Trip of a Lifetime lo with paper suading tutorial

This is a lo of me and my hubby. We took a Carnival cruise to Cancun, Calica, and Cozumel. On this night, we got dressed up in our formals and dined on Lobster and Steak like royalty. It was a night I will never forget!

For the embellishments I did a paper suading technique for the photo mats. I cut up a fish net and added shells and starfish. I found some antique sailor buttons at a flea market, and I made the stick pin. Also I used Lidia's tutorial for dried roses.

For the paper suading technique you will need a paper crimper, a straight stick (i use a paint brush, and a solid core cardstock (very important) no white cores!!

To get started cut the paper down to size or you tear it to size after you are finished.

Run the paper through the paper crimper twice one way the turn it and run it through twice the other way. **You can send it through a few more times if you want, the more the better.

After it is ran through the crimper, use your straightening tool (paint brush, pencil, whatever you have laying around). Run the tool all over the paper, pinching it between your finger and the tool. This helps to seperate the core in the middle. Continue to work it all over all the way to the edge. ***When you are finished you will see the paper start to seperate at the edges.

Once the paper starts to seperate take your fingernail and seperate it enough to grap both sides of the paper. Then start pulling the paper apart slowly. If it catches and starts to tear, just stop and start at another end once you reach that spot from the other side, it will keep it from tearing. Peal the two sides completely apart.

Once you have done that, the inside of the paper will be Suaded! It will be soft to the touch, but look rough and distressed.

Then you can tear the edges (it tears very easily), ink it, punch it, layer it, ruffle it, chalk it... What ever floats your boat! Just have fun!!

Thanks for looking and I hope this tutorial helps.

Let me know if you try it, I would love to see what you do!

Also on this lo, I created this dried rose using the wonderful tutorial by the beautiful Lidia of Breaking Barriers! Thanks for the inspiration, my friend!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I absolutely love reading your comments!