By Cardmaking & Scrapbook Layout Contributor, Peg from the blog Peg’s Crafting Corner.
Q. Is there a way to write on dark cardstock?
A. A good way to get your journaling to show on dark colored cardstock is by using a gel pen. White, pastel, metallic or neon, often referred to as fluorescent, inks show up well. They are archival safe, waterproof and permanent to prevent bleeding through the paper. The ink smoothly flows onto the paper and dries quickly. Some pens are made with glitter in the ink to give an added sparkle to your writing. They can, also, be used for doodling, drawing in items such as the center of a flower or to create a pattern on your dark cardstock and don’t forget if it already has a pattern that you can use the pen to highlight it and make it pop out even more.
Q. Are there scrapbooking/card making products that are recycled?
A. There are many products that are made from recycled items and can be recycled themselves such as paper scraps. One easy way to find out the endless choices is by searching the word, “recycled” at CreateForLess. You will be able to find anything from paper to flowers and more there that have been made through recycling. There are even books such as “Pulp Fiction” by Mark Montano at CreateFor Less that will help inspire you to recycle items found around your home into craft projects.
Q. My ink pad seems dry. Is there anything I can do about it?
A. A good way to keep your ink pads from seeming dry is to store them upside down when not in use. This allows the ink to flow to the top of the pad instead of settling into the bottom. Make sure that the caps are always on tightly and closing the ink pad up right after use will help to keep them from drying out, too. If the ink pad is older or has been used a lot you may need to purchase a new one. There are some, such as Distress Inks by Ranger, that allow you to purchase a bottle of ink, known as a re-inker, to give life back to your ink pad by adding a few drops to the pad. When purchasing these be sure to match the name of the re-inker to the name on the ink pad.
Q. Is there any easy way to get my punch lined up?
An easy way to make sure your punch is lined up is by flipping it over and working from the bottom until you are used to the punch and how it is lined up. One way that I have found handy is to put the paper in while looking at the bottom of the punch making sure the edge of the paper is even with the metal open area so that it punches right to the edge of the paper.
Next, you can either line up the pattern looking at the bottom of the punch or flip it over and line it up with the pattern on the top, making sure that the last punched edge is still inside the punch. If it looks like the picture on the right where you see half of the punched area you need to move it into the punch so that it continues to punch all of the areas.
Q. Is there a good way to get glitter to stick on my cards and layouts?
This is one thing that can be frustrating to many, but there are some simple ways to keep the glitter on your project. A glue pen, such as the Quickie Glue Pen by Sakura, allows you to place a line of glue exactly where you want it and while the glue is still wet apply the glitter. Once dry it creates a permanent bond. Another great way to adhere glitter to a large area is by using a sheet of adhesive from your Xyron machine. Simply run your paper through your machine with the side down that you want to apply the glitter to and adhere the adhesive. Remove it from the machine, flip it over and cover with the glitter. You will now have a large glittery area to create on. You can, also, follow these steps and then use a punch to punch out glittered embellishments or letters. For an area that is too large to use a glue pen and too small to use your Xyron, try a double sided tape. They come in many different widths to fit your project. All you need to do is adhere one side of the tape to your project and remove the protective coating on the top side of the tape and pour your glitter on and it will stick. These are really easy ways to add that glittery bling to your projects!
