How to Use Craft Chalk
Bring another dimension to your cardmaking & scrapbooking with craft chalk. This versatile product can be used to add colour and define your work.
Colouring With Chalks
When you’re using chalks to bring a little life to your imaging, be very sparing. Gently rub the applicator included with the chalks over the desired colour to pick up a little of the chalk then work the applicator over the area you wish to highlight. When colouring a large area, use a light circular motion to apply the chalk. Don’t forget, you can always add more chalk to give you a deeper colour, but it is very hard to remove if you apply too much! Craft chalk can also be used to highlight the edges of mats, die cuts or other paper embellishments. For this, use a sweeping movement along the edge of your work.
Choosing Chalk Applicators
The applicator you use will play a big part in the finished effect. For best results, use the applicator provided, as this will bring out the full intensity of the colours. Other types of applicators, such as cotton buds and cotton wool balls, can also be used. Cotton buds have a small, relatively hard area to apply the chalk and so will produce sharper results, ideal for applying a little colour to a small area of your work. Cotton wool balls have a large, soft area to apply the chalk so the effect will be much softer, best used for large area of gentle colour such as tinting card or paper to make your own background papers.
Painting Chalk Craft
Craft chalks don’t have to be used dry. They can be used to colour peel-off stickers, vellum, paper & card by scraping a little chalk from the individual block with a craft knife onto a watercolour palette or clean plastic lid, and then adding a drop of water. Mix the chalk and water using a small paintbrush and apply to your card or scrapbook. The wet chalk will need a little time to dry but once it has completely dried it will not rub off. This method gives a finished effect similar to using watercolour paint and can also be used for colour washes over large areas. A little chalk goes a long way, so you don’t have to scrape off very much. If you use a plastic palette or lid to mix your chalk, any leftover wet chalk can be left to dry and used as dry chalk again or re-activated using a drop of water.