What's your palette problem?
What is your go to color? Do you have a favorite color tone for your cards or scrapbook layouts? I know some that love neutrals, blues, or bold colors. There are some that are happy doing monotones or white on white colors.
My picks tend to be bright colors that make me think of happy days at the beach or at the campground. If you have been following me, then you know that Bermuda Bay is my ultimate, all time favorite ink to use. I will cry if it ever retires. Ha ha ha...no really, I will. I will be ugly crying that day!!
I love teals, aquas, and light shades of purple. These are my go to colors when I want to make cards. The issue I have is how to coordinate the thousands of other colors, so I'm not using just Bermuda Bay paper and embellishments on one card. This idea of coordinating colors and picking the right color tones can be tricky for some people. Especially if it's a color outside of your favorites. Broadening your view of the other colors can be sometimes overwhelming and daunting.
Fear not! I'm going to give you a few tips to help you get out of your color comfort zone. It's going to take a little courage and an open mind to see past your own Bermuda Bay world.
The first thing you might consider taking advantage of is a color wheel. This is a handy tool that can help you to find your coordinating colors on a chart. You find the main color you would want to use and then the wheel will guide you to those coordinating colors and tones.
It's important to keep with in the same tone. For example, lets say you want to make a "Congrats" card for a wedding. You want colors that fit the mood or the theme. A wedding card wouldn't be done in dark tones (grays, dark blues, browns, or blacks). The card would be done is soft tones (light blues, pale pinks, soft yellows) That is what I mean by tones. There are multiple color families with in those tones. Use the color wheel to pick the subtle or soft color and then it's coordinating colors.
When you are trying to pick your palette (a group of colors). You don't want to pick too many for one project. It will overwhelm the eyes and it won't be pleasing to look at. I usually pick one color to focus on and then 1 or 2 other colors to "help" my main color to pop out or stand out. A color wheel can help you find the coordinating color family.
Stampin' Up has a very helpful resource for their demonstrators for their color families. With their color revamp this year they have come out with color family cards. These cards are like the paint swatches at those home improvement stores. They help you pick your coordinating colors by grouping them in their color families. It is a tremendous help to design samples or projects. Like other color guides it will put the colors in the coordinating tones and family.
Some crafters have a hard time coordinating with patterned paper with other patterned papers or even colored cardstock. Especially if it doesn't come in the same paper pack collection. Let's just face it, some companies make it really hard to match their colors with other brands. Once again try to match your main color and the "helping" colors. I like textures and I like depth so I'm ok using a couple of different patterns on a project but the patterns need to be in the same color family and tone. Not all aquas and purples are the same. When I look at a patterned paper I try to stay way from the main color of the patterned paper as a background or helper color. It could just make it all blend together. If there happens to be a little yellow or green in the pattern I will choose that color to use for other elements on the card. You really want to use different sizes of patterns as well. If you have tiny polka dots on one page, you might want to use a large floral print or stripes with coordinating colors.
My picks tend to be bright colors that make me think of happy days at the beach or at the campground. If you have been following me, then you know that Bermuda Bay is my ultimate, all time favorite ink to use. I will cry if it ever retires. Ha ha ha...no really, I will. I will be ugly crying that day!!
I love teals, aquas, and light shades of purple. These are my go to colors when I want to make cards. The issue I have is how to coordinate the thousands of other colors, so I'm not using just Bermuda Bay paper and embellishments on one card. This idea of coordinating colors and picking the right color tones can be tricky for some people. Especially if it's a color outside of your favorites. Broadening your view of the other colors can be sometimes overwhelming and daunting.
Fear not! I'm going to give you a few tips to help you get out of your color comfort zone. It's going to take a little courage and an open mind to see past your own Bermuda Bay world.
The first thing you might consider taking advantage of is a color wheel. This is a handy tool that can help you to find your coordinating colors on a chart. You find the main color you would want to use and then the wheel will guide you to those coordinating colors and tones.
It's important to keep with in the same tone. For example, lets say you want to make a "Congrats" card for a wedding. You want colors that fit the mood or the theme. A wedding card wouldn't be done in dark tones (grays, dark blues, browns, or blacks). The card would be done is soft tones (light blues, pale pinks, soft yellows) That is what I mean by tones. There are multiple color families with in those tones. Use the color wheel to pick the subtle or soft color and then it's coordinating colors.
When you are trying to pick your palette (a group of colors). You don't want to pick too many for one project. It will overwhelm the eyes and it won't be pleasing to look at. I usually pick one color to focus on and then 1 or 2 other colors to "help" my main color to pop out or stand out. A color wheel can help you find the coordinating color family.
Stampin' Up has a very helpful resource for their demonstrators for their color families. With their color revamp this year they have come out with color family cards. These cards are like the paint swatches at those home improvement stores. They help you pick your coordinating colors by grouping them in their color families. It is a tremendous help to design samples or projects. Like other color guides it will put the colors in the coordinating tones and family.
Some crafters have a hard time coordinating with patterned paper with other patterned papers or even colored cardstock. Especially if it doesn't come in the same paper pack collection. Let's just face it, some companies make it really hard to match their colors with other brands. Once again try to match your main color and the "helping" colors. I like textures and I like depth so I'm ok using a couple of different patterns on a project but the patterns need to be in the same color family and tone. Not all aquas and purples are the same. When I look at a patterned paper I try to stay way from the main color of the patterned paper as a background or helper color. It could just make it all blend together. If there happens to be a little yellow or green in the pattern I will choose that color to use for other elements on the card. You really want to use different sizes of patterns as well. If you have tiny polka dots on one page, you might want to use a large floral print or stripes with coordinating colors.
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This an example of patterned papers that coordinate to add texture. The wood grain and the small print on the card stock. It adds a little texture for the eye. The embossed texture breaks up the wood grain texture for the background.
The best way to conquer the fear of coordinating colors and patterns is to try and see what looks good to you. If you are happy with the result and it doesn't make your eyes go fuzzy from looking at it, then go with it. Look at different Facebook groups or Pinterest to get some ideas on what looks good together. Your Stampin' Up catalog has some awe inspiring samples that will help view papers and inks in a new light. The awesome thing about Stampin' Up is that all their colors and patterns coordinate. That may be a big relief to some crafters. They can buy what they want as far as designs and all the colors they offer will match up.
I hope this helps you reach out of your color comfort zone and allows you to view the colors and patterns with a little more confidence. Have fun and post pics onto Paper Penguin Facebook Page. I would love to see what you created.
🐧🐧
The best way to conquer the fear of coordinating colors and patterns is to try and see what looks good to you. If you are happy with the result and it doesn't make your eyes go fuzzy from looking at it, then go with it. Look at different Facebook groups or Pinterest to get some ideas on what looks good together. Your Stampin' Up catalog has some awe inspiring samples that will help view papers and inks in a new light. The awesome thing about Stampin' Up is that all their colors and patterns coordinate. That may be a big relief to some crafters. They can buy what they want as far as designs and all the colors they offer will match up.
I hope this helps you reach out of your color comfort zone and allows you to view the colors and patterns with a little more confidence. Have fun and post pics onto Paper Penguin Facebook Page. I would love to see what you created.
🐧🐧
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