STAMPING WITH BLEACH

This technique post is for SinCity Stamps.  Please click the link to see their AWESOME selection of premium quality, deep etched, red rubber stamps!!  Such a fabulous selection!  From  flowers to words to art journaling, there is truly something for everyone.  I own 3 sets and LOVE them! Their stamps come in full sheets and individual images.  They have a wonderful BLOG too!  

Before I show the tutorial I would love to share a card I also made.  It has a butterfly that I stamped several times to make a 3-D effect.  Maybe that can be a tutorial for another day?

This card shows how good these stamps are.  This butterfly isn't colored in.  The stamp takes this much color and yet you can see the writing inside of it!  THAT is fabulous!  I have a similar stamp and every time I used it, it would slide and make a mess.  These don't move when you stamp with them.  That is amazing!!  This is from the Love of Butterflies set, and the Thank You stamp is from the Rosette Hearts set.

Now for the bleach!!

***I HAVE DONE THIS TECHNIQUE TONS OF TIMES AND IT HAS NEVER HURT MY RUBBER STAMPS.  I CLEAN THEM WITH SOAP AND WATER WHEN I AM DONE.  NO PROBLEMS!***

*****PLEASE DO THIS IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA AND BE SURE TO COVER YOUR AREA WITH PAPER OR PLASTIC IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SURFACE*****

First, gather your supplies

I cut pieces of color cardstock to 4" x 8.5".  I then distressed the edges.  I got my distress inks, my masks, my black and white markers, my plastic tray and my set of Art Journaling with Terri Sproul stamps.   You don't need all of these supplies.  You can just use color cardstock and bleach, but I usually like to add some ink and stuff to the cardstock before the bleach.  It shows more bleach this way.  So, I will show examples of both for this tutorial.

I set up in the kitchen when doing bleach stamping.  That way, I don't worry if bleach gets on my counter, and I open the window for ventilation.  

  

Put a paper towel, folded at least 4 times, on the plastic tray and pour bleach on the paper towel.  You want a generous amount, but not enough to make the paper towel soaking wet.

Next, get your paper and stamps ready.

As you can see, the tag on the left is blank, and the one on the right has inks and a mask used on it.  Now, dip your stamp in the bleach "stamp pad" you made and stamp away!!

The tag on the left is the blank one and the bleach shows up awesome on it!  The one on the right already has inks on it and I can see different gradients of "Bleach-ness".  The blank tag shows the same level through out.  So the choice is yours!  What ever you want to do, just go for it!!

Here are a bunch of tags that I have made using this technique.  I only wanted to do the 2 examples, but I got carried away with myself!  

I actually made more than this.  It is that addicting!!  I can't just bleach my paper, NO!  I have to mask, ink, bleach, go over the masked image with a white pen, go over the bleach stamped areas with a black pen, you get the picture.  I am going to be making them into a new art journal.  I made the cover, (bottom row, second from left, green tag).  I used a cotton swab to write the word "BLEACH".

I wonder if I didn't get enough ventilation????

HAHAHA!  Just kidding!  I'm just having fun, and that's what art is all about, isn't it?

I sent in an application to SinCity Stamps and they sent me the badge (on top) to put in this tutorial post.  I'm wondering if it means something????