"Bokeh" (the way a camera lens renders out-of-focus points of light) is one of the hottest visual trends in design right now. I've seen it on TV and in magazine ads. And paper crafters have taken a hold of this and termed the process for creating this illusion with ink and paper the "bokeh technique."

Here is a card I made for my upcoming March Technique & Tea event. (Supplies used to make it are listed below.) Card measurements are:

  • Basic Black – 11" x 4-1/4" (fold in half)
  • Whisper White – 5-3/8" x 4-1/8"
  • Pistachio Pudding – 4-3/4" x 3-1/2"

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

(Thank you, Lisa Young for inspiring me with your card I found through Pinterest!)

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

 

Then during my recent crafting retreat, I got the bright idea to apply this technique to Luke's baseball pages. I love the result!! But I have to warn you…this 12×12 spread took me about 3 hours to complete. Below are the step-by-step photos for how I went from plain Whisper White card stock to this.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

1. I planned out where my photos would be placed so I would know where the accent images and title would fit.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

2. Then I began by sponging on Hello Honey ink. I had four colors to apply, so I only covered about 1/4 of the area of both sheets with this yellow color.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

3. I sponged on Pistachio Pudding ink next. I tried to use a circular pattern when sponging on the color so that the colors didn't look "scratchy."

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

4. Then I sponged on Wild Wasabi ink next.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

5. Finally I filled in the remaining white spaces with Mossy Meadow ink.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

6. I laid my photos back on the paper so I could stamp on the Mossy Meadow fern images.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

(Some images I stamped without reinking the stamp so I could get a lighter green image. The lighter colored leaves create a 3-D image by appearing further back.)

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

7. I created a stencil of circles on a sheet of vellum. (Window sheets work better than vellum, but I didn't have any on hand during the retreat.)

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

8. I sponged on Whisper White Craft ink in a circular motion in the circles of the stencil.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

And I did this over and over again eventually even overlapping the circles.
Warning…You'll want to be sure your Whisper White Craft pad is a "used one." It's gonna get dirty from the ink already on the paper and it needs to be a drier ink pad – one that doesn't have too much ink in it.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

9. I used a dauber to add more white bokeh dots using a twisting motion as I applied the color.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

10. I used the Heat Tool (optional) to dry the white ink. (Another option is to let your ink dry overnight.)

11. I then stamped on more Mossy Meadow fern images. This brings more branches more in the foreground.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

12. Finally I matted my photos, added them to my page, stamped the title, and then added Pistachio Pudding sequins with glue dots.

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Click here to see step-by-step photos the process of the Bokeh technique (a card idea and a 12x12 spread idea, too)… #stampyourartout #stampinup - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

The supplies I used (except the Heat Tool) are listed below and linked to my online store. Notice that there is a LOT of overlap. And again, I'd recommend making your stencil with a window sheet, but the vellum is better than just card stock because you can see through it. Have fun trying this technique out!

 Check out my creative Stampin' Up!® ideas! Stamp Your Art Out! blog...www.StampYourArtOut.com

Product List for My Pages

Product List for My Card