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Post by scrapcat on Jul 28, 2020 15:26:32 GMT
I am not a very organized swatcher, but have been considering a central location for swatches of inks, markers, paints, etc.
What is your swatch system?
Do you use individual binder clips or a notebook?
Do you keep swatches with the product or have it in hands reach?
Do you swatch alcohol inks only on specialty paper or cardstock?
I am considering getting a mixed media type sketchbook, like a 6x8 from michaels. I want to have all the swatching in one location, but trying to figure how to go about this with leaving room for expansion, etc. Trying to figure out something that can be done cheaply, quickly, easily without a lot invested (time & money).
Would love to hear how some of you have done this....please share!
thanks.
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Deleted
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Nov 19, 2024 8:40:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2020 15:31:29 GMT
I got one of those little index cards on a metal ring. The cards are maybe 2" by 3"? There were 100 in the pack, and each card held 5 colors to be swatched. I did not use both sides. Between alcohol markers and ink, I have filled up about 50% of the pack. I like this way, it is all together and I just hang it on a hook off my cart. www.amazon.com/400-Piece-Scratch-Perfect-Language-Learning/dp/B0788KX8RB |
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Post by lilacgal on Jul 28, 2020 16:36:21 GMT
Swatch all the things! Is my personal motto. I use just regular binders and have swatches in coin page protectors on 2”x2” white pieces of cardstock. I have all my Nuvo Drops swatched, Embellishment Mousse, texture pastes, glitter pastes, glitter markers, loose glitter as well as sequins and confetti, Stickles, embossing powder, inks, and all my Copics. Stickles and Copics are on a single page because I have a printable for each.
I love having it set up like this. I can flip through my notebook and pull swatches to match. Then I just grab them. I can keep things hidden away in drawers since I have the notebook to look through. I’m very much and “outta sight, outta mind” kind of girl. Now supplies can be out of sight but still easy to reference with my notebook. I also take my notebook with me to stores so I don’t double buy things. I can put some pictures on my Instagram if you’d like to see.
I’ve had a couple people swatch like this after seeing my book. If you’ve got a lot of mixed media or inks, it takes a bit of time. Everyone who has done it (or is currently in the process of doing it) really likes what they’ve got.
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Post by scrapcat on Jul 28, 2020 17:24:02 GMT
I got one of those little index cards on a metal ring. The cards are maybe 2" by 3"? There were 100 in the pack, and each card held 5 colors to be swatched. I did not use both sides. Between alcohol markers and ink, I have filled up about 50% of the pack. I like this way, it is all together and I just hang it on a hook off my cart. www.amazon.com/400-Piece-Scratch-Perfect-Language-Learning/dp/B0788KX8RB Those are cute! I do like that size. Swatch all the things! Is my personal motto. I use just regular binders and have swatches in coin page protectors on 2”x2” white pieces of cardstock. I have all my Nuvo Drops swatched, Embellishment Mousse, texture pastes, glitter pastes, glitter markers, loose glitter as well as sequins and confetti, Stickles, embossing powder, inks, and all my Copics. Stickles and Copics are on a single page because I have a printable for each. I love having it set up like this. I can flip through my notebook and pull swatches to match. Then I just grab them. I can keep things hidden away in drawers since I have the notebook to look through. I’m very much and “outta sight, outta mind” kind of girl. Now supplies can be out of sight but still easy to reference with my notebook. I also take my notebook with me to stores so I don’t double buy things. I can put some pictures on my Instagram if you’d like to see. I’ve had a couple people swatch like this after seeing my book. If you’ve got a lot of mixed media or inks, it takes a bit of time. Everyone who has done it (or is currently in the process of doing it) really likes what they’ve got. hmmm...yes this is what I am thinking, like a central location for "all the things". I like the idea of some of it being on individual pieces so you can pull the swatch out. I def have unused binders and things like that. Trying to make it work with what I have. Thanks for the ideas ladies! |
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lindas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304 
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Post by lindas on Jul 28, 2020 18:26:54 GMT
Swatch all the things! Is my personal motto. I use just regular binders and have swatches in coin page protectors on 2”x2” white pieces of cardstock. I have all my Nuvo Drops swatched, Embellishment Mousse, texture pastes, glitter pastes, glitter markers, loose glitter as well as sequins and confetti, Stickles, embossing powder, inks, and all my Copics. Stickles and Copics are on a single page because I have a printable for each. I love having it set up like this. I can flip through my notebook and pull swatches to match. Then I just grab them. I can keep things hidden away in drawers since I have the notebook to look through. I’m very much and “outta sight, outta mind” kind of girl. Now supplies can be out of sight but still easy to reference with my notebook. I also take my notebook with me to stores so I don’t double buy things. I can put some pictures on my Instagram if you’d like to see. I’ve had a couple people swatch like this after seeing my book. If you’ve got a lot of mixed media or inks, it takes a bit of time. Everyone who has done it (or is currently in the process of doing it) really likes what they’ve got. Me too, I use a 3-ring binder with page protectors and divider tabs. So much easier to pickup my binder and flip to the section of say nuvo drops to see what I have. |
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msliz
Drama Llama
The Procrastinator
Posts: 6,419
Jun 26, 2014 21:32:34 GMT
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Post by msliz on Jul 28, 2020 18:52:30 GMT
I've only swatched my Nuvo drops, on white and on black, and I keep the card in the case with the drops. I sometimes wish I kept it on my person so I'd have it when I'm shopping, but I could make a second one if I really wanted to.
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Post by tealpaperowl on Jul 28, 2020 22:05:21 GMT
I use Jennifer Mcguires pro tables and have all my color box, distress and oxide inks swatched. I put them in coin holders and refer to them often  |
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Post by don on Jul 28, 2020 22:26:24 GMT
I think swatches are a very useful tool to have. I have made 5 or 6 over the years. I have no idea of where they are, nor do I remember what they were. I know someday I'll dig around thru all my keepsakes looking for something and find 1 or 2 of them. I'll be sure to let you all know.
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nicolep
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,197
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Post by nicolep on Jul 29, 2020 4:18:50 GMT
As the peas say...this thread is useless without photos! 😂
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Post by gale w on Jul 29, 2020 5:45:17 GMT
I'm using Jennifer McGuire's method of coin pocket pages for cs swatches and inks. Other things are swatched on printouts and put in page protectors. I'll take some pictures.
eta: things like colored pencils, copics, watercolors, and inks, I swatch on the paper I would use most often for them. the rest is just on cheap cs from walmart.
I keep the different types of swatches in different notebooks. I use 1/2" or 1" d ring notebooks. Small ones are a lot easier to handle. It's mostly kept in the same place but my embossing powders, stickles, nuvo dots, etc are in a smaller book so I keep them in a different place.
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Post by gale w on Jul 29, 2020 7:02:14 GMT
cardstock swatches (for most of these I had pieces from swatch rings)  patterned paper (some from scraps and some I just took a punch off the 12 x 12 sheet since I don't really scrapbook anymore)  ink pads  distress inks (I do my oxides and regular distress inks like this)  distress blends (I do these any time I find a blend I like on a card I see online where they mention the colors they used)  distress markers  copics (I also have Sandy Allnock's hex charts)  copic blends  colored pencils (I have a similar one for my prismacolors)  zig clean colors  arteza watercolor markers  All of the above I keep in binders. The following ones are in a business card holder. nuvo drops   stickles  embossing powders  loose glitter  |
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Post by hop2 on Jul 29, 2020 11:30:43 GMT
I think swatches are a very useful tool to have. I have made 5 or 6 over the years. I have no idea of where they are, nor do I remember what they were. I know someday I'll dig around thru all my keepsakes looking for something and find 1 or 2 of them. I'll be sure to let you all know. Yeah that sounds about right. I know that swatch book of Bazzill i made way back when is here somewhere. Lot of good it will do me as most of the colors probably aren’t produced anymore |
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Post by refugeepea on Jul 29, 2020 14:46:50 GMT
The only thing I've done is flipped over my mini ink pads and adhered a stamped image on white cardstock to the bottom. They are stored in mini 3 drawer plastic storage. It's easy enough to pull out a drawer to see the colors I own. It's also a variety of manufacturers, most out of business now, so a swatching system wouldn't help.
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Post by scrapcat on Jul 30, 2020 15:37:24 GMT
gale w - wow so nice! For the distress inks, is that like you swipe the edge, stamp the circle, then do a water color squiggle?
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MDscrapaholic
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,631
Location: Down by the bay....
Jun 25, 2014 20:49:07 GMT
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Post by MDscrapaholic on Jul 30, 2020 16:49:29 GMT
Yeah that sounds about right. I know that swatch book of Bazzill i made way back when is here somewhere. Lot of good it will do me as most of the colors probably aren’t produced anymore I know I made swatch books a long time ago in a swap! Everyone took a couple colors and cut them into small rectangles. I think I punched holes in mine and put them on a ring. |
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Post by gale w on Jul 30, 2020 17:52:24 GMT
gale w - wow so nice! For the distress inks, is that like you swipe the edge, stamp the circle, then do a water color squiggle? Yep, that's pretty much what I did. I used a blending tool to do the edge but it would probably work to just swipe the ink pad too. |
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Post by Embri on Jul 30, 2020 18:39:17 GMT
I'm using a colour swatching die set I got off AliEx. It makes 2x2" squares and a whole variety of squares, rectangles and triangles that can be mix n' matched inside it. At the moment only doing my acrylic paints in three parts. Solid square for masstone, fades over black & white, and a long rectangle with 1, 2, 3 and 4 layers for opacity.  Stored in old slide pages. Some of the bits are curling/loose because I only had them temporarily taped down while settling on a final layout. Gluing is actually today's project!
For mixed media I'd probably pick a planner sized binder. For swatches it's important to be able to rearrange your collection as new samples cycle in/out, and putting like colours together or organizing sets is helpful.
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Post by don on Aug 1, 2020 5:59:38 GMT
Realistically, how often in your crafting time do you actually refer to the swatches? Also, how do you deal with changes and ageing.
Also how much time do you spend constructing the swatch pages, instead of actual crafting? Of course maybe you consider making swatches as crafting.
I think my basic problem is, I don't have the required attention span to make one.
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Chinagirl828
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Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,679
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Aug 1, 2020 10:42:24 GMT
I have my inks swatched on 3x3 pieces of cardstock that I keep in a stack in a little dish on my desk. I wasn't really sure if I would use it when I made it, I did it mostly because I wanted to do something crafty one night but didn't feel like actually scrapping. I have surprised myself with how often I grab those little swatches, and it really helped me see where the gaps in my ink colours are which has then helped me buy better.
They're not bound in any way so it's easy to add in a new colour or remove an old one.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Aug 1, 2020 15:00:10 GMT
Realistically, how often in your crafting time do you actually refer to the swatches? Also, how do you deal with changes and ageing. Also how much time do you spend constructing the swatch pages, instead of actual crafting? Of course maybe you consider making swatches as crafting. I think my basic problem is, I don't have the required attention span to make one. This is me too Don I love the idea, but every time I try or start, I get bored, distracted or overwhelmed. So it’s another one of my start then stop projects that never gets completed. |
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Post by gale w on Aug 1, 2020 16:55:38 GMT
I use the cardstock and ink swatches every time I make a card. When I had them on rings I rarely used them because it was a pain flipping through the ring, one color at a time. I use the oxide blend swatches about 50% of the time. Depends on if I already have an idea of what colors I'm using. I use the coloring medium swatches every time I'm using that particular medium. The ones I use the least (because I don't use those products much) are the stickles, glitter, nuvo drops, etc. It does take time to make them but I enjoy doing it. Since mine are in binders I don't worry about them changing over time.
I also use the swatches when I'm buying something to make sure I don't buy duplicates.
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,083
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Aug 1, 2020 20:58:56 GMT
I nominate gale w & Embri to swatch all my things. I live in northern California, when can you be here? We've been quarantining and only go to the grocery store and swimming lessons once a week. I make really delicious food and cocktails, or if you don't drink my husband makes a mean lemonade.  |
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Post by Embri on Aug 2, 2020 0:01:58 GMT
I nominate gale w & Embri to swatch all my things. I live in northern California, when can you be here? We've been quarantining and only go to the grocery store and swimming lessons once a week. I make really delicious food and cocktails, or if you don't drink my husband makes a mean lemonade. Sorry, but no amount of money or treats would entice me to leave Canada for the USA right now!
To be fair, I don't think anyone would pay for the hours on hours it takes to make a proper swatch book; they're incredibly labour intensive. Cataloguing collections is a full time profession if you've got a lot of stuff.
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,083
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Aug 2, 2020 22:02:52 GMT
My county in California is at the low end of infection rates, you could fly into San Jose no problem!  Seriously though, I do not want to bring anyone into the US because we're a bunch of selfish arseholes who can't follow simple directions AT ALL. Stay safe and stay away from the US!  I nominate gale w & Embri to swatch all my things. I live in northern California, when can you be here? We've been quarantining and only go to the grocery store and swimming lessons once a week. I make really delicious food and cocktails, or if you don't drink my husband makes a mean lemonade. Sorry, but no amount of money or treats would entice me to leave Canada for the USA right now!
To be fair, I don't think anyone would pay for the hours on hours it takes to make a proper swatch book; they're incredibly labour intensive. Cataloguing collections is a full time profession if you've got a lot of stuff.
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Post by scrapcat on Aug 3, 2020 15:55:53 GMT
don Yes, I get that. I tend not to buy full collections of things, if I did, I would just refer to the manufacturer's reference materials. So I don't have that much to swatch. I have various ink cubes and pads from about 10 different manufacturers. I know I have 3 different hues of a certain pink, but I don't remember which one stamps which way. I have to try them out quick. If I had something to refer to, it would save time there. And I've recently become more into mixed media, so have acquired some new, different mediums. Just kind of want to keep track of it too, like others say for duplication purposes. Like Chinagirl828 it will be something to do when I want to do something crafty while watching a movie. Thanks for the ideas....
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Post by hop2 on Aug 4, 2020 11:58:55 GMT
don Yes, I get that. I tend not to buy full collections of things, if I did, I would just refer to the manufacturer's reference materials. So I don't have that much to swatch. I have various ink cubes and pads from about 10 different manufacturers. I know I have 3 different hues of a certain pink, but I don't remember which one stamps which way. I have to try them out quick. If I had something to refer to, it would save time there. And I've recently become more into mixed media, so have acquired some new, different mediums. Just kind of want to keep track of it too, like others say for duplication purposes. Like Chinagirl828 it will be something to do when I want to do something crafty while watching a movie. Thanks for the ideas.... In my experience, if it’s that critical that something turn out just a certain way, then I need to sample it on the current paper I’m using anyway. My issue with ink swatches is that ink looks different and lays different on each paper. I’m normally, 90% of the time, not that fussy and wouldn’t need to swatch something out but for that 10% that is has to be ‘just right’ then the paper will matter as well. My ink collection is not that large anyway perhaps if it were, the nuances of shades would matter to me but right now it doesn’t. It can’t, lol, I only have so many blue inks, I can’t be that choosy. I have 10 archival minis, 2 distress inks. 3 distress oxides 12 Wendi Vecchi inks. And my gray that I use on almost everything. I guess swatches might come into play in a few years? LoL That 10% when something has to be just so is often when I add another ink because I “need” something just so. |
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