Old Technique Re-vamp

Several years ago when it was hard to get brads in the many lovely colours and styles there are available today we had to be a bit clever and find ways around it. I can remember dipping my silver brads into embossing ink and then coloured powder to get all the colours I ever needed. Dip them into the ink again and you can add glitter and sparkle too.

But that's not the old technique I want to share with you. This is!

This close up of one of my cards shows you the giant brads that look a bit like the heads of drawing pins.

Years ago I read an article in a scrapbooking magazine showing you how to make your own 'faux' brads. I tried it and it worked. I even crafted with the technique several times too.

Well I was reminded of this old technique when I was looking at the 'faux' brads on the Craftwork products stand and I wondered if it would work with a larger circle. I'm sure theirs were made from the waste scraps from inside a template but it was still a clever idea to package them up and sell them.

Here's how you make them:

Start by punching out small circles. These were about 1/2" in diameter though they looked smaller ( I actually measured them to be sure).

I laid the circle on a pricking mat but I think a magazine or the reverse of a mouse mat might work just as well. You may have to experiment to see what works best.

Using the rounded end of a gel pen begin to push into the punched shape in small circular movements (kind of like scribbling) as you move around the outer edges. If you stay in the middle of the circle it will work too but you will have more creases than if you keep moving in circular motions whilst going around the edges.

Gradually the edges start to curl up and if you keep going you end up with a kind of 'bowl' from what was once a flat circle.

Add a small square foam pad, flip it over and you have a really neat embellishment!

Who needs buttons when you can just create what you need. These would make really cool looking berries on holly leaves for Christmas. Bazzill cardstock with the texture to it works extremely well. Some cardstocks are more easily workable than others - again you may have to experiment to find what works best.