Tips

Tearing Mulberry Paper:

This is a very delicate paper and looks beautiful when torn. The best way to do this is to use a paint brush dipped in water to moisten the paper before tearing. The larger the area moistened, the "scruffier" the look. Don't forget you can also use this technique to tear shapes out of Mulberry Paper. Make sure your paper is dry before attching to your masterpiece!

Newspaper Clippings:

Newspaper clippings and articles can look great on pages however to avoid acid migration and the clippings going yellow over time, take a photocopy! This works well with the likes of concert tickets and receipts too.

Create Your Own:

For keepsakes such as children's art or certificates, scan them into your computer to create your own paper. Obviously there may be size restrictions from your own printer but you can also take a copy on disk or thumb drive to your local printer.

Types of Paper:

Corrugated: Similar to the bumby interior of a box. Corrugated paper/card adds dimension, fun and visual movement on a page.

Flocked: Paper coated with powders of wool or cotton (flock).

Foil: Paper with a surface resembling metal.

Glossy: Paper with a shiny finish.

Handmade: Often rough and uneven in texture. Usually handmade papers have flowers, leaves and glitters embedded within them.

Iridescent / Pearlescent: Paper with a mother-of-pearl or metallic sheen look.

Linen: Paper that has a textured look like linen cloth.

Mulberry: Paper with a natural organic look. Each sheet may vary slightly.

Patterned: Decorative paper with a printed design.

Rag: Paper with cotton fibre content.

Vellum: Lightweight and translucent paper. Available in plain colours and also patterns which often coordinate with patterned papers.

Ideas

• If you wish to experiment with more than one line of papers, match up the tones within your papers and try to stick to a similar theme.
• Scrunch paper, then flatten for more of an impact. Ink for a distressed look.
• Use black and white or sepia photographs against busy, colourful papers to avoid clashing.
• If you print your own photos, use transparency paper instead of regular photo paper to create a softer look to your picture.
• Print photos onto textured cardstock for a canvas look.
• Cut and use shapes, letters and motifs from patterned paper to embellish as elements for your projects.