Hi, Leslie here - it is my pleasure to be back to host another week on the Hero Arts blog. I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus, with our beautiful new baby girl and it is good to be back and stamping again!

This week we are jumping into COLORS again. I thought it would be fun to offer up 4 very fun and unexpected color combos and show you how our designers work magic with them…bringing you lots and lots of holiday projects you will fall in love with!

Today we have 3 cards for you. All use this non-traditional color combo of pinks, reds and purples. The red in this combo keeps the projects looking holiday-ready while the pinks and purples add a nice surprising touch…I think a little of the unexpected is always nice.

First up is a card I created for this week. I just love working with different color combinations for holiday projects and I had lots of fun here. The pink and purple really add a playful element to my card and the red gives it that “Christmas punch” I was after.

Supplies:

• Antique Flower Background (purple floral pattern)
• Clear Design: Holiday Dolls (snowflake on red)
  
• Handwritten Holiday Message
• Kraft Notecards
• Summer Mixed Notecards
  
• Red Metallic Decor
  
• Memories Ink Pad - Cherry Red
  
• Memories Ink Pad - Violet
  
• Other: ribbon, patterned paper, Diamond Stickles, scallop punch, circle punch

Leslie’s Tips:

• I added glitter glue (Stickles by Ranger) in a light layer onto my kraft paper circle - the combination of the “diamond glitter” and the kraft paper made for a sparkling gold backdrop to the felt purple snowflake.
• I really like using inks in the same color (but a darker shade) as the background paper. I tend to do this on most of my projects.
• When using a mix of bright bold colors, be sure to “ground” the design with some neutrals. Here I used the kraft/beige and whites to do just that.

Next we have a beautiful card made by Lucy Abrams. Lucy is a whiz at using Hero Arts digital kits on her handmade cards! Here she printed digital snowflakes directly onto the pink paper. She distressed the edges and added the sentiment, the pieced snowman and the gems to finish.

Supplies:

• Tiny Snowflakes Digikit
• Clear Design: Holiday Sayings
• Clear Design: Create Your Own
• Gemstones
• Winter Mixed Notecards
• Memories Black Ink
• Other: patterned paper (My Mind’s Eye), ribbon (Creative Impressions), red thread, pop dots

Lucy’s Tips:

• To make the scarf, simply tie a double knot in the ribbon and adhere to the snowman.
• Stitch a red border around your background paper for a little definition and handmade whimsy.

Kandis Smith has this fun and festive candy cane creation for us today! Her free floating candy canes stamped onto pink patterned paper really make this card as sweet as can be. The touch of gingham ribbon and the splash of purple make this a card anyone would be thrilled to receive this holiday season. Kandis says: “How funny that when I was a kid I used to think that pink and red did NOT go together. Now I can’t get enough of the combination!”

Supplies:

• Clear Design: Cozy Moments
• Antique Flower Background
• Colorbox Chalk Queue - Primary Elements
• Memories Ink Pad - Ruby
• Blush Notecards
• Winter Mixed Notecards
• Heart Accent Pearls
• Small Accent Pearls
• Other: patterned paper, ribbon, machine stitching

Kandis’s tips:

• Before tying your ribbon to the card, tie it around a small piece of cardstock, then cut the back and adhere it to the card. This makes for a great looking bow!
• Cut apart your sentiment stamp - this allows you to stamp part of it above the card and part of it in the middle!

Now let’s talk about this week’s challenge. To enter the challenge we’d like you to create a holiday card, layout or project with an unexpected color combination you find that is not “traditional” to Christmas. Hints on where to find some inspiration: look at fashion magazines or a favourite room in your home - what colors don’t scream Christmas yet would make a fantastic, bold statement for a holiday card? Feel free to use one of the combinations we will feature as the week goes by.

Upload your colorful holiday card, layout or project to our Flickr group by 11:59pm PST on Sunday, November 8. All entries should be tagged with the word unexpected. Please include at least one Hero Arts stamp or digital element on your creations. By entering, you could win a shopping spree of your choice of Hero Arts products from the Hero Arts Online Store! (Shipping charges apply.) Winners will also receive a 2009 Hero Arts catalog, sent separately. The prize amounts are as follows:

• Fresh Face Winner (someone who has not yet won a contest): $50
• Digital Winner (create something using a Hero Arts Digital Kit): $50
• 1st Place: $50
• 2nd Place: $25
• 3rd Place: $15

This should be a fun filled week, I cannot wait to spend it with you and see what you come up with for this new color challenge!

Filed under: unexpected

This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 4:00 am and is filed under Motivation Mondays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.