Today has not been the easiest of mornings. I slept in (something I rarely do) which immediately put me behind with my plans. Then after I had virtually completed my subtle sponging project for today I noticed an inky black mark right in the middle! Usually I’ll simply cover it up or use some other tactic to disguise the damage, but this time it wasn’t going to be possible. I just had to start over again.

Eventually my second project was photographed and the photographs edited and uploaded. All I had left to do was write my blog, but then I lost my internet connection! So now that’s been resolved, here’s my card with a subtle sponging idea for you to try.

AN INKY START

My project started with the Inspiring Iris Stamp Set and the two-part iris image. Then I chose my colours; Highland Heather and Granny Apple Green for the flowers, with Seaside Spray for the background.

To create a ‘different’ look to the card front I decided to take a layer of Whisper White Card and use the corner rounder option on the Detailed Trio Punch to shape the top left and bottom right corners.

With that done I sponged the whole piece with a light layer of Seaside Spray ink. Next I used pieces of Stampin’ Sponge to add colour around the edges starting with Highland Heather. Then just to be different I went over the edges a second time with Seaside Spray.

The stamped flowers came next, starting with the iris leaves followed by the flower heads. As the stamp set is made from see-through photopolymer this was a really easy task.

Before putting away the ink pads and flower stamps I decided to use them to decorate other parts of the project. So on a layer of Whisper White Card I stamped the iris coming in from the bottom left corner. Then I did the same thing on the front of a Whisper White Medium Envelope.

That just left the “wishing you the best” sentiment. For this I decided to use Tuxedo Black ink on Whisper White Card. First I cut a small piece of card and shaped the corners to mimic the main layer. Then I lightly sponged the surface with Seaside Spray ink. After stamping the sentiment I sponged a little Seaside Spray and Highland Heather ink around the edges and set it aside.

SUBTLE SPONGING?

I didn’t spend a whole lot of time on the sponging part of the project and it wasn’t as smooth as I’ve done in the past. But to be honest I was more concerned to simply get it finished.

I’d already thought about creating a ‘faux canvas’ effect for the stamped flower layer, so that was my next task. I placed the sponged and stamped layer inside the Subtle 3D Embossing Folder and ran it forwards and backwards through my embossing machine. Then I turned the piece 90 degrees and ran it through again (forwards and backwards). When I was done I was surprised to see that my less than perfect sponging was much more subtle.

COLOURED LAYERS

Finally I was ready to begin putting the card together.

Using my Paper Trimmer I cut and scored some Seaside Spray Card. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder to create a card base.

Next, using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) I fixed the Whisper White layer with the partial iris to the inside of the card base.

For the embossed piece I started with a layer of Highland Heather Card. Using the Detailed Trio Punch I shaped the top left and bottom right corners, then mounted the embossed layer on top with liquid glue.

Next, I wrapped some retiring Whisper White Baker’s Twine around the layers and tied it in a simple bow. With that done I added the assembled piece to the front of the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

That just left the sentiment which I added with more Stampin’ Dimensionals and I was finally finished.

After wrecking my first project I’m really happy with how this one turned out. My regular readers will know I adore the Subtle 3D Embossing Folder. It’s also not the first time I’ve embossed a piece of card twice using it either. In an earlier project I added ink to the folder as well and ended up with something I called a faux linen effect. You can see the results in my blog post Taking subtle to a whole new level. Whether you think it’s more like linen or canvas, you really should give this idea a try. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

For more Inspiring Iris ideas check out these previous blog posts:

• Masculine bookmark (by customer request)
• Four ink colours revisited
• What in carnation!
• Life inspiring my crafting

PRODUCT LIST

RETIRING PRODUCTS – As I mentioned, the Whisper White Baker’s Twine is retiring. This means like most other retiring products it’s only available while stocks last. The exception to this is retiring stamp sets that are guaranteed until May 22nd. Make sure you have a look through the Last Chance section of my online store in case there’s something there that you want.