Cardmaking - May - sponging

I have been admiring these softly shaded cards on Splitcoast Stampers as well!! I used digital images from CLKER for these cards!! Just love that dress!! You can find it here! The loon, here!

I designed an oval that would fit perfectly on the inside of the Scroll works (CB) embossing folder, printed it on a transparency and cut it out - voila - a stencil for sponging!! I printed the digital images on white cardstock, cut the sheet into quarters and embossed each one with the Scrollworks embossing folder. At class, I provided the stencils, sponges and inks and let each person sponge the frame as they wished. It is best to start sponging gently, from the stencil to the paper. You can mix colours or use different colours to get a very layered look. The image can also be coloured using any other method you desire!!
I mixed a bit of green into the blue for the loon image and it looks good!! To add a little colour to your embossing gently rub your sponge over it. I will be adding a rhinestone to the bodice of the dress and it should make a perfect wedding card!!!

I really like the soft look of sponging so I think I will incorporate that more into my cardmaking. Certainly, have seen others sponging the edges of their layers and greetings which gives a cohesive look to their cards!!

Thrifty tip: I am using the sponges that SU sells - cut into eighths. Just staple on a little cardstock handle in the colour of ink so you can keep them straight. Check out how they did it here! Stored in a baggie they are always ready to go and don't need cleaning!!

If you haven't tried sponging yet, try it!! Stamp an image and use the stencils you have!! Use a die to cut a stencil from scrap plastic - get creative!! Sponging works best with a rounded edged sponge which does not leave lines, so trim the hard edges off your sponge for a better experience.

Therese