It's nearly the Fall, and as it turns out I can't resist some Sponge Dauber Shading on my Fall leaf cards. Last Fall I created a dahlia card with the beautiful Delicate Dahlias stamp set. The dahlias were colored using sponge daubers and different colored inks, and it turned out perfectly!
You can read the details of this card (and watch a video tutorial) here.
So fast forward now to this year, and wouldn't you know, that same technique is perfect for the Soft Seedlings stamp set, found in the July-December Mini Catalog.
Isn't it pretty? It's a distINKtive stamp set, just like the Delicate Dahlia set. Stampin' Up!® describes our distINKtive stamps this way:
"Get photo-realistic style images with Distinktive stamps, available only from Stampin’ Up! Distinktive stamps have a special texture that gives added depth and dimension in a single step. They’re available in red rubber and photopolymer; look for the Distinktive icon. Distinktive patent pending."
To me these stamps are so detailed, shaded, and real looking, that you can barely screw them up when you stamp them. It's just perfect.
So here I am with a new distINKtive Fall leaf stamp set, and my resolve to do something different much of the time just disintegrated into thin air. Go figure. This technique is just that fantastic, and especially in Fall colors. Out came the Sponge Daubers and the Crumb Cake, Merry Merlot, Cajun Craze, and Crushed Curry ink. Here was my process:
Ink the leaf stamp with Crumb Cake ink, specifically making sure the stem and seeds have ink.
Use a Sponge Dauber with Merry Merlot ink to shade the bottom of the leaf - putting the ink directly on the stamp.
Use a Sponge Dauber with Cajun Craze ink to shade more of the leaf.
Use a Sponge Dauber with Crushed Curry ink to shade the tips of the leaf.
Stamp the stamp onto a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.
The results are stunning.
I added a little Gold Foil, vellum, a leafy embossing folder, and BAM! Pure gorgeousness!
To make this card, you'll need the following...
Thick Very Vanilla cardstock:
-4 1/4" x 11"
Very Vanilla cardstock:
-2 7/8" x 3 5/8"
Gold Foil Paper:
-3" x 3 3/4"
Vellum cardstock:
-3 3/8" x 4 1/8"
You can watch me create this card by watching this video:
For a full list of supplies I used on this card and links to my online store, see below.
Happy Stamping!
Amy