Go To Layouts and Design

Hi everyone!  I have two cards today for two different color challenges.  Things this weekend were pretty hectic for me so you will see that reflected in the cards I made.  I realized after I was finished that they are pretty similar in design.  The first card is for CAS Colours & Sketches and the second is for Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge.

CC&S colors: Cajun Craze, Old Olive and Grapefruit Grove

Splitcoaststampers colors: Rich Razzleberry, Shaded Spruce, Pineapple Punch and Mango Melody

A realization that I had this weekend was that when I have a good layout or a color scheme I like, it may show up in variations in my cards because it is simply quicker to go with those.  This week it was the layout.

I wasn't even conscious of it until I was actually putting it all together on the second card when I realized both had square elements at an angle.  They both also have subtle backgrounds - one is the embossed panel and the other has stenciling behind the focal item.

I'll admit that for my second card I was in a bit of a hurry.  And when I'm in a hurry, I find that watercoloring is a good choice since it goes fairly fast for me.  My style is pretty loose.  I like the sort of blotchy, mottled effect you can achieve with watercolor.  When things get too smooth I will use my heat gun to dry the piece and go back over it with color to get a bit more contrast.  When I want a smooth, blended effect that is when I go with my alcohol (mostly Copic) markers - but those take time.

We all have our style of creating and being aware of what works for us (or doesn't) and having some "go to" layouts, color combos, etc. can be a real time saver.  The cards above are different yet very similar. So even when using your favorite layout or color combo, with just a little tweaking, your cards will still look different and give you variety.

Card 1:
Dies: Cottage Cutz Potted Cactus
Stamps: MFT Sweet Succulents
Stencil: MFT Weave

Card 2:
Stamps: Magenta 23293-J, Stamping Bella Butterfly Sentiments
Dies: MFT Wonky Stitched Squares
Embossing Folder: Stampin' Up! Swirls and Curls

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