Video: Catherine Pooler Ink Layering Guide

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