Color of the Week - Robin's Egg Blue

This week's color is Robin's Egg Blue - a rich medium blue color with green undertones.

Robin's Egg Blue works great with neutrals and pastels. For a more unique combination, you can also choose a bright, saturated color (like lime or fuschia)!

Fun facts about Robin's Egg Blue:
 
1. The first recorded use of robin egg blue as a color name in English was in 1873; it approximates the shade of eggs laid by the American Robin.

2. The name "robin egg blue" has been trademarked by New York City jewelry company Tiffany & Co.

3. When Crayola first introduced its crayon of this color, it was unlabeled. Purchasers were asked to submit ideas for the color's name.


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Shameless Plug Time: Love this color? Looking for custom stationery made to match this color (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "In the Land of Gray & Pink"

Gunmetal gray and hot pink make a great color combination for almost any time of year - the gray is cool and fresh, while the pink is bold and bright!

"In the Land of Gray & Pink" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

The above design features a long metallic gray folding envelope, with a pocket on the right to hold the RSVP card and metallic pink reply card envelope. To mail, the entire package is folded up and slipped inside a matching metallic pink A7 sized envelope.

 In the above picture, you can really see the metallic shine on both colors of envelope.

The pattern is fun and unexpected, featuring swirling starburst and spiral images, which are then repeated in a highly-structured plaid. By running the pattern along two adjacent sides of the design (the left and top edges), the whole invitation takes on an asymmetrical balance that is funky and playful.

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: Birds!


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Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Fancy/Funky Friday: Patterns Giselle & Harper

TGIF! Celebrate the weekend with these two pattern designs:

First, the "fancy": Pattern Giselle

Why it's "fancy": Loopy, calligraphic, and ostentatious, these lines are the epitome of "fancy."

Why it's great: I love the heart-like shapes formed where the "stripes" of the pattern meet.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Harper

Why it's "funky": Bold, evenly spaced lines in concentric "circles" give this pattern a mod 1960s feeling.

Why it's great: Every other pattern "unit" is flipped - but you can tell only by the way the inner rainbow-like arcs interact with the middle horizontal stripes.

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Shameless plug time: Love my patterns? I incorporate them into a lot of the artwork I create, from stationery for Invites by Andrea to the watercolors I paint. Check out Invites by Andrea's website to see examples of these patterns in use or drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know what you think!

"Cool" Color Flowers

Flowers are great for decorating your home (both inside and out!) every day, as well as for decorating special events! Last week I showed you the difference between "cool" and "warm" colors on the subtractive color wheel. Now, I offer you inspiration with a list of flowers that fall under the "cool" color category.


There are many flowers that come naturally in blue and purple/blue shades. Green and yellow-green flowers are less abundant, though there are some lovely plants that would make for great centerpieces or bouquets even though they're not technically "flowering" plants. Teal flowers, unfortunately, tend not to exist in nature, but many flowers can be dyed to create this popular blue-green color. There are also some beautiful blue-green non-flowering leaves and plants.

Purple/Blue flowers: Iris, Violet, Geranium, Mountain Bluet, Bellfower, Babiana, Aster, Angelface, Lupine, Purple Robe Nierembergia, Petunia, Salvia, Pansy, Skullcap, Tulip, Blue Lithospermum, Lily-of-the-Nile, Lavender, Lilac, Hydrangea, Wisteria, Anemone, Hyacinth, Spring Starflower, Skyflower, Kenilworth Ivy, Longwood Blue, Catmint, Rosemary, Sage, Scabiosa, Alliums, Bindweed, Larkspur, Wolfsbane, Burdock, Carnation, Crocus, Eupatorium, Flax, Periwinkle, Forget-Me-Not, Gentian, Heather Flower, Ipomoea, Jacob's Ladder, Spiderwort, Lobellia, Love-in-the-Mist, Nightshade, Purple Rose, Saffron, Statice, Syringa, Veronica, Euphorbia Black Bird

Green/Yellow-Green flowers: Cymbidium Orchids, Chrysanthemum, Gladiolus, Carnation, Fennel, Sea holly, Forsythia, Hop, Houseleek, Ivy, Mint, Bells of Ireland, Lisianthus, Hypericum, Anthirium, Hydrangea, Amaranthus, Viburnum, Celosia

Blue-Green/Teal flowers: Jade Vine, Roman Wormwood, Mother-of-Thousands, Blue Fescue, Hydrangea, Teal Thistle Flower, Nigella, Daisy, Dyed Carnations, Orchid, Chrysanthemum

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Shameless Plug Time: 

I design custom stationery in whichever color(s) you love! Visit Invites by Andrea to view samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information. 

I also paint watercolors! Send me an email and let me know if you're interested in purchasing or commissioning a piece! :)

Color of the Week - Emerald

This week's color is Emerald - a beautiful medium green (and Pantone's named color of the year for 2013)!

Because Emerald is already so saturated, it works well with neutrals and tints (lighter colors) - but if you're daring, go for another saturated color to create a rich, jewel-toned pair.

Fun facts about Emerald:
 
1. The first recorded use of emerald as a color name in English was in 1598; unsurprisingly, the name comes from the typical appearance of the gemstone (and May birthstone) of the same name.

2. Ireland is sometimes referred to as the Emerald Isle due to its lush greenery.

3. L. Frank Baum's famous children's story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, features a grand "Emerald City" where everything from the food eaten to the people are emerald green. In the end, it is revealed that the city is actually normal colored - but the glasses everyone wears are emerald-tinted.



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Shameless Plug Time: Love this color? Looking for custom stationery made to match this color (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Rainy Day"

This rain-inspired color scheme features the pale blue-gray of the sky on a rainy day, the rich brown of mud, and the fresh saturated blue associated with water and renewal. It's the perfect design for spring months like April!

"Rainy Day" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

All of the papers (including the envelopes) feature a subtle linen texture to add depth and sophistication to the design. The invitation and reply card were both printed on sky blue linen paper to exactly match the sky blue linen envelopes. The large, folded envelope is a rich brown linen - giving the design the strong neutral it needed to contrast with the pale beauty of the blue.

The pattern featured has a fun, cloud-like appearance - another reason I found it fitting for a "rainy day" theme. I love how whimsical the lines are!

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: A fun gray & pink color scheme...


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Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Fancy/Funky Friday: Patterns Fortia & Nina

Each of this week's patterns has a main, basic geometric shape that stands out from a distance - either a circle or a tilted square (diamond) - but the pattern details reveal so much more!

First, the "fancy": Pattern Fortia

Why it's "fancy": The lines are thin, elegant, and curved, and overlap each other in delicate intersections.

Why it's great: This pattern reminds me of the designs my old spirograph toy would create!


And now, the "funky": Pattern Nina

Why it's "funky": Starburst shapes and embellished lines give an otherwise preppy argyle-like pattern a sharp, jagged look.

Why it's great: Is it just me, or do the diamond shapes begin to look like jeweled cabochons surrounded by such spikey "prongs"?

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Shameless plug time: Love my patterns? I incorporate them into a lot of the artwork I create, from stationery for Invites by Andrea to the watercolors I paint. Check out Invites by Andrea's website to see examples of these patterns in use or drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know what you think!