Hey, i know its been a couple weeks since i did Tipsy Tuesday. But i got a good one and probably my favorite one of all this week, Distressing! In some way, form or fashion, i tend to distress all my projects. I think distressing even just a touch gives projects more depth and a finishing touch. If you love vintage or shabby chic, then these tips and techniques are just perfect for you.
Distressing with Ink:
I tend to use different ink colors depending on the colors of my card, poject or layout.
- The most easiest is to ink all the edges. Any ink will work, but Tim Holtz Distress Ink is the best for me. Some people like to use smaller ink pads instead of a full-sized pad or a inking tool. Such as Tsukineko Dew Drop pads which are a pigment ink or the Memento Dew Drops which are a dye-based ink. For this you are only inking the edges so you just get a darker boarder around your project and don't need any tools to do this. Just run the ink pad along the edge of the paper, and it gives it a very fun look.
- Just be careful if you have a really juicy pad that you don't get ink anywhere you don't want it.
- My favorite way to distress without tearing up the edges are to ink using the tim holtz blending tool with the foam pad. I like to start by holding the paper in one hand, inking up just the corner of the pad and then hitting the edge in a downward fashion, tiny sections at a time, but very quickly, giving a feathered look to the edges, the more you do this the darker it will look.
- Make sure your pad isn't too juicy or you will get too much ink in the very first spot and will have to keep blending the other areas to match.
- Don't worry if your pad isn't very juicy, just mean you will have to ink up your pad several times.
- If you want a large blend and to distress more than the edges, use the same tool. With the paper on a surface that can be cleaned easily as you will get some ink on your table, Start from the edge at a slight angle of the tool and go in a circular motion counter clockwise until you get your desired look.
- Be careful you don't go into too far as you can't take it back.
- You can use this technique to give a faded look around photos or images as well.
- You can crumple the paper and then go over it lightly with your ink pad giving a plain piece of paper a completely distressed look.
There are many ways to fray the edges, using many different tools the market has to offer. Her are a list of some tools you can use and what kind of finish they give.
- Sandpaper: Can give two different edge finishes. You can get a soft edge by sanding the top outwards with about a 400 grit sandpaper. The next is sanding the edges in a back and forth motion giving it a ruffled frayed look with about 200 grit works best.
- You can use plain sandpaper sheets in your hand or nail files, sanding blocks, or tools such as tim holtz sandpaper block that holds sandpaper sheets.
- Distressing tools: These tools are for fraying the edges but are much easier to use than sandpaper.
- To "dry" distress my paper, I usually use the tim holtz paper distresser. I put my paper into the slot and start at the top corner of one side and "scrape" it back and forth along the edge of the paper. You will get used to how firmly you need to do this. I then continue around the paper distressing all the edges.
- Try your tool out on a piece of scrap paper first.
- Different paper weights will require a different amount of pressure.
- Be ready for the paper mess. You will probably get a little messy from the paper dust but the effect is so worth it.
- There is also the zutter Distrezz-it-All which is an electric distresser. With this you can distress multiple papers at the same time with just a simple pass. You can also distress chipboard with ease like butter. I can't wait to get this tool :)
- Tearing: You can tear the edges. There are many rulers out there that are made for soft tearing and give you tons of designs. You can try just tearing against any flat item and see how it turns out. Or just fussy tearing it however you wan to more your hand.
- Torn: This look i like to use alot. just tear into the paper then kinda curl each torn piece. You can ink all the edges of the torn pieces and this gives your paper a very aged look.
Fire/ Heat Distressing:
- Distressing with fire can be dangerous and is for adults only!!! I use a lighter (Never use matches)!! Hold the flame about an inch or more away from the edge of your paper so you don't set it on fire. Go back and forth in a slow motion along the edge until the edge starts to brown and and singe. This gives projects a very old look and you can do this after applying ink as well.
- Try on scrap paper until you get used to doing it and find the desired effect you are going for.
- Heat Gun (This is safer): You can get the same effect with your heat gun, you just have to go slower for it to heat up the edge of the paper. I would also hold it a bit closer, be careful as it gets very hot and holding it too long will turn the paper brown fast.
- Try on scrap paper until you get used to doing it and find the desired effect you are going for.
There are many ways to distress your projects, these are just the most common ones. Experiment with tearing, crumpling, scraping, inking, burning and any combinations of those things to give depth and even age to all your projects, trust me its worth the extra effort and its just plain fun!!!
Thanks and tune in next week for more tips and techniques.
Have wonderful crafty day!!!
♥Misty♥
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