Black and White Layouts

I often say that thing are black and white…no shades of grey. It’s how I often see things in my life. It’s either this or that. Nothing in between. Black and white. In scrapbooking there are so many choices for colors to use that to only use black and white seems to be almost neglectful of your supplies, doesn’t it? You could use a soft orange and apple green or maybe a kraft color. But in reality, in scrapbooking, black and white cardstock layouts can be absolutely stunning!

Why is that, you ask? If you browse through the gallery you’ll find your eyes tend to stop on the layouts that use black or white cardstock for backgrounds. Maybe it’s the punch they pack. They help put the focus onto other colors and elements. Black definitely makes the layout jump off the page. White is crisp, clean and goes with just about anything. Here’s a little more insight into the two colors.

Black
Black is the absence of color; it is conservative and goes with almost any color except an equally dark color. It can be formal. When black is paired with orange Halloween immediately comes to mind. Black looks great with bright colors, yellows, pinks, blues and white. Black-and-white photos tend to look their best on a black background.

Here are some examples using black cardstock as a background. Notice how the photos jump right out at you and the added colors are so defined.

White
White gives the feeling of cleanness, purity and softness. White is the most common neutral. Too much white can be overwhelming to the eye. White paired with black is a great choice as well. White and an icy blue makes you think of winter or snow. It can help tone down brighter colors and unify multi-color palettes.

Here are some examples using white cardstock as a background. Notice how the layouts all feel crisp and clean. Orderly and bright… like everything is in the sun.

I decided to browse through the gallery for more inspiration to share with you. Here are some fantastic layouts that also use black or white cardstock for the background.

• “My Boy” by Add1cted
• “My Heart Belongs to Them” by Kristi 1229
• “Flip
• “Snow Day” by Nora Noll
• “Baby Kisses” by Maureen Spell
• “Beautiful Soul” by ChrissyW
• “3^rd Grade” by Libby Weifenbach
• “ScrappinScans” by Libby Weifenbach

Last, something helpful for those that do see themselves using a lot of black and white cardstock. Consider buying those in larger packs. I normally buy in packs of 25 to 50 since I go through those two colors the quickest of all. Scrapbook.com Superstore has many options for you to chose from. Click here to see some great choices.

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