Faux Felt

This card, though it doesn't look like it in the picture, is Perfect Plum, Going Gray and Pink Pirouette. I used the Friendly Words jumbo wheel, scallop edge punch, 1-3/4" circle punch and 5-petal flower punch along with the Polka Dot Punches SAB stamp set. It's quick and easy to make and featured the faux felt technique (if you could touch this card, the gray card stock is soft and fuzzy).

I've done this faux felt technique in the past...like 3-4 years ago...and had forgotten about it. The whole faux felt look is created by tearing a piece of card stock in half -- and I don't mean simply ripping it into two pieces that are smaller than the original. When you do this technqieu, you end up with two pieces of card stock that are exactly the same size as your original piece, because the tearing happens to the depth of the card stock. Are you intrigued???

The easiest way to do this is to take a piece of card stock and run it through a crimper, then turn the card stock 90 degrees and run it through again. This breaks down the fibers in the card stock and makes it really easy to work with. Starting at a corner, separate the card stock into two "layers". The inside will be soft and fuzzy -- the faux felt part. Carefully peel the layers apart. If you get stuck, start at another corner and keep working toward the middle.

If you don't have a crimper, you can still do this technique, but it takes more time and patience (and it works best with small pieces of card stock). Start by working your card stock over a bone folder, edge of a table, or small ruler. Don't be too gentle as this is how you are breaking down the fibers. It will take lots of prodding, and eventually your card stock will likely start to curl up a bit. This is normal, and in fact, desirable. When you think you've broken enough fibers, start at a corner and peel apart the layers. Chances are you'll get stuck. Experience has taught me that this means you need to break down the fibers even more, so keep working on it until it pulls apart without any resistance.

And FYI -- you can stamp on the faux felt, but as you might imagine, the image isn't crisp. It does add an interesting dimension to your projects, though, and with the right stamp set can be breathtaking.