Can't Stop Distressing!!

Hello my friends.

Today I thought I would talk to you a little about a technique called "distressing".  You know when you hold an old letter in your hands, and it's faded, crumpled, off-colour or even torn? It looks like it has its own story to tell.  That is what distressing is like.  You can make your projects look old and faded.  In the design world, it's also called Shabby Chic.  I call it PRECIOUS.

Now, Stampin' Up has their own kit for making distressed projects (page 303) which is definitely on my wish list.  I mean, it's the SERIOUS way of distressing because it comes with a sanding block, an emery board and some other tools to make it more authentic.  But I wanted to see first, if I would like the look before I commit to a kit.  This is what I did.

I used Pool Party as the cardbase, Wisteria Wonder as the layer on top of that and then Pear Pizzazz as the main cardstock on top.  I put that piece through the Big Shot with a Lattice embossed folder and then stamped with the "Love & Sympathy" stamp set which I think is essential to have on hand for those moments that come unexpectedly.  It's always a good idea to have a card on hand for those kind of times.  I embellished with a piece of Chantily Crochet Trim (page 194) and antique brads (page 198) that bring the whole Shabby Chic look come together.  I torn the edges a bit and worked on the fibers of the paper by using a pair of scissors along the sides to give it a more worn look.  I like it.  I like it a lot.  But I didn't stop there.

There's a wonderful stamp set in the new catalogue on page 130 called "Established Elegance" and it's perfect for using with this technique.  Here's what I did:

This stamp set includes 10 old fashioned stamps that are really cool to work with.  As you can see, I distressed everything, the cardbase (Concord Crush), the second layer (Pool Party) and the small piece of Designer Series Paper (from the Timeless Portrait collection page 78).  I embellished with a piece of linen thread (page 194) and an antique brad.

Yeah, I think I'll invest in the kit.  I love, love, love this look! What do you think??????