stampin’ up!’s color evolution – a little history lesson

As we enter our 35th year in business and I enter my 23rd year with Stampin’ Up! In June I thought it would be fun to take a look at our fascination with color! I believe one of the reasons this company is strong and continues to be is definitely multi-faceted – great leadership and great products but our color coordination is second to none! It is one of the many things I love about this company, the colors are both classic and trendy, and the color coordination among our product lines is outstanding.

It is hard to fathom that 35 years ago, the company was founded with not one of their own ink colors in 1988! Stampin’ Up! didn’t release their own line of signature alitereral colors until their 1997-1998 catalog. In this catalog they introduced four color families Bold Brights, Rich Regals, Soft Subtles and Earth Elements – I am proud to say I remember those color families and still refer to myself as a BOLD BRIGHT GIRLS!!
They started from the very first release with their fascination with alliteration of color names with Old Olive, still around today as one of the original colors, Taken with Teal, Summer Sun, Yo Yo Yellow, Brilliant Blue and many others.
The original color families started with these colors:

Bold Brights: Glorious Green, Green Galore, Gable Green, YoYo Yellow, Only Orange, Rocket Red, Pink Passion, Positively Pink, Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, Brilliant Blue and Tempting Turquoise.

Rich Regals: Not Quite Navy, Eggplant Envy, Forest Foliage, Baroque Burgundy, Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Rose Red, Brocade Blue, Rose Romance, Ballet Blue, marvelous Magenta and Taken with Teal.

Soft Subtles: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Blush Blossom, Mellow Moss, Barely Banana, Sage Shadow, Lavender Lace, Mauve Mist, Almost Amethyst, Mint Melody, Bliss Blue, and Pretty in Pink.

Earth Elements: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Really Rust, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Summer Sun, Luscious Lime, Old Olive, Garden Green, Going Grey, and Basic Black.

We have gone through several color refreshes, in 2005, 2010, 2013, 2018 and 2023.

We introduced the idea of hot trendy colors collections that would be around originally for just a year in 2006 with the first In Color Collection of six colors. We later changed the program to 5 colors to remain for 2 years alternating with a second color collection in 2010.
Today I have put together charts of the In Color Program starting with the six 2006 In Color Collection featuring: Vintage Violet, Buckaroo Blue, Cool Caribbean, Marigold Morning, True Thyme and Cranberry Crisp.

In 2007 we released the second one year collection of 6 In Colors featuring: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, River Rock, Groovy Guava, and Purely Pomegranate.

In 2008 we released another one year collection of 6 In Colors featuring: Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point and Pink Pirouette. Pacific Point would re-emerge as a Core Color in the 2010 Color reset and remain a staple until 2018 as would Pink Pirouette.

In 2009 we released our last one year collection of 6 In Colors featuring: Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo and Dusty Durango. These colors were so popular that many became Core Colors in the 2010 Color Reset everyone but Dusty Durango!

In 2010, Stampin’ Up! introduced the current structure for In Color Collections remaining for two years and alternating the next year with another new collection!
2010-2012 set included: Poppy Parade, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz. Poppy, Blushing Bride and Pear pizzazz returning as Core Colors in the 2013 Color Reset!

The 2011- 2013 In Colors included: Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder. Calypso Coral, Pool Party and Blushing Bride joined the Core Color Collection in 2013.

The 2012-2014 In Colors featured: Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, and Gumball Green.

The 2010 Color Rest added new Core Colors Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight Marina Mist and Early Espresso

In 2013-2015 Stampin’ Up!’s In Color Collection included: Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding and Strawberry Slush. Adding Coastal Cabana to the Core Color Collection in 2018’s Color Reset.

2014-2016 In Colors added Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow and Tangelo Twist to the In Color Collection.

Blackberry Bliss and Lost Lagoon eventually were added as Core Colors in 18 and 23, respectively.

2015 – 2017 brought Watermelon Wonder, Cucumber Crush, Delightful Dijon, Mint Macaron and Tip Top Taupe to the In Color mix. Stampin’ Up! added mint Macaron to the Core Color Collection in 2018.

2016-2018 In Color Collection featured: Dapper Denim, Emerald Envy, Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach, and Sweet Sugarplum adding Flirty Flamingo to the Core Colors in 2018.

in 2017, we added Berry Burst, Fresh Fig, Lemon Lime Twist, Powder Pink and Tranquil Tide to the In Color Collection keeping Berry Burst and Lemon Lime Twist eventually in Core Collection Resets last year.

2018-2020 broughtLovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Blueberry Bushel and Call Me Clover to the In Color Collection and we called Blueberry Bushel back to the Color rest in 2023.

We added new colors to the Core Collection in 2018 including: Soft Sea Foam, Shaded Spruce, Petal Pink, Merry Merlot, Mango Melody, Highland Heather, Gray Granite, Granny Apple Green, Gorgeous Grape and Balmy Blue.

2019-2021 In Colors featured Purple Posy, Seaside Spray, Rococo Rose, Terracotta Tile and Pretty Peacock and brought Pretty Peacock to the Color Reset last year in 2023.

2020-2022 In Colors included: Bumblebee, Cinnamin Cider, Just Jade, Magenta Madness, and Misty Moonlight and added Misty Moonlight to the Color Reset in 2023.

2021-2023 In Colors brought: Polished Pink, Pale Papaya, Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent and Fresh Freesia , keeping Fresh Freesia in 2023.

My personal favorite set of In Colors will be retiring in May! The 2022-2024 In Color Collection features Sweet Sorbet, Parakeet Party, Tahitian Tide, Starry Sky and Orchid Oasis. These colors will no longer be available after April 30th so if you need anything, I would recommend ordering some as they are getting low in some inventories and when they are depleted they are SOLD OUT! The current hostess code in EGCF9KYB.

Last Years set of In Colors contained great neutrals including: Copper Clay, Wild Wheat, Boho Blue, Moody Mauve and Pebbled Path! These colors will be here until 2025 and the end of the upcoming catalog.

And the In Colors to debut with the upcoming 2024-2025 Annual Catalog are the 2024-2026 In Colors! Introducing Peach Pie, Petunia Pop, returning original color Pretty in Pink for an encore as this new batch of In Colors, Shy Shamrock and Summer Splash!

If you want to see this colors in person and are in the area, I will be hosting a New Catalog Open House on May 1st! Come join the fun!
1-3pm message me for the details at nataliestamps@aol.com!

Hope you enjoyed this color evolution and stroll down memory lane.

This upcoming catalog features a very cool color theory section with an awesome color wheel that talks about monochromatic, complementary, analogous and triadic color combinations! I absolutely LOVE the upcoming catalog and the new way it is designed!

Don’t have a demonstrator and live in the US? Let me know if you would like to have your own copy of the new catalog once it is released and I will send you one!

I am excited to show it to you at my Open House! See you on May 1st!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie