Color Blocking Is Alive and Well

Some may view color blocking as a technique that is old and stale, but actually the technique is still alive and well in the scrapbooking world. Recent articles in industry magazines suggest that there is a "return to basics." Yet, I don't think the basics ever really left; the basics are just camouflaged with newer embellishments and new trendy names.

Color blocking, as the name suggests, refers to the blocks of color onto which you mount your photos and journaling. Looking through older idea books and older layouts in scrapbook galleries, you see a plethora of color-blocked layouts, most often using blocks of solid-colored cardstock for the background. Today, with the multitude of pretty patterned papers, the same basic techniques in color blocking are used with patterned papers and trendy embellishments to get a fresh new look.

One of my favorite artists, Ramona Greenspan, is a master of color blocking. In Making Lanyards, Ramona used three horizontal blocks on her page. The top block is patterned paper, and the next two blocks are solid cardstock. She embellished with buttons and rickrack to complete a fun colorful page.

Ramona employed color blocking in another way in her layout, Camo. She started with her background paper, and then added three blocks at the bottom: the photo, the text and the colorful patterned paper.

Note, however, that in Building Castles, Ramona used only cardstock to make a stylish layout. The addition of ribbon, photo corners, buttons, flowers and a journaling tag completed the page. The angled blocks enhance the page even more.

Shaniqua Young (slyscrapper) used the timeless technique in Cousins At First Glance. Note how she used blocks of coordinating patterned papers to make her background before adding the photos. She journaled on an overlay and then attached the journaling block to the page.

I created two layouts for this assignment. In All Boy, I used two patterned papers on a solid cardstock to design the visual blocks. I added a stamped title, buttons and journaling on a die-cut embellishment and then I inked the edges to give definition to the page.

Similarly, I used two patterned papers and a solid cardstock in the layout Dean Sisters. Hand-cut flowers, brads, stamps and rub-ons transformed an old technique to an up-to-date look.

Plan a Page templates by EK Success can be used as a guide for color blocking. Each block on the template can represent a photo, a block of paper or text. You can rotate or flip the templates to get different looks with the same basic design.

The Scrapjazz gallery is filled with other examples of color blocking. Take a look at Nora Noll's Twinkletoes and Peanut Butter, Ali Lipton's digital creation Moment to Treasure, Tara Daigle's Summer Scowl, and Trish Dykes' Find Joy for additional inspiration. I challenge you to try color blocking on your next layout and then upload your layouts in the Scrapjazz gallery. I can't wait to see your pages!