End of the Week Technique #42- Creating Backgrounds With Sponges ?NAC #6

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! Just one more day until the weekend! Woo-Hoo! I can hardly wait. The weekend is my time to stamp and I love having that un-interrupted time.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I find that in the search for bigger and better and more impressive, I forget about the basic, simple, easy things that can often have just as big of an impact if not more. That's how today's card and technique came about. I was working on a card for Nacho Average Challenge's Color Challenge and thought I would brayer the background. Have I mentioned lately how much I dislike color challenges? Oh, that's right, I haven't done one for two weeks since NAC's last color challenge. Lol! Any-whoo the brayering was not working for me so I decided to go low-tech and sponge the colors on. Score!!! While, I'm not happy with the front of the card overall, I'm very happy with how the technique portion turned out. I'm trying to figure out how to change the front, so there may be an updated post soon. But, you know how I roll- I give you the good with bad. Luckily, I don't think there's too much of the "bad" hanging around on my site.

Here's today's card-

Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats Stamp Set and Sponged Background

I'm not sure what, exactly, it is that I'm unhappy with here on the front. I sponged the outside of my focal piece after the DSP layer was already adhered, so maybe the DSP just needed some sponging too. Maybe it's the Night of Navy as the base, although I really like it on the inside. I think I'm going to try this again with Rich Razzleberry for the base. I'll have to figure something out, because I actually like the color combo, just not what I did with it. :(

What I am happy about is my sponged and stamped area, although even that I have plans to improve. Sometimes that darn OCD is soooo annoying! Here's a close-up-

After the brayering debacle, I decided I would try sponging on the colors I wanted and see if I could create a cool background that way. What do you think? I think it's pretty cool....(Read in a Boris Karloff kind of Creepy voice) Darkness descends, and a crow sits in inky shadows on the wrought iron fence......Bwah-ha-ha.... BOO! : D HAHAHAHAHA! Don't you just want to know what's waiting behind that fence?

Just in case you haven't figured out exactly what the color challenge was this week, here's the answer-

I sponged layers of these three colors onto a piece of Whisper White c/s and then stamped my image over that in Night of Navy. I then cut it out with my second smallest framelet and then sponged the edges in Night of Navy and adhered it to my base with Dimensionals.

I think when I re-do this I will add a little VersaMark and Clear Embossing Powder to my stamped image so it stands out even more. I wasn't sure how this technique was going to turn out but in the end I think it really adds something nice to my card.

Here's the inside-

Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Toxic Treats Stamp Set

I stamped the sentiment in Night of Navy and sponged all around the edges with the same color. Then I stamped my sweet little froggy-

I just couldn't do an Ugly Frog... you never know, he could be a Handsome Prince, under a Wicked Witch's Evil Spell. What?!? It could happen. Ok, he's probably not a Handsome Prince but that doesn't mean he can't be a Handsome Frog. I stamped him in Lucky Limeade and let Tink work her magic and Abra-Cadabra. Ooooohhhhh-Aaaaahhhhh! That's right, I'm magical like that!

Ok- So here's what you need for this technique- Sponges, Ink pads in the colors of your choice, Cardstock and a Stamp Set.

Here's what you do-

1- Apply your color. I started at the bottom and worked my way up but you could also probably start in the middle. You just want to make sure you blend your colors in so you don't have any sharp lines.
2- After inking my sponges up, I dabbed them lightly on my grid paper so I would  have even coverage. I chose to pounce lightly first and then swipe and swirl the sponge over each area to blend. Alternatively you could just swirl your color starting off the c/s and moving on to it. This will avoid any "harsh" lines where you first start.
3- Layer your colors and continue to blend until you have the desired shading.
4- Stamp your image

Alternatively you could stamp with your chosen color and VersaMark and then apply Embossing Powder and then Heat Set your image. After doing this you could then add your colors as if you were doing an Emboss Resist and wipe any excess color off the top of your stamped image.

5- Add your piece to your card/project and smile when you see what you've created. As always, smile even more when you think about the joy that receiving this little piece of handmade love will bring to someone.

That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to try something new today whether it's a technique or a challenge or even something non stamping/creatively related. I hear there are those kinds of things out there. :) As always if you create something using this technique I'd love to see what you make!

I love hearing from you, so if you have comments or questions about today's card or technique be sure to leave me a comment. I read all of them and they really do make my day. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy day and stopping by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Leaning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe-
Shan

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