The Play Date Cafe Challenge #22

I have the privilege once again this week of being a guest designer for The Play Date Cafe.  This week's Creativity Challenge #22 uses the colors of sky blue, rosy burgundy, and taupe.  Now I have to admit, when I first saw this challenge, I thought," Taupe?  I don't know that I have any taupe."  Ah, but once I started digging through my stash of stuff, I found lots of it!!  It is very common in vintage and shabby chic styles of paper and ephemera.  This first card is a tri-fold type of card.  I found two little bits that had all three challenge colors in them.... a little German scrap bluebird, and a little reproduction birthday postcard from one of the Making Memories Vintage Findings kits.  I went from there, using patterned papers from Basic Grey's Wisteria collection (the blue/taupe) and Die Cuts with a View's Mariposa mat stack (from which I cut the curvy taupe part).  The posy is from Prima, and the words are cut from Crafty Secrets' Altered Fairy scrap.  The stamps are from PSX and Stampin' Up.  Here's another picture with the card opened up on one side.

So in my initial hunt for taupe, I had gathered so many colorful little pieces that fit the challenge, I went ahead and made another card.  For this one I wanted to try to stick with the travel theme that is suggested in the challenge photo.  

Once again, I used some patterned paper from the Mariposa stack from Die Cuts With A View.  The center bluebird piece (all three colors again!) is from Melody Ross's Urban Chic collection, and on the right-hand side is a tag from 7 Gypsies that I punched and stamped.  On the left is a little piece of ephemera from one of the Making Memories Vintage Findings kits.  The red and blue weren't exactly the right colors for the challenge, so I scanned the piece, reduced it in size, and fussed around with the color until I got what I wanted.  I know very little about this sort of color alteration in Paint Shop Pro.... I just play!!  I added a few more little bits and a little stamping.

I hope you'll give the challenge a try.... the design team has once again created some awesome inspiration pieces.  You can check it all out at The Play Date Cafe.  Thanks again to Julie, for giving me the privilege of guest designing this month!!  I've had tons of fun!