STAMPIN' UP! COLOR COACH BLOG HOP

Today I am taking part, with six friends who are also Stampin' Up! demonstrators in Australia, in a blog hop.   You may have come from Ros Davidson's blog, but if you're starting here, that's okay too.  At the end of each blog post will be a link to the next 'stop', so just click on those links to make your way around all seven of our blogs.

Our focus for today's blog hop is Stampin' Up!'s handy-dandy tool called the Color Coach:

This is a fabulous tool to help with your creativity, and to stretch you outside of your comfort zone!  On the back of the swatches of card (in Stampin' Up!'s entire colour range), are suggestions of complementary colours, and of combinations that you probably never would have thought to put together!  My cards today are a case in point (of the latter).

As much of a 'green' girl as I am, I struggle to use Garden Green in my projects.  I was bound and determined to do something with this colour combination, suggested to me by the Color Coach:

Although I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, combining these colours,  I'm quite happy with the end results.  I have two cards to show you, so you can see these colours can actually work together (those gurus at Stampin' Up! really know what they're talking about!).

Stamps: Motorcycle, Extreme Elements, Occasional Greetings, Pocket Silhouettes

Card: Garden Green, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Garden Green and Bashful Blue stampin' pads, Tangerine Tango and Basic Gray markers

Other: Blender pens, Stampin' Sponges, Crop-a-dile, Jumbo Pewter Eyelets, Top Note die, Square Lattice embossing folder, Scallop Oval punch (for mask to create clouds), paper snips

...... and one for a younger boy:

Stamps: Pun Fun, Extreme Elements, Seeing Stars, On Your Birthday

Card: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango, Garden Green

DSP: Tangerine Tango and Garden Green Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango and Garden Green stampin' pads

Other: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, 1 3/4" Circle punch, sponge daubers, Mat Pack and Paper Piercing tool

I also had a play with another colour combination.  I'd decided I wanted to use Cajun Craze, but not with the usual my autumnal-toned 'suspects'.  Here's the challenge I took up, from the Color Coach:

My first card turned out like this:

Stamps: En Francais, Friends 24-7, Trendy Trees

Card: Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke textured, Perfect Plum, Watercolour paper

DSP: Cajun Craze and Perfect Plum Patterns Designer Series Papers

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Always Artichoke and Perfect Plum stampin' pads

Other: Blender pens, Beautiful Wings embosslits, Crochet Trim, Word Window punch, sponge dauber, Whisper White taffeta ribbon (coloured with a Cajun Craze marker)

Before I show you my last card, I'll just issue a "purple alert"!  My usual tactic of subtle background stamping just flew out the window with this one.  Here is the second card I made using the same colour combination of Cajun Craze, Perfect Plum and Always Artichoke:

Stamps: Love & Care, Because I Care (both hostess sets)

Card: Perfect Plum, Always Artichoke, Watercolour paper

Ink: Perfect Plum stampin' pad and marker, Always Artichoke stampin' pad and marker, Cajun Craze stampin' pad and marker

Other: Beautiful Wings embosslits, Eyelet border punch, Basic Pearl, Scallop Oval punch, 1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval punch, sponge daubers, water spritzer

If you don't already own a Color Coach, I'd encourage you to get one; it has helped me out of many a 'slump', and I have had a lot of fun using colour combinations that at first seem a bit unusual.  It costs $28.95, and if any of us on the 'hop' today is your usual Stampin' Up! demonstrator, we'd be happy to help you out.

Now it's time to hop on over to my friend Kristine's blog.  She will no doubt have something gorgeous to show you!  If you lose track of who to visit, you can check back in here, as I've listed below all of the participants in today's hop.  Thanks for stopping by!

Ros Davidson

http://www.rosdavidson.typepad.com/


Christine Blain  (that's me)
http://www.christineblain.blogspot.com/


Kristine Thompson
http://www.inkspotcreations.typepad.com/
Di Dunk
http://www.stampartbydi.typepad.com/


Judy May
http://www.judymay.typepad.com/


Alisha Watson
http://www.ratherbstampin.typepad.com/


Margaret Knoops
http://www.purplebuttons.wordpress.com/