Week 8 of my 12 weeks of Christmas inspiration- nontraditional holiday colors

 

While I love reds and greens of the holiday season, it's fun to break off from the traditional color schemes and mix it up a bit. What are some of your favorite colors to use for the holidays?

Here are some color scheme ideas to use that I've used in the past.

My cards I sharing today use a variety of colors. I love teals and reds together and my new favorite color is Secret Sea. 

This card features images from Gift of Joy stamp set and Forever Plaid 3D embossing folder by Stampin' Up!®. Color scheme is Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, Lost Lagoon and Smoky Slate. 

Details:

• Petal Pink card base 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" folded in half
• Petal Pink cardstock layer embossed with Forever Plaid 3D embossing folder 5 1/4" x 4"
• Garland outline stamped in Smoky Slate classic ink and filler stamped in Lost Lagoon classic ink.
• Ornaments outline stamped in Smoky Slate classic ink and filler stamped in Petal Pink and Soft Sea Foam classic inks. Ornament string stamped in Basic Gray classic ink
• Greeting stamped in Smoky Slate classic ink.

I love the whimsical feel of this card. Don't forget to stamp a Basic White cardstock piece (5" x 3 3/4") for the inside.

I created this Angled Gatefold card a few weeks ago but wanted to share it again because I love the color scheme. Color scheme is Secret Sea, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party and Smoky Slate. I love red and teal for my holiday cards. Pool Party is one of my favorite colors to use on winter themed cards. 

You can see more info about how to make the Angled Gatefold card here. 

I used some retired favorites- Spirited Snowmen and Itty Bitty Christmas stamp sets and Deckled Circles dies. The designer series paper is from Traditions of Christmas specialty designer series paper. The dot pattern went well with my other elements.

The snowman is colored in with Stampin' Blends markers. 

For this project, I decided to make an ornament (or it could be a gift tag) with the Everyday Arches dies. I created a base and then cut two frames to go on top. To create a frame, use two dies that are about 2 sizes apart. Place them on the paper and use tape to keep them in place. Run them through the die cut machine at the same time. This cut creates a frame. 

I used Outdoor Adventure stamp set (also available as a bundle with coordinating dies) to create my scene. I love making ornaments to give to my nephews and nieces. This will make a great one for the boys. (ps- I love this too so it can really be for anyone who loves nature) For this project, I used a simple color scheme with only two colors- Lost Lagoon and Early Espresso. I inked my trees with Lost Lagoon classic ink and stamped off on a scrap piece before stamping my die cut. I love this type of stamping as it gives more variation in our colors. This is called generation stamping. First generation is inking and stamping right onto your project. Second generation is stamping off onto a scrap and then stamping on your project. I used a light Smoky Slate Blend marker and the color lifter to add some snowy ground details. After I stamped my images, I sprinkled my piece with Wink of Stella to add some sparkle. The ribbon was adhered in between the base and the frame layers. Then I tied a twine bow around the hanger.

For this card, I used the pine bough stamp from Delicate Pines stamp set (also available as a bundle with coordinating dies). The ornament, berries and greeting are from Gift of Joy stamp set. Color scheme: Pretty Peacock, Pool Party, Cherry Cobbler and Smoky Slate.

Details:

• Cherry Cobbler card base 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" folded in half
• Basic White layer 5" x 3 3/4"
• stamp pine bough in Pretty Peacock classic ink. stamp around to form a circle. It will look like a wreath when complete.
• stamp berries (flower filler from Gift of Joy, see video) in Cherry Cobbler classic ink around wreath. 
• stamp ornament outline and string in Smoky Slate classic ink.
• stamp ornament filler in Pool Party classic ink.
• stamp greeting in Pool Party classic ink.
• stamp inside Basic White piece (5" x 3 3/4") with pine bough. 

I recreated this card on my Saturday morning Coffee and a Card Facebook live. We chat about the creative process and make some choices together. The participants decided they wanted to see the nontraditional color scheme along with a traditional color scheme. Here are my two cards:

Nontraditional color scheme: Pretty Peacock, Pool Party, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Smoky Slate.

Traditional color scheme: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Early Espresso and Smoky Slate.

Which one do you prefer?

Don't forget to pretty up the inside with a stamped image, coordinating patterned paper or a saying. I love to add in my own handwritten message. In the time of texts and emails, it is so nice to see someone's handwriting in a card. It makes it extra special. 

Watch the replay on my YouTube Channel:

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my Christmas card inspiration. I hope these ideas have sparked your creativity. 

Shop all the available Stampin' Up!® products, cardstocks and inks in my online store.

Happy Creating!

~ Beth