A Case for Chalks

I have to admit that chalks are one of my favorite scrapbooking supplies I have on hand. There are so many uses for them and they are a great scrapbooking investment.

Supplies
To start off, you will need a set of acid free chalks like Craf-T, chalk applicators or Q-tips, and a chalk eraser. Make sure you do not use artist pastels. They are not the same as acid free chalk.

*Frugal tip: I have found that generic Q-tips hold together better than name-brand, and eye shadow applicators work just as well as the marketed chalk applicators. Also alligator clips found at the hardware store are just as good as chalk applicator clips.

Techniques
Some techniques you can use chalks for are:

Aging paper with chalk. I love to make my paper look old just by using chalk. I use a combination of brown and black. Tear the edges of the paper and blend the chalk in, usually darkest on the edges fading toward the middle. Don’t forget you can also chalk the side-edge of the paper, not just the surface.

Chalking a title using stencils. Use chalks to create different letter effects with your stencils.

Chalking underneath vellum for a soft color effect. Print an outline of a title on vellum and chalk underneath.

Highlighting special words in your journaling with chalk. Print your title on vellum or cardstock and use chalks to highlight significant words in your journaling.

Stamping with VersaMark. Stamp an image using a VersaMark pad and then chalk the image.

Chalking dry embossed images. Bring attention to your dry embossed image by chalking it.

Chalking diecuts or paper piecings to give them more dimension. Usually it is best to pick one shade darker than your diecut or paperpiece. Outline the outer- edge first then chalk inside. It is easier to make something darker than lighter, so apply lightly at first. If you like to outline with a pen, do that before chalking as the chalks can dry out the tips of pens.

Chalking a picture for a neat effect. Print your black and white picture onto cardstock and tint the desired areas with chalk.

Creating a custom background on your paper. When chalking large areas it is best to burnish it on another piece of paper. Place your paper chalkside down on top of scrap paper and run your hand over the back a couple of times. You should not have to use a fixative, for the chalk will set after several hours.

Changing the color on white rub-ons. Don’t limited yourself to just white and black—add some color with chalks.

These are a few ideas using chalks on your pages. And the best thing is that if you make a mistake, it can be quickly fixed with a white eraser. So pull your chalks off the shelf and start putting them to good use again!

Maureen Spell ©2004