Applying the 60/30/10 Color “Rule” to Nichol’s Needlework Collection

Hello crafters! Joan Bardee here sharing cards made with the darling Nichol’s Needlework collection. The highlight of this collection is a die that creates an embroidery hoop, screw, and “fabric.” Nichol Spohr combined her love of cardmaking and needlework in this collection and I think you are going to love it.

For me, cardmaking is all about color! There is a design “rule” that uses color to help achieve a cohesive or balanced design. The rule is that the primary or dominant color should be 60% of the design, a secondary color 30%, and an accent color 10%. While I’ve been aware of this rule for a while, I find it hard to apply to card making. How do you measure the use of a color? What if we want to use more than 3 colors? Does white count? (Yes). What about rainbow?

So, follow me as I try (somewhat successfully) to apply this rule to these 3 cards. Keep in mind that I have no training in design and am still learning and the point isn’t to follow rules, but to have fun and make something you like.

Floral Hoop

This card uses the main set in Nichol’s Needlework Collection – Gathering Stitches — in the intended way (it’s based on one of the sample cards).  So homey and sweet.

The color palette I chose was green (60%), cream (30%) and red/pink (10%). I also added a small amount of gold. Did I achieve a balance of color here? I think so, but I’m not sure I followed the rule.

The card looks cohesive to me. I tried a cream hoop first, but the red hoop made the card come alive. When you have that “yes!” moment, you probably are on right track with your color choices. The tiny bit of gold is small enough so that it doesn’t really affect the color balance of the card. It’s hard to know whether the pink/red cardstock is only 10% of the card, but I’m not going to worry about it.

• Die cut the needlework hoop from Gathering Stitches in Poppy Field and the “fabric” in Alabaster – the perfect cream cardstock.
• Die cut 4 more times in white so that I would have enough pieces to stack the dies and form a thick hoop.
• Die cut the flowers and stems from Gathering Stitches in green and 3 shades of pink cardstock from the Meadow Collection and assembled the flowers.
• Die cut the needle from the Needleworker Tool Kit Etched Dies in Gold Matte Metallic cardstock and the hoop fastener and the center of the flowers with Glitter Metallic cardstock. Both are from the Gold Assortment Treasured Cardstock.
• Ran the Branching Out Embossing Folder through the Platinum 6 with white cardstock and then blended various shades of green ink on the panel.
• I wanted a sentiment that included a reference to the “homemade” nature of the design, so I chose Handmade for You from Mini Everyday Sentiments Hot Foil Plate & Die Set and foiled it in shiny gold on Alabaster cardstock.
• Assembled as shown.

Tip: If you struggle with ink blending, try the Spellbinders Large Blender Brushes. They are super soft, and I’ve found that I get a much smoother result. Plus, the large size is perfect for ink blending an entire cardfront.

NOT A NEEDLEWORK DESIGN

My next card uses the needlework hoop and fabric die from Gathering Stitches, but just as a pretty landing point for the flowers.

Color choices were meant to be white 60%, red 30% and cream 10%. Did I achieve that balance? I only used 3 colors and the red fabric circle anchors the card, but it looks like the cream might be more than 10%? But if it is, it’s not by much. I think it works. In fact, I love this card!

How do you measure to make sure you reach this balance? I look at the card and try and eyeball the color ratio.

• Die cut the hoop and fabric in Poppy Field cardstock and again in Alabaster cardstock.
• Die cut flowers from Fresh Picked Buttercups several times in white cardstock and adhered 3 layers for each flower.
• Adhered flowers with foam tape making sure to move them around to fit right into the fabric circle.
• Adhered gems to centers of flowers.
• Added sentiment from Kaleidoscope Arch Sentiments Clear Stamp Set stamped in red.
• Adhered the Poppy Field circle with the white flowers onto a white square panel of cardstock with foam tape.
• Glued the Alabaster hoop around the red circle.
• Adhered that panel onto an Alabaster square card.

TIP: Square cards work particularly well with a circular focal point.

NEEDLEWORK TOOLS

I wanted to use the needlework tool dies as the focus of a card as I just love them. This layout was inspired by several “2 over 2 grid” designs by Yana Smakula. You can find a few of them here and here. It’s a fabulous layout.

Color choices were supposed to be green 60%, pink 30%, and white 10%. There is also a lot of that beautiful rose gold metallic paper and it’s more than an accent. I don’t think this card achieved the 60/30/10 goal. It needs more pink, particularly on the bottom of the card. It doesn’t look balanced.

And what about the rose gold pieces? The 60/30/10 rule is a guide. There are no color police that bar additional colors and in fact, always sticking to 3 colors is a recipe for boring. But the rose gold is not as effective here as it could be, in part because the other colors don’t look balanced. I think white spools instead of rose gold ones would have been better.

Working with this rule remains a bit of a mystery to me. But I’m not worrying about it. For me, cardmaking is playtime and every card doesn’t have to be perfect.

• Cut 4 pieces of cardstock 3” x 4” in two shades of green and taped them together with Best Ever Craft Tape on the back so that they formed a grid.
• Die cut with a rectangle die, making sure to place the die so that spot where all four pieces meets was in the center of the rectangle.
• Die cut another piece of green cardstock with the same rectangle die and glued it to the grid panel for stability.
• Stamped and embossed in white a sentiment from Parcel & Post Sentiments Clear Stamps onto top left grid.
• Die cut all the pieces in Needlework Tools with Rose Gold Matte Metallic cardstock.
• Die cut flowers and leaves from Gathering Stitches and Faux Embroidered Pumpkin Etched Dies in white and greens.
• Assemble using tiny slivers of foam tape and added some gold gems to the centers of the flowers.

Tip: What about rainbow-colored cards? How does that work with the 60/30/10 rule? A nature-based rainbow scheme in cardmaking breaks the rule and that’s ok. Nature knows what it is doing. And all that really matters is that the design is pleasing to the eye, which is the point of the rule.

Thank you, Spellbinders, and thank you for reading along!

Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies

Paper trimmer; inks, cardstock, centering ruler, foam tape, embossing powder