Digital Christmas Cards (2011 Color Palette #1)

It's that time of year again.... I know it is still only September but I'm already gearing up for the holiday season which of course means more digital Christmas cards. All of last year's digital Christmas cards are being uploaded to my website as we speak. You can also find that particular set on my Facebook Fan Page. However, I will be creating a lot more unique Chrismas cards to add to my collection. Above is just a sample of one of my color palettes.

If you know me, I am not a traditional person. I don't believe that all things Christmas must be done in red and green only. Instead I like to take vary color palettes and add spunk into the digital Christmas cards world.

In the next few months be on the look out for my latest creations, opportunities to win a free semi- custom holiday card templates, and much much more.

All digital Christmas cards will be available in both jpg and psd format and be designed in the following sizes:

4 x 6

5 x 7

6 x 7 1/2

If you are not a Facebook Fan already I would love for you to hop on over and check it out. The more fans and followers, the more prizes that will be given away.

What colors would you like for your family Chrismas card?

Pinterest Projects (Gifts For Him)

I have successfully completed another Pinterest project, too bad it was a few weeks late. The husband and I celebrated our fifth anniversary last month. If you are like me, your husband is impossible to shop for let alone surprise. Gifts for him are hard to find even online. I saw the idea on Pinterest to frame a piece of paper with the words, "Today I Love You" and then each day you fill in another reason with marker on the glass. The photo I saw was made more for a little child's room but the idea was perfect for an anniversary gift.

Thus I decided to create my own version and make it a little more masculine. My husband loves American History, Baseball, and is a Literature buff. Thus I combined all of those loves into my design.

The best part was when I gave it to him and he asked, "Are you really going to fill in something new each day?" It was honest excitement on his face.

He loves the idea, so I decided that I would offer this print download for FREE on my website under the "Download of the Month" section. It is available in an 11 x 17 size (meant to be trimmed down to fit an 11 x 14 frame) and 8 1/2 x 11 (also meant to be trimmed to fit and 8 x 10 frame).

Gifts for him don't have to be expensive. I paid about a dollar to have my 11 x 17 printed on cardstock at Staples and then the cost of my frame (which Michaels always has a good deal on with a coupon).

Now onto coming up with some more ideas for gifts for him as his birthday is just around the corner? Anyone else have a great project they would like to share?

Selecting an Interior Paint (Green Kitchens)

Photo Source: ercwttmn

Photo Source: Jasmine&Roses

If I were to ask you what paint tasted like you might give me a funny look and wonder if I myself have eaten paint and then wondered why. However, that is almost what we do when we select an interior paint color, especially in a kitchen. The mind is a very powerful thing thus when we see a color we associate it with memories we have where this color has been used. If it is a food color we can almost taste that food as we take our trip down memory lane. Green seems like the perfect food color, right; and since eating is typically the main activity for a kitchen it is a great solution... sometimes.

Photo Source: thekitchendesigner.org

Photo Source: urbaneapts

Photo Source: petyosi

So how do you know which greens to use in a kitchen? Always remember that in a place associated with eating we will remember how that particular green reminds of food, good or bad, before we usually remember other objects. Green can look fantastic as a paint color. It also may be better suited to use through the use of accessories as opposed to paint. It just depends on the exact color you settle on.

When selecting an interior paint for the kitchen you will want to take into account the value (lightness or darkness) of the other finishes being used. To do this I try and picture my room in greyscale. If the green of my wall and the brown of my cabinetry would be the same grey value I know I have a problem. The eye likes to see diversity when it comes to the different values of colors. My personal preference is to not use dark paint colors on the walls in a kitchen. However each person's feelings and association with any color will come from their own personal experiences.

If you were to see any of these greens what memory would come to life? How do these greens relate to food? Here a few associations I can think of:

Photo Source: Soon

Photo Source: dpstyles

Photo Source: frankenstoen

The scary science project in my fridge or pantry.

Photo Source: Seth W.

Baby food. I know it is just pureed by the thought of baby food peas makes me a little sick.

Photo Source: Andy Hay

The pumpkin that was left of the porch for way too long.

Photo Source: conanil

Walls that have seen too much moisture.

Certain shades of green remind me of some "interesting" memories I have growing up. I was the oldest child of many and have changed my fair share of diapers. Some were varying shades of green. If I were to paint my kitchen in one of those particular shades I think I might vomit just thinking about the smell. Speaking of vomit... You get the idea green can have some really gross associations.

Photo Souce: rgallant_photography

While selecting an interior paint for a kitchen we tend to associate colors with food first we also want to think about other spaces where green may be used. For example, green is often used in the hospitality and healthcare business. The last thing I would want is for my kitchen to remind me of my doctor's waiting room. For some reason food just doesn't seem as appetizing in a space that mimics anything related to a hospital.

Photo Source: mason bryant

Sometimes the fix is as easy as switching to a paint with just a tad more blue or a tad more yellow. Other times finding a different shade completely will make for the better option.

Thus when you have brought home your sample swatches and put them under the various lighting that you color will be exposed to ask yourself these simple questions.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I see this color?

How would my room look in greyscale?

What does this paint taste like?

Pinterest Success (Office Accessories)

I do more than spend hours drooling over all the cool projects on Pinterest... I recreate some of them. I saw this cute idea to take the states where husband and wife were from and place them into a frame. As you can see I put my own twist onto it and Walaaa, you get this baby. These office accessories are the first to be completed and the shelf is not arranged quite yet how I envisioned but I couldn't wait to show you.

My office accessories and color theme are going to be a combination of the following:

Grey

Pale Yellow

Lt. Blue

Red

Salmonish/Peachy Combo

I have several other Pinterest projects left to complete the whole look of my office but it's off to a great start.

Don't you just love Pinterest? Have you recreated any projects, if so leave a link, I'd love to come check out your works of art!

Tomorrow's topic is going to be using green in kitchens!

Baptism Invitation Templates (Pink and Yellow)

Did you like yesterday's baptism invitation template? Well today's template is the sister, created with more feminine colors and design elements.

To be honest though, these baptism invitation templates could easily be changed into some other religious invitation such as a christening or baby blessing invite.

For those that have Photoshop this sweet little number is $5.00 for the psd. download and can be found at my shop along with other religious psd. downloads.

If you don't have Photoshop I will gladly add your photo to the template for $10.00 and send you the finished .jpeg. Just go to my shop to the "Religious" folder and proceed to the "JPG" section.

Next on the agenda is a discussion for two different colors used throughout kitchens and some techniques when using them.

Baptism Invitation Template (Grey n Teal)

Do you have Photoshop? Did you know that this baptism invitation template is compatible with most versions of Photoshop and is ONLY $5.00 to download. You can find this baptism invitation on my website under the PSD Religious Folder.

Don't have Photoshop? No problem I can add the photo of your choice into this template and send you the finished jpeg for a mere $10.00. Then you can print the jpg at the location of your choice. Interested? You can find this option for this baptism invitation template on my website under the JPG Religious Folder.

Think of all the options that are available by purchasing either the psd template file or the finished jpg. Do you have a credit with Shutterfly to receive 50 free 4 x 6 prints? If so you could have beautiful baptism invitations for the small cost of my design services. With the price of snail mailing you could send some of your invitations by email if desired.

Any other questions. Feel free to contact me at info@sarahdawndesigns.com

Choosing An Interior Paint (Orange Bedrooms)

Photo Source: TerryJohnston

Photo Source: Matt McGee

I happen to love orange, in fact it was one of my favorite colors in high school. I had an orange cell phone, pajama pants, and anything else I could get my hands on. Perhaps this is because fall is my favorite season and I love all things pumpkin. Overall, it is a great color. However as I watched the first episode of this season's Design Star I was reminded that there are proper uses of this color throughout different spaces. One designer from this episode had painted the walls a fun shade of orange in a bedroom. While there was nothing specifically wrong with the color it didn't work in the space. Why? Well that's today's discussion. How to use orange in bedroom.

Photo Source: Rosmary

The first thing when choosing a paint color for the walls is to make a list of tasks and feeling you want to create throughout a space. You can then create a similar list for the color in question. What does that color make you think of? What feelings does is stir? Let's examine one list for a general bedroom and the color orange.

Bedroom

-play area

-storage

-personal space

-sleep

-relaxation

-healing

-rejuvenation

-romance

Orange

-exciting and extroverted

-exotic

-warning, construction, cones

-spices

-warm, fire

-makes a statement

-fall

Even from this short list we can already see that while orange may meet the needs for a play space or one of romance it may not be the best color for wall paint in a bedroom. The main and most important activity for a bedoom is sleep and relaxation. Orange is not a color that I think of when either of those words pop into my head. In fact it is almost the opposite. As one of the judges pointed out on Design Star, orange is one of those colors you can see through your eye lids.

So does this mean to never use orange in a bedroom? Absolutely not, it just means we have to be more thoughtful on how we use it. While four walls painted in a pumpkin orange may be counter-productive to a space defined by it sleeping needs it could still be used in the accessories, rug, or blanket. When pulling in this particular color you just need to ask yourself, is this accessory going to create too much excitement? Do I still feel like I could relax in this room?

Of course there are other tricks and techniques to using orange in a bedroom to consider such as the specific hue, saturation, and lighting in the room but those are all topics for a different post.