Bleach Technique for Papercrafting

Hot August afternoon, so I thought I would try the Double Time bleach technique from the Make It Monday #76 video tutorial from Papertrey Ink's blog Capture the Moment. The bleached stamps are there somewhere since I added a lot of techniques to the cards.  Must have been the fumes from the bleach!

I used some inexpensive stamps I had of  pansy (from Autumn Leaves) and a branch with buds and leaves from a Hampton Arts set (with a dandelion and a bird also).  Both were in the dollar bins at local craft stores.  I found some pink paper, not sure the brand or color but the bleach took well on this color compared to other colors I tried.  I double stamped the same images in PTI dye inks Berry Sorbet and New Leaf. I also use some inexpensive cubes of pigment ink in maroon and purple for variety and to make the flowers seem to come forward (lighter colors) or recede (darker colors) in the pattern.

The card needed more pizazz as the bleach effect didn't show well.  I think a stamp with a wider line would have shown more white versus the background color.  Next time!  So I got out the markers and watercolors and a paint brush and started to make the flowers pop with color.  The white marks and the double stampig and off stamping gave the pattern additional texture and dimension.

I just added a lilac organza ribbon (5/8 inch) and a small purple (Bazzill Grape Delight) tag with a sentiment as embellishment since I wanted the patterned paper and the various techniques to take center stage. 

This second card is actually my first attempt.  The white bleach stamping shows a little more since the pattern is not all over the card front. The flowers are markers blended with water and a paint brush.  The strokes were too evident so I reached for the watercolors for the second (first!) card. I darkened the flower centers and added a Recollections Faux Pearl in lilac. Maybe I should go back to the card above and darken those centers also?  A double bow of Offray 1/8 inch purple satin ribbon and a little butterfly from the scrap bin perked up the sentiment and the lower left corner.  Maybe the branches should not all be at the same angle next time?  I added those in the upper left at the end because that corner had too much negative space.

Design can be tough, but it was a cool way to spend a hot day in my basement studio.