Sponging and Masking Halloween Tutorial

Thanks for all your well wishes for my kiddos and I. They are on the mend while mommy is now in the thick of it, but this too shall pass :) The whining at least has ceased a bit :)
This tutorial can be followed for any type of 'scene' you'd like to kreate, just change out your colors and stamps/images. The sponging and masking technique were inspired by Michelle Zindorf after meeting her at Fall Fest a few months ago and kreating this card with her. At her request, she asked that we not give a tutorial on that card as it was an exclusive for her downline. But my friends, its not hard, so give it a try. I'll be doing more of these in the future (I'm thinking of another snow scene), so if you don't want to miss it, subscribe to my blog to receive an email every time I post a new kreation (No Spam, I promise!) Simply enter your email address in the subscribe box and watch for a separate activation email in your inbox.
OK, Get out some sponges and your inks and lets get started. See supplies list below TIP: You get 3 large Sponges per package, take 1 and divide into 4 pie shapes - gets you lots more sponges! This is my cutesy, spooky Halloween card, that I will walk you through. When sponging the colors of your sky, always use at least 2 colors one of a lighter hue. TIP: Make sure to let your lighter color show through and not cover it with your darker shades. Here we go...








Start with a 4 x 5-1/4 piece of Whisper White.
Using a sticky note, pop out a 1-3/4" Circle Punch for you moon. TIP: make sure to pop it out where there is 'sticky' on the back or apply a little Removable Dotto adhesive.
Next stamp your pumpkin from Autumn Harvest. To isolate colors, use markers directly onto your stamp. Dusty Durango pumpkin and Old Olive stem


Tear a piece of sticky note or scrap paper to mask off your grass (yellow paper is acting as a mask). On another piece of scrap/sticky note, stamp out your pumpkin to again use as a mask.
Begin to sponge, using light circular motions, your sky with Basic Gray
Leaving a slightly lighter area of gray to cast a yellowish glow from your moon toward your pumpkin. Sponge that area lightly with Crushed Curry
Now go back over your 'gray' sky with Basic Black to get a spookier look :)


Remove your masks. Lightly go over parts of your stark white moon with a little more Crushed Curry


Place your pumpkin mask back onto your pumpkin.
Sponge in your grass, first with Certainly Celery and then again with Old Olive. Kreate areas of darkness around the pumpkin, for a shadow, as well as the skyline. To do this, just continue to apply the Old Olive ink (add a little bit more pressure as you rub your sponge onto your paper) until you achieve the darkness that you want



Using your Basic Black Marker - freehand a tree and limb
Stamp your owl (over the moon, so you have the white to color in), from Forest Friends, onto the branch. I used Jet Black Stazon for a crisp black image
Add some 'whispy' clouds over your moon with your sponge and Basic Gray


Color in your owl - I used Creamy Caramel
Color in your pumpkin - I used Apricot Appeal for the lighter front area and Pumpkin Pie at the sides and then 'blended' them, by going over the whole pumpkin with Apricot Appeal again


Add your jack o lantern face with Jet Black Stazon ink.
What a difference a White Signo Gel Pen makes!!! Take your white pen and add highlights to your tree, owl, and pumpkin. Hint: If you have trouble getting this pen started, simply roll it onto the back of your hand, the oils in your skin help to get the ink flowing
Add your sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes, again in Jet Black Stazon ink - I use this for a darker crisper black
Take an Old Olive Marker and add some grassy patches to your lawn



Freehand a few bats with your Basic Black Marker, highlighted with a few specks of White Gel Pen and you've done it!!!



Distress the edges of your card, mount it on Pumpkin Pie and then on a standard card base of Basic Black.
So what do you think? Easy enough to follow? Hope you enjoyed how I kreated this card. Stay tune for more soon - I love it :)

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Supplies:
Stamps: Autumn Harvest(110372), Forest Friends(113748), Teeny Tiny Wishes(115370)
Paper: Whisper White (100730), Pumpkin Pie (105117), Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black(101179), Basic Gray(109120), Crushed Curry(115659), Certainly Celery(105217), Old Olive(102277), Jet Black Stazon(101406)
Markers: Dusty Durango(116329)), Appricot Appeal(105107),Pumpkin Pie(105115) Old Olive(100079), Basic Black(100082), White Signo Gel Pen(105021)
Accessories: Sponges (101610), Paper Snips (103579), Sticky Notes or Scratch Paper
with Removable Adhesive