Quick and easy hints, tips and substitute materials for yur crafting pleasure. Below is just the beginning for "Hints Tips & Substitutions". On these pages you will find many useful craft hints, tips and substitutions, along with interesting use of materials. We will be adding to it regularly. We hope youwill be encouraged to experiment. That's half the fun of doing.

TEXTURES

Anaglyptic Wallcovering

Anaglyptic wallcovering is merely wallpaper that has been embossed to create raised designs, thus providing stunning textured effects as a backdrop for your projects.
Simply glue the paper to any surfaces. Color with pencils, crayon, paint, stamp pads, water color wash and embellish as you wish such as the Memory Box to the right.

Other Ways to Add Texture

• Tissue Paper: Crumble tissue paper and glue to any hard surface. Do not smooth out the wrinkles.
• Set aside to dry.
• Color and embellish as you wish.
  
• Dry Wall Compound: Spread a thin layer of spackling compound on your surface. Smear in a random pattern covering the entire surface and set aside to dry.
• Do the same as above but spread smooth as though icing a cake. Stamp the surface before it dries for interesting effects.
• Paint with washes of various colors. You can use water colors, thinned acrylic paints, inks glazes or dies. Blend with a spray of water or by brushing with a soft wide brush dipped in water.
• You can also use any of the techniques below to add color.
• Highlight the high spots with a metallic stamp pad or Rub 'N Buff.
  

BACKGROUNDS for CARDSTOCK

Light Colored Card Stock

• Lightly mist the card stock and then place torn pieces of inexpensive colored tissue paper on the damp surface. The dye in the tissue will bleed onto the card stock transferring color. Set the dyed card stock aside to dry.  Experiment with various combinations and placements. You will get gorgeous results.
  
• Place pieces of crepe paper onto card stock. Lightly spray the crepe paper and leave it for a few minutes. Remove the crepe paper and admire the unusual background. Repeat steps with the same crepe paper to get lighter and lighter colors creating a sense of depth.
• Place lace or netting onto card stock and apply dye ink direct from the pad. Remove the lace or netting and admire the design that is left.
  

Dark Colored Card Stock

• Using metallic or interference paints, cover the card stock with a random pattern of color. Spray or brush with water and watch the colors blend. This looks especially beautiful on black card stock.
• Use the same technique as above with the lace or netting. Apply metallic colors directly from the pad. This will be sure to WOW them!

WORKING with VELLUM

• When attaching vellum to a project, apply the tape or adhesive sparingly directly to the object not the vellum. This will help eliminate the "adhesive shadow" that often occurs when working with velum.
  
• Use inexpensive (such as Dollar Store) eye shadow to tint dry embossed designs instead of chalks. The colors are great and the price is so good that you can purchase one of each color palette. Incidentally, this works great with other media as well.
  

AIR DRY CLAY (Delight®) Tips

• Tint white air dry clay with dye or alcohol inks. Add as much color as you like. You will want to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the dye
• Use Ranger Distress Inks to make the clay pieces look old.
  
• Use colored pencils to add detail to white or light colored air dry.
  
• Chalks (or eye shadow) will give a softer look to the clay pieces.
  
• Seal completed and dry air dry clay pieces with Future Floor Polish®.
  
• Stamp a background or focal point image into air dry clay with or without ink for a unique project.
  

SUBSTITUTIONS - Coming Attractions

We've all run into this situation - up against a deadline... in the middle of a project... the stores are closed... "Oh NO!!!! What are we to do?????

You either can't find or don't have what you need to finish.

We look around and find .... What's your favorite substitution? Here are some of ours:

• Sea sponge - a wad of newspaper or paper towel, crumpled and slightly dampened. (I've done a whole wall this way.)
• Clamps - paper clips, clothes pins, rubber bands and rope to the rescue.
• Tracing paper - rub a pencil onto a sheet of tissue paper - instant tracing paper.

What's your favorite? Share it here with your fellow artists. Please feel free to eMail us your special hints, tips and/or substitutions. We will include them with your name.