Punching In Scrapbooking
Basically punching is the cutting out of an image or piece of text using a cookie cutter-like tool. Most punches are made of die cast steel. They come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, from very intricate little confetti-sized shapes to large shapes (like labels or rounded rectangles and ovals) designed to feature on your page. Using them, photographs and text blocks can be punched into virtually any shape or size - the only limiting factor is your budget and storage space! For instance, pictures of your sweetheart can be punched into heart shapes to add to the romance of your page. Alternately, small doves can be punched and placed along the borders to add a romantic touch to a wedding scrapbook. Titles and text can also be punched to create professional looking scrapbook pages. Corner punches: One tool that no scrapbooker should be without is the corner punch. These allow you to quickly and easily round the corners of photos, mounts and embellishments, and they give a really professional look to your page. They are now available in many different designs, some very intricate. New punches: There are some absolutely wonderful new punches on the market, from suppliers such as Martha Stewart, which take the paper punch to a new level! You can buy sets which will allow you to punch an intricate border around a complete piece of paper, with a level of detail which is quite amazing. They are really well made, too, and a pleasure to use. Save up for them - they are worth it! A tip for punching out and gluing small pieces of paper: Place a strip of double-sided tape on the paper before punching out the shape. Next, just punch the tape into shape. Then, the piece is immediately ready to place. Die-cutting machines: The "big daddy" of the paper punch is of course the die-cutting machine, of which many are now available at a range of prices. The best are very expensive, and purchasing all the dies you require can easily break the bank, but you will often find that your local scrapbook club will share the use of one. You can also buy pre-punched shapes in small amounts on Ebay and in your local scrapbooking store or online store.
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