I am in the seriously amazing habit of bringing back the Sponge Dauber Shading technique every year. Why? Because it's so dang pretty! With this technique, you can add multiple colors to a stamped image using just ink pads and sponge daubers.
Two years ago, in September 2021, I made a card using a then Sale-a-bration stamp set. I used the Sponge Dauber Shading technique and really fell in love with the look...even more than I had loved it before. Because, please, people. Look at the card!
To create the look in this card, here's what I did:
Step One: ink the dahlia stamp with Crushed Curry ink
Step Two: use a sponge dauber to apply Cajun Craze ink in a few spots on the flower...add the color right on the stamp
Step Three: stamp the ink to paper
Simply gorgeous. You can see my blog post about this card here.
In July of 2022 I pulled that technique out again to create this card:
For this card I used four colors instead of two, and it went something like this:
Step One: ink the leaf stamp with Crumb Cake ink
Step Two: use a sponge dauber to apply Merry Merlot ink in a few spots on the leaf...add the color right on the stamp
Step Three: use a sponge dauber to apply Cajun Craze ink the same way
Step Four: use a sponge dauber to apply Crushed Curry ink the same way
Step Five: stamp the ink to paper
The blog post about this card can be found here.
And now, just over a year later, I brought this Sponge Dauber Shading technique out again. Because you know, I can't help it. For the previous two cards, I stamped the images on Very Vanilla cardstock. This time I wanted to soften the look even more by stamping it on Crumb Cake cardstock.
Step One: use a sponge dauber to apply Cherry Cobbler ink to the grapes...add the color right on the stamp
Step Two: use a sponge dauber to apply Blackberry Bliss ink in a few spots on the grapes
Step Three: use a sponge dauber to apply Mossy Meadow ink to the leaf
Step Four: use a sponge dauber to apply Early Espresso ink to the stem
Step Five: stamp the ink to paper
I used the Tailor Made Tags to create the focal point, which I feel was the perfect option. These tags aren't just for gift tags, of course, but for so many things. I love that they come in 8 sizes in two different shapes, and each different shape has a hole reinforcer die, too.
And the finished product is warm and inviting, isn't it?
I kept the inside sweet and simple. I love that the Softly Sketched stamp set has that sentence starter with multiple options to finish the sentence.
But wait! How did I make the sentiment label? We have no dies like that! Believe it or not, it's made from the same exact tag die on which I stamped the grapes. Yep, it was that big. To see how I made that label smaller, watch me put the card together here. I'd highly suggest you watch...I share lots of little tips and tricks!
Here are the sizes of cardstock needed to create this card.
Thick Very Vanilla cardstock:
-4 1/4" x 11"
-Largest Tailor Made Tags Die
Crumb Cake cardstock:
-4" x 5 1/4"
-Largest TAilor Made Tags Die
Mossy Meadow cardstock:
-Tag reinforcer
Let's Go Fishing Designer Series Paper:
-1 7/8" (because I had a scrap strip that wide) x 5 1/4"
Have you noticed this Softly Sketched stamp set in the catalog? Perhaps there is something else on this card you haven't seen before. Make sure you check out the list of items I used - along with links to my online store - at the bottom of this post.
Happy techniquing!
Amy