UPDATE: Free Downloadable PDF of my chart with color names on it available here!
An ink layering guide using some combinations from my favorite ink! It took me all day, but I played and experimented and came up with some beautiful color combinations. I will continue to build up this guide as I put more colors together (and as more releases). I created several 3 step layering combinations and a few 4 step layering combinations.
You can check out my video by clicking HERE where I go into further detail of how I store and organize my swatches as well as show you my entire layering guide.
Ok Ok! I am aware my butterfly is upside down. My 5 year old pointed that out. Oye. Oh well! LOL! I created the swatches by cutting paper down to 2×2, stamping and writing the combinations on the back side. I store them all in these coin collecting storage pages.
Here are some still shots of my layering guide. My upside down butterflies with no body (lol) reflect 3 layering combinations and the roses reflect 4 layering combinations. The exact colors used are written on the back of each swatch.
A few close ups:
I also created swatches of each ink individually. As I mentioned in my video, I store all my inks together as opposed to by collection (Party or Spa) because I found I was reaching for both collections when layering and ink blending. I labeled my swatches with an “s” so that would tell me that particular color is from the Spa Collection. I used to store my swatches on a book ring (that’s why there are holes in the left corner) but I found that was not as helpful as just being able to flip thru these pages and seeing more colors at one glance. I can also remove and ink and hold it up to other colors since each color/layering combination is stored in its own pocket.
In case you aren’t familiar with the Catherine Pooler ink line, here are few tidbits that make these inks so awesome!
- FOAM ink pads (as opposed to felt) which results in solid, non splotchy images.
- Colored Embossing Ink. The ink stays wet a bit longer than traditional dye inks. You know what that means? You can sprinkle on embossing powder and heat set!
- Water reactive! You can watercolor with them and do other water techniques, such as my favorite – water flicking!
- Blending made easy! The line was created so you can easily create perfectly coordinated projects with matching saturations and tones. (Ink Layering, Ink Blending, etc).
- Large variety of colors with new colors frequently releasing.
- Three Ink Collections: Party, Spa and Neutral. As of 8/13,18, there are 44 colors of inks with more on the way. See the full collection HERE!
- Party = bright vibrant colors (more saturated).
- Spa = muted, soothing colors
- Neutral
MY FAVORITE LAYERING COMBINATIONS IN ORDER OF SWATCHED LAYERING GUIDE ABOVE (ALL INKS ARE LINKED BELOW IN THE SUPPLY LIST):
Page 1:
- Coral Cabana, Rockin’ Red, Over Coffee / It’s a Girl, Coral Cabana, Party Dress / It’s a Girl, Bellini, Over Coffee / Be Mine, Over Coffee, Peppermint Scrub
- Rose Petals, Rockin’ Red, Peppermint Scrub / Bellini, Orange Twist, Tutti Fruitti / Tiki Torch, Tutti Fruitti, Mandarin Spice
- Shea Butter, Sauna, Bellini / Limoncello, It’s a Girl, Grass Skirt / Shea Butter, Stone Blue, Juniper Mist / Garden Party, Lime Rickey, Grass Skirt
- Garden Party, Sea Foam, Aquatini / Lime Rickey, Bellini, Over Coffee / Green Tea, Eucalyptus, Spruce / Mint to Be, Aquatini, All that Jazz
- Mint to Be, Sea Foam, Skylight / Sea Foam, Aquatini, Daydream / Skylight, Daydream, Juniper Mist / All that Jazz, Daydream, Juniper Mist
Page 2:
- It’s a Boy, Stone Blue, Juniper Mist / It’s a boy, Fiesta Blue, Something Borrowed / Fiesta Blue, Something Borrowed, Daydream / Stone Blue, Juniper Mist, Flirty Fuchsia
- Stone Blue, Grass Skirt, Grape Crush / Sweet Sixteen, Pixie Dust, Flirty Fuchsia / Sweet Sixteen, Pixie Dust, Grape Crush / Sweet Sixteen, Flirty Fuchsia, Grape Crush
4 STEP LAYERING GUIDE:
- Party Dress, Be Mine, Peppermint Scrub, Black Jack / It’s a Girl, Coral Cabana, Party Dress, Rockin’ Red / Limoncello, Shea Butter, Bellini, Party Dress / Limoncello, Tiki Torch, Orange Twist, Rockin’ Red
- Shea Butter, Sauna, Party Dress, Rockin’ Red / Mint to Be, Garden Party, Sea Foam, Aquatini / Garden Party, Sea Foam, Aquatini, Grass Skirt / Stone Blue, Garden Party, All that Jazz, Grape Crush
- Mint to Be, Aquatini, All that Jazz, Daydream / Stone Blue, Sea Foam, Fiesta Blue, Daydream / Be Mine, Sweet Sixteen, Flirty Fuchsia, Grape Crush / Sweet Sixteen, Be Mine, Flirty Fuchsia, Juniper Mist
- Sweet Sixteen, Pixie Dust, Flirty Fuchsia, Grape Crush / Bellini, Over Coffee, Icing on the Cake, Midnight
Great post, Laurel! I keep my ink swatches in coin pockets too. But I love the idea of making them for layering options! (And I may need to reorganize mine to put the collections together 🙂
This is brilliant! I have my CP inks swatched in coin pockets too but never thought of creating layering guides.
Thank you for sharing your creativity with us.
Just found Catherine Pooler inks and your blog post. Is the PDF no longer available? Thank you!
Is the PDF still available? The link no longer works. Thanks! 🙂