A Swirly Celebration For GDP061

Today, I thought I would check in on the Global Design Project’s Challenge Blog to see what I’ve been missing and saw today’s Color Challenge. The colors immediately inspired me to go to the “Swirly Scribbles Thinlits Dies and just have some fun. Emerald Envy, Sweet Sugarplum and Basic Black: This combination is bright and cheerful and I immediately thought I should celebrate something. So, I’ll celebrate the Design Team… Thank you, Design Team!

Design Tips: Color Balance and Pattern Repeat

The large Basic Black circle (my focal point anchor, inspired by the swirls) on the Very Vanilla card layer was a perfect start. Both colors are neutral.
I punched a 1 3/4″ circle into the side of the large cropped circle for dimension and to also bring the color balance through to the focal point. There would have been too much black on the left side of the design. The thin black edge the punched circle created gives balance to the cropped swirly scribbles because it repeats the pattern.
The largest Sweet Sugarplum swirly is balanced by the Sweet Sugarplum card base as is the solid Sweet Sugarplum circle (which is the center of the cropped swirly). It’s always fun to use those left over pieces, isn’t it?
The smaller Emerald Envy swirlys certainly add the fun to this design, but I had to balance them with some Emerald Envy ink splatters. The ink splatters not only help balance the smaller swirlys, they balance that color as well.
Lots of “pattern repeat” helps pull the design together…. circles and swirlys everywhere… even the sentiment font is “round”!
A little bit of “bling” adds excitement to the swirly fun.

Note: When ever you have a lot of “pattern repeat” a design will most always work. As most of you know, I recently moved into a new home and decided I was going to start with a “clean slate”. I moved in with very little and purchased most everything new. I had fun with the shopping and decorating process and realized I applied much of my card designing skills to creating my new space… neutrals with pops of bold color and lots of pattern repeat, and of course, I had to add the “bling”. It works!