If you love to color then knock yourself out and color a few extra stamped images to have on had for when you need to make a card quickly. Don’t worry about coordinating it with a specific designer paper because the colors can always be changed later with paper piecing. After coloring an extra image here and there you’ll eventually have a large enough selection that you might find a perfect match!

Sometimes I like to hammer the plain brads to give them a more distressed or grunge look. The more rounded the brad, the better this technique works on it. Make sure to start out easy until you get familiar with how much pressure is needed to dent it as some brads are made of a thicker metal and will need to be whacked an extra time.

Be generous with your cutting measurements when using an embossing folder versus a textured embossing plate. Because the embossing folders are designed to achieve a deep embossed image, the final paper size will shrink. This discrepancy will be more noticeable on the larger pieces of paper. In addition, the shrinking may not be uniform and will depend on the embossed image itself. When in doubt, cut a size larger than needed then trim it down after embossing.

There are so many more textured techniques and items available and for good reason too. Combining multiple textures on the same project enhances the enjoyment through tactile appeal. It’s hard for anyone to resist exploring a textured background or bumpy embellishment… even in the museums!

Don’t forget the usefulness of a color wheel (or color circle) when looking for an additional color to use. The final image will look more vibrant if you can add some complementary colors. A complementary color is one that is opposite on the color wheel; these two colors, when mixed in proper proportions, will produce a neutral color (blacks, grays or whites) Or the image will harmonize and look more calming if tertiary colors are selected. Tertiary colors are when primary and secondary colors are mixed together. At least, that’s my color theory.

Get to know your glue and adhesives as there isn’t any one product that works for everything. (Although, I wish there was!) For example, glue dots won’t hold silk flowers very well but they hold paper flowers like a charm. Each adhesive or glue will have their own list of sticks and don’t sticks.