how I went there, it was supposed to be really rust. Now, I knew I was sort of bending the rules a bit, because we were allowed to add a neutral as an accent and it became my base layer.. I don't know how that happened, I guess it started falling together. Plus, I had a piece already cut to the right size and I like to use all the pieces I have on the table.


Moving right along. I started looking around at my DSP to see what I had for Riding hood red, and I found This print from Bella Rose, that has Ruby red in it too.. It's the lighter color in the print.


Next, I pulled out my craft vanilla pad, and it wasn't working too well for me. I had a problem with this last week. I called Stampin' Up! to see if they had any idea on what I can do, and they suggested "priming" my craft pad. Apparently over time, the craft pad settles and separates if you don't use it all the time.

You can "prime" your pad, by taking a blunt object, I used the back of a tombo adhesive pen.

Just apply firm pressure and swirl your pad around to get the elements in the pad to mix again. My pad worked great after that for my background, which I used Clear embossing powder on for a more subdued look.

For the embossed butterflies on DSP, I used vanilla embossing powder so they would really pop. In fact, I embossed those twice. Once flat on the paper. Then again on another piece. I love doing this with butterflies. I cut the image out, and adhere it with a glue dot so the butterfly looks like it's flying off the card. (little things make me happy).

For the main element of the card, I stamped the "dreams" image in ruby red and cut it out on the "inside circle" then punched a very vanilla circle behind it to add some dimension. I tied the element on with some leftover old olive twill ribbon, and ran old olive 5/8" grosgrain the lenght of the card.

Great challenge. Maybe later I'll have time to play with the colors I was supposed to.. Duh for me! Good morning Blondie! :)