Well Good Friday Everyone! :) This week I have a Technique that I am excited to share.

I'm sure a lot of you have see it already, and I love this one… I guess because it is a challenge for me to give it time to dry! LOL

I like taking pictures, My favorite is macro, (up very close) like water droplets, flowers, ect…

So this week I am sharing my version of Bokeh.Here is the meaning:

(It is the official name for a specific photography effect. It is a Japanese word for blur quality: pronounced ( boke-aji ) is the aesthetic quality of out-of-focus blur in a photograph.)

Also, google it, and then look at the images. It is really pretty in the photos.

There are tutorial out there. And Melanie Muenchinger has a video on it as well!

I will add her ink at the bottom of this post too.Here is what was created! :) <3

I sure hope you all will try this. It was lots of fun.*** Hint: Give the white circles time to dry.

**** start with less ink on the sponge. Less is better on the first layer!Ok Here we go! :)

After watching a video on youtube, it seems like some of the ladies had lucy with some items we may have around!

So I tried the plastic from a package that had a embossing folder in it at one time! I cut it out so I would have a flat piece.

No luck with it. I tried to use a punch… didn't go through. I tried dies, the plastic cracked. I will find something else when I have time to play. If you

all find something that works, Please share!I also tried the velum…

I worked ok at first, but then… I tore it. :( I also saved the cut outs to use on another project!

So I said what the heck! I will just use card stock! … It worked fine! :)Then here are the products that were used:

*Gina K Designs:*Premium Dye Inks: Ocean Mist, Turquoise Sea, Blue Lagoon

*Premium Pigment Ink: White*Pure Luxury Card Stock: White Layering Weight, White Heavy Base

WeightBlack Onyx and Blue Lagoon for the inside of one of the cards

*Embossing Powder: Fine Detail White* I ended up using stamp sets: Better with You, A Greeting from "Birthday

Blessings, and the incentive stamps "Massive Messages" For these two cards!

*Spectrum Aqua Marker: Aquamarine*Velum, dots, & 3-d foam dots

************************Start Sponging on your colors. I started with the lightest color Ocean Mist.

I applied it kinda heavy in spots. Remember it does dry a little lighter!Also, You will be adding white circles on top of this later, so a little darker

in some areas is good. Also the sponging doesn't matter if it is splotchy. It will be fine in the end

result.Then I added some Turquoise Sea, just here and there. Then the Blue

Lagoon.I went back with the Turquoise Sea to kind of blend the Ocean Mist with

the Blue Lagoon Not to much, I want to see the different colors but I didn't want hard lines!

I also did 2. I am starting to do 2 or 3 panels at once. It doesn't take much more time and then I have extra incase, I mess it up, don't like it, or love it

and want to make two cards and maybe even add some of the extra piece to the inside! :)

****************************Here is both the panels after sponging them.

You can see the paper that I cut out the circle on. I used 4 of the smallest Silver Stacker Layers Dies that Gina carries from

Cheery Lynn. It is the largest of the 4 I cut out. I started with it and a small about of

white. *******Note: When doing this, the dauber will pick up some of the ink color that you are going over. If you don't want to contaminate your white ink

pad, dab some out on a kraft mat, acrylic block, or what ever that is ok to do that on. You can also, after each circle pat or rub off the ink on a paper towel and that will help to keep from adding a color to your white pad. You

can use re-inkers as well! ******Just rubbed the dauber around in a circle motion.

Moved it around and sponged on 4 more. I did 5. You know the odd numbers. 1, 3, 5… ect…

Did both panels at the same time.Then did the next size down.

I used a little more ink on this layer!A little ink got up under the circle, if you have a sharp line of ink that is

kind of think, just use your finger and you can lightly push it into the circle and smooth

it out.After this layer, in my opinion, let it dry for a little bit.

You don't have to, but I think it turns out a little less smudged.. LOLI know I got white ink all over!

this layer might work well with the heat gun too!then just continue adding dots in layers. The smaller the circle or dot, a

little more ink.

**************************Also, when the ink got on back of the stencil, I just wiped it off with a

paper towel.Kept sponging, and the very last dots that are the whitest, I just used the

sponge dauber (small one) to make the circles.Inked it up real good and put it down, pressed and turned just a little. I

had to play with those a little.You can see the white ink is wet. It is shinny. I had to let it dry over night.

It was still a little tacky, but I finished the card anyway! :) couldn't wait… :) <3

I love how they both turned out. Oh, there is one in the trash as well! LOL ;)

***************************************

So I pulled out the Versa Mark, the stamps I wanted to use, magic pad &

embossing powderStamped the Greeting and some flowers. Again, If I do more than one I

have extras for what ever! Embossed with the white Powder. Then was trying to decide on a color for

my flower!since I wasn't sure how my colors would look on the velum, I did a test

area. I like being able to put it up to the card to see what it will look like

Then decide to stay more monochromatic on this one. Pulled out a few blue Aqua Markers to try.

Aquamarine was the one! :) It was the lightest in the picture, but it turned out nice!

*************************************Using the Aqua Marker and just coloring all over the flower,

then used a paper towel to pick up the ink off the embossed area!If it is a little stubborn just damp the paper towel and wipe the white

embossed area off!

********************************************

That is the sponging way of doing that technique and thenyou can do a watercolor variation with this as well! :)

Here is one that was done in Gina K. Designs:

*Premium Dye Ink: Red Hot, Sweet Mango, Lemon Drop ink, & White*Pure Luxury Card Stock: White Heavy Weight Base, Red Hot

*Water color paper

Tape down your watercolor paper andI placed 10 drops of water into some kind of container.

Add about 4 to 5 drops of ink. Use a big enough brush to get your paper wet!

Then using a brush of your choice, pick up a little color and just place it around.

I placed the Lemon Drop ink on first then added some Sweet Mango. finished off with some Red Hot.

You can see in the second photo how wet the paper is! It looks like a red hot mess to me! LOL :)

Then you add the white circles, and Wow… It really changes the look!

I hope you all are inspired to try this technique! :) I can't wait to see what you all come up with! <3

Again my Lovelies…This is just the way I did it, and there are other ways as well.

Melanie does it totally different. She doesn't cover the whole background and doesn't used any white!

You might like to do it this as well. Check out her video here!

http://stamptv.ning.com/video/how-to-sponge-bokeh-in-minutes