Hello everyone and Happy Tuesday to you! Snow and sleet are falling and blowing outside our door this evening but we are warm and safe inside!
By tomorrow afternoon, we could have as much as 16" of snow on top of about 1" of ice -- not good! As long as we don't loose electricity, we'll be warm and safe inside.
Cookies are baking in the oven and bread is rising on the counter -- there's nothing like comfort foods during a blizzard!
Anyway, Utah Diva's International have a new Color Challenge for you today with some colors guaranteed to make you "think spring". And it's a lot of color, too -- Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue!
Now if that doesn't warm you up on a cold winter's day, I don't know what will!
I added a couple of neutrals to the mix as well -- Whisper White and Basic Black. I love the way bright colors "pop" on basic black and that is the look I was trying to accomplish with my card today. I stamped the little hearts in all the challenge colors with the I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set and then punched them out with the Heart to Heart Punch.
I am in love with the Imbedded Embossing Technique so used that again today. I attached the hearts to Basic Black cardstock with SNAIL adhesive and then ran it through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Impressions Folder. I added a sentiment from the Word Play Stamp Set, mounted on Tempting Turquoise and sprinkled some Basic Rhinestone's around and that was pretty much it! It's all attached to a Certainly Celery Card Base. A simple punched heard embellishes the inside of the card.
It's not a difficult card but I think a very fun one. And the addition of the black kind of tones down all that color and makes this a card suitable for men or women! What fun!
I hope you'll visit the UDI Blog to see what the rest of the Design Team did with these colors. You won't be sorry! And if you leave us a link to your project, that will be even better!
That's it for today -- cookies are ready to come out! Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you stay safe and warm and find some time for stamping! Come back again soon! Until then ... 
Love your card and the way the colors pop on the black background. I love the Embedded Embossing technique also. TFS
Posted by: JoAnn Burnham | February 01, 2011 at 07:48 PM
This is a really fun card! The colors are great. Thank you for coming up with an idea that I can CASE for my husband's Valentine card. :)
Posted by: Marian | February 01, 2011 at 08:04 PM
What a great idea! I'm going to try this embedded embossing technique in the morning. And .... what kind of cookies are they? lol
Posted by: Celia | February 01, 2011 at 08:08 PM
LOVE your card! I like the way the black makes everything "POP". Yes, what kind of cookies and bread is baking...hmm, I can smell them from here, where we had 9 inches of snow and a blizzard going on outside. Mary
Posted by: Mary | February 01, 2011 at 08:15 PM
Can I just say you are my hero!!! Your cards are amazing and I love CASEing them! This one for sure!!!! Inlaid embossing is also my new favorite technique! Keep up your awesome inspiration!
Posted by: Lucia | February 01, 2011 at 08:26 PM
LOL -- butterscotch and milk chocolate oatmeal cookies and honey wheat bread in my new bread machine! Yum!!!
Posted by: Gretchen Barron | February 01, 2011 at 09:42 PM
Oh, wow! I love this! I've never seen the imbedded embossing technique, and I love it. It's so funny, I was making my Valentine's today with Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink on a Basic Black background. Used Old Olive for leaves on flowers, but I was trying to figure out what other colors would look nice with the combo. Now I think I'll have to add the blues in! LOVE the colors in this Challenge!
Posted by: Michelle Montague | February 02, 2011 at 02:38 AM
Very cute card Gretchen! I thought about doing candy hearts at first for this challenge too.. but the eyelets are a really nice touch! Thanks for stopping by my blog too!
Sharon Field
Posted by: Created By You | February 02, 2011 at 05:43 AM
I've seen this technique a couple of times now...I really love it! Great job, Gretchen!
Posted by: Amy | February 02, 2011 at 09:10 AM
Sorry I missed this week - it wasn't my intention to do that. Just too many different things going on at our house. I like using this technique - and the little hearts are really fun on your card.
Monika Davis
Posted by: Monika Davis | February 02, 2011 at 10:45 AM
Stunning Gretchen! I will have to try this. Thanks
Posted by: Alicia | February 02, 2011 at 11:23 AM
You picked some great colors this week. I definitely want to try them. And I'm going to have to try that embedded embossing. It looks so great on your card.
Posted by: Jenn Seaver | February 02, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Beautifully decorated card as always Gretchen. Through all the bad weather I think I need to come to your house for the cookies and homemade bread. You rock as always!!!
Posted by: Carla Alford | February 02, 2011 at 01:11 PM
Don't you love this technique! I really love what you did here to showoff this weeks colors!
Posted by: Liz Miller | February 02, 2011 at 06:26 PM
I hope you are still warm and cozy! I appreciate the "weather" I enjoy in Southern California at times like this! I LOVE the technique you have shown here! I will be trying it out soon! Thank you, Gretchen and stay warm!
Posted by: Patti MacLeith | February 03, 2011 at 06:22 PM
I love, love, love you card Gretchen!! These colors are beautiful together. I want to CASE this "exactly" the way you have it, but it will be a challenge for me because I always find it hard to arrange punched pieces the way I like. So I will have a picture of your card right in front of me!!!
Sandi Dailey
[email protected]
Posted by: Sandi Dailey | February 03, 2011 at 10:32 PM
We CASE-d this card for my group meeting earlier this week and everyone loved it! I'm posting it on my blog with a link back to yours (unless you have any objections). Thanks for a great card idea!
Posted by: Jayne Stenstrom | March 03, 2011 at 06:37 PM