Getting Shabby

I have had many people stop and ask me "just how much to distress" their pages to get that shabby, aged and old fashioned look.
 Today,I am going to take you through my process for creating shabby.

1.There are many tools on the market today to give your pages a torn, weathered look.

My favorites are here... the edging/blade tool by Making Memories, the distressing tool from Around the Block is cool.. its a sandpaper grid on one end and a inked pad on the other... and my favorite is the distress inks and blending sponge tool from Ranger/Tim Holtz... There are many other brands and types out there.. play around and see what you like best..

 2. Begin to design your page...
Once I know what papers I want to use... I start edging the papers to give it a frayed look... Then I ink the edges using inks and the blending tool... (you can also just add ink directly to the edge for a deeper, more bold look of distress!)

 

Then I start adhering my papers and bringing my design together...
Shabby styles look great with lots of layers so I begin stacking my papers and adding layers

   you can also roll up the edges with your fingers to give the page dimension

Then I begin to add layers of my embellishments  
 

adding things such as rub ons, laces and punched borders or any other vintage items from your stash such as book pages or buttons which add to the texture of the page for a finishing touch.

Then the title and journaling in a whimsical or elegant font to finish off...

Here is my finished page

and of course, I created a shabby card to go with it!  FOr this card (and my layout) I used PInk Paislee Amber Road products. They have pattern papers, rub ons, brads, and some very cool fabric patches...

I frayed the fabric edges a bit more to give it a more autumn weathered feel.

  
 

Hope you all find something fun to make shabby!!!