How to Make Fast Card Design Decisions

My card today attempts to answer that question - what DOES the fox say?  I'm not sure what all foxes say, but we'll find out what this one says anyway. And I'll share some tips on designing a card quickly.  This card was created in under an hour including photographing the steps involved.  It was because I didn't need to think about the two biggest factors in card design - layout and color.

I started with this week's sketch at Splitcoaststampers. As I've said before - sketch challenges make designing a card much faster!  Most challenges allow you to rotate or flip the sketch so you don't have to feel constrained.  Similarly, you can usually interpret or omit small items from the sketch.  In this case, I eliminated the bow as it would have been too fussy for my design.  And if you aren't actually entering the challenge, you can just use it as a starting point and go from there!

I picked my patterned paper next and then the coordinating colors. This is a great way to shortcut card design - once the pattern is established, the colors come from that.  Often - especially when coloring an image with my Copic markers - I color first and then have to find a coordinating paper which can take awhile, a long while.

But for a card like this where the colors of the fox are established and neutral, I can use any colors for the presents and balloons.  I'll pick the patterned paper first and the other colors follow.  If I know my recipient's favorite colors so much the better, but if not (or I don't have them) I just pick a pattern that's appropriate.  It's hard sometimes, but I try not to agonize over the choice of pattern.  In the case of this card, the confetti was perfect for a birthday and the scale was right, so I ran with it!

In order to get variety in color for the presents I had to cut them in multiple colors and make multiple presents. 

Ultimately I ended up using only one present.  Those that weren't used I saved for a later card. I'll store the finished die cut presents with the die so the next time I use it I can see that I already have images ready for use. This is another way to make designing and assembling a card faster - pre-made images.

To finish off the front of the card I popped up the fox and present using foam dots and added gold sequins.

(And to answer THE question....the fox says CELEBRATE!)

Dies: Cottage Cutz Birthday Fox, Birthday Hedgehog, and Celebration Phrase
Stamps: Technique Tuesday Fredrick and Fiona
Paper: Retired Stampin' Up! DSP, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Night of Navy, Gold foil, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla

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