Blogger's Challenge #95 - Color Challenge

Happy Friday everyone! Finally we have sunshine in Virginia and I'm headed out to enjoy lunch with my friend Christina! But, I wanted to post my creation for you first, so here goes......

Our challenge this week was to use the colors Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke and Sage Shadow in a project. Well, when I pulled out the colors on Wednesday to start on my project, it was so dreary outside that these colors just didn't speak to me at all! My mojo was drowning in the rain! But, yesterday the sun was out and it was gorgeous, so I had a whole different outlook. These colors are the ones in the new Designer Series Paper called "To the Nines" and are very masculine and a bit somber, IMHO.

So I tried to take lighter approach to them and started with the Sahara Sand as my card base. It's a piece of 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 cardstock folded in half, then I trimmed off about 1 1/4" from the top edge. I took my Bone Folder and rubbed it against the edge, creating a distressed look. Then I layered a piece of To the Nines DSP on the inside flap. I went with a Sage Shadow piece. Next, I placed a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock to the inside right edge of the card, so it looks like graduated layers from the front. I hope that description makes sense to you!

I then took my Sahara Sand ink pad and dragged it across the front of my card, giving it the weathered look you see. The stamped tree image is from a cute new stamp set in the Occasions Mini called "Forest Friends" and I inked it up with my Stampin' Write Markers using Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow and Always Artichoke. It's stamped on a piece of Sahara Sand cardstock cut at 2 x 2 1/4" - the same size as the wood block the stamp is mounted on. I often use that guide to decide how big to cut my cardstock. Each layer underneath is cut just 1/4" larger than the stamped image so it creates a 1/8" border around it. It's easy to remember this method and you know I like EASY! My layers here are Always Artichoke and Sage Shadow. Each of these layers is also distressed with the Bone Folder all around.

I mounted this focal image on Stampin' Dimensionals so it would stand out over top of the Chocolate Chip Double Stitched Grosgrain ribbon I placed across the card front. Notice the right edge is frayed for texture. Lastly, the greeting is stamped in Chocolate Chip ink in the lower right corner. I used the "for you" from the stamp set "Great Friend" also in the Occasions Mini.

All in all, I'm really pleased with this card, not somber at all, but very appropriate for anyone. Let me know what you think, ok?

And be sure to check out all the other Blogger's Challenge Creations by clicking on the link in my sidebar - I know they will inspire you with these colors.

If you check back with me tomorrow, I'll have a 3-D project for you along a similar color scheme. What can I say? Once I got started yesterday, I was just having fun and kept going. Welcome back Mojo!

Stamped Blessings,

~~Robin