It may sound odd, but adding black to your cards can actually enhance the colors in your cards! I have a few examples to share of cards where I used black to bring out the cards’ colors.
In these first two examples, I have used black to stamp the main focal points. The first stamp is from The Ton Stamps and I used Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens to color the flower. This type of minimal coloring really helps to highlight the focal point, and against a black card, it really pops. The die cut is from Crafter’s Companion. The second card does have more color added to the background with Distress Oxide’s, but I used a black layer behind the top layer to brighten the colors. This stamp is from L’il Inker Designs
The next two cards were colored onto black cardstock! I bet you didn’t think you could even do that! They are both taken from paper pads by Crafter’s Companion. The first was colored with metallic pencils from Spectrum Noir, and to be honest, this picture doesn’t even do it justice. I love the way this card turned out! The second card was colored with metallic crayons also from Spectrum Noir and Crafter’s Companion. The metallic colors on both cards really stand out against the black cardstock.
The next card demonstrates a few techniques. First, embossing on black cardstock really highlights the details. This particular embossing folder is called “Indian Summer” and it is a 3D folder by Crafter’s Companion and it is loaded with intricate details. I then added Guilding Wax to not only bring out all of the details but also to add pops of color. This is probably one of the quickest and easiest ways to make a dramatic card.
The last few cards definitely show the most color and are the boldest by far. All use black elements and all used full card/cover panel dies.
The top left card uses the Square and Chevrons die from Neat and Tangled. The background has been blended with Distress Oxide’s, but even though the color is really on the background, it pops as if it was intended to be the main focus. That is the benefit of using black against colors. The lower left is the opposite of the top card. The back panel is black and the die cut by Papertrey Ink has been colored again with Distress Oxide inks. The contrast of the black against each of the colors really stands out. The last card on the right was colored in a pattern using the blending tool to create circles. If you look closely at the stamping you can see the pattern. The cover die is by Neat and Tangled and it is called Geometric circles. This was cut in black cardstock and each of the gaps filled in with Ranger Glossy Accents to give a stained glass look. The black really helps to define the “windows”. The sentiment is a Diamond Press Die by Crafter’s Companion.
These are just a few examples of the types of cards you can create using black cardstock. Next time you are crafting, think about how you can incorporate black to enhance the colors of your card! Happy Crafting!
Cards By DeCaro 