Whenever my husband goes out of town without me, I always make a card or two to tuck into his suitcase for him to find after he arrives at his destination.    I like to let him know that I’m thinking of him, and missing him when he’s gone.  I like to think that he enjoys these little surprises too!

So I needed to make a card today for him for just such an occasion.  I had so much fun playing with the Paper Players last week; they are such a nice bunch of folks and they always leave comments on my blog posts when I participate in their challenges.  I love when people leave me comments on my blog posts.  It’s almost like getting a little love note in your suitcase when you’re away from home!   Comments make me feel like all the time and effort I put into writing a blog post is worth it.  So, if you are reading this today, please leave me a little love note, I mean comment, at the end of this post.  Thanks!  🙂

Anyway, just as I was heading into My Stampin’ Space to make said card, I got an email from the Paper Players with a color challenge for this week.  Since I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do,  I jumped on the chance to use this snappy color combination as a starting point.  Here’s the color combination:  I figured if I used Crumb Cake as my main color, with just splashes of Calypso Coral and Lemon Lime Twist, it would pass as more masculine than feminine.  And with the bright colors of Calypso Coral and Lemon Lime Twist, it would need a lot of Crumb Cake to keep it toned down.  Here’s my card:

I used the new “Detailed With Love” stamp set.  I just love the sentiment that says “So many of my Smiles begin with You“.  Perfect!  🙂  I stamped that onto Whisper White cardstock using Calypso Coral ink and cropped it out with an oval framelit from the Layering Oval framelits.  A tiny strip of Lemon Lime Twist cardstock provided just enough ‘pop’ behind it without overtaking center stage.  I was just wide enough to stamp the “I Love You” sentiment in Lemon Lime Twist ink.  A trio of Lemon Lime Twist sequins grab your eye and bring it from the main focal point to the smaller sentiment.  Boy, am I glad I stocked up on those Tutti Frutti self-adhesive sequins!

My background was a piece of 5″ x 3-3/4″ Crumb Cake Cardstock that I ran thru the Big Shot and the Basket Weave TIEF.  This was adhered onto a Crumb Cake cardbase.  That much Crumb Cake might be too much neutral but with these strong colors, it really needs that much to keep the card toned down.

Here’s a close up of all of the colors and elements.

It would be easy for the strong colors to steal the show.  But the heavily textured background creates enough visual interest to hold its own again the bold colors and the card balances out nicely. I hope you agree.  Here’s another look at the overall card:

Click on any of the product names above to go right to my online store if you want to buy any of the products used in today’s card.  Of course, you can click here to go to my online store and buy anything you want!

When you’re done shopping, don’t forget to hop over the Paper Players blog to see all the other projects made with this color challenge.    And finally, please leave me a comment!

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Thanks for stopping into My Stampin’ Space to check out this snappy color combination!  See you soon,

Today we celebrate our Wedding Anniversary!  29 years ago today we said “I do” and I’ve been doing it ever since!  Loving my husband, that is.  Through good times and hard times, the one thing I can always count on is my husband.  He is my rock, my support, my voice of reason when I need advice, the one I laugh with, cry with and do life with.

I wanted to make a card that conveyed that, but yet keep it simple and masculine.  I think I nailed it because when he opened up the envelope, he exclaimed “I like this!”

So here it is:

My basic layout was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #309.   A Crumb Cake  card base layered with a sheet of whitewashed oak from the Wood Textures Designer Series Paper that was punched with the heart framelit from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlit dies.  A piece of Real Red Cardstock was glued in behind that opening.   Another heart was punched using the Sweetheart punch and a different  sheet of woodgrain paper.  A piece of Crumb Cake was stamped in Early Espresso ink with the Happy Anniversary sentiment from Beautiful Bouquet stamp set.

Easy, quick and masculine enough.  My husband has been a cabinet maker his whole life so I knew he would appreciate the woodgrain paper.  Now he is the Executive Director at the Keystone Mission which serves the area’s homeless and needy population.  The other night, the Keystone Mission (and many Rescue Missions across the country) held a Red Carpet Event for the movie “Same Kind of Different As Me”  which tells the true story of a millionaire art dealer and his friendship with a homeless man. Here is a picture of us as we walked the red carpet: 

Now you can see why he’s so easy to love!  He’s easy on the eyes! On a more serious  tone, I would highly recommend going to see that movie “Same Kind of Different As Me”, and bring some tissues.

Well, I hope you like my card, and the sketch that inspired it!  Go along to Freshly Made Sketches blog to see all the projects made with that sketch.

If you want to buy any of the supplies I used to make this card, please visit my online store where you can shop securely 24/7.  Don’t forget that the Woodgrain DSP is part of the Buy 3 Get 1 Free  Designer Series Paper Sale going on now. 

Happy Stampin!