Sponged Embossing

In cardmaking, new products and techniques abound.  When I first saw a Cricut demonstrated on TV years ago, I admit, I scoffed at the very idea.  I'm not laughing now

Four years ago, I tried to talk myself out of wanting a Cuttlebug.  I eventually gave in.  Now I use both that and a Sizzix Big Shot and can't imagine doing without them.  

I do my share of die-cutting these days, but I was first looking for a good embossed image for sponging.  Recently I played with sponging again.  It takes on a new look on kraft paper.

Here I embossed a piece with the Poppy Fields folder from Darice.

I trimmed this and sponging it with Rich Cocoa dye ink.

With pastel pencils, I added color to the poppies and a few of the tall flowers and leaves...

...smoothing and filling it in with a cotton swab.

I used:

Cardstock:  kraft (Hobby Lobby, Inc.), Watercolor Paper stack (Making Memories)

Embossing folder:  Poppy Field (Darice)

Stamps:  Hot Air Balloon Framelits w/stamps set #660690 (Sizzix)

Dye Ink:  Rich Cocoa Memento Dew Drop (Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts)

Dies:  Puffy Cloud Borders (Lawn Fawn)

Chalk Pastel Pencils:  light blue, sap green, orange (General’s)

Sponge dauber (Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts)

Die-cutting/embossing machine (Sizzix)

Brads:  4 copper (Hobby Lobby, Inc.)

Glue dots

Cotton swab

Pastel Pencils

I thought the sand trucks rumbling back and forth up and down our neighborhood were half crazy last night.  We had flurries in the forecast, but it hadn't done a thing all day.  It was just a gorgeous, thick cloudy day--the kind of day that's perfect for cardmaking, sewing, drawing, writing or taking a ride.  Of course, this morning I ended up going out to shovel one and a half to two inches of light, fluffy snow.  

There's still plenty of time to make winter cards.    It's easy to add a snowy look to your cards, using pastel pencils.   This works particularly well on kraft paper.

Stamp trees with dark brown chalk ink (I used Colorbox).  Go over the branches with a light green pastel pencil, and then add white to the tops of branches. Voila!  Snow!

If your more in the mood for spring, add a quick pop of color to a scene like this one.

I kept the color very simple, only accenting the eggs and leaves.

Here I used Martha Stewart's Floral Crochet punch along the edge and added a light blue sheet inside the card.

Thanks for stopping by!

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