Question: Robin, I just read your newsletter about distressing and aging scrapbook pages. What about digital scrappers. Is there a method to distress elements to antique and age them, such as crinkling them, staining them, etc.
thanks for any help you can offer?
Answer: That is a great question with some complicated answers, but I will try to keep it simple. All of this will depend on the program you use for digital scrapbooking. Since most digital scrappers are familiar with Photoshop, I will address distressing using that program (most other digital scrapbooking programs have the same tools).
To antique or distress the edges: Just select the brush tool. I usually pick a color like brown or black. I use many different types of brushes, but my favorite one leaves a look like that of an actually paint brush brushed lightly on the egdes. I just run the brush all on the outside of the page, photo, or embellishment. It looks the best when you aren’t trying to be perfect. Changing the opacity of the brush can help make the distressing look lighter or darker depending on the look you are trying to recreate.
Wrinkle and Crinkle: The easiest way to do this is to buy a filter that you can use as a layer over your paper/photo/etc. You can get some templates as well. When searching for one, use the word “crumple” - it seems be be the same effect that “wrinkle and crinkle” have. I found a one at: http://atomiccupcake.com and www.scrapgirls.com. Just download it and insert it as a layer in Photoshop (most places give more detailed instructions to help you step by step.).
Staining: Tea staining or coffee staining work the same way as distressing the edges (there is a great tutorial on tea stained edges at: http://scrapbook-bytes.com/cgi-script/tutorials/publish/article_616.shtml ). You can also purchase filters or overlays that do this same thing at any of your online digital scrapbooking stores (I have seen them at digichicks.com & scrapgirls.com). Don’t be affraid of trying out some of the filters already a part of you digital scrapbooking program. Photoshop has some great ones already built in to the program too.
Good luck with the digital scrapbooking. I am learning more everyday. When trying to decide whether to do something yourself or buy a filter or overlay that has already been made for you, keep in mind the time it might take to recreate one yourself. The great thing about digital scrapbooking supplies you might buy is that you can reuse them over and over again. Happy scrapping!