Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Basket Case"

Texture (or implied texture printed on paper) is a great way to get across the feeling and formality of your event. This stationery set, which features a printed picnic basket weave texture, instantly feels casual and fun!

"Basket Case" Invitation Duo (invite & info insert)

I used scrapbook paper with a basket print to line the side flap and pocket of this folding envelope, and then scanned in the paper to copy the same design onto the printed invitation and information insert.

The unique sans serif font that mixes lowercase and uppercase letters reinforces the casual, fun look of the stationery. Guests who receive this invitation know to come prepared for the weather at this outdoor ceremony and "picnic lunch reception."

This would also be a great design for family reunions, summer office parties, and any other outdoor summer or early fall event!

 
Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Down Memory Lane"


Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

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Summer Color Combo - Red & Heliotrope

Bright and vibrant, this color scheme gets the party going!

Play with different shades of heliotrope, purple, and magenta to over-saturate your event with fun color, or choose just one to complement a solid, dependable red for more subdued affairs. Decorate with lots of flowers and girly accents like lace, ruffles, or damask patterns to further play up the femininity of this color scheme.

This would also make a fun color combo for Valentine's Day!


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Summer Color Combo - Cherry Blossom & Avocado

This color scheme is beautiful for spring and summer!

Decorate with cherry blossom branches (or drawings of them) to keep up the theme, and embrace vintage props, fabrics, and decor! Vintage botanic-style drawings in green and pink would make for beautiful wedding favors, stationery - even fabric!

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Summer Color Combo - Emerald & Navy

Rich and dark, emerald and navy is a great color scheme for fall and winter, as well. For summer events, keep things bright by using more emerald than navy and focusing on fun pops of color!

I love the peacock feather design painted on the sides of the green shoes on the left photograph in the middle row! And the tropical scarf in the middle of the bottom row is a great example of how to keep this dark color scheme sunny and cheerful with just a few hints of lime green and orange.

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Summer Color Combo - Royal Blue & Magenta

Magenta is a great color for summertime because it's so bright and saturated! Pair it with a rich royal blue for a sophisticated color scheme.

Wrap magenta bouquets in royal blue ribbons or place them in blue painted porcelain vases for classy centerpieces. And with such a bright color scheme, don't shy away from having some fun with it! For a funky twist on vintage props, spray paint wire bird cages, old bicycles, and ornate picture/mirror frames hot pink!

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Shameless Plug Time: Love this color combination? 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.

Summer Color Combo - Tangerine & Tiffany Blue

Blue and orange are complements on the color wheel, so they're guaranteed to work well together! Choose a bright, sunny orange like tangerine and offset it with a blue that has a bit of green tint to it to call to mind a glorious orange sunset over green ocean waves!

You won't find naturally occurring blue-green flowers, so opt for orange and white blooms instead. You can also use orange and tangerine slices as centerpieces! I love the bright orange parasols the wedding party has in the bottom left photograph - parasols are shaped like citrus fruit slices, so not only do the colors match but the shape matches the theme, as well! :)

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Summer Color Combo - Pale Yellow & Grape

Purple and yellow are complements on the color wheel, so they look great together!

Several flowers are available in yellow and purple shades - so use as many blooms as possible in your decoration to really get across the fresh feeling of spring and summer! Use yellow-tinted mason jars as flower vases and decorate your venue with glowing yellow rope lights!

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Supersize Pastel Inspiration Board

As March draws to an end, I leave you with this - an oversized inspiration board featuring this season's beautiful pastel color palette!

Within this inspiration board are ideas for everything:

- Easter decor (ornate eggs, pastel balloons!)
- Spring fashion (pastel lips, jewelry, clothes, hair!)
- Interior design (a pretty mint green sunroom, and floral wallpaper!)
- Party refreshments (gelato-colored candies and cupcakes!)

- And, of course, spring wedding decor (painted mason jars, bouquets, centerpieces, dresses!)

If you're planning a baby shower, child's birthday party, Easter gathering, or spring wedding, this board is for you. :)

Enjoy!

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Spring Color Combo: Blood Orange & Misty Blue

If you're at all like me, you find blood oranges a little creepy - but even I can't deny how beautiful and rich the color is. Pair it with a pale misty blue for a unique color scheme with a perfect balance between hot and cold colors that works great in the winter and spring.

This shade of blue is pale with hints of silver-gray, while the orange is so red it's - well, practically red. Still, they both retain their core orange and blue so obviously that it's not hard to understand why they seem to work so effortlessly together (orange and blue are color wheel complements).

Impress your guests with a dazzling paper crane display (see the middle picture of this inspiration board's bottom row), add unexpected bursts of dark orange blooms in the middle of a pale blue-and-white bouquet, and serve orange-flavored cupcakes and blood-orange garnished cocktails.

This color scheme is also a great choice for beachfront weddings - just look at how adorable the cake is on the far-right of the top row! Use blood orange to color fish accents in a misty blue ocean.

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Shameless Plug Time: Love this color combination? 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.

Spring Color Combo: Lavender & Salmon Pink

Pastels are always beautiful for spring events, and today's color scheme of lavender and pale salmon is another great example!

Give out fabric satchels of lavender as guest favors at a fancy event like a wedding or dinner party. I just love the small salmon pink pocket tied with twine in the middle of the second row. 

Versatile and calming, this color scheme is also great for everyday fashion, and easily lends itself to makeup (lavender purple eyes and pale pink lips are always classic). These colors would also be gorgeous for a baby shower, baby announcements, or to decorate a child's bedroom or nursery. And don't forget spring holidays. The soft colors and pink accents work great for Valentine's Day and Easter!


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Spring Color Combo: Dijon Mustard & Bermuda Blue

Dijon Mustard is a yellow so dark that it's almost brown; it makes for a great neutral for almost any color! I particularly like it with supersaturated shades like the Bermuda Blue I paired it with below:

Though the Dijon Mustard color is dark and autumnal, the Bermuda Blue is bright and fresh enough to balance it out and give the overall look a very spring/summer feeling. Don't you just love the beach-inspired cupcakes on the far-right of the inspiration board's third row?

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Spring Color Combo: Citron Green & Slate Gray

Slate gray is a great neutral - rich, cool, sophisticated, and a bit mysterious, it contains a dark greenish-blue undertone. Pair it with a bright spring color like citron green for the perfect spring color scheme!

There are some truly beautiful green-gray fabrics out there - be daring and wear a full, textured green-gray wedding dress (like the far-right photo in the middle row of the above inspiration board); then brighten your look with a light green bouquet and bright silver jewelry.

Use lots of different types of green flowers in your bouquets and centerpiece decor, to add texture and play up the abundant feeling of new springtime growth. Add even more texture (and keep warm on a cool spring day!) with some strategic chunky knits (like a citron green scarf or slate gray hat).

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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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Spring Color Combo: Mint & Coral

Candy-colored pastels are super stylish this season - so why not use this beautiful mint and coral color scheme for your upcoming event? (These colors work for almost any springtime event, from weddings to Valentine's Day and birthday parties!)

These colors work because they're near-complements on the color wheel and because they're both tints (light hues of deep, saturated colors).

Play with a few different shades of coral (from brighter red-orange shades to pale pinks) and tie it all together with the cool consistency of mint green - a classic color with a vintage feel.

This color scheme would also work great for a child's bedroom or nursery!

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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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Winter Color Combo: Sky Blue & Light Olive

Blue and green are both on the "cool" side of the color wheel - making this color combo great for winter events!

The light sky blue instantly reminds you of the color of frost, while the olive adds a hint of warmth (since it's green mixed with a bit of yellow or brown) and alludes to the eventually-returning spring. There are a lot of great olive and blue fabrics out there that would make for great tablecloths, and several light green flowers to choose from for decoration (such as cymbidium orchids, mums, lisianthus, gladiolus, hydrangea, and carnations).

Winter is also a great time to use bare tree branches or tree silhouettes (like the neckties pictured in the first row of the above inspiration board). You can carry that theme throughout your wall decor with tree stencils or peel-away wall stickers, and also incorporate tree branches into your reception centerpieces.

This color scheme is also great for interior design, and works best in a calming location, such as a breezy living room, nursery, or relaxing bedroom. :)

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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: Oxblood Red & Navy Blue

One of the hottest colors this season is oxblood red (also known as burgundy, to those who prefer a less disgusting-sounding name). Pair it with another dark-color-turned-neutral - the classic navy blue - for a sophisticated color scheme so dark that it instantly feels rich.

Dress the ladies of your wedding party in oxblood red gowns with navy blue pumps, and adorn the men with crisp navy blue suits and ties, with oxblood loafers. Have your florist find flowers with very deep red hues and create dark, mysterious bouquets and centerpieces. Cover the tables in navy tablecloths.

In general, you can take this color scheme one of two ways. First, you can look to menswear and England for inspiration (think of the richly colored libraries and billiards rooms of old mansions, men's-only clubhouses, and the masculine decor of the first-built universities). Second, if you're planning more of an "off-beat" affair, take inspiration from Gothic literature and architecture, as well as modern goth culture (think lacy boots and gloves, blood-red roses, dark lipstick, and a navy blue accent color that's so dark it's almost black).

Finally, this color scheme isn't limited to winter weddings. It would also make a unique color scheme for an adult Halloween party or Gothic Valentine's Day affair, and works great for anniversary dinners and other elegant events where you're looking for a male-friendly but sophisticated color scheme.

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Winter Color Combo: Neon!

You might not think of neon colors when you're considering winter hues, but neon is a great color combo choice to add some spark to the coldest months of the year. :)

Don't be afraid to use several different shades, from neon yellow, pink, and orange to the more unusual electric blues and greens. There are almost limitless opportunities to incorporate neon throughout your event. Decorate tables by spray painting old vases or vintage metal lanterns with shades of neon, and then keep the flowers to a more delicate white. Tie neon bows to the backs of chairs, and hang old neon signs on the wall to give off a funky vibe. Serve colorful cocktails and brightly frosted cupcakes.

For a wedding, have each bridesmaid pick a different neon color to wear, and adorn the walls of the venue with re-purposed picture frames and mirrors that you've spray painted with a coat of bright color. Then, give out neon-themed wedding favors like fun sunglasses (even in the middle of winter!), or rock sugar candy.

Then, bring everything together (and give all the neon accents the perfect backdrop) with a season-appropriate neutral like crisp clean white. Your guests will forget all about the raging snowstorm outside and feel like they've entered a tropical paradise!

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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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