Adding Texture w/ Distressing

Hello Divas!

Hope you are all having a great week and are working hard on those Diva projects! Don't forget there will be a new winner picked on Saturday for the Commercial Inspiration Challenge!

But...it's Wednesday and that means I'm bringing you a new technique! This week I thought I would share one of my favorites - distressing! Although most of the time I think of distress stains/inks when that term is used, this time I'm talking about distressing papers by sanding, scraping or tearing paper. Here's the look:

This is an easy way to add texture, dimension and separation of elements to your paper projects, cards, and layouts. Although there are many ways to achieve this look (scissors, sandpaper, even foot scrapers!) I have found it's easiest for me to use a distressing tool. Never seen one before? Tim Holtz makes one you can probably find at your local craft store (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or your LSS):

Here's how to use it -
Hold your paper at an angle and slide your tool along the edge so that it tears the paper. You can achieve different looks with different tools, so I recommend playing around with scraps of paper (both cardstock & thinner paper!) and getting comfortable with the tool and what you can do with it before using it on your project. Sometimes I just want a simple rolled edge to add a subtle texture, and others I really want to "rough" my page up, so having chunks torn out or deep rips in the paper are appropriate.

Here are some examples of how I've used distressing in projects:

One more way to use distressing - see how Pammejo over at Scrapbook Flair distressed her spiral roses & papers on the cover of her album -

Here are some other texturizing tools to check out -

Basic Grey Precision File Set

Bazzill Sanding Flower

Heidi Swapp edge distresser

Imaginsce d-stress tool

Stampin' Up

Tim Holtz/Tonic distressing tools & sanding blocks
We R Memory Keepers Heart Attack 2 way distress tool

So...check out these products, do some research and see if you might like to invest in a new tool, and a new technique!

Happy Crafting ~