Today is a RED sort of day. Red is a hot and powerful color, one that can carry a LOT of weight in a clean-and-simple design. A little can go a long way, as in this card:
This card uses a stamp from StampinUp's Seeing Spots. The sentiment is also from SU, I think Pocket Silhouettes. (Note: I store sentiment stamps separately from images so sometimes I can't remember exactly which set a sentiment came from. Sorry about that.) The centers of the dotty circles are accented with red brads, which are part of today's Red Mojo Give-Away.
And a bit of advice: don't ever use just two of these brad-accented circles side by side on a card. Dirty-minded English majors might see something you don't intend!
Contents
1. Six lengths of ribbon, including VELVET!!!!
2. One package of Recollections bling, which I recently discovered at Michael's and love because it has three sizes...those tiny ones are really tiny!
3. Small safety pins
4. SEI buttons
5. Maya Road velvet flowers
6. Rhinestone brads
7. Iridescent red flat-back rhinestones
8. Red swarovski crystals
9. Small red brads
That's a HOT, HOT, HOT give-away!
Today's Rainbow Mojo Give-Away Question crosses the streams with my Questioning my Intelligence blog. Last week's essay over there was about books. So today's question is a silly little one about books: if you went on vacation and could only take one book with you, what book would it be? (Please note that I'm not asking what your favorite book is...just what book makes great vacation reading for you!)
For me, it would be The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. And if you want to read my essay about books, you can click here.
Mornin' Susan! The sentiment on your lovely card is indeed from Pocket Silhouettes. I store all my sentiments together, too, and it does make finding just the right one easier. Red's my favorite color, so I especially like this card today. I got a snort thinking about having only 2 of the 3 circles --- boy would that have been obvious! My favorite book is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and is one I've probably read 10-15 times, so I wouldn't take that on a vacation. But I've got an historical fiction about Ann Boleyn that I've been wanting to start, so that'd be it.
ReplyDeletelove your card - it would work to use PTI's "dot spot" stamps too - think i will try it. if i was going to read a book a second time i would agree with your choice - loved that book. but my personal choice would be "war horse" by michael morpurgo - it is acutally written for young people but it such a powerful book - it has been made into a london west end production. google it and see how they did the horses in the show - it was fantastic. cards and books - my passions.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan!
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful morning here! I've been debating the idea of storing sentiments together, and it is growing in attractiveness...right now, I'm in the middle of unmounting many of my SU sets, so maybe a change in storage will follow. Thanks for the inspiration.
Vacation reading...hmm...I either go with whatever's next on the pile, or with a book I've been meaning to read but lacked motivation -- nothing like not having other options to make less-attractive books suddenly appealing!
_Guernsey_ is on my stack, as is the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, some food writing, gardening books, and Fahrenheit 451. What a mix!
Red is my dad's favorite color. I would love to make him a card using some of those goodies.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I like southern generational writers like Lee Smith. I guess it's the family history part that gets me. I could pack any one of her novels and be happy.
Red is fun! And I would bring Gone with the Wind, a nice long story that I haven't read in ages!
ReplyDeleteI actually love to bring French comic books with me on vacation - they have beautiful artwork and I enjoy the cultural education you get from the humor. My 2 favorites are Obelix and Asterisk, and Gaston LaGaffe.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another opportunity to win something nice and thanks for all that you share.
It would have to be... a body language book ;)
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to people watch... and particulary amusing to do so without a care in the world and whilst sitting by the beach/pool!
Love your hot red card!
ReplyDeleteSo one book... If I went right now I'd bring Super Freakanomics because I haven't read it yet. At any time I have a stack of "next reads" so I'd just pick one from the stack. :)
Red is very powerful indeed. Love those circles!
ReplyDeleteI would probably take anything written by Elisabeth Berg, I really enjoy her writing.
I never go on vacations where I could just sit and read though, that is a problem...
Have a great Monday,
Petra
LOVE that red card!
ReplyDeleteWhen I go on vacation, I read a lot, but I specifically pick something funny, romantic, and easy to read. I like chick-lit for vacations, because it is more relaxing (and perfect for vacation) than a tough intellectual read. My favorite chick-lit authors are Sophie Kinsella, Jane Green, Meg Cabot, etc....
Oh dear -- do I take "fluff" or do I take "serious"? Maybe some of both -- How about "The Shack" and it's sequel "Finding God in The Shack" (which I haven't read yet but have a copy) and then maybe a Nora Roberts or Robyn Carr.
ReplyDeleteSusan -- You and your dirty English major mind make me laugh all the time!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite vacation read would be Harry Potter and the . . . I can pick up any one of them and be drawn right back in!
PS -- I had 5 seconds of tremendous excitement when seeing who won the last give away . . . until I realized it was another Suzanne. Congrats to her, lucky girl!
Ah, red! My favorite color! :) Love the card, as always!!
ReplyDeleteMy favroite book to read on vacation - this is really hard. I LOVE to read so narrowing it down is a bit tricky...I would have to say I loved the Shopaholic series. Good and silly fun!
Lovely card, as usual! I have never taken a sit-around-and-read type vacation as we are canoeing, hiking, seeing the sights; or if camping, it takes so much time to cook and clean up. My Bible always goes with me though!
ReplyDeleteVELVET?!?! Gasp! I gotta have it! ;) I love all the bling used on the card. AND red is my favorite color!!
ReplyDeleteHmm...what book would I take with me...I'm not sure that I just one that I want to read over and over...once I read a book, I like to move onto something new. I've recently read "Push", "Marley and Me" and "Dear John." All three were very quick reads that I loved. I like books that bring tears to my eyes, and all three of those did, all for very different reasons!
Enjoy the sunshine!! Have a great Monday!
I love your idea of storing your sentiment stamps together. I've been trying to figure out a way to remember which sentiments I have...maybe it's that simple!
ReplyDeleteI usually take whatever book I'm reading at the time on vacation, but I wouldn't want to take anything too serious!
I knew it would be a red day!! I was laying in bed trying to figure out what the color of the day would be ... you totally have me hooked!! and now we know about your double circles with brads...first pears and now this!! sheesh!! LOL!! Books...mmmmm. Believe it or not, I actually tend to read Children's Literature. I do this since I work with children and adolescents a lot and I think it is important to be reading what they are interested in so I can have meaningful discussions with them. That genre also happens to be easy reading when on vacation.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, thanks for another satisfying LateBlossom fix - the only way I can start my work day! :) If I had to choose a book for vacay today, it would probably be The Count of Monte Cristo... (only ONE book? That's cruel!) :)
ReplyDeleteI would probably take something by Lori Wick. Easy vacation reading.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book it Plainsong by Kent Haruf. I would need more than one book on vacation though, because I am a fast reader. I would love to win today's prize as red is my color.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful card! I also loved The
ReplyDeleteGuernsey Literary and Potato Pie
Society! My current choice would
be The Help by Catherine Stockett
Funny you should ask. My husband asked me last night what I would do if all books were banned. I cannot imagine it; I just can't!!! I love all southern writers, especially Pat Conroy, so I would pick "Beach Music"...or maybe I'd leave the South for Adriana Trigiani's anything. Why do I have to choose?
ReplyDeleteLove red! My hair is red and I actually wear the color often even though as a child I never thought I could. My coat is red, my purse is red, I even have red jeans! Need I say more? Questioning my intelligence...I'd have to say my fave book right now is Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities. Every time I look at a page I see something different and another idea comes to mind. I think it would keep me quite occupied while on vacation.
ReplyDeleteOh my, this card is unbelievable!!! I love red!!! I'd love to take Pillars of the Earth. Simply, to finally read it!
ReplyDeleteA strange answer perhaps but at the moment I'd like to read 'Raising Your Spirited Child'. It's been sitting here for months and after a long day with the kids I really don't want to sit down to read about 'em! So a vacation would be a good, relaxing time to read and pick up some tips.
ReplyDeleteLove red on a card! I especially use it with aqua - love contrast :)
ReplyDeleteAs for reading, my favourite book is 'Under the Tuscan Sun' by Frances Mays. I never tire of the luscious prose and am always inspired to eat something ultra simple and delicious. The film was good, but I drool over the book :)
it would be harry potter and the sorcerer's stone..
ReplyDeleteI love red! So this would be a great day for me to win! (hint, subtle hint)
ReplyDeleteAs far as vacation reading, I don't like to read books on vacation--because our vacations are usually pretty action-filled, and when I read books, I like to read for long stretches, not 10 minutes here and there. So I usually take my magazines to catch up on--House Beautiful and Architectural Digest. It's great to look at lovely pictures a few minutes at a time. If I DID take books, it would have to be light, quick reads.
Love the red!
ReplyDeleteWell, I have seen some of the Harry Potter movies but would like to read the series
Red, that's hot!!!
ReplyDeleteAs for vacation reading, I'm another magazine reader. Anything crafty, creative, decorative (you get the picture). I don't often have time for magazines, so vacation time is perfect.
Diane M
Ooooh...Love the red! What a fun and groovy card!
ReplyDeleteIf I were sitting on a beach sipping a pina colada I think I would like a good biography. It would have to be one that has lots of juicy inside info and is funny. Maybe Steve Martin's.
Beautiful card, Susan!
ReplyDeleteI love reading books - no Kindle for me, thank you. I always take a book or two on vacation. I love mysteries, so that is for my reading pleasure. I also like to take along a book on arts and/or crafts - sometimes to learn new things and sometimes just to admire and appreciate beautiful art.
I always love re-reading Pride and Prejudice. And red is my favorite color!
ReplyDeleteLove the red.... sharp, beautifully simple!
ReplyDeleteI'd take along any of Pat Conroy's books (LOVED South of Broad!).
you gave me a the easyist question, I would take Jilly Cooper's Polo, since I was 13 yrs old I have read this book I am now 34 so many manyt yrs. I still laugh, I still cry at the right moments. It is a book that always brings back feelings of my youth. I love it so much I even wanted to name one of my boys Rupet (thankful people did turn me off that idea).
ReplyDeleteAnything by Robert Parker, Robert Crais, Lee Child or Pat Conroy! But I can only take one? A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith....
ReplyDeleteFor me, vacation reading means short bursts in airports, on planes, just before sleep, so something fun and light is in order. Maybe one of Donald Westlake's Dortmunder books. I loved Guernsey, but it deserves quality time for savoring.
ReplyDeleteI read your essay last week and was struck by how similar our shelves look: vertical books, horizontal books, knick-knacks, books in front of other books, and books in almost every room.... love it!
I will CASE this red card - hot, indeed!
I don't usually take books with me but it would have to be something about quilting.
ReplyDeleteLove to use red on my cards so this would be a great one for me. Love the way you did your card.
I just finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. What a delight, I didn't want it to end. I've read a lot in my 54 years and this book is one of the best!
ReplyDeleteI also read daily from 'The Book of Mormon, another Testament of Christ'. Love this book, it is never far from me.
I love Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail. I take that book anytime I travel and I cry too!
ReplyDeleteGreat book!
Take for the chance to win.
God bless
Giovana
One book...I read several when I am on vacation. Okay, so I would take a long one. I haven't read Gone With the Wind in forever and I am sure I would get much more out of it now!
ReplyDeleteOoh, red ... hot & spicy, just like me (well, 20 years ago maybe). ;-) I've loved the Harry Potter books but haven't finished the series. So, I'd grab the next in line (right after HP & the Half-Blood Prince). Have to read the book before I see the movie. So sweet of you to offer all these goodies! Maybe I'll do it sometime in the near future. I certainly have enough stuff! (Don't we all.)
ReplyDeleteThat red does pack a lot of punch, nice work.
ReplyDeleteMy vacation book right now would be The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardiner. I started reading it and had to put it aside due to some deadlines and now I am itching to get back to it and hear a good old fashioned Good Guy Finishes First kind of story
Red = spicy! I love this card.
ReplyDeleteWhich book? Good question. Whatever I happen to be reading. I don't pick them to go with a particular location. Probably something that is sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.
Summer vacation book: Water for Elephants = not sure it's any good, but I want to read it. I love your red card. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteRed is my most favorite color! You've done wonders with simplicity, layout, design, white space, precision, and all other aspects I can't think to mention, for this card. I just love it and I'm inspired to use this stamp set again.
ReplyDeleteI love red! Love it paired with white.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to take any good mystery book on a vacation. Don't really have one in mind at the moment, but I'll be on the lookout. My vacation is next week!
:)
DeniseB
RED! My favourite colour!!!
ReplyDeleteI just read _The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society_ on the way home from Vancouver -- I agree it makes an excellent vacation book. I think my ultimate vacation book might be _The Collector_ by John Fowles.
The card is lovely..as always.
ReplyDeleteFor vacation I usually take something in a paperback so if I forget it somewhere, I don't stress about it. I enjoy mysteries, so probably something in that genre.
If I were going on Vacation and could only take one book I would take Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I just finished reading Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters and I enjoyed it so much that I can't wait to start P&P&Z.
ReplyDeleteThanks for having such a wonderful blog and sharing all your delightful creations!
Yep, never use two circles together.
ReplyDeleteI actually like to read teen books on vacation because they're a quick read. Margaret Peterson Haddix is a great author of teen book and has lots of addicting series.
Wow! Thanks for all the great book suggestions; can't wait to try some of them! Also love the red card. I would take any historical/Christian fiction book by Lynn Austin or one of Jeannie Ray's funny, funny books.
ReplyDeleteLove the red! I enjoy light reading most of the time, but right now I'm reading John Piper's "Spectacular Sin," and it's amazing.
ReplyDeleteAny of the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I have #7 in the series ("An Echo in the Bone") and haven't read it yet, so that would be the one.
ReplyDeleteTo Theresa: I think you'd enjoy "Water for Elephants".
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteMy favorite color is red, favorite blog is yours!, and favorite vacation book would be Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildiner. I know there would be a spring in my step after the first couple pages.
Thank you Susan,
Gail
PS Every since I read Guernsey I've wanted to travel there. I could take the Falls with me!
Love the red circles! I usually read something light, and prefer trilogies, because I hate for the story to end before my vacation does. Maybe Nora Roberts.
ReplyDeleteI love your card today! I have the new PTI Dot Spot set that I can't seem to put down. This will fit right into my current obsession.
ReplyDeleteSo many of these titles just went into my "Need to Read" notebook. Thanks for a great question. Seems that your blog is filling both my need to create and to read!
Vacation reading for me? I love the mindless amusement of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books...but I read them far too quickly to take only one. How about a smallish stack?
yesss!
ReplyDeletelove this red card.
i wd read harry potter on vacation. perfect fantasy entertainment. delightful.
thanks for your generosity and for making this so much fun. i thoroughly enjoy reading all the entries.
marty ferraro
All that white space and then a couple of pops of red - that is HOT! Love it!
ReplyDeleteI think that I'm one of the only females left that has not read the Twillight books yet. So, that would make it to that island with me
cindyb
Love the card, as usual. Red is a happy color...and I'd be happy to win that wonderful stash of red goodness!
ReplyDeleteI am slowly working my way thru Sue Grafton's Alphabet series...so if I were to leave tomorrow (if only!) it would be J is for Judgement
Lu C
I love red. I think it is probably the color I use most.
ReplyDeleteBoy, a book to read on a vacation. I hate to say it, but it has been a long time since I have read a book on vacation. I tend to read magazines since the kids constantly interrupt me and I can never finish the book. My go to books used to be John Grisham's, you just could not put them down. A Time to Kill is my favorite, his new stuff not so much.
Red is my favorite color - I'm wearing my favorite red pajamas as I sit here typing.
ReplyDeleteFor vacation, I could not limit it to one book. I would take several - generally suspense/mystery novels.
My mom loves red! Your description made me giggle. I'm ashamed to admit that all I've read for two years straight are Project Management tomes. How sad is that?! But I'd take the first Harry Potter on vacation just because it's total escapeism and I don't have to think.
ReplyDeleteGreat card! For vacation, I love to read light "chick lit" or even magazines. Since our daughter arrived a couple of years ago, I haven't read much, so I don't even have a chick lit book in mind right now. People Magazine is always a real treat to read on the airplane!
ReplyDeleteI love the simplicity of this card. And red is so stunning! Wow! What would be my favorite book to take on vacation. There are so many I love, but I think it would be any one of the Harry Potter series. They are my favorite books out there, even though they were meant to be teen books, they really hit my happy place! She could take that series on for another 7 books as far as I am concerned.
ReplyDeleteThe card looks awesome! The red against white really makes the colour pop. The book I'd take on vacation with me would probably be anything by Jill Mansell. Light reading and very amusing. :D
ReplyDeleteOooh ... bright cheery red today! Lovely goodies that would find a good home here for sure! My fave holiday read would be "All My Patients Are Under The Bed" by Louis J Cammuti. He was a vet in NY City and it's about all his animal patients. Funny and sad but a must for all animal lovers.
ReplyDeleteI love red!
ReplyDeleteEven though I do reread my favorite books, I don't bring books I have read already with me on vacation. I usually bring one or two of the following: fictional novels,
scrapbooking books, and papercrafting magazines.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Josiane
I completely agree with you about the Literary Potato Society (can't copy the title as my mother has loaned it to several people). Didn't expect to love it as it is written in letter style but couldn't wait to see how it ended. On our road trip in January to the southern states of Australia, I took a cook book "Jamie at Home" and several card making magazines. It's a wonder the car made it.
ReplyDeleteI honestly take my bible and daily devotional with me. Just because I'm on vacation doesn't mean I take a vacation from God. He's the one that provided everything in my life.
ReplyDeleteRed is a difficult color for me, especially for creating cards beyond christmas ones. So I am especially impressed how great your red card turned out. I love my fun-read romances that I have a stack of and never get to read. I have 2 kids 3 and under so maybe in a few years I'll get the chance to get caught up on my accumulating stack.
ReplyDeleteLike usual, your card is fantastic. Since I've never had an opportunity to read it; I'd probably take the very firt Twilight book. Collette katshon66@aol.com
ReplyDeletewonderful red....wonderful card...
ReplyDeleteIf I went on vacation I would take the book Chicken Soup for the Soul...good time to ponderf when on holidays..
OH man this is the hardest question yet. I really don't know... I love to read and read everything but mysteries and westerns. Love self help, love romance, I also really enjoy just perusing card, stmaping, scrapbooking and home decorating maqazines. But for a lazy day, I guess Binchey or Steele something similar to their writing style.
ReplyDeleteHmm, now to find the time to read! LOL
feelin hot, hot, hot! I see some nice literary choices here in the comments, but if i'm on vacation, it's not going to be heavy, in depth stuff...give me some janet evanovich, harlan coben or james patterson, please!
ReplyDeleteI love red - a very versatile colour that just brightens up everything. My vacation reading would be anything by Diana Gabaldon. I love just love reading about Claire and Jamie. The love portrayed but these two is something I strive for in my own marraige.
ReplyDeleteMy Red entry never got published yesterday. :-( The Word Verification tool probably junked it because I took too long to write it. That tool drives me nuts, takes waaaaaayyyy too long to decide whether it will publish the entry. I have yet to see what the value of that tool is unless it's to separate the quick writers from the slow ones. My quick days are over.
ReplyDeleteRed - such a great color for cards - and I love this one too.
ReplyDeleteMy favoite book to take with me is the Bible. Thanks Susan for all your inspiration on your blog.
Nancy D.
Pretty and simple card! And red is one of my favorite colors!! If I could only bring one book, I don't know that I could name it, but it would be a historical novel, or a historical book about the place I'm at. I have a deep passion for history and love to read about how places came about.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding! I just love this design and the pop of red really stands out.
ReplyDeleteIf I were leaving for vacation tomorrow, I would take the book I am reading now - it's Volume 2 of the Harry Bosch series. I just started it and can't put it down!
I have gained so many ideas from your simple and elegant cards. Thank you so much for showing us all that cards can be very beautiful in simple ways. I take too many books along on vacation but my favorite 2 this year were "Tallgrass" by Sandra Dallas and "The Help" by Catherine Stockett. Thanks for a chance to win red!!
ReplyDeleteI commented that I loved your Dot Spot card on the wrong post. OOPS I would take one of the "Twilight" series books. I loved reading them and I am thinking about reading them again.
ReplyDeleteRed Hummmmmm!! My second favorite color.
ReplyDeleteMy current choice of a book to take on vacation would
be The Help by Catherine Stockettcolor.
Love, love, love the red card today.
ReplyDeleteI would take any new Clive Cussler book (I believe he wrote Raise the Titanic before they found the Titanic). Then it would be any new Mary Higgins Clark, Fern Michaels or Danielle Steele. Really doesn't matter - well, I read voraciously, so I would probably have to take at 3 books on vacation.
Any of the Stephanie Plum novels are wonderful. They don't take much brain power from you to follow along with the plot and that's what I like for a good vacation book!
ReplyDeleteMy Bible would be first choice! Other than that, any of the Mitford series books.
ReplyDelete