Yellows: Orange, Lemon, Bananna
Blues: Aquamarine and Sky
Reds/Purples: Fuscia, Dragon Fruit
Neutrals: Sand, Coconut Brown
Sundrop by Lynita Chin
Warm, bright and fun, this layout just screams with energy. Fuchsia pink, lime, lemon and orange—colors that represent the tropics—accentuate the excitement of Lynita’s children while sharing a favorite vacation treat.
Supply Credits Patterned paper: paper salon, Fancy Pants Designs; My Mind’s Eye/Every Day Tango; Alphabet stickers: DoodleBug Design Inc.; Gems: My Mind’s Eye/Bohemia: Other: Dymo tape
Congratulations
by Heather Taylor
Using the relative warmth of the orange paper and balancing it with a cool color such as blue shows how well warm and cool colors naturally work together. When paired with tropical-inspired pattern paper and an Indian-based motif, this project imparts a tropical feel without overwhelming the senses.
Supply Credits Cardstock: Unknown; Patterned paper: Paper Salon; Stamp: Art Neko (Henna Hand), Savvy stamps (congratulations); Inks: Versacraft Black; Embossing powder: Moon Glow in Morning Glory Azure Teal; Other brads and orange-painted background with acrylic paints with gold
TIP Tropical layouts featuring oranges, reds and vibrant pinks will all feel warm, and by using these colors you can brighten up an otherwise ordinary photograph. You can also create tranquil tropical layouts reminiscent of a cool evening sunset by balancing the cool color of aqua with some neutral colors like sand and coconut brown and a warmer tone like burnt sienna to create a layout that is pure tropical Asia.
Jaylene’s Beads by Julie Kosolofski-Kuo
Using the red, green and raspberry/purple colors found in the dragon fruit, Julie took a challenge I gave her to use these colors in a layout. Julie’s layout is grounded by the use of light-colored kraft cardstock holding the three colors together without competing for attention. It is easy to see that lime green, raspberry and red are all warm colors, and the brown acts as a soothing complement.
Supply Credits Cardstock; Patterned paper: Creative Imaginations/Christine Adolph (pink wash), Green Tea Squared; Stamp: Heidi Swapp (Drama); Monogram: Colorbok; Letter stickers
Cinnamon and Sapphire
The Colors of India
India is a nation of color where roses and marigolds are used for celebrations and offerings, brides are adorned in red silk saris and textiles of every color in the spectrum are seen on the streets. Many people think of the spice colors of cinnamon, turmeric, mustard and red chili in connection with India; but I also tend to think of women in their bright jewel-toned saris, in colors of sapphire blue, turquoise, amethyst purple and emerald green.
The women of Rajasthan, India, are renowned for their love of color and will wear brightly colored saris, even when working in the cotton fields. While in Singapore’s Little India, I purchased a few silk scarves that remind me of these saris—scarves in deep dark luxurious ruby, turquoise and purple adorned with golden paisley patterns. Working with these rich colors is inspiring!
How we use colors in our crafts can change the way that a project is interpreted. We know that warm colors such as yellow, red and orange add energy to a project and that the cool colors of blue and green tend to calm us down and center us. Rich deep colors such as the jewel tones impart an air of luxury and elegance to the projects and are wonderful when paired with glitter, gold and rhinestones.
Just as in other parts of Asia, colors in India are also associated with certain meanings. In India the color red, as in much of the rest of the world, represents sensuality, but did you know that the color also represents purity? When a bride wears red in India it symbolizes both purity and passion, as well as devotion between two people and fertility and prosperity. Blue, another popular color in India, is the color of Krishna and the color of peaceful change. The color of saffron also holds religious meaning in India, indicating joy, festivity and happiness. Green symbolizes fertility and nature. It is not surprising to see bold combinations of color in India, but as in China, the Indian people do not use the color black except to ward off evil; and, contrary to Western culture, white is the color of mourning.
INDIAN COLORS
India is a land filled with a multitude of color, but most people identify the spice tones and handsomely adorned women in silk saris when they think of India. To bring a bit of Indian inspiration to your projects, consider using the following colors:
Spice: Cinnamon (reddish brown), Tumeric (bright yellow), Ginger (pale yellow), Green Peppercorn, Chili Red
Jewel Colors: Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue, Amethyst Purple, Ruby Red
Chelsea by Sharon Chan
Sharon used a solid ocean blue cardstock as the base for this Indian-inspired layout. Her choice of bright pink, green and orange color accents was inspired by the vivid look of Indian saris. When coupled with the screen-printed transparencies from Hambly Studios resembling Indian prints and textiles, the Indian feel is complete.
Supply Credits Cardstock: WorldWin; Transparencies: Hambly Studios; Letter stickers: American Crafts; Bling: Heidi Swapp
Indian Princess by Nishi Varshnei
This bold layout showcases the spice colors of India and the adept use of recycled fabric. In this project Nishi had some leftover fabric that matched the dress worn by her daughter in the picture. A perfect case of environmental scrapbooking!
Supply Credits Cardstock; Indian cotton fabric; Computer journaling
Focus by Nishi Varshnei
The tourmaline pink in the background of the patterned paper coordinate with the pink Indian clothes in the picture. The layout uses the complementary accents of green and teal.
Supply Credits Cardstock: Patterned paper: BasicGrey; Others: Letter stickers, ribbon, tags
Source It!
Autgreat source of inspiration for ethnically themed projects can be found as close as your local interior design center, import store or home design magazine. The use of brightly colored silk pillows with metallic trim is a great jumping-off point for using jewel tones. Look at the layouts in the magazines and don’t be afraid to borrow color combinations. Asian-style home décor is a great place to start your journey into scrapping Asian style.
Goddess by Kristy Harris
This layout was inspired by a photograph of an Indian shrine. The flowers, gems and vividly brilliant jewel colors highlight the dramatic nature of my daughter Kiera posing for the camera.
Supply Credits Cardstock: Bazzill; Flowers: Prima, mjdesigns; Ink: VersaMagic (bronze); Crystals: Swarovski, Making Memories; Crystal flowers: mjdesigns; Patterned paper: BasicGrey; Letter stickers: American Crafts/Thickers; Silver photo corner; Far Flung Craft; Other: Sequins
Bollywood Babes
by Wendy Steward
This layout by Wendy is an inviting example of an analogous color combination. Analogous