Swaps and Bleach technique

I have just attended our Stampin' Up! Regional Training at Telford.
It is a wonderful opportunity to mix with fellow stampers, learn some WOW techniques and business stuff and Swap....

I wanted to do something a little different for my swap this year.  I love the new Photopolymer Stamps,  check here for a Fantastic Deal on these, only available until 30 May.

My swaps involved a little bit of stamping, using the New Ikat set.  I lived on the island of Borneo for a while and I have in my home some lovely cloths featuring Ikat designs.

These are my swaps.  I apologise for the tablecloth, as I hastily photographed them before they went in the shoe box and I went out the door to pick up Paula my driving companion for the weekend!
I used Elegant Eggplant as the card base.  Then put the strip of card through the scallop tag punch, punching both ends.  I made an ink pad of paper towel, and poured some diluted bleach on my makeshift pad.  Using the solid Ikat image, I then stamped in the middle then around in a pattern.  I then left it a while for the colour to be taken out.  Not sure the word for the bleaching effect!

                         

 I put post it notes on the tags so I didn't stamp onto the fold on the bottom.  I used another image, this time the one with the hole in the centre, lined it up and stamped with Black craft ink.  

I stamped on the back of the tag using another of the images from the Ikat set, the zigzag.  I stamped it twice, using the fact that the photopolymer stamps are clear.  To finish the swap off, I placed a little chocolate inside sticking it down with a glue dot.  To tie it up, as I don't have any Elegant Eggplant ribbon, I cut a strip of card stock and fixed it with a staple!  It is important to make a pad when you bleach, especially if you want a crisp image - although not always possible.