Educational Articles and Tips

Stuck with Stickers

How to Use Something “Old” in a “New” Way!

"If you love to use stickers, have a stash bought some time ago when stickers were “the” style, or would like to do something just a little different with this favourite embellishment, here are some ideas to experiment with.

Remember to start with an open mind. Something new will definitely be created!

• Die cut: turn a sticker into a ‘die cut’ by drying the back with bath powder. Brush your favourite powder onto the back of the sticker to cover the adhesive. Then apply a 3-D adhesive to make it pop off the paper. It will smell good, too!
• Tab: A sticker isn’t a sticker when it’s a pull tab! Adhere part of the sticker to the edge of the paper, and powder the rest. Voila! Alternatively, apply an identical sticker to the back, and create a two sided tab.
• Sanding: Leave the sticker on the backing. With a fine grit sanding paper, like Bo Bunny’s sanding kit, gently sand the face of the sticker. Here are some choices on how to finish the effect;
  • leave as is - the exposed white patches give a vintage look
  • crumple the sticker and lightly sand again
  • use a direct to paper technique with Ranger’s Distress Ink or Tsukineko’s Versa Magic Chalk Ink
• Water Spray: With the sticker still on the backing, mist it, using Ranger’s Mini -Mister filled with water. Crumple the sticker. Carefully smooth out and air dry. Apply to paper. Antique: Spray with one of Tsukineko’s Antiquing solutions. Use without altering the sticker in any way, or, use one of the techniques described in the Sanding section above, or in combination, for original results.
• Dimensional Accents: Use Ranger’s Dimensional Adhesive to create a ‘glass like’ effect in either glossy or matte finish. The adhesive will dry clear, raised above the image, and give it dimension.
• Emboss: use an embossing stylus and a dense foam pad, such as a mouse pad. With the stylus, form edges and lines in the sticker design, for a dimensional look. A little Dimensional Adhesive over top will add that extra pop.
• Embossing Powder: Apply Tsukineko’s Versa Mark Pen to selected parts of the sticker’s design. Shake embossing powder over the Versa-Mark and apply heat. Use Clear powder to create a ‘looking glass’ effect on the sticker.
• Glitter: Apply Mrs. Glue- adhesive for embellishments, to the sticker and shake on fine glitter powder. Let dry for a fun, sparkling effect.
• Flock: Apply Mrs. Glue to the sticker. Shake on some prepared flocking powder and dry.
• Edging: leaving the sticker, work around the edge with a contrasting ink, gently lifting the edge of the sticker from the backing, but keeping the center of the sticker, well attached to the backing. Apply to the project.
• Cutting: Using a pair of small, sharp and well pointed scissors, cut the sticker into it’s natural parts.

For example:

• A baseball sticker can be cut into segments along the seam lines. Using a thin pop dot, raise one segment off the page.
• Curl the edges of the outside segments, using a pencil, to ‘round’ them. Or, lay the cut segments onto a piece of cardstock
• with a white Uniball pen, create ‘stitches’ along the seam line
• For a worn look, chalk over the stitches with Pebbles Earth Tones chalks.
• Cut or tear a heart sticker in two pieces, with a zig-zag pattern to create a ‘broken heart’ or a ‘heart torn in two’

Stamping

• Stamp a sticker with Versa Mark ink and a stamp image that compliments the subject of the sticker.
• For an additional affect, mount the sticker onto cardstock first, and then stamp with Versa Mark.
• Leave the Versa Mark to dry, for a water mark effect. Or, while the Versa Mark is wet, add embossing powder and heat.

While we sometimes shy away from using the familiar and comfortable sticker, because it’s been a Scrapbooking staple from the beginning, yesterday’s ‘ordinary’ has so much potential to be today’s ‘extraordinary’!

Use one or all of these techniques, and never again feel ‘stuck with stickers’!

Complements of your team at Treasured Memories…scrapbooking life’s precious moments

www.treasuredmemoriesscrapbooking.ca

250.748.8054