Layouts Packed with Punches

We live in a scrapbooking world where we have almost any embellishment we can think of at our fingertips. Many years ago, as some of you might remember, there was not such a selection. If you wanted to add pizzazz to your layouts, you had stickers and diecuts to choose from. Being on a tight budget, I didn't like the short-lived use of stickers, nor could I afford a diecut machine. I didn't have the time it took to make my own embellishments from cardstock, so I began saving up for punches. I loved the concept of using scrap pieces of cardstock to create cheap embellishments as quickly as it takes to punch them out. At first I used my punches like a burst of confetti on all my pages, but eventually, my punches ended up in box on my shelf, rarely used. It was an online challenge that resurrected my punches, and I hope to share with you a few updated techniques I've grown to love. You will not only begin to use your punches again, but you will also put a dent in your scrap paper pile.

Make a border.

This is simple; take your scrap patterned papers and create a cool, retro border on your page or card by punching out simple shapes and aligning them in a row. For the layout Runaway Subject, I simply followed the pattern of the background paper, and placed my punches over the existing circles.

Use punches as a template and/or stencil.

Punch your shape out of cardstock and trace around it on your project. Practice with a pencil first until you get used to it. If you don't like tracing "around" your punch, you can use the negative punch (what's left over on your paper) as a stencil to trace inside. You can use this technique for a single embellishment on your project, or you can create a border as I did in my Sleeping Beauty layout. For added emphasis, I used a glitter pen and added sparkly buttons to the middles of my traced flowers.

Alter and layer your punches.

Alter your punched-out shapes by sanding, crumbling, layering, painting, and inking your edges. You can even alter the shapes by snipping off parts that you don't need and creating a new shape from your punch. I've used my flower punch to create leaves by snipping off part of the flower petals!

Create a mini background.

Arrange several punched pieces on your project to create a mini background, or strip of your very own patterned paper. Can't find the right floral paper to match your daughter's dress? Make your own! Simply punch your flowers out of matching cardstock and arrange as I did in the layout Bath Boy.

Create an entire background.

Remember shading a leaf behind paper in art class to make a place mat? You put the leaf behind the paper and color over the leaf with your crayons. The image of the leaf would come out on your paper. Here's a twist on that technique for your punches. Punch your shape out of cardstock and place it behind your patterned paper. Take sandpaper and sand over the image. The image of your punch will come through, creating a new background paper. This technique best works on, papers with a white core and/or darker-colored papers.

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