Rainbow Week Giveaway Winner

Hey there, everyone!  Thanks for sticking with me during this past week!  It was such fun writing these rainbow week posts for you, and I really hope you enjoyed them.  There were a total of 108 entries in the giveaway, spanning eight posts (plus some new followers!).  I know you all are ready for me to announce the winner, though, so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Bekah!

Out of 108 entries, your comment on the green day post was chosen as the winner by Random.org.  Congratulations, and enjoy your Amazon gift certificate!  I will send out the gift certificate soon.  For all of you that didn't win, I hope you still had fun participating and the contest.  I loved rainbow week!

Rainbow Week: Violet

First off, sorry this post was a little later in coming up - I apparently scheduled it wrong!

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We're already at the last day of rainbow week!  This has been a really fun series for me...it's been great to dedicate a whole week to color.  Today is violet day, which could also be known as purple day or fuschia day.  Anything goes. 

Flowers are one thing that have lots of pretty violet shades.  Here are a few photos for some nature-based enjoyment.  This first one was taken out west in Yellowstone National Park.  It's one of my favorites from my point-and-shoot era. :)

And these next two are from the gardens of the Hermitage plantation in Nashville, TN.

Notice that each of those photos has a green background.  It seems that, in nature, purple often goes with green (take flowers - purple blooms, green stem), but I don't usually think to combine those two colors in graphic design.  I might have to try it sometime.

Here are some neat violet things for you to look at.

1. Fuschia Modern Block Thank You Notes by Ruby Press | 2. Plum Confetti Paper Garland by Kristina Marie | 3. Knit Floret Headband by Anthropologie | 4. Helena Silk Yo-Yo Statement Necklace by Cookoorikoo

My personal favorite is the headband from Anthropologie.  It's really fun and the shade of violet is just lovely.  What's your favorite thing?

Okay, everyone.  I have a few quick administrative announcements before I get on with today's freebie.  I wanted to clarify a few things about the giveaway, before I choose the winners.  Here are the details.

• Comments made on the introduction to Rainbow Week post DO count, but only for people who have not used up the maximum 7 entries (or 8 for new followers) during the week.  So basically, you can comment on the introduction post for a chance to win, but you can only have 7-8 entries.
• Only one comment per post will be counted.  If you make more, that's totally okay with me, but I'll still only count it as one entry.
• You can comment on previous post even if it's not the day of the post.  So if you didn't get to comment on orange day, for instance, you can go back and do that now even though it's violet day.
• New followers: thank you so much for following my blog!  Your entries will be added right on in with the others.  I'm making a huge list and will draw a number (using Random.org) based on that list.

I hope that makes more sense now.  I'm excited to announce the winner tomorrow!  But for now, I've got a little prize for all of you who are interested: violet bookmarks!  (Also known as purple bookmarks, because you see, today is purple day as well as violet day.)  Here's what they look like.

There are three bookmarks, as you can see, and they both have a plain font with different shades of purple backgrounds.  The style is kind of similar to the letterpressed notecards I mentioned above!  If you click here, you will be able to download a ZIP file with the three bookmarks in JPG format, as well as a PDF with all three of them.  Please just use them for personal purposes and don't sell them or claim them as your own.  Also, if you want to let others know about them, can you link back to my site instead of offering a seperate download?  Thanks!
I hope you enjoy the little purple freebie, and more than that, I sure hope you've enjoyed Rainbow Week!  I've loved it!  Your comments have been so nice, and I can't wait to do the big reveal tomorrow.

Rainbow Week: Indigo

Today is another day about blue, but this time, we'll focus on darker shades, like royal blue, indigo, and navy blue.  Let's start off with some fun indigo and blue items from the internet.

1. Screenprinted Flourish Jersey Scarf by Sweet Harvey | 2. Navy Jute by Studio Calico | 3. Agapanthus on Blue Coin Purse by Oktak | 4. Moss Aquamarine and Labradorite Cascade Earrings by Allison Creates

Mm, yes, fun things!  I think those earrings are especially cute, and I love the presentation - it's so cool how the designer staged the photograph by hanging the earrings on the branch.  Neat-o.

One shade in the indigo color family is navy blue, and this is a very versatile color, especially for logos.  It provides just enough interest (as opposed to plain black), but it's not overpowering or distracting.  One such logo is the Old Navy logo.  I'm a big fan of Old Navy - both the story and the brand identity!

Let me tell you why I think this logo is so great.  Starting with the oval shape... well, it's classic and not too fancy or elaborate - just like the Old Navy image.  It also resembles a surf board, which goes right along with the beach-ish kind of style Old Navy tends to lean towards (especially in the summer).  The font is a perfect choice, in my opinion - it's strong and bold, but also laid back and not in-your-face.  A good style for Old Navy.  Furthermore, I really like the overall simple but memorable design of this logo.  It's just an oval with a logotype on top of it, but it signifies Old Navy in a way that people will remember.  Now that's what a truly great logo does.

With today's freebie, I know I can't come anywhere close to designing something as cool as the Old Navy logo, but I will at least follow their color scheme!  I've decided to give you a neutral holiday card for download.  It's navy blue on the outside with a simple design on the front.  It's designed to be printed two-on-a-page, and once you cut the cards apart, you can fold them in half and use the inside white part to write on.  If you click here, you can download a JPG file with the card in it.  I'd recommend copying it into Word, sizing it the way you want, and then printing.

It's hard to believe that the very last day of Rainbow Week is tomorrow!  Wow!  I sure have enjoyed this week, too, and it will be exciting to see who won the giveaway at the end of the week!  I'll announce it on Sunday.

Rainbow Week: Blue

I think, along with red, this is my favorite day of rainbow week: blue!  Tomorrow is indigo day, so we'll focus on darker shades of blue then, but for today, it's all about turquoise, teal, and sky blue...some of my favorites.  Here's a collage of some blue goodness for you.

1. Turquoise Tea Rose by The Gilded Bee | 2. Pixie Hollow Flats by Anthropologie | Roller Coaster Letterpress Notebook by Blackbird Letterpress | 4. Sewn Dreams Vintage Crazy Quilt Earrings by That Old Blue House

Oh, what fun things!  I especially love that roller coaster notebook.  Did you know that I'm a huge fan of roller coasters?  Well, I am.  I think my favorite is the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA.

Anyway, back to the subject of blue.  Turquoise in particular has a lot of different meanings and uses, one of which is elegance.  Even though that's not the first thing I usually think of when I think of turquoise, it's so true!  I think this concept comes from the gemstone turquoise.  It's the birthstone of December, but it's also used in jewelry, as in this necklace (buy here).

But turquoise also has a retro vibe to it.  It seems to be indicative of the 1950's especially.  Take a look at these turquoise canisters from Etsy.

They are so vintage-looking, both in their design and in the color.  I love how flexible turquoise is...it can be fancy and formal for jewelry, or funky for vintage items.

How about some vintage-inspired freebies for today?  I've made two turquoise quote cards that have both a retro and modern feel to them.  Here's what they look like.

The verses are from Psalm 139 - a wonderful passage of Scripture.  You can download the cards here.  I hope you like them!  As for terms of use, please do not sell them, claim them as your own, or offer them for free download.  But any other uses are just fine!

See you tomorrow for indigo day! :)

Rainbow Week: Green

Did you know that when I was a little girl, my favorite color was olive green?  Yes, olive green as in the color of army uniforms.  Not the typical color for a little girl to like.  But I loved it.  So green holds a special place in my heart.

When I thought about it, I realized that green is probably one of the most versatile and widely used colors of the rainbow.  It reminds us of spring with it's cheery freshness, which is the general interpretation of green.  See this example:

{photo by me}

But besides that, green is the color of Kermit the Frog.  It means "go" on a traffic light.  It reminds us of Christmas, especially when paired with red, green, gold, and silver.  And then there's the whole "go green" idea - in that situation, green means eco-friendly.  And come to think of it, why aren't traffic lights symbols for saving trees?  It just seems logical to me... going green, going on a green light...?

But green can also have beachy, summery associations, such as palm trees and limes.  And then there's grapes and apples, too (cheerful fruits), not to mention garden salad, and all those "green vegetables" like peas and stringbeans, dreaded by almost all children everywhere.

But, thankfully, stringbeans is not one of the cool green things I found on the internet for today.  I do have some finds ot show you, though.  Here they are.

1. Bird on a Limb Shoulder Bag by LB Artworks | 2. Letterpress Poppy Book Plates by Sweet Harvey | 3. Fern Wreath Journal by Night Owl Paper Goods | 4. 50 States Tea Towel by Pepper Sprouts

I'm especially liking those letterpress bookplates (number two).  I'm developing an affinity for letterpress items...they are so elegant and nice.  You wouldn't think the engraved texture would make that much of a difference in the design, but it really does.  Those bookplates would be cool if they were printed flat, but there's something extra special about the fact that they're letterpressed.  And the green flowery pattern - oh! - so pretty.  I love it.

Playing off of the idea that green is associated with Christmas on occasion, and because Christmas is just over one month away, I thought it would be appropriate to make gift tags for today's freebie.  There are four tags, and here is what they look like.

You can download a ZIP file right here.  It contains four JPG files (for those of you who want to get creative with re-sizing and such), as well as a PDF file for quick printing.  The terms of use are as usual - personal use, no selling them or claiming them as your own.  I hope you enjoy the tags!

P.S. The giveaway is still going on, so keep right on commenting!  Also, if you haven't followed my blog yet, you can do that and get an extra entry in the giveaway!

Rainbow Week: Yellow

Yellow.  Such a bright, happy, sunshiney color.  Come to think of it, I really do like yellow.  Not quite as much as red and turquoise, but there is something incredibly cheerful about this sunny color.  It reminds me of summer too, which is so nice in the middle of November!  And we still have the whole winter ahead.  So let's look at some fun yellow stuff today to give us a little glimpse of the summertime.

1. Canary Yellow Ruffled Crepe Paper by The Gilded Bee | 2. Yellow Chuck Taylor All Star by Converse | 3. Yellow - Gray Bird Fabric by The Needle Shop | 4. Hooded Wool-Blend Toggle Jacket by Old Navy

I really love these yellow finds.  The damask pattern in the fabric is so elegant.  And that pattern proves that yellow, while sunshiney and happy, can also look formal and a little bit fancy - in a modern kind of way.  The crepe paper would be so fun for a party, and the coat and Converse shoes....well, they're just so cheerful looking!

In addition to looking at some fun yellow finds, today I thought it might be interesting to see a few color combinations and find out what sorts of other colors yellow is being paired with.  So I scoured my favorites list in Adobe Kuler, and found some neat yellow themes to share!  This theme, called Cold & Warm, is a very pleasant combination that includes a tasteful and almost serene shade of golden yellow with a bit of a green hue as well.

This next theme, Argentina, is super bright and cheerful.  It reminds me of a beach on an 100 degree day. 

And then this theme, Mellow Yellow, lives up to its name.  It's very warm and cozy looking, and the yellow tones in this theme carry some of the warm-you-up characteristics of orange. 

Can you tell that yellow can mean a lot of things color-wise, and when paired with different colors, can have lots of different types of feelings and uses?  For instance, the Argentina theme would be perfect for designing a beach towel, but I'm not so sure I'd paint my living room with those colors.  Mellow Yellow, on the other hand, is more quiet and calm and would be better for traditional home decorating.  And I can just see Cold and Warm on some lovely greeting cards.

Now for today's freebie.  As opposed to the printables from red day and orange day, today's free thing is computerized.  It's a desktop background!  Hooray!  Here is a sample of what it looks like. 

You can download it here in a ZIP file containing four different sizes: 800x600 pixels, 1027x728 pixels, 1280x1024 pixels, and 1680x1050 pixels.  Play around and find out which one fits your computer desktop the best.  If you don't know how to set your computer desktop background, here are quick instructions for Windows.  If you have a Mac, sorry - I can't help!  But I'm sure it can't be too difficult to figure out.

Desktop background installation instructions for Windows:
1. Download the ZIP file to your documents.
2. Unzip the file.
3. Find the JPG file of the background you want in your documents.
4. Right click on the aforesaid JPG file.
5. On the menu that pops up, there should be a button that says "Set as Desktop Background."  Click that!  Then you'll be good to go!

I hope you enjoy this little gift, and I hope you've liked these little glimpses of funky yellow things.  Don't forget to comment for a chance to win in the giveaway.

Rainbow Week: Orange

Happy orange day to one and all!

This color reminds me of Orange World in Kissimmee, FL.  I think Orange World is one of my favorite places ever.  If you haven't been there, I think you need to pack your bags and start heading that way, because it's really an unforgettable experience - right up there with Disney World.  Well, maybe not quite that amazing, but I do really love Orange World!  Here's a picture.  Look at all this bright, cheery, retro goodness!

It smells like sweet, fresh oranges, and almost everything they sell, with the exception of Disney World memorabilia, is orange.  And the actual oranges they sell are completely amazing...without a doubt, the best oranges I have ever tasted.

Okay, now that I'm done walking down memory lane, let's get started with today's programming.  Orange is a very fun color, don't you think?  Here are some fun orange items to be found on the web.

1. Citrus Slice Mini Booklet by Inkello Letterpress | 2. Orange Butterfly Rub On by Jenni Bowlin Studios | 3. Printed Zipper Coin Purse by Kath Prints | 4. Prairie Sunrise Reversible Glass Necklace by Tzaddi Shop

Come to think of it, besides being a fun, cheery color, orange is also a very warm color, which is probably why it's often associated with autumn.  Flames in the fireplace are orange, sunsets are orange, apple cider is orange-ish, and orange has an overall "warm" feeling to it.  Doesn't that necklace in the collage look so warm?  I really like the shade of orange in that...it's quite cozy.

Okay, now that you know that orange is a warm and fun color and that it reminds me of Orange World, and you've seen a quartet of interesting orange paraphanelia from the web, let's do a freebie!

I've created two orange greeting cards for you all today.  You can see the sample below, and then download them right here.  You'll get a ZIP file containing two JPG's and one PDF.  The PDF is set up for easy printing, but if you want to get creative and resize the greeting cards, you can insert the JPG files into Word or another such program and then print them.

Please don't use sell these cards, claim that you made them, or offer them for download on another website (just link back to my website, please).  I hope you like the freebies and will put them to good use!

And don't forget, keep on commenting!  The giveaway is going at full speed.  You could win!  (If you're reading this and you're confused about what all this giveaway stuff is, just click here and all will be explained.)

Rainbow Week: Red

Hey everyone!  Welcome to rainbow week here at Carrie Anne Design!  As you might have suspected if you know your colors of the rainbow, today is red day!

I highly approve of the fact that my favorite color is the first one in the rainbow.  Yes, I think red is an absolutely wonderful color.  It's so bright and fun! 

There are also lots of neat things online that are red.  Here are a few I like that I think you might enjoy, too!

1. Frilly Bag by Bayan Hippo | 2. Mini Holiday Flashcards by Banana Fish Studio | 3. Red Pattern Washi Tape by Cute Tape | 4. Refined Cord Shirtdress by Anthropologie

Isn't this stuff fun?  I'm beginning to really like browsing around at fun items, especially on Etsy.  You'll notice that lots of my rainbow "stuff" this week will be from there.  But I will throw in some links to other sites as well.

Now that you've gotten a quick dose of eye candy, I want to tell you a little bit about the color red from a design standpoint.  This is just my personal opinion, but I think red is a very loud color.  It catches people's attention because it's so bright and it really stands out.  I don't know if that's why I like it or not, but I think red can have some very practical applications for design.  If you need a color that will stand out from the crowd, red's a good choice.  It's a useful color.

Speaking of usefulness, how about something that you can use right now?  Like a freebie perhaps?  I think so!  Today's freebie is a set of three red-themed printable to-do lists.  Since red is an eye catching color, I think it's perfect for a to-do list, which is something that, at least in my opinion, is more helpful if you can see it clearly.  Here's what the lists look like.

You can download a PDF file if you click right here. Terms of use: you can't sell these to anyone, offer them for download on another site (please just link to my site), or claim that you made them.  Any other uses are fine.  Enjoy!  And keep your eyes out for orange day tomorrow!

Next Week + A Giveaway

A big thing is coming to my blog next week.  It's called rainbow week. 

Each day next week, I will make a post dedicated to a certain color of the rainbow. It'll go in this order: Roy G. Biv. Anyone remember learning that as a little kid? I sure do! And I've never forgotten it. Please note that Friday Finds will be on vacation for this week, though, since the blog will be occupied with rainbow delight. Friday Finds will resume next week as usual. I'm really excited about this rainbow idea, though! It's going to be fun.  Each day, I'll feature some products and links to fun red things on the internet.  I'll also post a freebie each day (yes, a freebie every single day this week!) that includes the color of the day...and I'll post some other random thoughts and fun stuff as well.

Because I'm so excited about rainbow week, I wanted to do something to make it exciting for you!  That's where the giveaway part comes in.  For every comment you make on a rainbow week post, you gain one entry to win a $10 gift certificate to....

Isn't that exciting?  I think so.  I'm really thrilled to be able to give away this prize to one lucky reader!  Want to know how you enter?  Here's how to enter:

• For each comment you leave on one of next week's posts, you get one entry in the contest.
• You can comment every day for a total of 7 chances to win!
• If you follow my blog within the next week, that gains you another entry into the contest (but this doesn't apply to exisiting followers - sorry!).
• Next Sunday (the 21st), I will pick a winner at random and announce it in a rainbow week wrap-up post, and then email the winner a gift certificate!

So comment away, everyone!  And I hope you enjoy rainbow week!

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P.S. All of this information is going to be published in a temporary, seperate page here.  There's also a blog button on the right sidebar that will take you to all the information you'll need about rainbow week!