Get Inspired by Packaging: Part 2

Today's cards demonstrate a next-level variation on yesterday's strategy for tackling an inspiration challenge. Yesterday, we took a rather straightforward layout from the source, slightly modified to fit on a card. We'll start today by doing the same thing using a different package from Vanessa Spencer's cover of Take Ten as inspiration:

Today, I'm working with the foreground package, the one with the word Paris on the label.

Once again, I adapted the dimensions of the package to fit evenly matted on the standard card base (4.25" x 5.5").

To make the "package," simply score 1" down on a 5.25" x 3" scrap of kraft and folded on the score, giving a 4.25" x 3" panel that fits evenly on the card base. Punch two holes using a 1/8" hole punch (if you're AR/OC like I am, you'll measure and mark where to punch so the holes are balanced and even!). Thread the baker's twine through twice and tie on the front, just like Vanessa did. Add a label of some sort on cream or white card stock, and there you are!

My label is round, rather than rectangular, as in Vanessa's package. That's because as I sifted through my stamp hoard, I found this round stamp (which may be from a very old October Afternoon stamp set...will verify and update tomorrow if that's not right!). Anyway, I didn't have the right shape to copy the inspiration piece more precisely, but that's the great thing about inspiration...
you aren't supposed to copy; you're supposed to adapt.

Now, if you've been reading Simplicity for a while, the next adaptation should come as no surprise whatsoever.

Let's change the colors! White, you say? Well, duh.

Suddenly, our inspiration has taken on a whole new look. The wonderful "brown paper packages tied up with string" nostalgia of Vanessa's work gets made over with a contemporary, fresh feel. On my kraft version, I kept Vanessa's soft green and plum color scheme, but for the white, using orange creates happy pops of color and completely changes to tone of the card.

I also added a canteloupe heart behind the tangelo label stamp, just because.

*squeal*

So let's review our strategies for tackling this inspiration challenge so far.

Strategy 1. Minimal change. The simple, classic layouts of the inspiration pieces offer a great place to start. You can stick close to the original by keeping colors, materials, and layout the same (or as close as your stash allows you to!).

Strategy 2. Significantly vary just one element of the design. In this case, I completely changed the feel of the project by changing the colors. No way would I have made this card without inspiration from Vanessa, but changing the colors makes it feel more like "me."

And that's fundamentally the point behind inspiration challenges: how can you re-see something to make it your own. Sometimes, you're happy pursuing Strategy 1. Sometimes you want to push the envelope and move to Strategy 2.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at Strategy 3, which just means tweaking some more design elements.

Hmmm. What will I do?!?!