What is keeping me from my punches

Taking yesterday off meant nothing new and exciting for today - I'm still finishing commitments.  This is one of the "somethings" that has kept me from playing punches as much as I'd like- I had to make 40 directories for the Book Review Club I belong to.  I get bored making 10 of one card for a swap so you can guess how I felt about making 40 of these - inside and outside - YUK - and I put it off until the last minute. 

The past two years I have done a lot of detailed coloring for these books, but I wised up and did something simple this year - I stamped Inspired by Nature in bleach  - added a quote about books and the group name  - flicked on a little burgundy splatter with my color spritzer tool and  TAH DAH!  I am done  - well except for typing up the mailing labels and going to the post office to get this pile out of the house.










If you have never tried stamping with bleach you should.  It is easy and a pretty cool effect.  Just put some paper towels on a plate and pour on a little bleach - the paper towels are now your "ink pad".  Tap your stamp on the new "ink" and stamp your paper. 

It takes a few seconds for the bleach to work and each color of SU cardstock will give you a different look.  Some are awesome and some are not.  Bravo Burgundy is my personal favorite.

Of course you must protect your clothes when you use bleach stamping.  You should clean your rubber as soon as you are done.  And you should use fresh bleach. 

Did you know bleach has an expiration date?  I didn't, and thus my first attempts at bleach stamping were duds. 

This also gives you some insight into my housekeeping skills.  No sense trying to hide the truth - my strengths do not include cooking and cleaning - to my hubby's eternal regret.  Hey, he saw my apartment and my bologna sandwiches before we married - I have never pretended to be June Cleaver and I sure don't vacuum in pearls.  (you young'uns can just ignore that last comment - it was before your time)

But despite my shortcomings, hubby loves me.  He had to go out of town on business on my bd but not before he brought me flowers.  Wanna see?

Thanks honey!

P.S. mouse tutorial and new mouse accessories in tomorrow's post.