Everyday Expressions

Hi Everyone, and thanks for stopping by the craft room! Today I’m sharing homework for Altenew Academy class, Color Your Day, taught by the awesomely talented Therese Calvird.

Technique: Find inspiration in color from the world around you!

I was inspired by natural linen curtains I have in my family room for this card. As soon as I received Altenew’s new Rustic Linen stamp set from Simon Says Stamp, I knew that I had to create a background using Neenah Desert Storm cardstock with the linen stamp, and paired it with Mocha crisp ink for a tone-on-tone effect.

I used Altenew’s new Fabulous Florals stamps and dies, and stamped the layers using  the Sweet Dreams Crisp Inks set. The mocha background florals and leaves are from the Beautiful Day stamp and die set.

Trick: Use a 70 – 20 – 10 color ratio (loosely)

A big take-away from this class for me was Therese’s advice in using a 70 – 20 – 10 color formula when in doubt about color. On this card, the white and linen seem pretty balanced (maybe not 70/20 ;)- and the Sweet Dreams blue inks give it a small pop of color that I adore in this new Fabulous Floral layered stamp.

Tips:

The 70 – 20 – 10 formula is not set in stone. Play with it, but it’s a good stand-by when your color mojo is not in sync.

I think this formula would be fitting for a sympathy card; A soft, quiet background color, and just a small dose of color that is not too flashy.

Therese also recommends using a color wheel when you need some inspiration for selecting colors. She often chooses three to five colors that are adjacent on the color wheel.

So there you have it! What do you think? Where do you find color inspiration for your cards? Thanks again for stopping by! Love and crafty hugs!

Erin