I must admit now that I am a distressing addict and I love using this technique in my scrapbooking and altered art projects through and through. It is one of the simplest techniques out there yet it can be applied to your creations in so many different ways.

I have found that there are so many tools out there in the scrapbooking industry that aid you in distressing. This ranges from razor blade implements, inks, paints, sandpapers, nail files, even your toothbrush, and the list can go on with more. The best tool I think we all have is, YOUR IMAGINATION!

Distressing can be used on so many different mediums and not just paper. You can distress many things like your photo edges, chipboard, papers, embellishments, papers, ribbon’s, basically what ever you put into your creations can be distressed.
That’s right, your imagination is the best tool on how you can distress something and add a whole new dimension to your project.
Let’s have a look at all the techniques that I love to use and would love to share with you all.

Paper Distressing
Like most products the amount of distressing you can do to paper is opened to your imagination. The most common one I think about is spraying your paper with a bit of water, only lightly, and then screwing it up into a ball. Once you have done that unfold the paper and lay it flat and let it dry. You have a crinkled effect, however you can take this a step more and you can run sandpaper over the edges or fold areas to create more of a distressed look. You can then add ink to the edges where you have sandpapered or leave them as is.
I love taking a razor blade to the edges of paper and my photo’s as well. I run the razor along the edges to rough them up and give little tearing which I can then fold over or crease. This works wonders on thin printed papers.
I find that matte photo papers aren’t too good for distressing with sandpaper as it lifts the coating of the paper. High gloss papers tend to lift the top layer of gloss so be careful when using sandpaper on these two papers.

Distressing with Inks
One of the easiest forms of distressing is using inks. This can be done in so many ways though. You can simple ink the edge of an item or you can take it to whole new levels and use actual distressing kits and mediums to add far more texture to your creations. I am yet to use some of these kits however it is on my list of things to try.
Never limit yourself to distressing in one colour. You can layer the inks to get a more distressed effect in your projects.
Ways you can apply distressing inks to your layouts is either with an ink dauber, cotton balls, ink pad itself, triangle makeup sponges or cotton tips. If you have liquid inks you can add them to spritz bottles and spray the ink to your creations.
A great ink to use on photos is Tim Holtz Stays Wet Longer. This is a perfect medium to applying to photos and allows you to blend and work with without drying too fast.

Distressing on Chipboard
When using chipboard you aren’t limited to just adding paper or paint to the item. You can layer with many different distressing techniques.
Cover your chipboard with pp and then rough the edges with sandpaper, or inks, you can even use paints.
Ink the whole chipboard item and then layer with other colours by stamping onto them. You can also distress by using embossing powders.

Distressing with a Toothbrush
This is a simple technique with many uses. Preferably take a toothbrush that is new and not being used by the family, and then it is as simple as dipping your toothbrush into your ink or thin paint and running your finger over the bristles to flick paint where you want it. Be sure to do this in an open area as not to make a mess.
You can also use it to brush the ink or paint on giving you different brush strokes.

Distressing with Chalks
I think chalks are underrated and not a lot of people are using them anymore which is a shame. I find that distressing with chalks is easier when using a stipple brush and not those silly little applicators which look like eye shadow brushes. Just rub your brush over the chalks and apply where needed. They can also be done with a small amount of water added to the chalk to give it a watered effect.
So there you have it, a few different ways of distressing your creations. Really there are more than this that you can do all’s you have to do is imagine it and give it a go. Use your scraps for trials and then once you have the hang of it apply, apply, apply to your creations. You will be amazed at the possibilities.

For now though,

Happy Distressing!