Currently loving...

With Summer right around the corner or already here (depending on what part of the country you live in), there has been an abundance of beautiful things popping up everywhere. From watermelons and pineapples to popsicles and bright colors – I am loving it all.

Here are a few things that I am currently loving...

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1. I have been in love with Belle & Union Co.'s work for quite some time. Their tea towels and wrapping paper are absolutely to die for. Everything they design has a whimsical feel and the color palates they choose are right up my alley. Go check their stuff out right now!


2 & 3. Both of these images come from the packaging designer, Stitch Design Co., for Produce Candles. I cannot speak (yet!) to the scent of the candles but if packaging design is any indication of the product I need to run to the store right now!


4. I stumbled upon this top on Pinterest and had to hunt down where to find it. Boden, a british company sells this top. The international shipping may be a little much, but how adorable is this top. I love the mixture of patterns with the polka dots and stripes as well as the two colors.




When I put all of these images together I loved the colors together and thought they would create a beautiful color palate. Looking forward to implementing these colors in a new design soon!

© Copyright 521 Designs

Inspiration: Color

The days are longer and the weather is finally warmer! With that, it seems like there are showers galore – wedding and baby showers! 

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably saw an article that I reposted from Brides.com showing off some gorgeous poppy bouquets.

Since most of my work is completely custom, that means not only is the design custom, but also the color palate. 

As I mentioned regarding the article from Brides, a lot of my inspiration for custom color palates comes from bouquets.

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All of the images you see to the left are images that inspired the color palate for a recent baby shower invitation. 

For this particular baby shower invitation, I knew that I wanted the colors to be vibrant and scream "CELEBRATION!" 

As you can see, I gathered inspiration from a table scape, an outfit, a bouquet, and surprisingly – a tea towel. 

When you are trying to establish a color palate for a party, a wedding, or even printed pieces, keep you eyes open because inspiration is all around you. 

Below is the custom color palate I created to use for the baby shower invitations. As you can see, each of the images on the left inspired the use of teal, pink, and yellow. Though those were the three main colors, I also used various shades of the main colors.

© Copyright 521 Designs

I hope that this post provides you with a resource for inspiration and reminds you to keep your eyes open because you never know when you might find inspiration! 

Source: 521 Designs

A Non-Traditional Color Palate

I absolutely love color and have never shied away from it. As I type this I am wearing a persimmon colored top with a teal necklace (and accents of navy to tone it down).

Some of my favorite things to peruse on Pinterest are color combinations. I love to see how various people put unique colors together; it helps expand my horizons and get me thinking outside the box. One of the best sources for unique color combinations is floral arrangements. As I look back at my "Color Inspiration" board on Pinterest most of it consists of floral arrangements.

This past December, I was asked to design a bridal shower invitation. Wanting to steer clear of the predictable "Christmas-y" themes, I went on the hunt for the perfect color combination to base a design off of.

This is what I found.

Source: Creature Comforts Blog

Right when saw this image, I knew I wanted to base my design off of the colors. 

The color palate below is how I interpreted the colors in the floral arrangement, and what I used for my shower invitation design.

And the end result...