October 20, 2021Create, Inspiration, Learn

Color Combinations Made Easy with an Updated Close To My Heart Color Wheel!

Close To My Heartcolor, color of the year, colour, colour of the year, combination, coty, Love of Color, love of colour, scheme, theme, theory, Wild Berry 13 Comments

Color Combinations Made Easy #closetomyheart #ctmh #loveofcolor #loveofcolour #colorcombinations #colourcombinations #wildberry #ctmhwildberry #monochromatic #analogous #complementary #splitcomplementary #triadic #doublecomplementary #colortheory #colourtheory #colorwheel #colourwheel #papercrafting #scrapbooking #cardmaking

At Close To My Heart, we absolutely love color! A great palette is the foundation for great artwork, and has an unparalleled ability to inspire, energize, and soothe. We recently launched our new Core Products catalog and, with it, eight new colors that were added to our exclusive color palette, including Color of the Year, Wild Berry!

Today we’re going to show you how to create beautiful artwork using this statement color in three different color combinations. To get started, we’ve arranged the Close To My Heart color palette into a color wheel. Choosing colors for your artwork can be easy when you’re working with the right tools—and that includes the best color options!

***Keep in mind that our exclusive colors are made up of much more complex tones, shades, and hues than how they are categorized on the simplified color wheel offered above. As you reference and use this source, know that it is not 100% confining. As you become more familiar with what makes colors work together visually, you’ll find that this color wheel is very flexible.***

Download your very own color wheel, here.

(Here for Australia/New Zealand)

The Wild Berry color combinations we’re sharing today are reminiscent of what you would see in our Love of Color how-to book series. Each two-page spread focuses on one exclusive color from our palette shown in three different pieces of artwork, each in a unique color scheme. You’ll never second-guess your color choices again with this inspirational guide!

In this first example, see how Wild Berry beautifully works together with Sapphire, Lagoon, Mint, and Sundance. With Wild Berry as the dominant color, the yellow-orange, blue, and blue-green shades create gorgeous complementary elements, tying the entire piece together.

In these next cards, we combined Wild Berry once again with Lagoon and Mint, and then with Nectarine and Scarlet. Wild Berry acts as an accent color in the standard size card and dominates in the slimline card. We can give you all the color combinations, but in the end it’s up to you to decide how much of each color you want to use and how to balance your artwork. You can use the same color combination to create several pieces of art but they do not have to look or feel the same! (Isn’t color amazing?!)

For our final combination, we paired Wild Berry with Avocado, Black, and Charcoal.

If you look at Wild Berry and Avocado on our color wheel, you’ll notice that these two colors are opposite each other, which means they are complementary! We incorporated the neutral tones of black and charcoal for accents, but this is really a complementary color scheme in disguise!

If you’d like to learn more about color theory, or if you’re in need of a simple refresher, revisit a few of our previous posts we’ve published on this blog:

Monochromatic and Analogous Colors

Complementary Colors and How to Use Them

Using Split-complementary Colors

Triadic Color Combinations

Double Complementary Color Schemes

Once you get these basics down, creating your own color combinations will be a breeze! In the meantime, or if color theory just isn’t your thing, look to our Love of Color series as your ultimate color guide for creating perfectly balanced color combinations!

Do you have a favorite Close To My Heart color? (Retired colors count!) Let us know in the comments below!

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Happy Page
Z4320 Autumn is Calling Stamp + Thin Cuts, D2050 Holly & Ivy Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X8027 Noteworthy Paper Packet, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, X6051 Sundance Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3833 Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Z5021 Wild Berry Loose Sequins, Z2531 Bright Pink Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z2519 Gold Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z3314 Black & White Dots, Z6012 Wood Hearts, Z4095 Botanical Embossing Folder, Z3983 Tabs Thin Cuts, Z4334 Slim Alphabet Thin Cuts, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z3191 6″ x 8″ Memory Protectors™ Design 2, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut^® Flower Market Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
Flower Market
#MFAD3B7

6″ x 8″ Happy Halloween Layout with Pocket Scrapbooking
Z3988 Buddies—Joey Stamp + Thin Cuts, Z3989 Buddies—Ian Stamp + Thin Cuts, B1760 My Acrylix® Halloween Buddies—Isaac Stamp Set, X6053 Avocado Cardstock, X6047 Black Cardstock, X5953 Charcoal Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2531 Bright Pink Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z2475 Brown Grey TriBlend™ Marker, Z2476 Fair Skin TriBlend™ Marker, Z2519 Gold Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Z2510 Ice Grey Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z2520 Yellow Green TriBlend™ Marker, Z2498 True Black Marker , Z1513 White Gel Pens, Z5008 Wild Berry Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

3½” x 8½” Hello Autumn Card (Vertical)
Z4320 Autumn is Calling Stamp + Thin Cuts, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, Z6510 Nectarine Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6526 Scarlet Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6527 Wild Berry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z5010 White Gloss Spray, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z3342 3-D Foam Dots, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

4¼” x 5½” You’re O-fish-ally the Best (Vertical)
CC9217 Fishy Greetings Stamp + Thin Cuts, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X6056 Wild Berry Cardstock, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3834 Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Z3833 Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z4287 Wild Berry Shimmer Brush, Z2531 Bright Pink Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z2519 Gold Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Z2488 Green Turquoise TriBlend™ Marker, Z2526 True Blue Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Z5010 White Gloss Spray, Z2068 White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z5021 Wild Berry Loose Sequins, Z3886 Mini Ink Blending Tool, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine

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March 31, 2021Celebrate, Create, Inspiration, Learn

New Color Combinations, an Updated Color Wheel, and TWO downloadable Watercolor Guides!

Close To My Heartcolor, color wheel, colour, Colour Wheel, Love of Color, love of colour, Sundance, watercolor, watercolour 9 Comments

Love of Color #closetomyheart #ctmh #loveofcolor #ctmhcolorwheel #loveofcolour #ctmhcolourwheel #colorwheel #colourwheel #watercolor #watercolour

It’s no secret that we love color at Close To My Heart. Color breathes life and feeling into the world around us. With an unspoken language all its own, color has the power to calm, to energize, and to inspire. As spring slowly creeps its way into this year, the world is brightening up its color palette bringing with it a rejuvenation we all could use right about now—and we are all for it!

We are starting today’s color celebration with our Love of Color how-to series. Through its pages, the exclusive Close To My Heart color palette, made up of 44 unique colors, comes to life. Breathtaking artwork illustrates how to create perfectly balanced color combinations without any guesswork. Each spread in these volumes starts out with one exclusive color that is then combined with two, three, and four other exclusive colors, shown in beautifully crafted inspirational artwork.

Since we hope for sunny days in the upcoming season, let’s take a closer look at the color combinations offered for Sundance, one of our newer colors, in Love of Color Vol. 2, pages 26 and 27.

In this example, Sundance was paired with Avocado and Glacier. Sundance is the dominant color, and the others were used to complement it and to create accents throughout. (White is a neutral and doesn’t really count, so feel free to include as much or as little as you’d like!)

This perfectly spring-themed card was created by following another color combination featured in the guide, combining Sundance with Cinnamon, Blue Belle, New England Ivy, and Charcoal.

The third color mashup for Sundance in our Love of Color Vol. 2 includes pairing it with Peach, Desert Rose, and Peacock.

These inspirational color guides really make it so simple to combine colors that some of us probably wouldn’t even consider. Its pages explore the unique qualities of each color and help you see their beauty and versatility.

We’ve also talked about color theory on this blog, before. If you’re interested in creating your own color combinations, we encourage you to revisit those posts for a quick refresher on techniques for pairing colors. (Find links below.) Once you’ve got those basic rules down, we also encourage you to break them as you see fit!

Monochromatic and Analogous Colors

Complementary Colors and How to Use Them

Using Split-complementary Colors

Triadic Color Combinations

Double Complementary Color Schemes

To continue this colorful celebration, we’ve updated our Close To My Heart color wheel by removing the colors that retired from our palette just a few short months ago and adding the new colors that were introduced.

Download the updated Close To My Heart color wheel, here.

***Keep in mind that our exclusive colors are made up of much more complex tones, shades, and hues than how they are categorized on the simplified color wheel offered above. As you reference and use this source, know that it is not 100% confining. Especially as you become more familiar with what makes colors work together visually, you’ll find that this color wheel is very flexible.***

Lastly, we have a couple of bonus downloads for you today! Working with our amazing art studio, we put together two watercolor guides featuring techniques, tips, and all-around useful information—one for watercolor paints and another for watercolor pencils. In these guides you will find how to blend our exclusive colors using watercolor paints, the variety of ways a watercolor pencil can be used, and so much more! Enjoy exploring these watercolor guides, below!

Watercolor Paints Guide

Watercolor Pencils Guide

(Watercolour Paints Guide for AU/NZ)

(Watercolour Pencils Guide for AU/NZ)

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November 26, 2019Create, Learn

Adding Color to Vellum

Close To My Heartcardmaking, cards, color, colour, sophisticated, vellum 2 Comments

Vellum paper is a great addition to any project, but it can sometimes get a bit tricky figuring out how to incorporate it in fun and different ways. Somewhere between transparent and opaque, using vellum paper in your projects is an easy way add a touch of sophistication. From markers and ink pads to re-inkers and shimmer brushes, today we’re walking through a few ideas for adding a dash of color to vellum paper.

In this first example, we sponged the edges with the Mint and Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pads using a round sponge. By gently dabbing the ink onto the page with the sponge, you can create the perfect blend of gentle color on the vellum for a fantastic colored overlay! While it may not look like much on its own, this technique is a great way to finish off the vellum work in your projects for a subtle flair.

This sponging technique is also great for larger surface areas, as you can see in this next card. Here, we used a sponge dauber to spread the ink over the entirety of each present overlay piece. We still concentrated more color at the edges, but we also spread the ink over the rest of the overlay to put more pigment in the finished piece.

In our next example, we’ve used TriBlend™ markers to add a few pops of color to this cheery birthday card. First, we created the fun candles on the front side of the vellum paper with silver embossing powder. Then, we flipped the vellum paper over and colored in the gaps with the Citrus, Bright Pink, Blue Turquoise, and Hydrangea markers on the back side of the vellum piece. This way, you get the illusion of soft candlelight on varicolored birthday candles that look so good, you almost want to blow them out!

Tip: To prevent warping or curling in your vellum paper, move your heat tool in small circles as you set the embossing powder and avoid focusing the stream of the heat tool in one spot for too long.

For this next card, you’ll want to make sure you have your re-inker stash handy. To create this adorable sentiment and wreath on our vellum circle, we used gold embossing powder for the center and Black StazOn™ Ink for the wreath. Once the ink was dry, we flipped the vellum circle over and colored in the leaves on the wreath with re-inkers, again on the back side, using a regular paintbrush as an application tool. This technique gives you a rich saturation level on your color for consistency and vibrancy.

Our last example today features the Julep Shimmer Brush. To start, we cut our vellum piece out with a bone folder and a paper trimmer to create the rough edges you see. (Instead of running the blade down the paper, run the bone folder in the crease of the trimmer to cut the paper.) Once we cut this large vellum piece, we heat-embossed oak leaves on it with gold embossing powder and colored them in with a Julep Shimmer Brush.

Tip: When using a shimmer brush to add color to vellum, be sure to keep the coloration consistent throughout. Otherwise, you may end up with some blotchy patches.

With the subtle shine of the shimmer brush, these leaves are the perfect finishing touch for this card!

Impress your friends and loved ones this season with beautiful handmade cards that include some color treated vellum. The subtle sophistication that a little dash of color adds goes a long way!

Recipes:

4¼” x 5½” Grateful for You Card (Horizontal)
S1911 My Acrylix® Family Time Stamp Set, X7251B Cedar & Pine Paper Packet, X9009 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z2829 Espresso Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6503 Mint Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6515 Paprika Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2851 Saffron Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z4249 Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder, Z4260 Stitched Rectangle Frames Thin Cuts, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z697 Round Sponge, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, X254 White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack, Die-cutting Machine

4¼” x 5½” Hip! Hip! Hooray! Card (Vertical)
D1899 My Acrylix® Birthday Greetings Stamp Set, X7250B Holly Jolly Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z4213 Silver Embellishing Thread, Z4191 Silver Glitter Gems, Z4260 Stitched Rectangle Frames Thin Cuts, Z2067 Silver Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z2482 Citrus TriBlend™ Marker, Z2495 Bright Pink TriBlend™ Marker, Z2489 Blue Turquoise TriBlend™ Marker, Z2494 Hydrangea TriBlend™ Marker, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Die-cutting Machine

4¼” x 5½” Thank You Card (Vertical)
C1813 My Acrylix® Woodland Greeting Stamp Set, X9009 Mix-in Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z4189 Intense Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z2727 Almond Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker, Z2729 Espresso Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker, Z7515 Paprika Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker, Z2751 Saffron Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker, Z2728 Toffee Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z3560 Golden Rod Stickles™ Glitter Gel, Z3316 Gold Shimmer Brush, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z4309 Shaker Window & Confetti Thin Cuts, Z4260 Stitched Rectangles Frames Thin Cuts, Die-cutting Machine, Paintbrush

4¼” x 5½” Season’s Greetings Card (Horizontal)
C1800 My Acrylix® Holly Jolly—Cardmaking Stamp Set, X7250B Holly Jolly Paper Packet, X9009 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6031 Green Apple Cardstock, X6042 Mint Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6507 Clover Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2812 Raspberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4304 Silver Loose Sequins, Z3550 Striped Ribbon Bows, Z3549 Holly Jolly Dots, Z3515 Black Journaling Pen (.01), Z726 Sponge Daubers, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

4¼” x 5½” Grateful Card (Horizontal)
C1813 My Acrylix® Woodland Greetings Stamp Set, X7251B Cedar & Pine Paper Packet, X6046 French Vanilla Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, X5959 New England Ivy Cardstock, X6033 Paprika Cardstock, X6045 Sage Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z3271 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2829 Espresso Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2835 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z4054 Gold Embellishing Thread, Z3508 Julep Shimmer Brush, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool, Z4181 Stitched Circles Thin Cuts, Z2089 Glue Dots® Micro Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Watercolor Pencils, Die-cutting Machine, Sewing Machine

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February 14, 2019Celebrate, Create, Learn

For the Love of Color: A New Color Wheel!

Close To My Heartcolor, color combination, color theory, colour, colour theory, DIY, how-to, Love of Color, theory, Valentine's Day 20 Comments

It is officially love day, and we couldn’t be more excited! Valentine’s Day is a time designated to focus on and celebrate the relationships that matter most, and, in case you didn’t know, you are at the top of our significant others list as part of our beloved crafting community! We simply couldn’t let this special relationship go unnoticed, so we made you a one-of-a-kind Valentine that we hope you’ll enjoy!

Download your new CTMH color wheel, here! <3

We updated the color wheel we shared with you last year to include this year’s new colors from our exclusive color palette!

Since we’re celebrating relationships today, we thought it would be fun (and practical) to talk about relationships between colors and what makes certain pairings work. We’ve summarized color theory principles from previous blog posts and compiled them, below, to have them conveniently available for review all in one place.

Once you’ve chosen basic colors using any one of these combination options, jump on the Close To My Heart color wheel and take your pick from the exclusive colors that fall into each category. If you’d like to learn more about any of the individual principles or would like to see more artwork examples, click on the provided links at the end of each section. Lastly, if you don’t have the time or would simply rather not read through color theory (we get it 😉 ), skip to the end of this post to see how we make using a full spectrum of color even easier!

Monochromatic and Analogous Colors:

Monochromatic color designs make use of a single color that varies in lightness and saturation. Sometimes, a piece of artwork that we may think is monochromatic is actually following an analogous scheme, which is just a fancy way of saying that the featured colors are next to each other on the color wheel. One color is typically dominant while neighboring colors are used to enhance the design. (Monochromatic and Analogous Colors)

Complementary Colors:

Complementary colors are two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, such as Candy Apple and Clover (red and green), and Goldrush and Bluebird (orange and blue). If you notice, one side of the color wheel is made up of warm colors while the other is made up of cool colors. Complementary colors, since they are across from one another, will have one of each. They create a vibrant contrast, making each other pop without being jarring to the eye. (Complementary Colors and How to Use Them)

Split-Complementary Colors:

Split-complementary colors are pretty much what the name implies. When you are using two complementary colors, split one of them into its two adjacent colors on the wheel to end up with three colors that will visually work. Take red-orange and blue-green, for example. They are opposite each other on the color wheel and therefore complementary. Add a third color using the split-complementary scheme by splitting red-orange into two and use red and orange with the blue-green instead. (Using Split-complementary Colors)

Triadic Colors:

A triadic color scheme is a lot easier to understand than it may sound. Just like some of the other theories, triadic color combinations make use of three colors. This time, instead of being next to or opposite each other, triadic colors are three colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel, and when connected by lines create an equal sided triangle.

There are only four triadic color combinations on your basic color wheel:

Red, Yellow, Blue
Red-orange, Yellow-green, Blue-violet
Orange, Green, Violet
Yellow-orange, Blue-green, Red-violet.

(Triadic Color Combinations)

Double Complementary Colors:

Tetradic Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #colortheory #colourtheory #color #colour #theory #tetradic #double #complementary #doublecomplementary #rectanglecolors #rectangularcolors #colorwheel #colourwheel #wheel #redorange #redviolet #bluegreen #yellowgreen #sweetleaf #thistle #pansy #crystalblue

In a double complementary scheme, we use a combination of four colors that, as the name implies, is made up of two complementary color pairs. (Remember, two colors are complementary if they are opposite each other on the color wheel.) To make it even easier, this kind of color combination is also known as rectangular colors because, when the four colors are connected on the color wheel, they form a rectangle. (Triadic Color Combinations)

After reading, reviewing, and applying these color principles it’s easy to see that making harmonious color combinations isn’t so hard. Keep that trusty color wheel close by and pick your colors with confidence!

We also know that color theory isn’t for everyone. If you fall into this category or would like to see pages and pages of artwork examples that we’ve come up with using these principles, then Love of Color is for you.

Love of Color

Love of Color is our latest how-to book, and through its pages the exclusive Close To My Heart color palette comes to life! In it, breathtaking artwork illustrates how to create beautiful and perfectly balanced color combinations without any guesswork. Each spread in this book starts out with one exclusive color that is then combined with two, three, and four other exclusive colors, shown in beautifully crafted inspirational artwork.

This layout was created using one of the three Smoothie color combination options offered in Love of Color. In this example, Smoothie was paired with Ballerina, Eggplant, New England Ivy, and Heather. Smoothie is the dominant color and the others were used to create accents throughout.

For the Love of Color #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhloveofcolor #loveofcolor #ctmhexclusivecolorpalette #colorwheel #ctmhcolorwheel #colortheory #colorcombinations #diy #color #colour #papercrafting #scrapbooking #cardmaking

Thank you for being our Valentine today and joining us through this celebration of color! We hope that you are always living your life in full color and that you are moved to do something creative today!

Recipe:

12″ x 12″ Sunshine Layout
D1817 My Acrylix® So Much Happy—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7240B Something Fierce Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6000 Eggplant Cardstock, X6006 Heather Cardstock, X5959 New England Ivy Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4244 Stencil Sheets, Z6501 Ballerina Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2847 Eggplant Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2826 Heather Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4270 I Heart Us Sequins, Z4245 Opaque Matte Texture Paste, Z4520 Palette Knives, Z4575 Black LePen™, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut® Artbooking Collection, Cricut® Flower Market Collection

Cricut Shapes:
Artbooking
#M3F0A2

Flower Market
#MD38CC3
#MFAD3B7
#MFAD3B7
#MFAD8CB

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September 13, 2018Create, Learn

8 Ways to Add Color to Your Stamping

Close To My Heartcolor, coloring, colour, emboss, embossing, Exclusive Inks, heat tool, ink, marker, National Stamping Month, paint, pencil, pigment, stamp, stamping, VersaMark™, watercolor, watercolour 4 Comments

September is National Stamping Month and, as you know, we live and breathe stamps here at Close To My Heart. They are where we got our start many years ago, and to this day just simply can’t get enough of them! And from what we can gather, we are not alone in this obsession hobby! 😉

With care, you place your stamp on your block, prudently ink it with a color that you carefully selected just minutes (if not days) before, then press it to your paper and upon removing the block your image looks as perfectly crisp as you planned for. The next step in the creation process of this new image is to breathe life into it with some color.

We’ve taken one of our many (many) favorite stamp sets, My Acrylix^® Bunches of Love, from the Holiday Expressions catalog to illustrate some stamp coloring options. Each is unique in it’s own way and, depending on what you’re looking to achieve, has a place in your coloring spectrum. For comparison purposes, we’ve kept the mediums separate, but by all means do combine them in your artwork to make your images look exactly how you envision them!

First up, the original.

Some of our stamp sets already come with the parts to fill in the white space of a larger image, and the My Acrylix^® Bunches of Love set does just that.

To keep things quick and easy, use the corresponding filler pieces to complete the image.

In cases where the stamp set is not designed this way or you’re wanting to showcase a stamp differently so it’s not the exact same every time, continue scrolling through our list.

A Watercolor Look:

watercolor paint

watercolor pencils

For a soft look, watercolors are the way to go!

If you’re still working on mastering the art of using watercolor paints, try watercolor pencils. By applying color with pencils, shading and color blending is easier to control than with paint. Once you’ve penciled the color in, gently brush water over it with a damp fine tip paintbrush or waterbrush to spread the pigment. For best results, follow the pencil lines using smooth strokes. Keep in mind as you decide which watercolor medium is right for your project, that the direction of your pencil lines will still show through, unlike with paint.

Exclusive Inks™

For a more vivid “watercolor” look that doesn’t require layers of watercolor paint to achieve, give “painting” with our Exclusive Inks™ a try!

Squeeze your stamp pad in the middle to get some of the ink to rub onto the lid. Remove the inked lid, and from there decide how strong or light you want your color to appear. If you want the saturation to match the ink color exactly, use the ink as is. For a lighter variation of this same color, mix some water in with it (straight on the lid). The more water you add to the ink, the lighter the color will be. Pick the color up with a brush and ink-paint your stamped image.

Our Exclusive Inks™ are available in every one of our 41 exclusive colors (plus White Daisy and several black options). Enjoy effortless color coordination with our patterned papers, cardstock, and embellishments by using this method for coloring in your stamped images.

Pens:

ShinHan™ Touch Twin markers

When going for a saturated, vibrant look, especially in small details, ShinHan™ Touch Twin markers are an excellent choice. They are bright, smudge-proof, and, because they are alcohol-based, they are easy to blend. The fine tip on each marker is ideal for coloring and adding intricate details.

shimmer brushes

Until recently, the shimmer brush was considered mostly an accenting tool because it only came in clear and gold. Well, those days are over friends! Now also available in Sugarplum, red, black, and Mint, these new hues carry enough weight to be used on their own to add a little bit more than shimmer. When you use these, prep your brush before you do. You will want to squeeze your brush over scrap paper until the shimmery liquid comes out. Brush it on your scrap paper until you get the consistency you want on your brush before coloring in those details.

Heat Embossing:

Give your stamps a little lift and texture with the right inks and embossing powders. (For those of you who are new to this technique, embossing powder is a special powder that, when heated, melts to form a raised surface.)

VersaMark™ ink and embossing powder

Sometimes a flat image just isn’t the way to go. That’s when heat embossing comes to the rescue. To start, stamp your image with the VersaMark™ ink pad (embossing ink), which will create a clear, wet-looking print of your stamp. While the ink is still wet, cover it with embossing powder and carefully shake off any excess. Use a heat tool to dry and seal your design. The heat tool blows extremely hot air with a low air current, which keeps the powder from blowing right off—hair dryers are not a good substitute! We have several new embossing powders in our new Holiday Expressions catalog to choose from (for a complete list click here).

Pigment Exclusive Inks™

Okay, so we’ve shared this last idea on here before, but with our new large stamp pad-sized pigment inks added to our coloring repertoire, we just have to share again.

Did you know that you can pair any of our Exclusive Inks™ pigment pads with clear embossing powder to emboss in that exact color? Yes, really! Stamp an image with your choice pigment ink, cover it with clear embossing powder, and then set it with your heat tool! It’s that easy! Match our exclusive colors perfectly using this last technique!

Whether you use these stamp coloring ideas alone or mix and match them, we hope you enjoy a full spectrum of color in all of your stamping projects!

Happy stamping! 🙂

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May 29, 2018Create, Learn

Color Theory: Double Complementary Color Schemes

Close To My Heartcolor, color combination, color theory, colour, colour theory, combination, complementary, double complementary, tetradic 10 Comments

This is it, the last of our color theory posts! In our final installment of this series, we’re going to highlight tetradic (or double complementary) color schemes and show you how to create them on your own.

In a double complementary scheme, we use a combination of four colors that, as the name implies, is made up of two complementary color pairs. (Remember, two colors are complementary if they are opposite each other on the color wheel.) To make it even easier, this kind of color combination is also known as rectangular colors because when the four colors are connected on the color wheel they form a rectangle.

Because the four colors have to form a rectangle to fit this scheme, there are really only so many combinations that you can form. Six, to be exact:

orange, yellow, blue, violet
yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-violet, red-violet
yellow, green, violet, red
yellow-green, blue-green, red-violet, red-orange
green, blue, red, orange
blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange

Once you’ve chosen one of these combinations, jump on the Close To My Heart color wheel and pick from the exclusive colors that fall into each category.

Download here.

Another way to approach color choice, like in previous color schemes we’ve discussed, is by starting out with a color you want to use, like Eggplant, and then drawing the rectangle from it to determine what the other three colors could be.

This card uses Close To My Heart exclusive colors that fall within the orange, yellow, blue, and violet combination—Goldrush, Canary, Sapphire, and Eggplant.

The page above makes use of the yellow-green, blue-green, red-violet, and red-orange combination—Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Thistle, and Poppy.

Tetradic colors tend to be quite vibrant and can even be jarring if used in equal amounts. To avoid creating artwork that is hard to look at when using this type of color scheme, choose one dominant color and use the other three to accent. Including neutrals in your designs, like we did with white in both of our examples, is an easy way to subdue the effects of this bold combination.

After reading, reviewing, and applying the color principles that we’ve been discussing these past few months, it’s easy to see that making harmonious color combinations isn’t so hard. Keep that trusty color wheel close by and pick your colors with confidence!

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Summer Page
X7233B Beautiful Friendship Paper Packet, X5977 Crystal Blue Cardstock, X5963 Poppy Cardstock, X5980 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5976 Thistle Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X7231C Central Park Complements, Z4177 Documented Dots, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles

4¼” x 5½” Life with Friends Card (Horizontal)
D1779 My Acrylix^® Beautiful Friendship—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7233B Beautiful Friendship Paper Packet, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2847 Eggplant Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2823 Goldrush Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4177 Documented Dots, Z4196 White Ribbon

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January 11, 2018Create, Learn

Color Theory: Complementary Colors and How to Use Them

Close To My Heartcolor, color families, color scheme, color theory, colour, colour families, colour scheme, complementary colors, complementary colours, Create, design, enhance, exclusive colors, exclusive colours 23 Comments

Colors are important in making our artwork look good. But, how can you know if your color choices will work well together? When in doubt, you can rely on the basics of color theory to always make good color decisions.

This is the Close To My Heart color wheel, made up of all our exclusive colors.

(Download your printable CTMH color wheel here.)

Complementary colors are two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, such as Cranberry and Willow (red and green), and Goldrush and Pacifica (orange and blue). If you notice, one side of the color wheel is made up of warm colors while the other is made up of cool colors. Complementary colors, since they are across from one another, will have one of each. They create a vibrant contrast, making each other pop without being jarring to the eye.

When you’re creating your art, in this case a scrapbook page, avoid using the two colors equally. To keep your artwork interesting, try using one of the colors primarily as a background and the other for accents.

You can create something beautiful using one set of complementary colors. Like in this card and the page above, simply incorporating different hues of the same color (or color family) will give your art the visual interest we all seek.

Knowing how to properly use color will only enhance your artwork. Look for a new Color Theory post every month where we will share basic color concepts and artwork inspiration to help you make flawless color decisions that will elevate your artwork.

Recipes

12″ x 12″ Wonderful Page
D1757 My Acrylix® Stargazer—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, X7228B Gimme Some Sugar Paper Packet, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z2833 Pebble Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4143 Stargazer Dots, Cricut® Artbooking Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Artbooking
#M46848

4¼” x 5½” The World Is Yours to Explore Card (Horizontal)
B1565 My Acrylix® A New Adventure Stamp Set, X7227B Make Waves Paper Packet, X7228B Gimme Some Sugar Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5982 Canary Cardstock, Z2831 Charcoal Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Cricut® Artbooking Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Artbooking
#M46F65

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July 13, 2017Learn

13 Tips to Help You Become an Ink Expert

Close To My Heartcolor, colour, dye, embossing, exclusive, how, infographic, ink, Learn, marker, pad, paint, pen, pigment, reinker, sponge, spray, stamp, stamping, technique, tip, watercolor, watercolour 9 Comments

If you’re a stamper, then chances are you are no stranger to the wonders of inky fingers! But no matter how much exposure you’ve had, there are probably some things about working with ink that may still be a mystery to you. Today’s topic is Inks 101, and by the time you’ve read this post, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an ink expert!

1. Not sure which type of ink you should use for a project? Click on this handy infographic to figure it out!

2. Just like our cardstock, we offer dye and pigment stamp pads in all of our exclusive colors…meaning you’ll always have ink to match your cardstock! Easy color coordination is the name of our game. 🙂

3. Our Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads have one of the largest surface areas on the market. Plus, they’re super easy to open, thanks to the magnetic case design!

4. We designed our stamp pads so that the pad is on the lid of the case. This way while your stamp pad is sitting around waiting to be used, the ink is settling on the surface of the pad so you’ll always be able to get a crisp stamped image.

5. Is your stamp pad getting dry? That happens with a lot of use over time. But the good news is that instead of buying a new one, you can buy the coordinating re-inker and use it to replenish your pad. To re-ink a stamp pad, gently squeeze the re-inker evenly over the surface of your stamp pad while moving in a zig-zag pattern, top to bottom. Repeat until your stamp pad is properly saturated again (you won’t even need to use the whole bottle!). Just be sure to give your ink some time to soak in before using the stamp pad.

6. Is your stamped image darker than you thought it would be? Don’t worry, that’s normal! Dye inks need a little bit of time to cure, which means that they need to fully dry before they turn the right color. This shouldn’t take too long, but a craft heater can certainly help speed up the process.

7. When using our mini pigment ink stamp pads, dab the stamp pad lightly onto the stamp rather than trying to press the stamp onto the stamp pad.

8. Pigment ink sits on the surface of your paper, which is why the colors are more vivid than dye inks. However, this means pigment ink takes longer to dry. Give images stamped with pigment ink time to air dry, or use a craft heater to dry them right away.

9. If you’ve got the painting bug, then you’re going to love painting with our inks! Start by squishing the lid of your closed stamp pad all over. This will transfer some ink from the pad onto the other side of the case where you can pick up the ink using a slightly damp waterbrush or paintbrush, and then paint away!

10. If you want to create a splattered paint pattern on your artwork, then our spray pen is your friend! Simply fill your spray pen with some water and add a bit of ink from a re-inker bottle, shake, and then spritz onto your artwork. Raise the spray pen higher for a subtler splatter and closer to the paper for a more concentrated splatter. If you want the ink to dry faster, try using rubbing alcohol instead of water.

11. Our round sponge and sponge daubers can create really cool effects with our inks. With the sponge daubers insert and small organizer, you can store a whole collection of sponge daubers, even labeling them by color so you don’t forget which dauber you used for each stamp pad.

12. In addition to our Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads, we also offer the VersaMark™ ink pad. Use this ink pad to create watermark images, or add embossing powder over the stamped image, shake off the excess, and heat set for an entirely different look!

13. Coloring in your stamp? Make sure you use the right ink to avoid bleeding! Memento™ is the way to go if you’re using alcohol markers, and Archival Black permanent ink is best with watercolor paints or pencils.

Did we miss anything? 🙂 Ask any questions about our inks in the comments below!

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Make It from Your Heart

Tag Archives: colour

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