Totally Techniques Stampin' Up! International Demo Blog Hop

Bokeh Technique using Stampin' Up! Beautiful Day

Welcome to our monthly Totally Techniques Demonstrator Blog Hop. We're sharing the Bokeh Technique this month which is really simple.  All you need is to create a WOW background and possibly add some images like my Stampin' Up! Beautiful Day butterfly and you are half way there. The finishing touch and the Bokeh part is to add dreamy circles like bubbles in the air. 

To do this I used a self made stencil using circle punches of different sizes and I punched holes in a piece of vellum.  If you are careful you can use thinner window sheet, but need to try it in one corner with an old punch first as the sheet may be more than your punches can handle.   Once your back ground is dry you can add the bokeh.  My background  was created on water colour paper by first stamping and heat embossing the butterfly with silver embossing powder. I covered this to then shield it from the water i added with an aqua painter brush and then sprinkled Prussian Blue Brusho Crystals on and allowed them to spread through the water.  I left some with very little water so as to create to speckled effect in the top left hand corner.  You can remove excess water with a piece of kitchen towel and add more if required.   To add the bokeh you then need to use a sponge and add white craft ink using the stencil you have made. Add little as you can always add more, but you can't take it off .  Overlap circles and sizes to create the effect. 

I've mounted my artwork onto Lemon Lime Twist card and also a piece of silver foil card. The sentiment is from Another Wonderful Year which is another new set. It comes as one long sentiment so I just stamped the 'Just a Friendly' part in Blueberry Bushel on a narrow strip of whisper white then also stamped the last word of the stamp in Lemon Lime Twist and punched it out with a 1" circle and added it to the end of the original strip.  You can also then add rhinestones or some of the new Stampin' Up! self adhesive sequins and ribbons to enhance your design.  

You're off next to Shannean's beautiful blog down under in Australia.  Have fun.  

Zoe x

Stampin Up Rose Wonder - just right for a Ring of Roses

Stampin' Up! Rose Wonder
It's time for a challenge at Moving Along with the Times.  Our theme this month is Ring 'o Roses and I've used the Stampin Set Rose Wonder with co-ordinating Rose Garden thin lets to make my card.

I've cut flowers from the smallest die in the set and added half inch circles to the reverse in pink pirouette.  Each flower is then attached to a ring of silver thread to make my ring o' roses!

To create the simple background I made a stencil by punching different sized circles in a piece of thin window sheet and then added whisper white craft ink through the stencil using a Stampin' Up! sponge across the diagonal of a piece of pink pirouette card stock.  I also used one of the retired stencils from the Christmas catalogue to add some blushing brides dots.  A handful of rhinestones to give that bit of bling I so love and my layers are mounted onto a blushing bride card base.  I used the Project Life corner rounder to just soften the right hand bottom corners.   The white dots are done in a Bokeh style way with no other colour beneath just the card stock.  It's quite effective, but very simple to do.

Please do pop over to MAWTT to join our challenge and see all the DT cards and projects for more inspiration.

Hugs Zx