Bleached Autumn

     Today's card is using a technique I learned years and years ago, but have never really used.  It's removing color and or stamping with bleach.  Just Rite stamps is hosting this as a challenge and so challenge accepted.  I wasn't really sure what or how I was going to use this technique but after thinking on it a bit, I decided that I would bleach the paper after stamping as opposed to stamping with the bleach.  I really wanted my design to stand out and I was afraid that if I used bleach to stamp the more intricate stamps I own, it wouldn't work as well.

   I started by embossing my sentiment my central circle and my corners with black onto an orange paper.  After bleaching the paper with a paint brush, the embossing turned to a wonderful chocolate brown that seems more like embossed leather.  I'm definitely going to be doing that again.  The orange paper turned from to cream with bits of orange showing through - lovely.  Next I stamped by background paper using the same embossing technique but onto gold paper.  The gold turned to a wonderful yellow with different shades showing through.

     The next step was to cut the intricate circle from dark green paper and to bleach that as well.  It turned a beautiful shade of yellow green that worked well with the other bleached papers.  

     I knew when I began this card that I was going to want to add leaves to the circle so I cut some using Spellbinder leaf dies and then stenciled them with the bleach.  Finally I added some cream vines that were distressed with old paper distress ink and also a solid circle under the green frame to showcase their lovely design.  

     I then mounted the image onto a piece of cream cardstock that had been dry embossed and distressed and added the corners.  The corners are popped and rounded to give it a really neat dimensional look.  The final layer is the dark green I began the leaves with to echo the green in the leaft and to contrast with the bleach affect.

     Here is a closeup of the central focus.  You can see the shades of color  and the dimensions better.

     Overall, I am tickled pink with this technique and plant to use it again soon.

This card is being entered into JustRite Stamps Challenge #JRC110

JustRite Stamps Autumn Labels. Twenty Two

                         Stiched Ribbon Background Stamp

                         Doilies and Lace

Bazzill Cardstock

Clorox Bleach

Versafine Black Ink

Stickles Gold 

Queen and Co. Adhesive Gems

3 M Foam Tape

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

Old Paper Distress Ink

Spellbinder Dies - Circles

                            Splendid Circles

                            Leaves

Cheery Lynn Die - Vine Flourish