A little idea for your border punches

Let's talk straight! I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT using this blog to share scrappy ideas...OH if you gals have any tips or fun stuff you have posted on your blog let me know and I will link to it!  Just give me a little heads up... my plan is to post on Tuesdays I have been working hard the last few days trying to get content for my blog all scheduled – this information will also be posted at Club CK on the ISSUE Challenge when it is applicable. I think you gals will be happy with some of the stuff I have come up with. There is just so much stuff out there for the paper artist. I want to be 100% straight up a lot of this stuff I have learned along the way, or in classes (both scrapbooking and other classes from school) I was going to try and credit everyone I have ever taken a class of gotten an idea from but that is impossible… SOOO I will simply be posting information – I am not taking sole credit for anything, it really is just for sharing—so that is my official disclaimer…


I like the texture border punches give. I usually punch “test strips” on paper and I had a light bulb go off...

SO HERE IS MY TIP FOR THIS WEEK : when you have many border punches, make a few test strips from neutral colors such as, black, Kraft or white. These can be a great way to test if you like the way a punch look on a layout. You simply place them down on the page where you may like to see a border and see if they will work on your page –I made a set of my border punches from a few colors so I can see if the shape works before I punch my papers.

TOMORROW I WILL POST A DESIGN TIP THAT GOES WITH THE ISSUE CHALLENGE(I don’t want to spoil my challenge so I will post it tomorrow), SO CHECK BACK FOR A FUN DESIGN TIP WITH BORDER PUNCHES!
SO here is my little DESIGN TIP FOR YOU:

 When I punched  on the test strips of paper I liked how it looked when it was monochromatic ( I happened to make them from grey cardstock); so I stuck with it!  That was a fun way to add texture without taking away from the busy photos.  If I had added more pattern paper, it may have pulled away from the photos.  Busy photos work really well when you do not over use pattern papers, so you can give this a shot next time you need a little boost of texture without overpowering your photos!

Here is my sample from the ISSUE Challenge...

A close up of the texture 

Pretty Flowers-- easy and they look expensive

OK I am a BAAAAD blogger.. WHERE have I been? Well school for one thing but that is NO excuse for not blogging.. SO as I am trying to find and maintain balance in my life, and blogging is going to be part of that balance. I am going to try to begin putting more crafting content.. like how to's and understanding design concepts and color understanding.. NOT that I am an expert but I have done a lot of reading and application of these concepts... sooo please feel free to stop in and see what I am up to!
SO here is the flower that I featured over at Club CK's ISSUE challenge this week...  Here are the steps

Step 1: Punch 7-8 scalloped flower circles

Step 2: Ink both sides of each punched paper

(note: if you use pattern paper you will still want to ink the edges)

 

Step 3: Spray with glimmer mist

(or any mist) NOTE: You can also use plain water

Step 4: Crumple each of your flowers up while they are still moist

 

Step 5: Uncrumple each of the 8

flowers and stack on each other

Step 6: Use a paper piercer and poke

 hole through all eight flowers

 

Step 7: add a brad to the center

Step 8: taking each flower (pedal) individually crumple

 it back up around the brad.

 

Step 9: (optional) Spray the flower again to

 give a finished look  

And here is a card made with this fabulous flower and a few color variations

Check back soon for more ideas!