Ruby Falls - Crate Paper

When winter begins to lighten and the first warm days of spring appear, we're all itching to get out of the house and do something. This time, Caleb and I decided to take a quick trip to Chattanooga, TN to enjoy the Aquarium. Along the interstate, we were bombarded with signs to visit Ruby Falls. Well, after we finished with the Aquarium we had plenty of day light left so we ventured forth towards Look Out Mountain where Ruby Falls is located. If you've never been to Ruby Falls, you really should visit their site to learn more. Although, I have to warn everyone.... it's very cramped inside. It felt like we were all sheep being herded through. Also, the air was thinner and quite musky down there so steer clear if you have a lot of allergy problems.

Crate Paper - Paper Heart Collection - Valentine, Crate Paper - Paper Heart Collection -  Friendship, Crate Paper - Paper Heart Collection - Cupid, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Silver Sugar 

I had a lot of problems at first with colors. All the papers I put next to the picture just overwhelmed it or competed with it. If I picked a pink paper... it looked too violet. If I picked a violet paper...it looked too pink. So, I decided to go with a simple layout using a complementary color. I pulled out Crate Paper's 'Paper Heart' collection and it was just the ticket. The red-violet and yellow-green worked perfectly together. It was such a fun splash of color. (Oh, and a little bit of wood grain never hurts!)

One thing that I always have to watch for is what I call a 'sneaky color'. It's a color that looks like it shouldn't belong but you can't avoid. It might be that strange beach ball in the background that threw in a color you didn't want. For me, it was the lighting in the cave that turned the outside of my photo black. The colors of my papers would've looked best with grey as the dominant color, but I didn't have grey in my picture. So, instead of fighting that sneaky color, I embraced it. I made it my most used color. All the fonts, the stitching, everything was dashed with a bit of black.

Giveaway results!

Hey everyone! I hope y'all had as much fun as I did! Without further ado, let's get started. With a lead of 49 to 33, the blog header I'll be using is B. And now the winner of the Two Peas in a Bucket gift certificate is:

So, Brenda Lee, just send an email to tiffanydenisedavis at gmail dot com. That way I'll know the exact email to send your gift certificate to. To everyone who didn't win, I hope you'll continue to stop by. I had so much fun that I'm already planning another giveaway very soon.

Under Construction- Giveaway!

You've probably noticed a lot of changes here at Vibrant Valley Design. I promise, it hasn't been to confuse anyone. As a graphic designer, I have to be able to change for each client. Some clients like very artsy things, some only like clean and modern, some prefer feminine swirls while others want masculine  stripes. I'm constantly trying to make what other people like. Unfortunately, when your career is about other people's tastes, you seem to lose your own. To make things even harder, I'm a perfectionist. So, I've been diligently trying to find my style these past few weeks but I've come to my latest dilemma...which blog header should I use?

So, I've decided to make a fun giveaway out of it. On Monday 12th, I will give a $25 gift certificate to one lucky winner! In order to be in the drawing, you must be a follower. Just leave a comment letting me know which blog header you prefer best (A or B). I'd also be very grateful if you can tell me why. You may only comment once. If you place my blinkie on your blog, you may leave a second comment (but you must let me know the blog address in your second comment).

A.

B.

Remember, you have until March 12th to enter. Good luck to everyone who enters!

Celebrate Card - October Afternoon's Sasparilla

You'll have to excuse me for making this post so short. My entire family has been sick the past two weeks and I just now got it. So,I'll just have to make this short and sweet, then off to bed.

I loved this October Afternoon collection, but I didn't have any more pictures that I could scrap with it.  :(  But, the more I looked at it, the more I wanted to play with it. So, I made a compromise...using only scraps left over, I made a card.

One of the wonderful things about this collection is that it can really be used for anything. The colors are rich and bold, but it only looks 'western' when you use the embellishments. I absolutely love the blue polka dot pattern and I could reuse it multiple times. This card I specifically wanted to be playful and western so I used the Sasparilla 'Little Flyers' and 'Miscellany' to give a little character. The little cowboy card looked so cute. It made me think that he was inviting me to have some fun. So, I made the little flag into a celebration flag. I think this would be really cute as a kid's party invite. How 'bout you?