Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Everything* I needed to know about Piercing ...

I learned this weekend! One of my favorite tips(and new tools!) I discovered at our Arlington swap was shared by Jody Morrow texasjodylynn, my fellow DD alum who I met for the first time! (I was SURE I got a pic taken with her, but I guess it was on someone else's camera, sorry!) Anyway, here she is busy rocking out cards while I'm posing with the lovely Sharon Harnist(gushing about Sharon to follow in a later post!)

This was the card Jody designed for us to assemble:

See how perfectly spaced the little holes are around the punched circles? She provided a round template to use as a guide for piercing the circles around the punched holes! After I finished my card I had to run and ask her what the heck that thing was so I could get one for myself! She explained they are used for needlework, and then whipped out a rectangular piece of it that was cut to the same size as an A2 card, which allows you to do any type of framing border/ corner/lattice/design you want without having to move it like the SU! piercing guide! I seriously swooned over this info(because the card I designed required moving my SU! template I brought for my station a couple times to do the whole thing, see?) I went to Hobby Lobby today and found a pack of 10 circles for $1.17, and a sheet I can cut into probably 10 rectangles (Edited to ADD: actually only 5, I just cut it!)for only 39 cents!! Look how many different sizes circles you can do!! (I think I count 12?)

The trick to this guide (since the squares are bigger than your piercing tool) is to remain consistent as you go through the design with where you poke the hole. For example you might find it easiest to poke right in the center of the square, if you do this, alway poke in the center. Or if you choose the outside edge, do that all the way around for consistent spacing, etc. It's really easy!
I plan to distribute most of the extra circles and grids to my local stamping buds here, but I'll hang on to one of each and send them to one person who leaves a comment on this post! Share a tip that will rock my world or something about how you like to use piercing in your papercrafting, and I'll request an addy from one of you this Thursday AM. (Like I said, they're not expensive if you want to just go buy your own, but it'll save you a trip to the store :) If you don't win and like to pierce or even if you don't becuase you think it's too much work, you simply must add these to your stamping tool box IMHO!) ;)

I have all sorts of designs in mind now that I have these templates that will be so easy to work with, but getting this important info to you ASAP before I started playing was a stamping emergency! Please check back for more ideas (using my sets, of course LOL!) on how to make the most of them! ;)

* well, practically everything. I've learned lots of other fabulous piercing techniques from others before this, but now I feel my piercing training is complete!!!
PS I just noticed it looks like I have the world's worst posture! As I review all my pics from the trip I see I'm leaning in to everyone to look chummy and 'cause I thought they were doing tighter shot! oh well! I feel I should also confess I'm not taller than the people I'm standing by, wearing platforms, hee!

53 comments:

  1. Oh, Oh, OHHHH!!!! I'm sooooo addicted to piercing and LOVE it...but my one little SU template is printed crooked and I'm usually just doing it freehand (which is very obvious!! LOL)......this is such a COOOOOL and inexpensive template for any shape!!!!!! Thanks so much to Jody and you for sharing this!!!

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  2. how cool is that?! what a fantastic tip - thanks for sharing so quickly! don't you look like the most fashionable lady there!? love your cute shirt

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  3. I bought a piece of that plastic canvas stuff and tried to pierce, but I didn't like how it turned out. Wow, just learned that I need to be consistent where I pierce. thanks. I didn't know there were circles for sale. I had wondered how I could cut mine into a circle. thanks for the tips.
    Cheryl Sims

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  4. WOW.. that is neat. I have some squares will have to try that.

    Thanks

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  5. I just discovered piercing myself not that long ago and it's fast become a favorite! This is a fabulous idea though, and a great use of the plastic canvas. I wonder if you could cut it into a circle using the template for the Coluzzle? Anyway, thanks for sharing!

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  6. I"ve been looking and looking for afordable paper piercing templates! Thank you so much for bringing these to my attention! I really don't have any inspiring tips... but I do really enjoy getting a beautiful piece of DP and letting that inspire a card. Just using the colors, shapes, stuff like that for inspiration.

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  7. Wow thanks for the tip, the SU one can be so hard for me to keep from not messing up!!!

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  8. Woo Hoo! You ladies are just too darn smart. I just have to try these templates. Cost is good. Now to find a store that might carry them. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. OMGosh! I SO need piercing templates!!! And cheap, can't beat it!
    You're the bestest!

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  10. OMG!! I am soo jealous. Boy oh Boy would I have loved to meet all of those ROCK STARS in one place.

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  11. I have used a piece of cardboard with 1/4" marks on it to guide me, but never fails, my 'straight' edge is laying crooked on the cardstock.

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  12. I'll be honest.. I've never done this before because I've always been afraid of my holes being mismatched. This is a FABULOUS idea! TFS!

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  13. this is such a great idea!!! I too have a crooked mat and usually eyeball it. I'll put this on the list for the craft store!!

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  14. Wow.....thiat is a very clever little tool.....I'd like to try that.
    Thanks for sharing!!

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  15. i absolutely HAD to HAVE the mat pack from SU! so that i could replicate all the cool piercing i've been seeing - but i haven't used it yet :) VERY cool idea using these needlepoint templates.

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  16. I kjnow you all say to look at everything carefully as you might be able to use it for stamping. But WOW, this is great. thanks doe sharing the news. I'm off to Hobby Lobby tomorrow.. TFS MaryAnn

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  17. Wow that is cool, thanks for sharing the tip. it looks awesome on the card and what a great photo!

    Since you are always so inspirational, I left you an award on my blog, please come claim it when you have a chance!

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  18. I can't believe it! I have a STACK of colored plastic canvas and never thought of using it for this. I think I may even have a package of circles. I do have to wonder though if the smaller (10 count) would work better, hmmm, I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.....Rita

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  19. I love to pierce! I just started doing this myself a few weeks ago. I like to add piercing to my single layer cards. It adds that little extra without bulk! I have a tip for you as for another use for the plastic canvas. I bought a 5 X 7 rectangle of plastic canvas and I cut a 5" X 2" strip off of it. I use this to line up my brad/eyelet holes. It is an easy and cheap solution to those pesky holes! AND if you lose it, no big deal. It is cheap to replace!

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  20. OMG.. That is awesome info!! Thanks for sharing! You Rock! Love your blog and it was such fun reading how much fun you gals had in Texas!

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  21. Oh my gosh! This idea completely rocks! Can you hear me slap my hand on my head (thump)--why didn't I think of that????? I have some of that in my craft room for other things! TFS!! (Looks like you had a blast last weekend -- how fun!)

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  22. I just love tips like this that are so easy. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure that I don't have a thing to share with you that you don't already know. I'm very new to piercing and the ornare templates are a little pricey for me, so these little doodads are great.

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  23. Darn you and your enabling! *sigh* I guess now I'll have to go to Hobby Lobby tomorrow and since I'm driving right by I'll have to go to Starbucks. Gotta combine trips to save gas, ya know ;-)

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  24. Yay! now I just have to work out where to buy these in Australia! Sourcing my nearest needlework shop as we speak!

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  25. Great idea. I can see using this for placing my dots on cards too.

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  26. I love the card that you made! I wanted to leave a comment but if you pick my name, just throw it back in the hat -- I've been using the plastic canvas for needlepoint for quite a while now so I'm all set. Feel free to send me a card though! TFS! Jeanne

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  27. WHat a great idea!!! Glad to hear you had such a great time!!!

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  28. What a cool idea , why didn't I think of that !?! I used to have a bunch of plastic canvas , but gave it all away several years ago . Plastic canvas can also be used to hold pierced earrings !

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  29. Needlepoint canvas!! how neat is that???!! Going to look at everything I own from a stamping perspective from now on....now..what can I do with the dog???hmmmm?

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  30. I have fessed and given your name to my DH - that way he'll know EXACTLY who to blame when I come home with another "must-have" - LOL!!!

    PS LOVE your dress in the pic - can't wait to see what other tools you'll enable us with!

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  31. Well would ya slap my gramma?!! LOL I LOVE the way you crafty thinkers always come up with so many ways to use all the tools out there for stamping and paper crafting! It's pure genius and it never would have come to MY mind to try this! LOL The only "trick" I recently stumbled on was to buy those hard plastic magazine holders at Walmart for $2-3 each. I store my 8-1/2x11" cardstock in them right on my craft table now and they're much cheaper than the plastic ones you find at craft stores or SU. Love your pictures BTW, you all look so happy to be there! TFS such a great tip with your readers:)

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  32. I how cool is that! What a great tip--stampers are so great with sharing their ideas. Darlene L

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  33. Well, DUH! I have one of those plastic canvas circles that I use for spirelli circles. Now do you think I would have ever thought to use it just to pierce around a circle??? NO. Thanks for sharing.

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  34. you crack me up. Never noticed your posture at all.

    GREAT tip on the piercing too wow so easy

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  35. Great tips! I don't have the SU piercing mat, but I love the look of piercing. I wish I could pierce more. I also love the tip that someone gave in the comments about using it for lining up brads/eyelets.

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  36. Wow...that's a nifty tip to share! Ans something inexpensive...which you don't find everyday in the stamping world, eh? I have used the rulers that have little holes in them before getting my SU one. I love piercing and am just learning how to use it. I really like the faux stitching aspect.

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  37. How awesome is this??? I have a buttload of plastic canvas around, and as soon as I saw this ran to dig it out! And I cant believe I dont have ANY circles! lol! But it works fantastic, I would always make sure I pierced the very corner of each square, to the left or right, consistently and worked like a charm...I so tickled! Thank you! Love the card by the way, always love your work!

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  38. Thanks for this idea, Melanie!! I will be going to the local sewing shop on the hunt for some of this now. My tip for paper piercing? DON'T try to punch through the plastic matte pack holes with a rivett punch - you may not line it up correctly and will therefore punch right through the plastic matte and have a whole new hole like I did! LoL! I ruined one corner of my SU! matte pack template in the first few days of playing with it, as I had not seen it demonstrated before. Duh!

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  39. What an awesome idea! I never would have thought of that...

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  40. It's like FATE!!! I love piercing and I don't own any of the templates so I've been looking around to find one that does not include an entire toolkit... and VOILA! you come up with the perfect tip. Thank you SO MUCH!!!

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  41. This is SO SO funny! I am 55 years old and I was JUST getting ready to email my soon to return home college daughter that I am going to get MY EARS PIERCED! Then I saw your headlines "Everything I needed to know about Piercing" and I thot Hey, what is that all about ... I better read that. After reading it, I'm thinking that your new discovery won't help me out with my ears, but would be dandy for MY CARDS! Just thot I'd share that with you! Still smiling, mp

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  42. Melanie, you are cracking me up! :) Thanks for featuring me and my tool on your blog. LOL I had ACTUALLY already gone shopping and was going to RAK you with one. :) I DID find larger circles though, so maybe I'll still send you one. :) It was awesome to meet you!

    HUGS!

    Jody

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  43. I LOVE those circles! How fun...I had bought a piece of the large plastic after reading how it could be used...now I just need to cut it down to size! DUH! I'd love to have some shapes, how fun...I use an upside down mouse pad for piercing, and I have several "pokers"...I love Scotch removable tape, very handy to have around! And I use painter's tape as well, easy to remove. :D

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  44. I thought this was the coolest tip I saw/learned this weekend, too . . you beat me to finding these templates (they are SO on my list)! That TexasJodyLynn is SO smart! It was fabulous meeting you, Melanie!

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  45. Me... me... me... we have a tiny Hobby Lobby around here but I can never find anything useful there. This is a fantastic idea... I love paper-piercing and my SU! tamplate is getting worn out... plus it's not circle... TFS!

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  46. Super clever tip!! I'm going to see if I can find some plastic canvas!!

    --Misti

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  47. What an awesome idea! I just do piercing mostly for faux stitching....I guess I should try some new stuff as well! If I win these, I can!
    LeAnne

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  48. Paper peircing wasn't a favorite embellishment because of the tiny holes ofmost guides and my poor eyesight. Turning forty isn't bad but wearing bi-focals is a bummer. Using the crafty plastic will make paper piercing so much easier.

    Everyone searches for storage solutions to fit their individual needs. I bought plastic storage containers with compartments used for beads, at JoAnns and each container holds one style of embellishment. One holds brads, another bling (my favorite container to look a), another charms, another buttons, etc. And the containers nicely stack.

    I bought a larger plastic container with dividers to hold shapes punched out from card stock scraps.

    From our old, discarded dishwasher, I repurposed the silverware holder to hold gell and glitter pens and sharpie markers.

    These aren't suggestions that shake your world but they work for me. :O) Shaka shaka shaka

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  49. Melanie this is fantastic. Oh the possibilities. I would love to win. Love your work!

    www.primitiveseasons.blogspot.com

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  50. Dang--am I local!!! heeheee...
    YOU found them...i still have to go try to locate those..what a great mind that Jody has (and you too girlfriend!)

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  51. Thanks, Melanie, I've always wondered how people managed to pierce and it looked so neat. I've always wanted to try it but was afraid I'd mess the whole thing up. Now, I'm going to try it. Now I'm headed to Michael's for some templates:)

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  52. I am a stamper and plastic canvas crafter and never thought of using one to do the paper peircing. Thanks for the tip. It's great.

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Your generous feedback helps make my work and this blog better! Thanks for inspiring and motivating me! :)