Shelly's Images: Technique Tuesday at Shelly's Images

Good Morning everybody! Hope you are ready for another quick and easy tutorial from me! This time I'm going to show you how to softly sponge chalk your backgrounds to add something extra to Shelly's Images exceptionally gorgeous digi's! :) As always, your super frugal friend Scrappy is going to show you the easiest and cheapest way to do it too!

Supplies Needed:
1. cheap-o dollar spot Chalk Ink(s) in whatever color(s) you like
2. makeup wedges
3. your colored image
Optional: scrap paper/cardstock to work on, sm. aerosol can of hairspray, baby wipes (for cleanup!).

Step 1: Gather supplies and cover surface to avoid getting ink all over. FYI: Chalk ink, while beautiful can be tricky and may smear and stain. A spray fixative helps to reduce smearing when you are done sponging. My advice? Use cheap aerosol hairspray! A thin coat sprayed from a foot or so above the image does the trick and is alot cheaper than a can of $6.00 Krylon or 3M!

Step 2: Bend makeup wedge slightly and dab it onto ink pad. I like the makeup sponges because they are super cheap, and they hold just enough ink to not create a mess! I also like them, because sometimes you can use the other side for another color on your project! Note: Makeup wedges can be found at pharmacies, beauty stores, and online for about $1. for 32+!

Step 3: Starting on the outside corners of your colored image, stroke the wedge all around the outside edge. Overlap strokes slightly and lightly continue all around your image. Go over it lightly the first time around, and repeat as desired. You can always add more ink, but once it's there it's there permanently. DO NOT try to brush excess away! It will smear and ruin your image!

As you can see, the edges will be darker and the chalk will be naturally lighter around your image. This sort of 'Halo Effect' serves to highlight your beautiful coloring! It also may help to hide any coloring imperfections!

Below is the image with most of the sponging complete! Of course, you'll have to wait and see what I'm making with my gorgeous Shelly's Image! In the meantime, why not try chalking/sponging yourself! You'll quickly see why I LOVE this technique!