Sympathy Card

Unfortunately I have needed to make two sympathy cards this Christmas. this was the first one,
Using the Bokeh technique I created the background.
If you are unfamiliar with this technique it very easy to do.

It is created by sponging two or three colours of ink over white card stock in patches until you can no longer see the white card stock.
The next step is to dry the card either using a heat gun or allowing the card to completely dry naturally.

Once the card is dry you can start the next step.
Punch several different size holes in  a sheet of acetate or vellum to create a masks.   Place the mask over the coloured card and  fill in the aperture with white pigment ink and a sponge dauber. Repeat this process using at least three different size apertures. Overlap the circles occasionally, but be sure to use a dabbing motion when applying the  ink over the overlaps or you will lose the overlap effect.

Dry the card with a heat gun or naturally, Be aware that the white pigment ink takes a lot longer to dry thoroughly. Once it is dry, I advise you wipe over the area with an embossing buddy. (chalk powder filled bag).  Your card stock is ready to be over stamped.
I stamped the ferns on this card using Mellow moss, Always artichoke and black ink.

For my second card  I used the same technique and colours, but changed the size of the white card stock to a 6x6   square and added one more step, which was to stamp the fern  or just a small part of it again using Versamark ink and heat embossed using gold embossing powder. Before  doing this step it is essential that you use an anti static bag  before stamping with Versamark and heat embossing.

Bokeh Technique Card.

I have seen this Bokeh technique being shown on on various websites  and decided to have ago. It's a technique  used in photography (blurred lighting)  but someone has come up with a way of creating a similar effect using paints or inks. I used inks and ink dusters for this one but you can use sponge and ink or water colours.  

Painting will take longer  as you'll need to leave your paper to dry much longer. If you're impatient  like me use ink.

It's simple to do and very effective.

You start by colouring your paper  with paint or ink and blend the areas where the colours meet.

Once dry you take some pieces of card or acetate with different size holes punched in them and lay them over your coloured card stock and  dab white ink through the holes, varying  the density of the white ink and then allow the white ink to dry completely before  working with your bokeh background paper.

NB...Over stamping can lift some of the white ink leaving your over stamping looking patchy.

I used a dandelion clock  to stamp over one of the large circles with the hope the white circle background would give the fuzziness of a real Dandelion clock... not sure this worked  to well. 

The sentiment Make a Wish  from stampin' up was just perfect for this card. 

How many of  you remember making a wish a blowing the seed heads as you did so.

I hate to say this but every now and again,  I still make a wish when blowing the seeds off... How sad is that.

Hubby's comment on this.... This is different and Not you!!!  and he is so right,  it is so NOT me. But sometimes it's good to try new and different things.