Going Boldly Into September

After getting groceries, doing some laundry, cleaning up my sun room, etc., I decided that was enough labor for this day - lol - and headed to my stamp room! Simon Says Stamp is having a whole month of challenges for their Stamptember party and the first SSS Monday Challenge is to go bold with your stamping. That leaves it wide open for interpretation, until I spied Stacy's new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge with the rich, gradient colors in the fall leaves and that was it!  I had a light bulb moment and knew that I wanted to try my hand at the bokeh (rhymes with bouquet) technique.  Plus, I was inspired by Monika Davis' gorgeous card using this technique!

I headed over to Dawn's tutorial HERE to refresh my memory.  I started with a panel of Tim Holtz watercolor cardstock (rough side up) and applied a water wash over the whole thing.  I then added Peacock Feathers and Peeled Paint distress inks.  While it was drying, I took a half dozen circle Nestabilities dies and placed them over a piece of acetate to create my ghetto stencil.  :-)  I then sponged on the two distress inks along with some white pigment ink - overlapping the circles as much as possible. 

You're probably wondering what this has to do with fall leaves, but I interpreted the overlapping and the gradient coloring rather than the literal subject and colors.  I'm clarifying so the challenge police won't cart me away! :-)

The feathers were die cut from vellum then white embossed using Waltzingmouse Stamps' Fine Feathers set.  The sentiment is a Wet Paint die by PTI.