Love: Creating Your Own Color Palettes

I'm obsessed with color combinations. Seems to be kind of a theme lately. My friend Lindsay just shared a sweet new game with me since I posted the color challenge. And it has me thinking about color all the time. Oh, right. I already think about color all the time. {smiley here}

Did you know you can create your own color palettes from photos and such?? I know you've all probably come across at least ONE Design Seeds image... Well, you know you can do that too!

One way I get my own inspirational color palettes is through Kuler. www.kuler.adobe.com
If you don't spend at least half a day on the website the first time you visit... You aren't the addict I thought you were. I don't even remember what the stock palettes were on my Illustrator board were. I have so many of my own, or have downloaded others. It will make you SO happy. {Go there... after you finish reading this of course!}

Okay... if you also want to create palettes from images, I will give you a little push. Here's one I did just now for YOU! {clicky here} to see it on the website and browse my other palettes.

I made it from this photo that I took of my closet door when I got my first iphone. The iphone that I bought specifically because of the Hipstamatic app at the time. Yeah, I wish I was joking too. I was obsessed...

You can make your palettes private or public. And the public will use them and take the liberty of telling you how awesome or how disgusting your palette is. Yes, I have one comment that said my palette is disgusting. I think they may be color blind or just something pressing on their brain. Send them love. Have a colorful day! xo

DIY Holiday Cards: Watercolor Paper Testing/ Review

Just a little post for those who paint watercolors, especially cards... The watercolor paper that strathmore makes "pre-made" cards out of is HORRIBLE! DISGUSTING! CRAP! {of course that is my humble opinion - maybe I'm a bit harsh} I have been cutting my own paper because I had a nice stash of it and thought... huh. Maybe I will make my life a little simpler and order some pre-cut stock that even comes with envelopes! What a disappointment :(. I knew it was going to be a lot heavier than what I was using... and a little textured. But the worse part is that the paper is like 4 ply card stock and feels like it's been covered in wax. The color can't even saturate the paper because NO water can get to it. There's no layering to be done because the paint sits on top. It's just frustrating. My brilliant red looks like a weird pink. Glad I only bought one pack. I will need to find another craft for those things.

I'm back to cutting up my pretty sheets of Aquarius! Might be time to invest in a paper cutter... or see if a local shop might cut it for me?? My Christmas cards will hopefully get out on time this year! But this might cramp my style for the Etsy shop I'm trying to start! I am a stickler for quality... and I need a lot of these. {just in case right?!?!}

So, let me, let you {other watercolor artists out there} in on a little secret for pretty cards that feel like letterpress... I was introduced to Aquarius II by a former employer. It is amazing and it runs through your printer like butter. I typically sketch in ink, scan it in, clean it up a little in photoshop then print the drawing on my watercolor for painting. It's my process mostly because I still have that fear of making a mistake on paper I paid a lot of money for! It also allows me to sketch anywhere... in a book or on a sheet of paper and still turn it into a watercolor. Many of my fellow architecture colleagues already know these secrets... but hey... now YOU are in the circle!

If you haven't tried the Aquarius II. I highly recommend this paper. PLUS, if you want to do a huge-o-mungus painting (22x30 let's say...) you don't have to wet and staple this paper. Get a nice flat surface and tape it down! Magic. It is also bright bright white so your colors pop immediately. I went to two classical schools that worked on Ivory 140lb. Strathmore or the like. I've got the same stuff from Italy... but as I paint more for clients and my little cards... I like BRIGHT! It looks great on the web too.

Painted on Strathmore "card paper", scanned at 300dpi, saved as jpg high

Both of these cards are the same scale. I painted each of them on a 5x7 piece of paper. I did not retouch either photo! Promise! The red on the trailer {tried to do three passes, the base just kept coming up} actually looks a tinge better on my screen now. It looks terrible in person though... alizarin crimson is what I used straight out of the tube. I usually throw a bit of Sepia in to tone out the blue, but I wanted a striking red to feel Christmasy! I did two passes on the car and it looks solid and lovely. I suppose it is what your after... but I love this bright white paper. I don't have to retouch and can put it right up on Etsy. The green is SO different as well... but my sketches turned out pretty nice.

Painted on Aquarius II, scanned at 300dpi, saved as jpg high

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts on watercolor papers and such that you love to use. I will keep posting my holiday images I've got a retro theme going this year. I think I'm going to do

On the boards. Friday Edition

I'm getting better at using my technology to post sooner! I've been working a little this morning and sketched up this woody for a holiday card... Now what goes on top?? 

Tree?? Snowboard!?! Skis? Surfboard?? Snowman...? Who knows! I will update you tomorrow!! Sorry for the cliffhanger!! Vote if you'd like!!

I'm also painting the car in navy blue... Red just felt so happy and Christmasy. I need to add the yellow tone to the door and side panel yet as well. I've got a street scene coming up soon as well. I will update this post later this afternoon I hope! It all depends on how Xan will enjoy me drawing in the room next to him when he wakes from his nap.

I don't know what you're talking about. But it sounds illegal.

I've been making a ton of cards for Etsy, for gifts, and just having fun painting lately...

If you've seen the Fantastic Mr. Fox as many times as I have... you know this scene completely. If you haven't seen it... watch it. Immediately!! I will post some fun DIY christmas things soon.

Color Me Lovely - The Color Challenge!

I was hanging out on some of my favorite inspirational blogs this morning and I came across a very fun {to me} color challenge on Garance Dore's blog. PS... if you don't look at her blog... you should!! - http://www.garancedore.fr/

It is exactly as she says... one person sees green... another sees brown or yellow tones. I came across that A LOT when I was mixing paint at Lowe's for a bit. Take the challenge today if you'd like and share your results.

Rebekah's Results

Overall Rank for my age...

Click HERE for the challenge!

Meet LaFawnduh - My Muse as we open Rebekah's Valentine the Etsy shop!

LaFawnduh is *the* best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm 100% positive she's my soul mate. Don't worry Napoleon, I'm sure there's a babe out there for you too. 

Peace out. -Kip

I've been working hard on getting some new items photographed for the Esty shop. Which got the name change approved yesterday and is officially... REBEKAH'S VALENTINE!!! Holy crap... I feel like a real brand now!!

Making everything has been a breeze and so much fun! It's listing that is the killer... It takes days. Seriously... Tonight I just went for it because when the lighting is great for natural photos, Xan isn't having it! I decided to go a little retro for the shoot and used the hipstamatic. Let me know what ya think! Too grungy?? I would love clean and sleek... but then again, thats not really me... I'm a little rough around the edges and messy so I guess this photography fits me better! Plus, I think it lends to the handmade look.

All of the hearts are made from a dictionary I found upstairs. It was copyright 1956. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language. Personally, I find that entire title waaayyy too amusing!! I couldn't fold that page just because!! A NEW WORLD dictionary of the AMERICAN language. Please tell me that isn't lost on you. I'm such a nerd. And for the record... I speak English.

Anyway... have a laugh and check out our new handmade cards and LaFawnduh's debut! I've got a few more on the way that are a bit on the cheeky side too.

Advent calendar origami hearts

LaFawnduh helps show off the size and pocket of the origami hearts

little pink houses watercolor card

blank watercolor heart card

watercolor heart gift tags

little pocket blank origami heart card.

i still chuckle. i'm a dork...

Still in Transition... Studio Transformation Update!

The upstairs office space is ready for move in! We haven't painted and the weather is no longer conducive to painting... waaayyy too cold. But the other stall is that we are constantly changing the layout... wait did I say we... I mean JOHN keeps changing the layout. The desk we are putting up there is large and isn't sure what he wants. He wanted my desk, then didn't want it upstairs and now he isn't really into sharing the space at all because the desk is so large.

By the way, this is fine with me. He suggested during one of our planning sessions that I claim "purgatory" as my office space. We call it purgatory because it is where everything goes for a little while before we find it a home. I guess it is sort of a parlor space, but it isn't located anywhere that you would receive guests. Which is why it is our purgatory space. It also however has a wall of cupboards! Right now it houses all of my books like a library. I really like it. The dog will have to find a new place though. And so will the treadmill... and the total gym... and the goofy leather chair. And more green paneling... and fuzzy wallpaper. Sigh. I have faith it will come together!

Here is the upstairs disaster... And honestly this BEFORE is almost 2/3 cleaned OUT!

      And here are the AFTER shots. All of the cupboards are empty as well. The fan is in the window because of the amount of bleach we had to spray to get the cupboards sanitized after finding mouse nesting materials and their "evidence" at the bottom of the cupboards... YUK.

 

The carpet is a weird felt like material. Almost like it was a padding. But we aren't ready to tear it up yet. Financially and project wise, just doing the floors in this house will be a massive undertaking. And they ALL need done. Then there are the walls... Don't get me started on those yet. You can see they lovely green paneling... Yeah. You know where I'm going! I need stock in bonding primer for the amount I need to buy.

Hopefully I can make a dent in moving things upstairs next weekend... John is making a trip out to Colorado to empty our storage space!! Where are we going to put our things?? I have NO idea... Stay tuned for the remodeling progress!!

Oh and here is a cute picture of Xan... He will be 16 months this week!!

Copper Mountain is OPEN.

First Words

Xan's first word was "mama" possibly not recognizing that it was ME. But he said it a lot from about 5 months old until 10 months when it became "dada". John and I were just so proud! But we knew an actual word was on the way soon. Sort of "hi" and "bye"... There were signs of this or that being said, but in the end it was babbling that we thought were words. They sounded right! But the consistent recognition wasn't there yet... until a few weeks ago.

Not a word. But a phrase. Not just any phrase, but a question...

"what's that?"

I'm not kidding. 15 months old and constantly pointing and asking... "what's that?", then on to "what's this?" now has expanded to "who's that?" Sometimes when he says "what's that" it sounds like "oh s#*t"... and everyone laughs... of course he says it again and again because he loves the laughs!! We indulge every request to answer what it is or who it is. After all, we don't want him to stop asking the good questions!