Hello Friends, it is Leslie here for July’s Color Me Pretty series. This time around I decided to explore black, white, silver, grey and yes, neon pink. I do not think I have gone totally eighties on you. I have just been a little obsessed with this color combination since I saw the cover of Inside Out magazine last month.

This magazine inspired this mood board below... and this series today!

You can sneak a little neon pink into a neutral interior and have it feel really fresh and summery with a simple pillow as an accent as shown below.

Of course it is a trendy color, which is what makes it so fun, just use it in small dosages! Handwriting, beads and tape were also brought into the mix this time around. I hope you enjoy what I have put together for you.

I love photographing chalkboard menus when I travel in Europe. It is more about the handwriting, less about the menu. Chalkboards are fun in the home and I like the idea of sketches or poems written on them, maybe even a fancy frame around their edge. Even if you are nervous about showcasing your own handwriting, go for it. That is what the eraser is for!

I have been sticking Rob Ryan’s tape on everything. As most of you know, tape can instantly personalize a plain journal or a blank card.

On my mood board I combined some Japanese tape with a little neon pink stitching to make a card. I also combined Rob Ryan’s tape with some Japanese tape to make another card.

Recycle tip: An empty food can is painted white and then spruced up further with a little note and some ribbon to hold a plant for a gift.

Craft Idea: I tried using stencils this month as well –to go along with my eighties investigation because weren’t stenciled walls big back then in the US? Do you remember the do it yourself grapevine stencil kits? Well, stencil kits are back better then ever! I loved using the kits by Ed Roth of Stencil 1. Lotta Jansdotter makes some nice larger scale stencils that I tried too. You can also check out Lena Corwin’s chapter on stenciling in her book “Printing By Hand”.

I used stencils from both Stencil 1 and Lotta Jansdotter to create images on some small square canvases. I realize I am not the best stencil student as I like to paint myself but it was fun to have a guide and the results were very fast. I did not have a stencil brush, which I think I will use next time around. I especially liked making some cards for my mood board collection on heavy paper using the stencils.

Have you tried using stencils? Any tips you want to share with us beginners?

Thank you for joining me here and I will see you again next month with a Color Me Pretty series for August! If you would like to see previous CMP columns please click here. Bye!

(images: leslie shewring)