Let's Rock A New Color Combo!

Hello happy stampers! Are you ready to rock a brand new color combo this week? In about 1.2 seconds you'll see I did a pretty masterful play on words there. Hehe! We are ready to usher in a new set of color cues for you to use the next time you hit up your snappy little stamping spaces!

So, let's check it out, shall we? 

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So, you might ask, what is this that we are showing you a picture of above? Well, this is a gorgeous shot from the Smithsonian of what they call Variscite. I had never heard of it before but Ms. Marcella snapped this photo on a trip last summer to that fabulous place and then asked if it was too late in her life to become a "rock nerd?" That girl. I tell you. She just seizes life and dives into all the things that fascinate her with reckless abandon. Love it.

HOW TO PLAY: Playing along with us is so easy. See the colors. Be inspired. Use them. Link up your creation. Let us all be wowed. Drop the mic. Fade out. Yep, just that easy!

Today we have the honor and privilege of having the AMAZINGLY talented Christine Okken in the house to show a card that perfectly depicts this little color combo. Take a look, will you?? With Father's Day fast approaching. You might want to CASE (copy and steal everything) when it comes to this design. Christine used Power Poppy's digital stamp set Leaping Trout to create this card showcasing one of nature's wonders! How can trout fly? Really? 

I love all the little extras Christine added to her card without even an ounce of making it look overdone. Sheer perfection! 

Here's a closeup so you can see all detail Christine added fabulously with her Copic markers! 

And here's a look at the colors she used to bring this trout to life!

So, sweet friends, want to pick up these serene and earthy colors and play along with us this week? Simply use this color combo, create, and then link up your card below! Who knows, your card might be chosen as one of our faves and you might end up guest hostessing this little post one day soon! Each guest blogger gets a color palette to create with along with a digital stamp set of their choice! Fun stuff, right?

FYI: If you want to take a trip back through past Hues to Use, just click that link. Remember, the linky is never ending, meaning you can play along whenever you feel like it! Why not challenge yourself to take a color-coded trip through all of our past challenges? Now THAT would be fun! ;-)


Thanks for stopping by!

~Julie 

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An InLinkz Link-up

4 Sketches, 1 Digital Stamp!

Hello Power Poppy Peeps and welcome to another Inspire Me Monday -- a quick fix of inspiration to jump start your creative week! I thought instead of showing you a technique or sharing a tip, I would share four sketches and show off four different, yet color-coordinated cards using Power Poppy's  Leaping Trout digital stamp set. I just love this image for "man cards." It's also perfect for my neck of the woods, where fly fishing reigns "King." Use these sketches in your own stamp rooms or see how the gentle mix of decorative papers can bring about a positive visual vibe in a set of cards!

Here's a peek at the four cards I'll be sharing today!

So let's get to it! 

I will say that all of the trout were colored up exactly the same way. I used some warm grey tones (W01, W03), a few vibrant blue green shades (BG000, BG11 and BG72)  and some lighter rose shades (R81, R83 an R14) to color these up as rainbow trout. There are also some olive green bits in there as well (YG91 and YG93.)

Here's Sketch #1

Here's Card #1

And here's how I put this sketch in play using some stitched edge dies, a wooden button adorned with a little bit of natural cording and a mix of blue decorative papers to try to pick up on the fish's fresh colors!

Here's Sketch #2

Here's Card #2

When it comes to card layout, I have always been a fan of the fishtail pennants. I thought since my main image was a fish, why not use one of my favorite accents? I included the same stitched rectangle die and some of the same decorative papers from card #1 to let these two designs play off of each other. I accented my image with the same twine but added a few extras with some gold brads and even an honest to goodness fly. I picked this little guy up at the fly shop and had fun choosing this little "Woolly Bugger!" :-)

Here's a little close up for you so you can see just how that trout is colored up! 

Here's Sketch #3

Here's Card #3
I love wonky sketches, when one piece of paper or two are at an angle. So, this sketch takes on that flair! I added some distressed edges, wood grain paper and even a wee bit of paper piecing. See those same bits of paper from the othe two cards? Yep, they're there! I also added the twine and a bronze brad. See?

Here's Sketch #4

Here's Card #4

Okay, which one of these does not look like the others? I admit, this one is a bit of a stretch when it comes to creating a cohesive set of cards. The decorative paper here has the same beige tones in card #2 and card #3 and then I picked up the denim decorative paper that is in card #3. After I photographed this one, however, I see it doesn't gel as well as the other three. That's okay though! My intent was there! Here I layered up a bunch of decorative paper, added a ribbon border with some silver paper dots and some fun decorative shapes. 

There you have it peeps -- four sketches, four cards, and just one digital stamp image! I hope you like the designs and even more, I hope you take these sketches for a test drive in your own stamping spaces! Most of my cards are on the simple side so why not add a few more embellishments or put a twist on these layouts to make your own mark on them! If you do use one or all of these sketches, please share a link to your creations so that I can see your take on them!

Have a fabulous week & thanks for stopping by!

~Julie