Bokeh Technique (Tutorial)

Hello hello!  I've been wanting to share this tutorial for what seems like forever.  I posted a sneak peek on my Instagram months ago!  Whoops - time snuck away on me!  I promise it was worth the wait, though.  The Bokeh technique is easy and beautiful - my favourite combination.

First of all, Bokeh - if you're not familiar with the word - is the blurry, spotty background seen in photos.  Think of a picture with a christmas tree in the background - you know how the christmas tree would be a fuzzy area with beautiful spots created by the lights?  That effect, created with an SLR camera, is called Bokeh.  It's one of my favourite techniques in photography and I'm so excited to be able to recreate it with paper and ink.

Isn't it a stunner?  It makes such a beautiful background.  Oh, it just fills me with joy!

The best part of the bokeh technique is that it really is as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4 - just colour, punch, sponge, and heat!  My husband helped me out this morning and took a few pictures so I could demo this.  For the example below, I used Blackberry Bliss, Coastal Cabana, and Daffodil Delight (they were still sitting on my desk from my card a few days ago.  I'm not good at cleaning as I go.)  

Step 1 - Colour.  Using watercolour paper, an Aqua Painter, and a spritzer, wet your paper and go to town with whichever colours you choose.  Allow to dry fully before continuing.

Step 2 - Punch.  Take a piece of scrap cardstock and punch circles in it of various sizes.

Step 3 - Sponge.  Using Whisper White Craft ink and a Stampin' Sponge, lay your template on top of your watercoloured background and start gently filling in the circles with white ink.  I overlap a lot.  My suggestion is to start with the biggest and work your way down by size, and sponge lightly with the bigger circles and get gradually darker with the smaller ones.

Step 4 - Heat.  Using your embossing heat tool, heat-set your Craft Ink to dry it properly.

That's it!  You're all done!

Once you've done this, you've got a beautiful background to embellish as you please.

Have you tried the Bokeh technique yet?  Comment below and share your thoughts!  

Sketched Birthday Wood Stamp Set

Sketched Birthday Clear Stamp Set

Watercolor Paper

Aqua Painters

Stampin' Spritzer

Stamping Sponges

Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad

Strawberry Slush Classic Stampin' Pad

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad

Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Strawberry Slush 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Crushed Curry 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper

Big Shot

Stars Framelits Dies

Confetti Stars Punch

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