Good Wednesday!

Hello everyone! So glad you decided to stop by today! I've got two cards for you today as well as a Diva Sketch challenge. This Barely Banana card I made first, and the funny thing is I like it better in person... but once I uploaded them I liked the second one best on the computer screen. I've made both of mine into square cards which was the Clean & Simple challenge this week on SCS. I tried to also use Tuesday's color challenge (Always Artichoke, Crushed Curry and Basic Gray) but just couldn't go with it. So this one is Barely Banana with strips of Kraft (all scraps, thank you!), a flower blossom die cut with Thoroughly Modern DSP in Bermuda Bay, and a simple white circle. That's it. Oh, well I should mention the decorative circle brad as well!

This one just reminds me of a little beach hut with slats for walls that you can see the ocean through. OK, I admit I have a vivid imagination! You should hear about my wild detailed dreams! The blossom is in Cameo Coral and of course the circle is the Bermuda Bay again. The blue is my favorite Ballet Blue!

I just love experimenting with color, especially when I have a given sketch! I often punch or cut out multiple pieces in different colors just to see what I like. In this case I was able to make 2 complete cards with all my options (and still have some pieces laying here). That leads me to my first TIP...

Stampin' Tips:

• Want to experiment with fun new color combos? Don't be afraid! Cut out those pieces, grab a scrap of something random, close your eyes and pick if you have to... I often choose something that my brain screams NO to but it can end up being just right. Be open minded and keep trying!
• Avoid wasting paper! Don't avoid cutting it, but if it doesn't work out, that's OK. Just pop it into a large ziplock bag for that color or even color family. Whatever works for you! Then be sure to check that ziplock EVERY TIME before you grab for a full sheet of cardstock. Trust me, it works! I have one ziplock for every color family, including for each set of In Colors. It can get to be a mess sometimes so every now and then I have to go through and throw away the really tiny stuff. If you have the room, use a separate bag for each color and label it. It all depends on how you use color. If you want, have a bag for reds, one for blues etc. I also keep all my neutrals in separate bags. Then each bag is in my filing cabinet where I keep files of all my colors (organized by color family). Sometimes when I want them to look really pretty I'll put them in order how they are listed in the catalog- a beautiful perfect rainbow!

That's all for now! Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to go visit the Diva blog to play along.

~Kristin