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Paint
chips are all the new rage on the chats, layout sites and message
boards. In some parts of the country, hardware stores are
keeping them behind the counter now due to the scrapper's demand for
them. It seems scrappers are depleting supplies for
those who actually want paint chips for home repairs!
Scrappers are using them on zippy personal layouts, greeting cards,
colorful tag art, altered books and even on stunning page kits they
sell on ebay! Are you curious about this new sensation? Do you
wonder what to do with a paint chip? Are they safe to use?
And how can we use this colorful item on pages? Let's talk
about paint chips!
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What is a paint chip?
Just
as you may guess, a paint chip is a sheet of colored samples
used to determine what color you want in home decor or painting
projects. These colorful selections are usually found in the
hardware store in the paint section. Each strip of paper usually
has from 3 to 6 color samples on it in one color family.
Some paint chips have the wording identifying the color name and
code number written on the front. Some paint chips have this
info on the back where it is not as obtrusive. You
can use either kind of chip in the projects detailed here
depending on your own preferences. And did we mention that
they are usually FREE and come in a rainbow of color schemes?
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Sure they are colorful, but are they safe?
Testing with an acid testing pen shows that some are and some
are not. Admittedly these were not designed for archival
scrapbooking by their creators. But we can use them in our books
if we take a few precautions.
| *Test
them with the testing pen |
| *Use
them on fun layouts or projects that are not 'essential' or
meant to be kept forever. Paint chips will last at least 15
years. |
| *Use
them with photos you have duplicates for and just want to
create with. |
| *Take
away the worries, spray them with Archival Mist
preservative. |
| *Use
them away from photos. |
| *Use
them in conjunction with buffered papers. |
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How would I use them?
Punch them into shapes: Apple green, cherry red, school bus
yellow. Let the names of the paint colors give you a few hints
on which shapes would be appropriate. Snow is particulary
lovely in shades of white and light blue. The slight gloss on
the paint chips adds a reflective quality. My personal favorites
are bold simple flowers, classic rectangles, circles, and
squares and tags. But you can get as creative with your
punches as you like. |
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faces: Paint strip chips come in many varieties of skin tones
and make wonderfully diverse Punch art faces! This is a
great resource for layouts where you want ethnic variety. This
would be a great school border or teacher's page. |
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Cut them
in strips: Create monochromatic strips by cutting a longer paint
chip strip in half. Now you have two strips with those 6 colors!
You can weave several of them into a mat or simply use them as
is. |
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apart: You can cut the colored sections apart and use the
resulting pieces independently much as you would any squares or
rectangles. You can also, of course, punch circles from
them too. Use separated pieces in a row to get a rainbow
effect or create with them much as you would any geometric shape
in a layout to add color here and there. |
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Use them whole: Keep the whole strip together and use it to
mat a photo or page accent, underlay a serendipity square, or
add color to a greeting card as a side border. Trim the
two corners off the top and add a small hole punch and you have
a nice long tag. |
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Add writing: Add a quote, journaling, dates, or other
wording with a Slick Writer pen. These seem to work best because
of the semi glossy finish on the paint chip surface. Place the
wording horizontally across the whole paint chip or place one
word inside each color rectangle for added impact. You can also
journal on vellum, use that vellum as an overlay, and the colors
will still show through. |
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What scrapbook
elements and accents can I use them on?
TAGS |
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ACCENT BOXES |
JOURNAL BOXES |
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FRAMES |
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BORDERS |
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PAGE CORNERS |
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GREETING CARDS |
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POCKETS FOR TAGS, PHOTOS, OR JOURNALING |
Page
title or greeting card sentiment possibilities:
There are
some titles and quotes that just seem custom made for this kind of
accent. Here are a few I have come up with to help you on your way
to a finished page.
| *You Color
My World |
*In Living
Color |
| *Everyone
loves a Rainbow |
*Color You
Beautiful |
| *A
Colorful Combination |
*Shades of
Springtime |
| *Your True
Colors Shining Through |
*Fall
Colors |
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*Art is just a pigment of your
imagination. (Tony Follari) |
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*The truly wise person is
colorblind. (Albert Schweitzer, 1875 - 1965) |
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*The courage to imagine the
otherwise is our greatest resource, adding color and suspense to
all our life. (Daniel Boorstin) |
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*Religion is a candle inside a
multicolored lantern. Everyone looks through a particular color,
but the candle is always there. (Mohammed Neguib) |
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*Colors fade, temples crumble,
empires fall, but wise words endure. (Edward Thorndike) |
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*The only faith that wears well
and holds its color in all weathers, is that which is woven of
conviction and set with the sharp mordant of experience.
(James Russell Lowell 1819–1891) |
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*The best and most beautiful
things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be
felt with the heart. (Helen Keller) |
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*I have deep faith that the
principle of the universe will be beautiful and simple. (Albert
Einstein) |
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*Beautiful young people are
accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art.
(Eleanor Roosevelt) |
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*Being happy doesn't mean
everything is perfect. It means you have decided to look beyond
the imperfections. |
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* Every child is an artist, the
problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. (Pablo
Picasso ) |
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Add a
funky fiber or two in the same shades and you've got a unique and
brilliant page. Do you see the potential for paint chips in
your scrapbook pages? Adding color has never been so easy!
"Paint" on some creative page pizzaz with those paint chips. Adding
a few happy hues is simple and unique. Have fun with it by
coloring your world today!
Note:
Paint chips courtesy of Wal-Mart Colorplace paints. Journal poem by
Tiny Tales. Wooden letter tiles by Scrabble* of Hasbro Toys.
Happy
Scrapping!
Rockester |
