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Design Team Tips - Custom Ink Colors

Several of you were kind enough to let me know the pictures were not showing up in this post.  Thank you to those that reached out!  I'm not exactly sure why the photos do not show up.  I have republished the post several times and that seems to work for a short time.  I've contacted Typepad for help, but in the mean time please try refreshing the page.  Thank you for your patience!  

*Upadate:  Typepad has responded and has cleared up the issue so all should be working again!  Please let me know if you have any problems seeing the photos!  :-)

Happy, happy Friday!  Today I'm sharing with you something that I have recently received quite a few questions about.  I always list the ink colors that are used for each project, but some of the end results look different than the colors listed in my supplies.  Well, I like to use the ink colors that I have and combine them to create new colors!

It all started one day when I was trying to match a color in some patterned paper that I was creating with.  I couldn't find the right hue of blue, so I tried adding in another color.  Bingo!  A whole new ink color world opened up for me!  :-)

Today, I'm sharing a few tips on how I like to combine ink colors to get a new color!  I will also be sharing with you a handful of my favorite ink combos!

 

As many of you know, Hawaiian Shores, Tropical Teal, and Aqua Mist are some of my all time favorite Papertrey Ink colors.  I love them, and use them often!

Sometimes, I find myself wishing for a version of them that has a bit more of a blueish hue to them.  That is actually what kicked off my obsession fascination with creating custom ink colors!

 

I love combining Dark Indigo with Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, or Tropical Teal.  I also love adding in a bit more blue to these colors.  I find that it really sets off the Dark Indigo color nicely.

I have found it easier to create custom ink colors with a stamp positioner.  I use a MISTI to aid me, as this technique requires the same image to be stamped several different times.

 

For my card, I combined Spring Rain and Hawaiian Shores and offset that color with Dark Indigo.

 

 

Even though I showed these with the darker color first, I actually always stamp the lighter shade first.  Always.  This will help prevent your ink pads becoming contaminated with a darker color.

To start, I place the paper or die cut piece in my MISTI.  I then stamp the the desired image using the lightest color of ink.  I often will re-stamp using the same color to better saturate the image.  I then ink up the same stamp using the darker ink shade and stamp directly on top of already inked image.  This is so easy using the MISTI as you just leave your stamp and cardstock/image right where it is and keep layering on the different inks!

 

Here are a few of my favorite ink combos!  Even though they are pictured above with the darkest ink color first, remember to always stamp the lighter shade first!

I will list the colors that I used above.  The darker shade of ink I used is on the left, the lighter shade on the right, and the new custom ink color that was created by combining the two is in the middle.

1. Dark Indigo on the left and Blueberry Sky on the right
2. Hawaiian Shores on the left and Spring Rain on the right
3. Ocean Tides on the left and New Leaf on the right
4. Pinefeather on the left and Simply Chartreuse on the right
5. Spring Moss on the left and Mint Julep on the right
6. Amethyst Allure on the left and Lilac Grace on the right

 

So what about you?  Do you combine ink colors to create your own shade?  What are your favorite combos?

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
~Laurie

 

Ink to Paper Favorites - For the Love of Kraft

Happy Wednesday friends!  It's time for another Ink to Paper Favorites Challenge! This challenge is a fun and easy way to win a $25 Ink to Paper gift certificate!  Check out the Ink to Paper Blog for all the details and to link up your project.

Kraft cardstock is one of those year round colors...the kind of neutral that goes with anything!  However, I find myself loving it even more during the cooler Fall months.  There is just something so warm and inviting about the earthy paper that fits Autumn creation so well, don't you think?  This week the challenge is an easy one...to create using Kraft cardstock!  Easy, right?  I mean, who doesn't love Kraft cardstock?  😊🍂🍁

 

I combined a couple of favorites on my card.  I combined Kraft cardstock (of course) with an Fall rainbow of leaves!  I love rainbows...and leaves!  Win, win! 

 

For the background, I stamped one of the backgrounds from the Rustic Brick set using Fine Linen ink.  After die cutting and stamping the leaves (from the Lovely Leaves set), I layered on the die cut thankful sentiment (from the To Die For Sentiments: Sweet Blessings die set).

To add just a bit more depth to the card, I sponged the edges using Cocoa Bean ink.  For embellishment, I added a wooden button.

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Laurie

 

Ink to Paper Favorites - Favorite September Release Project

Happy Wednesday friends!  It's time for another Ink to Paper Favorites Challenge! This challenge is a fun and easy way to win a $25 Ink to Paper gift certificate!  Check out the Ink to Paper Blog for all the details and to link up your project.

As we have been doing for a few months now, the first Wednesday following a release is dedicated to creating a project inspired by your favorite creation shared during the release countdown posts!

I was inspired by this gorgeous card created by Melissa Bickford...

I fell in love with not only the lovely colors, but how she positioned all the flowers around the edges!  You can click the photo to be taken to her blog to see more of her card.

 

As you can see, I duplicated her lovely layout.  I switched out the flowers for leaves from the Lovely Leaves set.

 

For the background, I first stamped the background with the Loosely Woven background stamp.  Just like Melissa did with her flowers, I arranged the leaves so that some of them were going over the edge of the card.  After they were all adhered, I trimmed all the edges.

For even more dimension and texture, I splattered the leaf background with both gold and brown watercolor paint.

 

One of the items that I am most excited about from this past release is the coordinating die set for the Pleasing Envelopes: Special Delivery set!  I am completely smitten with this gorgeous banner and am thrilled I now have a die for it!  :-)

I die cut and stamped the banner and then adhered the die cut sentiment (from the To Die For Sentiments: Sweet Blessings die set) on top.  For embellishment, I adhered several gold sequins.

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
~Laurie

 

Ink to Paper September Release - Day 4

Welcome back to the fourth and final day of the Ink to Paper September release countdown posts  You are in for such a treat this month...just wait until you see all the goodies coming your way!  As always, the release will go live on the 15th of the month at 10 pm ET.

Today we are sharing projects featuring the following new items:  Peaceful Trees, On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Frame, On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Border, Watercolor Textures: Christmas, and Inside Greetings: Holiday Magic.

Oh my goodness, I love love love the new Peaceful Trees set!  I just adore all of the different tree images!  And did you see that snowfall image?  It's perfect!

For my first card, I started with Kraft and embossed the snow using white embossing powder.  I die cut and stamped the trees in Soft Stone and Pure Poppy.

To ground the card (and to add a snowy feel) I added some chunky glitter to the bottom.

For embellishment, I added a white poinsettia (from the Tag Creations: Modern Gift die set) under the vellum sentiment strip.

 

 

 

 

My next card again features the new Peaceful Trees set.  When I saw some of the solid tree images, I thought they would look great as silhouettes against a night scene.

 

Using Distress Oxide inks, I blended together three different blues.  To add texture (and to give it a starry look), I spritzed on some water and then splattered white and dark blue paint on.

I framed the ink blended background with the On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Frame.  Before adhering it to the card, I sprayed it with some shimmer spray.

For the focal image, I added three die cut and stamped trees.  To give them a moon kissed look, I first stamped them in the lightest color blue and then sponged on two darker shades towards the bottom.

 

 

 

For this card, I chose one of my current favorite color combos.  I started by die cutting the trees (the large die with them all connected).  I really love that this set includes both the joined trees as well as each individual tree.  I think this particular one (with them all joined together) will make mass producing  Christmas cards a lot easier!

I stamped the trees using the following colors:  Tropical Teal, Green Parakeet, Kraft, Aqua Mist, Soft Stone, New Leaf, and Tropical Teal mixed with Ocean Tides.

 

I embossed the large star image using gold detail embossing powder.  I also added sponged on some Aqua Mist ink behind the trees.

 

To ground the tree image, I tucked the On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Border image (die cut from Soft Stone cardstock) under the trees.

 

 

 

My final card features the new Watercolor Textures: Christmas and Inside Greetings: Holiday Magic sets.

I created a simple watercolor wash for the background.  I then cut a few strips of New Leaf, Tropical Teal, and watercolor paper and adhered and stitched it to the top.

I stamped the snowflake from the Watercolor Textures: Christmas set in Tropical Teal and then punched it out.  I used the two smaller star images and embossed them on the background layer using white detail embossing powder.

I embossed one of the sentiments from the Inside Greetings: Holiday Magic using black detail embossing powder.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
~Laurie

 

Welcome back to the fourth and final day of the Ink to Paper September release countdown posts  You are in for such a treat this month...just wait until you see all the goodies coming your way!  As always, the release will go live on the 15th of the month at 10 pm ET.

Today we are sharing projects featuring the following new items:  Peaceful Trees, On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Frame, On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Border, Watercolor Textures: Christmas, and Inside Greetings: Holiday Magic.

Welcome back to the fourth and final day of the Ink to Paper September release countdown posts  You are in for such a treat this month...just wait until you see all the goodies coming your way!  As always, the release will go live on the 15th of the month at 10 pm ET.

Today we are sharing projects featuring the following new items:  Peaceful Trees, On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Frame, On the Border: Splendid Snowflake Border, Watercolor Textures: Christmas, and Inside Greetings: Holiday Magic.

Ink to Paper September Release - Day 3

Welcome back to day three of the Ink to Paper September release countdown posts  You are in for such a treat this month...just wait until you see all the goodies coming your way!  As always, the release will go live on the 15th of the month at 10 pm ET.

Today we are sharing projects featuring the new Holly Jolly Holiday and Cheerful Tree sets.

 

My first card features the new Cheerful Tree set.  This set is packed with so many different ways to customize and dress up the tree!  So fun!  I decided to go with the "less is more" look and only added garland and a bow.

I embossed the garland and bow using a red glitter embossing powder that I found in my stash.

 

I framed the tree with the largest Pierced Feature Frame: Oval die.  I stamped the Holiday Cheer sentiment several times around the oval in Mint Julep ink.

 

For embellishment I added two die cut Poinsettias from the new Tag Creations: Modern Gift die set.

 

 

 

 

My next project features the new Holly Jolly Holiday set.  I think my favorite thing about this set is included solid alphabet!  It's perfect for so many year round projects, not just Holiday creations!

I'm still on my gift card packaging kick (it's SO easy with the new Tag Creations: Modern Gift die set) so I only used one of the included outline sentiments.

I stamped the holly leaves and berries on the background.  I wanted the sentiments to be the focal image, so I embossed it in white on Pure Poppy cardstock so it would stand out a bit more.  To complete the sentiment I added the "Have A" and "Christmas" using True Black ink.

Like my first project, I added a die cut poinsettia from the Tag Creations: Modern Gift die set for embellishment.

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
~Laurie

 

Welcome back to day three of the Ink to Paper September release countdown posts  You are in for such a treat this month...just wait until you see all the goodies coming your way!  As always, the release will go live on the 15th of the month at 10 pm ET.

Today we are sharing projects featuring the new Holly Jolly Holiday and Cheerful Tree sets.