September....really??

I can't believe the summer is over.  How is it possible today is September 1st??  With a new month comes a new challenge over at The Technique Twist.  This time we're all about bleaching...

Thank you card  featuring the Magnificent Maple stamp (131868) with sentiment from Truly Grateful (131733)

I went a little crazy with the bleach on this card...I used it in three differnt ways!  Here's a quick how-to:

• The background panel is a piece of Cajun Craze card stock that I spritzed with bleach (I just poured the bleach in a Stampin' Spritzer and went to town!).  That lovely yellow spatter is what the card stock bleached out to!
• The focal panel started as a plain piece of Early Espresso card stock that I stamped with the Magnificent Maple stamp, using a home-made bleach ink pad (folded paper towel in a  plastic box moistened with bleach)
• I stamped the leaf again in Versamark and heat embossed in gold.
• I dabbed the edges of the focal panel with a bleach-soaked sponge.  (Amazing how the more concentrated bleach on the sponge resulted in a totally different shade than the leaf image in the background!)
• I embossed the Crushed Curry layer with the Woodgrain TIEF (127821).
• I added some 7/16" Natural Trim (129287) for a little more texture.
• The sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso ink on Naturals Ivory card stock and is punched using the Large Oval Punch.
• I used Crushed Curry Candy Dots (130932).

I love stamping with bleach.  One never knows what shades will emerge when coloured card stock is exposed to bleach. It makes the whole design process much more of an adventure!  Give it a try and then link up at The Technique Twist this week!