As we are a unique kind of challenge blog, please be sure to check out the START POST FOUND HERE, for all the rules and details you need to know in order to enter.
This is the seventh month into our year long study of colour. If you are new to the blog or this series, and you would like to review a more in-depth explanation on how we are affected by colour, its impact on us, the symbolism behind it, and the psychological effect it has on our everyday lives, you can find it by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the Title, "Theme Ideas for 2018".
For now though, here is a refresher of what our current theme is all about:
Challenge #61
Optional Theme: SHADES OF ORANGE
Did you know that orange is considered to be a very popular colour? I didn't realize that but it will not come as news to a team member of ours as orange is one of her favourite colours! Orange is a blend of two colours bringing with it the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. What kinds of thoughts and feelings do YOU think of when you think about the colour orange? For some, the different shades of orange bring ideas of action, vitality, and endurance. As such, it is a colour that is often seen in athletic wear making it a go to colour for hitting the gym. However, the power of orange doesn't stop there, it is also associated with the concepts of joy, warmth, enthusiasm, creativity, success, encouragement, determination, fun, enjoyment, change, balance, freedom, expression and even fascination. The number of characteristics that orange influences is simply amazing!
When delving into the colour psychology of orange we find that it is optimistic and uplifting, bringing a sense of spontaneity, along with a positive outlook on life. Additionally, orange offers emotional strength during difficult times helping us to bounce back after disappointments and despair. It also assists in the recovery from grief and is a great colour to use during difficult economic times. Given these considerations, it is easy to see how the colour orange can aid in revitalizing our spirit, keeping us motivated and helping us to embrace a favourable perspective regarding our longevity. Therefore, it is important for us all to find ways to incorporate this incredible colour into our daily lives. Something as simple as using an orange coloured pen or pencil can have an impact on our spirits.
Studies show that the colour orange can also create certain physical effects within a person. For example, being exposed to orange can increase a person's hunger, strengthen socialization and encourage two-way communication. If you love to have people sitting around your kitchen table then the use of orange will keep your guests eating and/or talking for an extended period. On the other hand, if someone within the family struggles with weight-loss issues, then it is probably best to avoid painting the kitchen orange. Other physical effects of using the colour orange includes stimulating a person's mental activity, heightening one's sense of activity, boosting aspirations, elevating the oxygen supply to the brain, amplifying contentment, and building up assurance. Furthermore, orange is known for assisting in decision making, and enhancing the concepts of happiness, confidence, and understanding. It is a warm and welcoming colour that encourages adventure, competition and independence and respect for one's self and others. Yet for all the colour's impressive attributes it is the "most rejected and underrated colour of our time" (Olesen Jacob, para. 5).
As orange is a great colour for channelling creativity it is the perfect colour for use in both professional and personal projects. In terms of design, the colour is exceedingly visible. Thus, it is a great colour to use for catching someone's attention and also promoting the most important aspects of your creation. Designers often use the colour orange to delineate something tropical, something fun, or something for young people since this particular colour is highly accepted among the younger generation.
Taken to extremes though, too much orange can cause a person to appear superficial and insincere. An over-abundance of the colour can also cause one to become self-centred and influence other self-serving characteristics such as pride, arrogance and indulgence. Other negative qualities of having too much orange in one's environment can result in a person becoming too dependent, over-bearing, pessimistic and unsociable. On the flip side of things, too little orange can cause loss of motivation, lower one's self-esteem, and increase feelings of loneliness. Once again, it comes back to finding the right balance when using this bright and vibrant colour.
This challenge, our focus is on different SHADES OF ORANGE. We want to see a project that is at least 51% of the overall colour scheme. Your project doesn't need to be completely monochromatic so a spattering of other colours is fine. Just be sure that if you would like a chance to win the prize for the Most Inspirational Creation, over half of the colours in your project must be in the ORANGE spectrum! The shades of orange can be in the colours you choose to fill in your images with, and/or they can be in your choices of papers and embellishments. Just make sure that the majority of your project focuses on the varying shades of the orange family of colours. We can't wait to see how you explore the theme in your designs!
If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize for Most Inspirational. While it isn't mandatory, we'd also love to find out how this month's colour makes you feel, if you'd like to share that with us. What kinds of feelings does the colour ORANGE personally evoke in you? You can write a sentence or two in the body of your post, write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, or simply leave a comment on this post if you'd like.
Remember, in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, ALL creations must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of a $10 gift certificate from Imagine That Digistamp, one of our guest sponsors this month. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win an additional sponsored prize of a $15 gift certificate from Lungirl, the second of our guest sponsors this month, for the project chosen as Most Inspiring.
Talking of our guest sponsors...
To learn more about this month's guest sponsors, be sure to check out the START post; and of course, also pay each of these generous companies a visit. Below, you will find the watermarks for the images that the team worked with for the midway. Just click on any preview to find that item's location in its respective store.
Pumpkin Kitties
Angel with Birds
Orange Digital Collage Sheet
Vintage Halloween #2 Digital Collage Sheet
Thank you so much to these awesome
companies for allowing us the opportunity to work with such incredible
images during the midway!
To help inspire you further down the path of SHADES OF ORANGE, check out the wonderful projects my Design Team had the opportunity to create. Clicking on each team member's name will take you to their blog where you can check out further details on their inspirational creations.
Thanks again to my incredible design team! As always, each of them have their own unique styles and ideas which amaze me to no end. Each of these projects has showcased the different SHADES OF ORANGE splendidly and I hope we have inspired you throughout this challenge. Be sure to go and visit these talented ladies so you can see how their projects tie in to the theme.
Why not join us, if you haven't entered already? Create a project and/or post that is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature and join our link up. If you've opted to follow the theme of SHADES OF ORANGE, for the chance to win the Most Inspirational prize, make sure that you add FT after your name so you can be included in the running for the prize. Remember, we'd also love to find out just how the different SHADES OF ORANGE affect you, so be sure to lets us know if you can, somewhere in your post or come over and leave a comment. Easy, peasy! You can enter our latest challenge by clicking HERE.
Also, I know that the participants would love for you to go and pay them a visit. Remember we're creating a Path of Positivity to follow one project at a time and we'd love to see you somewhere on that route even if it is just by leaving a comment on an entry from someone who has touched you somehow with their project and/or post!
Don't Forget...
You have until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to vote on your favourite entry for Challenge #60.
Voting is quick, easy and painless so I hope
you will consider casting your vote if you haven't already. Winners for challenge #60 will be posted next Monday if everything goes according to plan. You can find the Top Picks post HERE.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON COLOUR...
Sorry folks but with all the challenges I am currently facing in my personal life I am afraid that I just haven't had time to create a free quote for this month. Hopefully, I'll be back with a new one next month.
SUMMARY
Whether
you are new and need to familiarize yourself with all the details, or a
returning participant and just need to refresh yourself, you can find out the impetus
behind why I started this challenge under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details'
tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog). Additionally, you can find a
quick summary of the details related to this challenge, towards the
bottom of the start post.
Click HERE to head to the current challenge post & link up!
GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY...
Please show your support to our wonderful guest sponsors by going over and
checking out their work and saying hi if you have the chance. As mentioned above, this month our guest sponsors are...
Our ongoing sponsors include...
If you ever have any questions be sure to EMAIL ME or just leave me a comment.
We look forward to seeing you participate!
