Pierced daffodils - Crazy 4 Challenges #27

Are you ready for another Crazy 4 Challenges Challenge? Well, I've got it for you today! I'm the hostess for this month and today's challenge is to use a technique that I really love: paper piercing.

First of all, though, since it's a new month, we have a new sponsor. The first two weeks of March are being sponsored by DRS Designs. And, since it's the first week of the sponsorship, there's a prize involved :) DRS Designs is giving away a $15 gift certificate to one lucky randomly chosen participant this week, so be sure to get your card or project listed in Mr. Linky on the C4C blog.

I'm using this daffodil image from DRS Designs for my piercing project today. I stamped it on One Sheet Wonder card stock with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and colored it with Copic markers. then I cut it out and popped it up on 3M foam squares. I'm using Soft Sky and Old Olive card stock on a Chocolate Chip base, and patterned paper from a huge 12 x 12 pad from My Mind's Eye.

If you've never done paper piercing, you're in for a treat! It's a very simple technique that gives you tremendous results!

There are lots of tools and supplies available, but you can go very simple. Here are the piercers I have. The top one is actually for quilling, but it's what I used at first since I couldn't find the piercing tool that I'd used years ago for decorative piercing on paper lampshades. It worked just fine--you can actually use a hand sewing needle or a straight pin if you have a way to hold them without hurting yourself! The second one is one I got at Hobby Lobby and it's a real piercing tool. The third one is my old tool that I finally ran across while cleaning out my craft room, LOL, and the bottom one is made by Ornare. Ornare makes gorgeous paper piecing templates--some of which have smaller holes than either of my other piercers would fit into. This tool is very thin and sharp, and is my preferred tool, by far. You can see the craft store one is somewhat larger.




Here are a couple of the Ornare templates that I have. They're a nice weight of metal and don't bend when you're using them. I'm also showing you one from SU! that I use a lot for just a few piercings in a line or for a plain corner. The ruler is by Tim Holtz and one edge has holes for piercing. But, you don't have to have a fancy template. You can use "home made" templates like these made out of plastic canvas and get fabulous results. I bought these shapes at a craft store.



Oh, and you'll need a mat. The small one is from SU! I find it to be too thin and small for most of the piercing I do, especially for my Ornare templates, so I got this foam pad at Hobby Lobby and I love it (thanks for the idea, Betty!). It's actually a stamp cleaning pad and much thicker than the SU! one and it's awesome for piercing! It cost about $3 and as you can tell, I've used it a lot--notice I have a spare ;-)



One thing to be careful about is your template slipping on your card stock as you're piercing. To help with this, I tape the template onto my card stock with low tack artist's tape. This tape will come off without damaging your card stock--but don't just rip it off, you still have to remove it slowly and carefully. You can find it at any craft store with an art section or at an art store.



OK, I hope I've given you some ideas and inspiration and that you'll give it a go! Hope to see you posting your creation over at the C4C blog!


~Supplies~
Stamps: Framed Daffodils (DRS Designs)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Soft Sky (SU!); One Sheet Wonder (MFT); Scrapbook pad (MME)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: 3M foam squares, ribbon, piercing mat, low tack artist's tape (craft store); paper piercing tool and template (Ornare); Copic markers; flat back pearls (Basic Grey)