Well I did promise yesterday I’d share something new so here it is!

I was wanting to make a nice feminine card for valentines day and wanted to use the stamp set A Happy Heart which was featured in yesterdays post. I wanted to show you how you can make very different cards with just the one stamp set and a couple of accessories.

So I went to playing with my heart and ink pads. I tried the ‘rock n roll’ technique and thought no its not what i was after as the edging was too dark. So I was sitting at my desk wondering what else to do when my eyes spied a piece of the stampin sponges and thought oh I’ll sponge around the edge and see what that looks like – and as you know I love the sponging look. Instead of sponging around the edge of the cardstock I sponged a deeper colour directly onto the stamp then stamped it onto the cardstock and I just went oh thats nice as I was using Pretty in Pink in the Centre then sponging the Regal Rose on and it was very purty.

I got to thinking what other colour combinations I could use and so I inked up the heart stamp in Apricot Appeal and then sponged around the edge in Regal Rose and went oh wow I love that! Caitie came to see what I was working and then she grabbed the stamp, inks and sponges and went to make some of her own! You can actually make these hearts deeper using a third/darker colour to do just the edges with a small sponge or dauber.

I love some of the combinations she came up with so I thought I’d cut them all out and show most of them to you – so here’s an image of some of the combinations we came up with.She did one using Chocolate Chip and Pink Passion and it immediately reminded me of a Cherry Ripe bar – now don’t ask me why cos I don’t actually like Cherry Ripe’s!

This is the card I came up with using this technqiue and the heart. I’ve also used the En Francais Background Stamp and Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon.

Its soft and elegant and has the look I was after but I think it needs a little something and while typing this post it came to me – a hat pin and some pearls will set it off nicely and give it that extra wow …. and maybe a little ‘love you’ down the bottom right corner. I will post another photo when I’ve added those pieces.

I hope you like this card and please do try out the sponging technique as I’d love to see what you come up with. You could use it on any stamp that has a solid image/background – the baroque background stamp would look good in this or even the brocade basics stamp set – maybe I’ll email Nikki Stalker and get her to give it a go.

Leave a comment with a link to your blog showing your finished card using this technique and I’ll post all the links on Monday so everyone else can see what you’ve done!

If you’d like to see how this technique is done then why not contact me today to arrange your demonstration – dont forget January and February are Sale-a-Bration months and you can earn free stamps when you place an order of $100 or more or hold a qualifying demonstration.