Crayola Crayon Day

       Hi there!  It's Kim from Katydid Cards and I'm happy to be here with you today!

I don't know about you, but give me some crayons and a coloring book and I'm a happy camper, so I couldn't let Crayola Crayon Day go by without a tribute.  That's right, Crayola Crayons have their very own day!

I was thrilled to receive an "adult" (don't take that the wrong way ;-) coloring book on my last birthday and had only seen one prior to that.  It was nice not to be coloring Barney or Mickey Mouse...not that I have anything against either of those fine gentlemen, but I was yearning for something a bit more detailed.  Fast forward a year and these coloring books can be found everywhere!  So I'm guessing lots of people enjoy coloring as much as I do.

So as an homage, I made a crayon themed card in honor of the occasion:

I made this card using a cut file from the Silhouette Store with a few changes and I like the bright colors...great way to use up scraps, too.  I don't have any kids in the family or circle of friends to whom I can send this card, so I decided to create a sentiment I could use for an adult...

I have a few friends who are colorful...and they make my life colorful, too, so I'm happy they're in my life.

But back to Crayola...

I discovered Crayola has produced about 400 unique shades of crayons since 1903!  And I thought I was well supplied with a box of 64!  Crayola still has a core group of 120 colors but they have also produced several unique sets including metallic, gem tones and even scented.

Under another name, Crayola started as a pigment supply company but moved into arts and crafts, starting with chalks then moved into crayons and expanded to colored pencils, markers, paints and modeling clay to name a few.  They are also the creators of Silly Putty.

Here's something I bet you didn't know...Crayola is owned by Hallmark Cards!

Crayola factories are located in Easton, PA, Orlando, FL and another in Minneapolis, MN.  They are open for tours all year.  It looks like a heck of a lot of fun...check it out here.

So now that you know it's a day all about crayons, why not print out a free coloring page and color away.   It's a relaxing way to spend some time and I bet the kids will let you hang your masterpiece on the fridge along with theirs.

And, if you're not into coloring, you can still have fun with crayons.  Take a look at this crayon wreath and this alternative to Valentine's candy using crayons.

Don't forget, today is the last day of the "Anything Goes" challenge, so hurry and share your project for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate from Paper Crafting World.