Where do you find your color inspirations?

There are certain color pairings that I am just naturally drawn to. They are bright, cheerful colors that are highly saturated in bold and sometimes abstract patterns.

These colors make me smile when I see them. I naturally feel a bit happier.

Here are a couple examples of my favorites.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kiki-crochet-blanket

http://www.pineconehill.com/world/shot/95

http://www.pineconehill.com/world/shot/101

See a pattern there?

Rich, golden yellows

Vibrant, deep pinks

Light, crisp blues

Tart, lime greens

As much as I love these colors, they don’t make much of an appearance in my every day life. The colors in my home are neutral browns and creams with accents of maroon. My wardrobe is mostly blacks, grays and creams with the occasional pop of pink or blue.

You can find lots of articles on how color affects mood in a quick Google search. Here’s one I found on the Huffington Post site. Hmmm, this explains why I have a lot of black clothing!

I also found this presentation on slideshare that does a good job of breaking down the color wheel in easy to digest bits. It’s a quick read and worth checking out if you’re thinking of doing things on for the web/digital.

I feel that as Spring gently knocks at my door, that I should take the opportunity to incorporate my favorite color combos into more of my life and not just limit it to the cards or scrap book pages that I create.

Have any of you done this? Where do you suggest I start…my clothes, my décor? My bedroom has been sorely in need of a makeover!

Easter Card Ideas

Easter will be here before you know it! Have you finished your Easter cards yet? If you’re like me, you haven’t even started. Between life, work and school I barely have time breath let alone get creative in my stamp room!

Well, this post is for all those procrastinators out there, including me! I’m going to share some quick and easy card ideas gathered from across the web to help you get your creative juices flowing. Remember, click the images to go directly to the creators’ sites for more fabulous ideas.

Check out this first card. I love the color choices. Paired together, don’t they just feel like Easter?

Isn’t this next one so stinkin’ cute? Don’t get overwhelmed! It’s really just some rectangle pieces, circles (use your punches!) and some embellishments. You could get as fancy or as basic as you want depending on what you have for time. And on a side note, you must check out Mary Fish’s website. I have website envy (swoon). I’m a sucker for black and white designs with pops of color.

And here’s video tutorial for a simple but elegant religious card. Tami’s my kind of crafter! She started off her video talking about how quickly Easter snuck up on her. I feel your pain, Tami! Side note, if you don’t have the Big Shot machine to make the embossed edges you could certainly just use some plain or patterned paper and then layer a rectangle of white in the center where your cross will go.

If you’re down to the wire, my last share is a super simple, clean and classy design. Use any of your small flower punches and some paper in pastel colors and punch away. Just add some dots to represent stems, a little embellishment in the center of the flowers if you want, an Easter sentiment and you’re good to go!

Whew! Hope some of these ideas got your wheels turning. I know I’ve gotten some inspiration. Happy crafting!