Never Out of Style: Gradient papers

Have you seen the ever changing ‘Still Trending’ category of the store? It’s a great way to rediscover some products from the depths of the store that change seasonally but I’m going to highlight some different products that I feel like defy trends. Trends come and go in every facet of life. Some things come back in to style after the trend cycle turns but there are some things that are timeless and so I’m going to share some of those today and in the coming months. I feel like these gradient papers won’t date and are just as beautiful now as when they were released (and maybe like me, you blinked and missed their release).

I don’t think gradients are ever ‘out’ of fashion. Think about where you would see them in nature and how they would elevate a photo. I know a gradient sunset or sunrise sky makes landscapes look more inviting to me than a flat blue or grey sky. Gradients are a great alternative to solids in scrapping as well. They can create a more dynamic vibe, help direct the viewer’s eye through the page design and can combine 2 or more colours. Let’s have a look at some packs and some that you may not have realised contained a gradient or two:

Let’s start with a full pack of gradients by ninigoesdigi. The Papers category in her store is a treasure trove of gradients (they’re under the Solids categoryhere but also have some specific solid coordinating packs). The Chemistry paper pack is full of softer transitions between colours with some tonal shifts that differentiate these from solids, and they are perfect for a range of themes. This is a subtle ease in to gradients if you aren’t used to them. Tiffanyscraps page is as adorable as the title suggests and the background paper is as soft and dreamy as clouds!

This is Memorable Moments: February paper pack. Nini has several in this series using different colour combo’s that are a great stash staple to use in place of solids to change up your pages (and maybe you don’t love using patterned papers, gradients are a step beyond solids but might feel safer!) I used one from this that has more defined blue and pink sections, with a large white transition area between them. This sort of gradient is like using 3 solid strips side by side to me but with no need to shadow it!

Ok, now we’ve had a soft intro, let’s get a bit more intense with the colour. Here garrynkim has used Otterly in Love Gradients and that thin white border line just sets this off for me. The diagonal flow of the photos through the lighter part of the background uses this gradient for maximum impact too, it showcases a great (gradient!) sky in the background of the shot! And Lynnette’s page highlights the more radial colour transition in one of the papers with the cool title work!

This pack called Sunkissed by Pixel Giraffe has several hidden gem papers in it, including the vibrant blue to orange gradient (and all the other papers) i’ve used here. i feel like it ties the colours in the other patterned papers together. It’s also a lesson in store search terms because these gradients are also called ombre papers, and check out the file folder screenshot below that I had to share just so you could see how many hidden gems there really are!

And while I’m highlighting Pixel Giraffe Designs – check out this page by Cristina with one of the Prelude ‘Solids & Ombres’ papers, more gradient goodness! So if you like gradient backgrounds, PGD’s store is also worth a closer look too!

Barely Spring by Studio Kaleidoscope has a few subtle ombres in there as well like this one Angela Toucan has used and the store previews show a few of the other included gradients in action so click through and have a peek for more gradient inspo.

Opposite season but Watercolor Autumn by Kim Jensen is also worth checking out for it’s dreamy gradients with a just painted look- thanks to Monica for pointing this one out to me!

Gina Miller also often includes a gradient of some sort in her paper packs and my faves are multi-coloured and rainbows! Lynnette’s page used one of the vivid ones fromFlorence. And garrynkim has used Hey Lisa and Agnes rainbow papers – and I can’t pick a fave, they all make me happy-sigh.

And let me leave you with one more gem I discovered. This is Disconnected: Gradients by Little Butterfly Wings – quite different transitions between the colours when you see the papers as a whole, and such an easy way to get colour blocks on the page without the need to shadow or even think! I’ve used one (possibly flipped or rotated) for the background of my ‘Scrap Like A Polly’ Blog Challenge page for this month– come join in if you haven’t already for a chance to win a gift card to the store!

Have you got a stash of gradients already? Are they neglected or being utilised? Have you got a fave pack or hidden gem to share? I need to add most of these packs to my stash and I’ve been on a bit of a gradient kick with my pages.

Feel free to share some of your fave gradient background pages with us via the blog comments! Sometimes the most beautiful papers are a bit hidden in the previews! My only problem with these sorts of papers is finding the perfect photos to go with the colours because they’re usually a work of art on their own!