Thinking OF the box: CARDBOARD

Challenge 64 is to use cardboard on your layout... stamp with the corrugated edges, die cut it, pull it apart and use it for texture, whatever you can think of!

A couple of notes. There are two general types of cardboard floating around out there: the type used to make boxes and the type not used to make boxes. Because boxes need strength, the cardboard used to make boxes has a smaller (tighter) corrugation and heavier-duty glue. This type of cardboard is much harder to pull apart. I like to use the white cardboard presentation boards sold at craft and office supplies stores. For one, they're cheap. For two, when you pull it apart, you get a corrugated surface, a kraft paper surface, and a white paper surface. For three, this type of cardboard is really easy to pull apart for its separate layers. I like to use a rotary cutter to cut my cardboard to size.

Cardboard is not archival safe, so, never use one-of-a-kind original photos with it. But that is no reason not to use it at all! If you are really concerned, don't place your photos such that they are touching the cardboard on your layout (if you look at my layout below, you'll notice my photo is matted, and therefore not touching the cardboard).

One person will be chosen to win Marthe Le Van's "Stencil Me In" (a $25 value!) for entering this challenge:

Winner of the RAK will be posted on Monday, April 5.

Layouts for the challenge are due Sunday, April 4th, by midnight Eastern. Next Challenge will be posted on the following Monday.

Have fun! - Amanda

Now....to the inspiration:

Amanda: I used white corrugated cardboard (see intro paragraph) to create a tear-away storybook look on my layout. The white lined paper (where I drew the Mad Hatter scene) is one layer of cardboard and the brown corrugated paper is another.

Paloma: I used cardboard in three different ways: as an embellishment (the flower vase!), as a stamp (on the cardstock) and as a paint brush (notice the drops of paint?).

Miwako: I want to up 2 layouts. At first, I made boder accent and a kind of flame for photo mat.

Next, I used cardboard as 12 inch paper. I peeled it (leaved around center) at first and painted white. I always can't clean up any box because my cats love staying into box especially cardboard box, also at now....my twins join to scrambled for it, OMG!

Helga: I cut the cardboard into a heart shape then created a hanging layout of my niece and her child.

Kimmy - I used corrugated cardboard as borders on my page.

Michelle:

I ran some cardboard through a die cutting machine, spray painted the flower shapes, peeled away some of the paper to reveal the corrugation, and embellished with buttons and a few swipes of a dry brush.

Deborah:
I also used cardboard as my paper. I peeled away some of the paper, then used a combination of dry brushing paint, spraying Glimmer Mist, and swiping on a bit of rock candy distress paint.