Playing with Paint!!

For the second post in our "How to .... " series, DT member Jo has been having fun with paint and come up with some fab ideas for using paint dabbers! 

If you missed the first "How to....." post which was all about border punches, it's here!

Over to Jo.....

I have always loved playing with paint .... long before I found scrapping I was playing with paint!! I was delighted when Sarah asked me to come up with some ideas for using the Jenni Bowlin Paint Dabbers. I love the these paint dabbers because they never seem to clog or dry up so they're always ready to use. All my projects in this post use the "cough syrup" dabber.

First of all I created this layout:

I used the dabber over a mask to create the circles on the cardstock.

I used the dabber to colour some patterned paper shapes. I think most of us have some pattern paper that has writing or newsprint on it, well the shade I had didn't fit with my page so I changed it. The paints aren't thick enough to totally hide the print which is perfect.

For my "Lillies" layout, I really went to town with the paint, emphasising the beautiful colour of the flowers in my photo.

I used the dabber to ink the edges of the pattern paper and cardstock and coloured the chipboard flowers and Thickers letters for the title. 

I applied the paint, direct from the dabber, to get this lovely finish on the plain butterflies.

You can also use dabbers to create little paint splatters by unscrewing the lid and use a paintbrush to pick up a little paint which you can then gently "flick" onto your page. Using the non brush end of the paintbrush you can "dot" the paint on your cardstock. Paint dabbers are also great for stamping because they add a tiny bit of texture, you just apply them in the same way you would ink as I have done with this woodgrain stamp!

If you have some embossing folders then you can create this great effect simply by using the paint on one side of the folder prior to adding the paper and embossing through your die cutting machine. be sure to thoroughly clean the folder afterwards though!

If you're on a budget and trying to do some stash busting then these dabbers really are a great investment. How many of us have blooms and ribbons lying around, unused and maybe not even in the colours we want? You can easily customise them with paint dabbers.

I've just used the dabber on just half so that you can see the great coverage they give.

I hope this has given you a few ideas for using the Jenni Bowlin Paint Dabbers which are available in the S J Crafts shop ... here!!

How To .... Punch the edge!

As many of you know I teach at classes and Craft Days and I am often asked for ideas on getting the most out of your stash and how to use various tools and products. In just the last two weeks I've been asked about stamping, heat embossing, using punches, paint dabbers and distressing.

This led to an idea for a new series of blog posts we will be running through 2012. Each month we will highlight a tool, a crafting technique or a particular product and explain how to use it and also show you some samples of projects incorporating some of the ideas!

Now, I know we have a wide variety of readers of this blog, some are very experienced crafters and some who have only just discovered the wonderful hobby of papercrafting. So, I will say now, before we go any further, some of you may read some of the "How to... "posts and discover nothing you didn't already know and that's ok, but for others who may learn something or pick up a new idea or two, we hope you will find these posts useful!

So, first up is .... BORDER PUNCHES!!

I set Design Team member Louise to work on our first "How to ... " blog post using one of my favourite craft tools, the Fiskars bracket border punch and she has created some step by step instructions for using border punches.

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Hi, it's Louise here ...

Punches are most probably my favourite scrapping tool - they are easy to use and small enough to store easily. The table I work on is usually pretty full when working on a project. I make a huge mess and spread right out. If I want to use my die cutting machine, I have to get it out of the cupboard and attempt to clear a space on the table for it, so more often than not I prefer to reach for a punch!

Border punches are straight forward to use, they have guidelines on them making them easy for lining up your paper or card, enabling a continuous line. Lots of craft manufacturers make border punches but two of the most popular are Fiskars and Martha Stewart. There are lots of different designs for creating pretty and interesting borders. Here I show you how I use my new fabulous bracket border punch.

When I buy a new punch I always like to give it a test run on a piece of scrap card before using it on my projects. On the punch you can see the continuous design with the punch section in the middle.....

.....line up your card ready to punch. I always start with the card in the middle of the punch, so I get a nice half design on the edges. You can do this or punch in the middle of the card and work on either side of the design. Ensure the edge of your card is "butted up" against the raised lip on the punch.

.... make your first punch. You may need to press on the lever quite firmly!!

.... next, carefully line up your punched card with the design marker on the base of the punch. You can see the white design lined up with the pattern you've already punched. Again ensure the card is lined up against the raised lip and then punch again.

.... continue lining up your card with the design pattern, and punching.

.... until you have punched the desired length of your cardstock.

Here, in the final photo, I've punched the two edges to show you how gorgeous the design is.

Here's a couple of layouts with punched borders:

For my Pumpkin Carving page, I punched two borders and put them together with the design offset. The punch was also used on the edge of the green paper, right at the very bottom of the page.

 

The Spooky page shows one of the simplest ways to use a punched border - to add interest between two patterns.

Also, don't forget to use your border punches on your cards too!!

Here's a couple of ideas:

On this last card I also used  a couple of regular punches, a scalloped circle and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch.

I hope this has given you a few ideas for border punches!!

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To see more of Louise's work you can visit her blog here!

Don't forget to enter our monthly challenge where the theme is "Happy" and the "added extra" is to use a punch!! One entry picked at random will win a £10 voucher for the S J Crafts shop!