Chalking is a quick, inexpensive way to add creativity, color, and character to your scrapbooking layouts and other papercrafts.<\/p>\n
With a simple set of chalks, you can add highlights and shading to your paper piecings, diecuts, punch art, stamping, lettering, cardstock, patterned papers, and vellum.<\/p>\n
Chalks create professional, custom looks with surprising ease. Here’s what you need to know:<\/p>\n
What kind of chalk should I use?<\/strong> It’s best to stick to chalks that were designed for use in scrapbooking. You won’t want to use artists’ pastels unless they are specifically labeled acid-free.<\/p>\n What tools will I need?<\/strong> A variety of tools create a variety of effects. Use cotton balls for all-over soft color, Q-tips and\/or specially designed foam applicators (which look like eye makeup applicators but which you’ll find in craft stores) when you want deeper color.<\/p>\n When using Q-tips, make sure to roll the swab around in your fingers to tighten the cotton so you don’t get wisps, which can take the color where you don’t want it.<\/p>\n One favorite chalk application tool – believe it or not – is a tampon. I got this idea from Creating Keepsakes, and decided to try it. A tampon provides a wonderful firmness and width for all-over color. And when it’s time to change colors, you can just clip off the used portion and start again.<\/p>\n How is the chalk applied?<\/strong><\/p>\n Experiment on a piece of scrap paper and see what kind of effects you can achieve with these simple tools and a palette of chalks.<\/p>\n Start with a light touch and add more color as you wish. Also, start with the lightest color and layer your darker colors on top, where appropriate for shading.<\/p>\n If you are going to be chalking a diecut or other embellishment, make sure you use extra caution when you are gluing because the chalk will stick to the glue. If you get a little wild with your glue, use your Un-du before you use your chalk.<\/p>\n Here are a few ideas to trigger your own creative imagination:<\/p>\n Can I fix mistakes?<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s surprisingly easy to fix chalking goofs, but you will need a chalk eraser (available at craft stores.) You can always add chalk over a spot that you’ve erased, but fix mistakes quickly: Chalks become permanent more quickly than you might think.<\/p>\n Do I need to “set” the chalk?<\/strong><\/p>\n The pigments in scrapbooking chalks become permanently set in the paper several hours after application, so a permanent fixative generally isn’t necessary if the layout is going to be in a page protector.<\/p>\n If you apply your chalks with a light hand, they shouldn’t migrate, and you can lightly swipe away any loose chalk with a clean cotton ball, or remove extra chalk by placing your page face down and rubbing gently.<\/p>\n You can also use an acid-free spray fixative – available in craft stores – to help ensure the chalk doesn’t smear or migrate, but be careful not to spray the photos.<\/p>\n That’s it! Have fun, and don’t be afraid to experiment. This is where the artist in you is allowed to come out and play!<\/p>\n Susie Cortright is the founder of http:\/\/www.momscape.com<\/a> – an online magazine devoted to helping parents celebrate life with children. She is also the creator of Momscape’s Scrapbooking Playground: http:\/\/www.momscape.com\/scrapbooking<\/a> Visit her sites today to subscribe to Susie’s free weekly newsletters and to learn more about her scrapbook club and her work-at-home scrapbook business.<\/p>\n Article Source: http:\/\/EzineArticles.com\/?expert=Susie_Cortright<\/a> Chalking is a quick, inexpensive way to add creativity, color, and character to your scrapbooking layouts and other papercrafts. With a simple set of chalks, you can add highlights and shading to your paper piecings, diecuts, punch art, stamping, lettering,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[687],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1341"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1341"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6855,"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1341\/revisions\/6855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/scrappinstuff.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\nhttp:\/\/EzineArticles.com\/?How-to-Use-Scrapbook-Chalks&id=69747<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"