Spring Color Combo: Poppy Red & Linen

Pantone has included both "poppy red" and "linen" in its list of spring colors for 2013 - and its certainly true that it's easy to find both of these colors on the fashion runways! Incorporate this classic color scheme into almost any spring event (weddings, Valentine's Day - even Easter, if you're open to changing out traditional white lily decor for some brilliant red poppies)!

Poppies are easy flowers to fake with crepe paper or fabric, making it a breeze to decorate (under budget!) for any occasion. Play up texture within the neutral beige color to add dimension - string a paper or fabric banner of triangle flags, and use a linen tablecloth with visible threads.

This color scheme would also be beautiful in the fall, or even for winter holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas!

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Floral Quilted Wall Hangings

This past holiday season I hand-sewed three different "wall hangings" to give out as gifts to my mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. 

Buy these floral fabrics here: http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/ideasbyandrea

All of the fabric swatches (except for the solid light green around the edges) were printed at Spoonflower - a website that allows you to upload your own designs to be printed on fabric! The images you see are photographs of flowers that I've taken in the last several years (including pictures of roses and bouquets purchased at supermarkets, the flora around my grandmother's house, and professionally-designed gardens and landscapes in Barcelona, Paris, Southern Italy, Croatia, and Upstate New York). Many of the photographs were slightly altered/desaturated in Photoshop to give them a slightly vintage/aged/faded look. 

All of the photographs have a similar color scheme (shades of light greens, pinks, yellows, whites, purples, and oranges), and are intended to work together as a collection, making them great fabric choices for patchwork projects like these quilt-inspired wall hangings! 

There's no shortage of photographs of the finished project, so keep scrolling down!! :)
 
 

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Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Through the Glass"

For the first Sunday Sample Spotlight of 2013, I present you with this elegant stationery set with a color scheme perfect for winter events - "Through the Glass."

"Through the Glass" Invitation Duo (invite & info card)

I used a metallic silver "Himalaya" pocketfold envelope with matching metallic silver cardstock as the main color of this sparkly stationery set. The invitation and information sheet are both printed on classic white cardstock, and then mounted to the silver backing with light blue brads and a beautiful two-toned blue ribbon.

The ribbon is a unique blend of satin and sheer - the shiny blue satin mimics the sparkle of the silver cardstock and envelope, while the sheer blue stripe lets the underlying pale blue pattern show through.

I love that when the envelope is folded closed, the silver speaks for itself. When you start to open it, the elegant pattern and ribbons are the first things you see!

As you can see in the photos below, the shiny silver envelope and paper can have quite a bit of sparkle to them, depending on the light. Just because paper is static and flat doesn't mean it has to be boring! Metallic papers are a great way to add interest and depth to your stationery.

The main invitation is only attached to the silver envelope on the left side (the three brads pierce through the ribbon, white cardstock, silver cardstock, and silver envelope), so you can lift up on the right side of the invitation for a peak of more of the beautiful silver envelope underneath!

This stationery set would be great for any elegant winter event, including December holidays, weddings, and anniversary dinners.

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Art Nouveau"


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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.

Event Idea: Day After Christmas Party

If you're like me, Christmas is your favorite holiday, and you're always a little sad on December 26th to see it go. This year, keep the spirit alive just a little longer by hosting a Day After Christmas Party for your friends and family!

I think the best main theme of a Day After Christmas Party is starting the countdown until the next year's Christmas. Display countdown timers (accurate to minutes and seconds) on computer monitors (you can easily find several free options online), or make a more low-tech version out of construction paper, which you adjust every hour to indicate one hour less to wait until the start of the next December 25th.

If 364 days is too long to wait, another option is to celebrate the ongoing current holiday season with a Twelve Days of Christmas theme. Assign every guest a day and have them bring food or presents to distribute that coincides with their assigned day. For example, your "Second Day of Christmas" guest might bring sugar cookies in the shapes of doves (harkening the song lyric "two turtle doves") and gifts of pairs of gloves (to represent the number two). A guest assigned the "Eighth Day of Christmas" could bring foods and drinks heavy in milk ingredients (such as egg nog or hot chocolate), and dress as a French maid. ;)

Another great idea is to have a Leftovers Party to avoid rotten or wasted food. Have your guests bring leftover dishes from previous Christmas parties or meals and have a big potluck. This is also a great way to get rid of edible gifts you may have received that you know you're never going to eat - maybe a well-meaning coworker gave you some peanut brittle (not knowing you have a nut allergy), or stockings full of candy (not knowing your New Year's Resolution for 2013 is to cut back on sweets), or maybe you just received way too many Christmas cookies to eat all by yourself. Whatever the reason, share these unwanted gifts with your guests to help clear out your kitchen and satisfy their hunger!

You can even take this one step further and have a white elephant gift exchange, where each guest brings a gift or two that they received over the holidays that (for whatever reason) they don't want. One person's trash can be another person's treasure! :)

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Winter Color Combo: Dark Green & "Christmas Glow"

You know what "glow" I'm talking about - the color of your normally beige walls when warm electric Christmas lights reflect around the room and the color of flickering candle flames - the artificial glows we create to compensate for the lack of brilliant sunshine this time of year. Pair that warm golden orange glow with the dark green of a Christmas tree, and you have a unique but beautiful holiday-themed color scheme.

This color scheme is perfect for a holiday party, but also works great for winter weddings. Adorn mantles with evergreen boughs and orange flowers. Cover tables with dark green tablecloths and make a centerpiece entirely out of glowing candlesticks staggered at different heights. Hang golden orange paper lanterns from the ceiling and wrap silky green ribbons around chairs, napkins, and party favors.

The end result is breathtaking. The warmth of the orange and the depth of the forest green instantly make your guests feel at home, since they mimic the quiet colors of lit fireplaces, family gatherings, and Christmas trees.

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Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Friends Forevergreen"

Nothing feels more like winter than forest green pine trees paired with the crisp color of pure white snow!

"Friends Forevergreen" Invitation Duo (invite & info insert)

In this stationery set, the text is decorated with photographic evergreen scrapbook paper, transparent green ribbons, and warm metallic copper brads. I used a recycled ivory "Himalaya" fold envelope, and pasted scrapbook paper to the left flap and right side pocket.

I also scanned in the scrapbook paper to incorporate the design at the tops and bottoms of each printed sheet, helping the invitation and information card relate both to each other and the evergreen-decorated envelope!

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Purple Petal"


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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.

Winter Color Combo: Pale Pink & Charcoal Gray

Dark charcoal gray is a great winter neutral for those who want to steer away from the more common white or silver. Charcoal gray has a depth to it that adds a little mystery, and works great with fragile winter pastels like pale pink.

Use pale pink flowers to decorate charcoal gray tables, and add sparkle whenever you can (spray paint tree branches a sparkly gray and hang strands of pink pearls or small pink Christmas tree ornaments on each branch - and then add even more "bling" in the jewelry and shoes you wear).

For weddings, dress the guys and girls in charcoal gray, and mix white flowers into pale pink bouquets for a more dimensional look. Adorn white or silver chiavari chairs with pink ribbons. And don't forget to incorporate your colors into your makeup and nail polish, too! Create a smoky gray eye with lots of eyeshadow, then use a very pale pink lipstick and blush so that all emphasis remains on your eyes.

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Winter Color Combo: Periwinkle & Silver

Mix shades of periwinkle blue and silver for a distinctly winter feel perfect for an elegant wedding or holiday party!

I just love the wedding party in the middle of the last row of the inspiration board above. The long periwinkle gowns and warm white shoulder wraps epitomize this color scheme and the season. Bring those colors inside with long periwinkle tablecloths, crisp white napkins, and silver chiavari chairs. If you want to play up the Christmas season, hang tiny silver bells on silver spray-painted tree branches. You can even put a crystal bowl of silver and periwinkle ornaments out on each reception table as a beautifully festive centerpiece.

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Winter Color Combo: Red, White, & Gingerbread Brown

Gingerbread brown is one of the great warm colors of the holiday season - so why not appropriate it for your event? Add even more warmth with a spicy red, then cool the party down with a pure, snowy shade of white.

One of the best things about choosing this color scheme is how easily it lends itself to items that can work double-duty as both food spreads and room decor. Adorn buffet tables with spice cakes, plates of gingerbread cookies, and even entire gingerbread villages for a fun, whimsical feel. Then, add pops of red throughout - such as red leaves, berries, flowers, and fabric hearts.

I love the idea (presented in the second picture in from the left in the top row) of adding a stick of cinnamon to the tops of each escort card - they look adorable, go perfect with this color scheme, and would make the entire venue smell amazing! Another great idea is to have a warm beverage station set up. Coffee is classic, but for this gingerbread-filled party, hot cocoa, warm apple cider, and egg nog are other great choices.

This color scheme would work well for holiday parties and winter weddings! :)

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Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Copper Country"

Copper is a great neutral that often unfairly gets the shaft in favor of more traditional colors like gold or silver - but unlike gold and silver, which often feel cool and standoffish due to their yellow or blue undertones, copper is all about warmth.

"Copper Country" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

Think of copper as a metallic, elegant brown that has all sorts of nostalgic homey associations attached to it - like old copper pots in the kitchen, antique Christmas ornaments, and the good ol' days when a quaint copper penny could actually buy a gumball or piece of candy at the barber shop. :)

For this stationery set, I took those nostalgic associations and gave them a more modern feel by increasing the scale of the somewhat boxy (but still elegant) pattern into a bold, graphic design - and by using Helvetica for all of the stationery's text. In the case of the reply card, I even used the pattern on only one side of the design, creating a modern asymmetrical composition.

This stationery set uses a metallic copper-colored petal-fold envelope and matching reply envelope, textured copper cardstock, and crisp white paper.

Copper is also a great color option for fall holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving - the base of the color is a warm orange-brown that mimics the falling leaves, but the metallic shine of the copper gives it a more elegant feeling that's great for the holiday season.


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Le Moulin Rouge"


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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 Vera & Melissa

If you're like me, you're never more grateful for a Friday than the ones that precede a holiday weekend. And what better way to celebrate the start of St. Patrick's Day weekend than with today's Fancy/Funky Friday post? ;)

First, the "fancy": Pattern Vera

If you've been following this blog, you know that I love patterns that remind me of argyle. Anything that uses diamond-like shapes just feels instantly sophisticated to me. :) This pattern is no exception, even though the "diamonds" are more like ovals, since the lines are so curved. I think they resemble those fancy Christmas ornaments that were popular decades ago... And so this pattern feels kind of antique or vintage to me, which I love. It's simple and classic, and perfect to use in the background of so many different stationery designs or watercolor paintings.

The pattern is a light enough color in the background that it just adds some visual interest without being too distracting. The ample amount of white negative space also helps the pattern to stay simple and classic. Any pattern that has that much negative space can never be too busy. :)


And now, the "funky": Pattern Melissa

If Pattern Vera was simple and airy, Pattern Melissa is it's opposite. This pattern is quite busy and dense, made to seem even more so since the pen strokes are so thick. If you look carefully at the pattern, you can see that each individual square "unit" is either rotated 90 degrees from the one directly next to it, or reflected across the invisible axis between them. This makes the pattern flow so well that it's hard to tell where the "units" actually are, since they function so well as a whole. That's one of the marks of a good pattern. :)

It is a very busy pattern, but if you use just a column of it instead of an entire block, it's a little simpler. In the stationery design above, I used a single column in a copper color to add a fun pattern to both vertical borders to frame the invitation information without being too distracting.

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Cabin Fever Party Ideas

Sometimes the best part about winter can be the coldest, darkest, stormiest days, when the whole family is shut indoors because it's just too terrible to go outside. And losing power in a snowstorm can cause a lot of worries, but there can also be something nice about being cut off from the world for just a little while, especially with our reliance on electricity for entertainment these days.

And that is why I suggest hosting a Cabin Fever Party. You can pretend that the weather is so horrible outside that the power has gone out without actually having the stress of losing power. Plan entertainment that doesn't involve the television or computer, like playing board games or charades by candlelight. Light a fire and roast marshmallows in your fireplace. And since your power isn't really out, you can still have your heat on and cook delicious warm food in your oven and microwave. It's the best of both worlds. :)

It would be so much fun to create the decor for an event like this. Just think of ski lodges or Vermont Bed and Breakfasts, with their rustic wooden furniture and furs. Pile warm, cozy crocheted blankets on every armchair and couch so all of the guests can stay snuggled and warm while you socialize or play board games. You could even tell all of the guests to come in their pajamas or lounge wear! If there are a lot of children at the event, there are all sorts of games you can make up to fit the theme. Remember the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie's little brother is wrapped up in so many layers of winter clothes he can barely move? Dress up in multiple layers until you can all barely move and hold relay races. If there's actually several inches of snow outside, it'll make it even harder to move without falling - and when you do ultimately fall, you'll be covered in enough padding that you won't hurt yourself too much. :)

There are also several craft ideas you could do - like making paper snowflakes or making miniature edible snowmen out of Rice Krispie treats or marshmallows. Or have everyone bring an old sweatshirt or sweater and decorate them with puffy paint to make hideous Christmas sweaters for next year! ;) If your guests are good at knitting or sewing, sit around and have a knitting or quilting circle like the old pioneer days, sewing quilts and knitting winter hats and scarfs for each other.

There's plenty of things you can do to beat the winter blues and still have fun!

Winter Event Color Combinations - Part 1

I've already posted some color combination ideas for New Year's Eve (and all of those color schemes would also work great for any other winter event), but here are some more color pairings that look fantastic this time of year. :)

Color Combination #1 - Lavender & Chocolate Brown

I love shades of purple. Growing up, I painted the walls of bedroom lavender. :) So, it should be no surprise that I really love this color combination. The lavender gives the rich brown a frosty look that's so perfect for winter. Plus, sprigs of wild lavender just look wintry, with their dark green and white stems and tiny buds - they'd make for great decorations or favors! Make sure you choose a brown that has a bit of warmth too it, to balance out the cool color of the lavender. That way, the color scheme will cover all aspects of winter, from the chilly weather to the warmth of staying indoors with family and friends. :)


Color Combination #2 - Wine & White

Thanks to Christmas commercialism, the bright red of poinsettia plants is one of the more common colors that come to mind this time of year - but just because it's associated with Santa's suit doesn't mean it has to feel like Christmas. Still, if that's a concern, it's easy to adapt the color to a classic, sophisticated dark burgundy, or a deep purplish-red wine. This color looks great paired with a pure white. Think of late season berries covered by a blanket of freshly fallen snow, and it's easy to see how perfect this color scheme is for the winter months.


Color Combination #3 - Pale Yellow & Slate Gray

Yellow is often thought of as a springtime color - and it certainly is sunny, and goes great with other bright colors for spring and summer events. But as long as the yellow is kept a little pale and desaturated, and paired with a cool-toned neutral like slate gray, it can also feel distinctly wintry. To tone down the brightness of the yellow, you can also add another neutral like a light cream to the mix. The end result is a very modern, sophisticated color scheme that works great for a late winter event, when everyone starts to feel the drag of the cold, dark winter months. The hint of yellow color acts like a ray of hope that the sun will shine again soon, without being too over-the-top and spring-like.

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Shameless Plug Time: Love these color combinations? Looking for custom stationery made to match these colors (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.