Thursday, September 1, 2011

Color

My recent Papertrey order included Think Big #7 because, really, can you have too many big sentiments? Of course not, especially when they are just $5. I needed a few get well/thinking of you cards, so I pulled out a floral silhouette stamp from Clear and Simple Stamps and played with color.

First up: Monochromatic


The soft purple here is so soothing and calm. This would be a great card for someone who's going through a really stressful time, especially if there's no quick fix for it, don't you think?


Next: Happy Colors


This card, in contrast, has a lot of energy in the colors. Bahama Blue and Pear Tart are perk-me-up colors, and seem to imply that the illness is short-term and easily overcome.
I once received a sympathy card, handmade by a friend, that really should have been a birthday card. It's cheerful, perky colors shocked me in my grief and felt inappropriate. The friend's expression of sympathy in person was very appropriate, but I still remember that card.

Do colors affect you emotionally, beyond just a personal preference? Do you think about the effect of color and how it relates to the message of your cards, or is that too obsessive-compulsive for you?

Supplies
stamps: CSS, Papertrey
ink: Memento
paper: PTI
accessories: Corner Chomper

17 comments:

  1. These are so gorgeous, and very thoughtful! Big sentiments cover a card very nicely sometimes!

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  2. Love these cards, I was inspired to use this set the other day (my post will go up tomorrow) after I saw one of your other cards and loved it...made me pull this set out right away. Great set!

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  3. Great cards. Love the monochromatic one :) I definitely think about the colours. I think of the colours the person likes so the card I make them has those colours, I think of the occasion for the card and tailor colours for that as well. Actually, did a 50 page paper in university that explained how companies use colours to market their product and how rooms produce different moods based on the colour they are etc. Yes, colour does make a difference :)

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  4. These are both beautiful! I agree that I tend to go more muted in my colours if the prognosis is not so positive. And I really don't get brightly-coloured sympathy cards.

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  5. I can't BELIEVE what a different message is sent by using different colors! Wow, you really bring that message home here. I think we all think about colors when putting together cards, but I don't think I ever realized what a difference colors can make. I do think about what colors to use, but mostly that applies to sympathy cards.

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  6. I love both of your cards. I totally agree with you about colours. Whenever I see a bright coloured sympathy card, I wince.

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  7. Love your cards, yes colour matters and I definitely choose colours for their appropriateness for the occasion.

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  8. Love these and yes, colours do matter to me and I'm very careful what I use when making specific cards. Hearing what you said about being 'shocked' simply confirms that, so I'll continue to be mindful of the occasion x

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  9. Beautiful cards. Perfect. Yes, color affects the "feel" of a card and I do take that into consideration.

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  10. I keep every card & correspondence I get! Except the generic bday card from the Ins. Co. And they really don't know me. lol the only handmade cards I get are from my daughter and I adore them for a couple of reasons. Because she took the time to do it and because she draws the graphics herself and colors them in with limited supplies, but they are wonderful. I'm thrilled to get mail no matter what it looks like, but my mom didn't have time to make a computer generated card, so she took some CS, folded it in half and wrote, Pretend this is a pretty card on the outside. I reall thought, what is the point? But she always sends a card.

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  11. I think I'm getting better at choosing color as I grow as a card maker. Either way, making cards by scratch is far more fun than creating them on the computer from a card program. Recipients seem to enjoy homemade more. I love your cas approach and how you show what didn't work sometimes too. I throw no boo boos away. They will get recycled into something. Collage Maybe...

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  12. Oh that first card is fab! Yes, i do think of colors for the type of situation - hot pink and lime just don't seem to work for sympathy -- ya know.... :)

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  13. My fav is the monochromatic one too. I do use color to personalize my cards. If I know the person likes a particular color, I'll be more likely to use it. If the occasion is somber, my color choices reflect that. If the occasion is festive, festive colors are in order. So I'm with you but I don't call it obsessive compulsive, I call it my "style" ;0)

    Kris in Alaska
    funamom at yahoo dot com

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  14. I'm with the majority - bright, vivid colours are for happy times; soft colours are more appropriate for times when words are harder to find.

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  15. Great cards!! I've read some of the studies about how color (supposedly) affects people and I've always had a hard time believing any of the findings because as far as I've ever been able to tell color doesn't really affect my moods or emotions. I definitely have favorite colors and colors that I don't particularly care for but to me those are just preferences and not choices based on my emotions or moods. But, I do realize that many people out there are certainly more easily influenced than I am.

    I definitely consider the occasion of the card I'm making and choose colors that I deem appropriate for the occasion and that probably applies to sympathy cards even more than most others. Just my opinion, but I think sympathy cards should be generally subdued and more sophisticated and not "in your face"! LOL!!

    I always enjoy the questions you pose and seeing how others respond!!

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  16. Color consideration in card making is a must! I love this monochromatic card!

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  17. Lovely cards. I tend to use subdued colors for sympathy and wedding cards. I like "elegance" for both these occasions, and subdued colors do that for me.

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!