And welcome to your new (or your first!) issue of Dream Home Decorating News. This month's issue is packed with creative stuff, including three of-the-minute color scheme 'recipes' and four lovely craft projects.

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Thanks for joining me today, and enjoy this issue!
Renate Hering-Shepherd

PS) If the newsletter is difficult to read as an e-mail,
read this issue online.

1. Book News!
2. Color Recipes: 3 Trendy Color Schemes
3. Readers' Stories & Questions: New Illustrated Projects
4. 4 Easy Craft Projects: Make Your Own Paper Lanterns!
5. Web Tip: Photo Galleries Galore ...
6. Legal Stuff

Book News!

Thank you all for sending me your color questions! You have helped me immensely to understand what kind of knowledge and skills would help you create successful color schemes for your own home.

After answering hundreds of color questions, I've now paused this complimentary service until the summer, so I can write the book many of you have asked me to write.

The working title is, Color Schemes That Always Work: How To Create, Tweak And Optimize Colors For Your Home.

I'll use the illustration style you're already familiar with from the website (and the Neutrals e-book): A room 'morphing' into different looks through changing color schemes.

I'm also exploring the option of a hard copy in addition to the e-book format, as long as it can be done at a reasonable price. And there will, of course, be a reduced-price launch offer exclusively for you, gentle reader! More about this in the next e-zine issue (May 2011).

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Color Recipes:
3 Trendy Color Schemes

This article has been much expanded - you'll now find it here!

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Readers' Stories & Questions:
New Illustrated Projects

a) Color/Style:

• Rhona (Greece) needed a color scheme for her contemporary living room.
• Lyn (USA) was staging a home to sell, looking for the best wall color to integrate all the rooms.
• Nelle (USA) was looking for ways to turn her Traditional Southern kitchen into a genuine Tuscan Style Kitchen.

• Kim (USA) gave her kitchen a stunning, very creative custom makeover.
• Roxanne (USA) turned her log home master bedroom into a truly magical, deep blue dream space.
• Wanasai (Australia) took a glorified broom cupboard and turned it into a mini bathroom-cum-laundry with an artsy window.

Now, what about your questions and projects?

I'll still be accepting before & after stories. And if you have color questions, I suggest you visit this page for a list of informative links that will help you create successful color schemes.

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4 Easy Craft Projects:
Make Your Own Paper Lanterns!

A few weeks ago I felt in sore need of a creative challenge. So I decided to come up with several easy, quick, no-fuss ways to create paper lanterns. Here's the first batch, illustrated and with fun variations:

1. Stationery & bangle
2. Plastic cup & paper doily
3. Pleat-n-cut
4. Print out, cut, glue!

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Web Tip:
Photo Galleries Galore ...

Canadian website houseandhome.com has a lovely collection of interior decorating photo galleries from blogs around the web. Worth a look!

Get Answers:

Legal Stuff