Do you like the torn paper look?
 

I've been studying the new catalogue, and I noticed that the majority of samples have torn paper. Most of my non stamping friends tell me that torn paper on cards looks like a mistake and they really don't like it. I'm not a huge fan myself, but it has its place. Just wondering --

do you tear or cut???? Why the big emphasis on torn paper?

Torn paper--love it!
 

I love, love, love the torn paper look! Crumpled and torn, just plain torn, inked or chalked edges...

For more "serious" or formal cards I will cut, but I really do tear a lot.

Hi!
I don't care for the torn paper look very much either. I also do not care for the current collage style using dark colors, too depressing for my taste. Surely our ancestors wore brighter colors than drab, LOL!!

I guess tearing can give the card an extra dimension. Normally I don't do it but every once in awhile I see a beautiful card that incorporates the torn look.

Well, the distressed look is in, and torn is part of that. I like it a lot, but not with every look. I love sponging torn edges. Or layering a couple of torn edges on top of each other. Or wetting the edge with a little paintbrush and curling it, using my paper piercing tool to help curl it a little.

A lot of the nostalgia look is torn, distressed, crumpled. If your customers really don't like that look, that's okay, but it's very "in"!!!

I think it really depends on the type of card you are making. I love the torn paper look myself.

Brief self hijack here -- Granny, you joined in Jan 2005 and you have OVER 5000 posts! You go girl!!

I really enjoy the torn paper look .. it doesn't look good on all the cards, but when you have the right one it makes all the difference

I totaly agree- ilove the look, but not on ALL types of cards-it lends itself better to certain colros and styles

I like the look, if it suits the card. I cut but I also tear.
Sounds weird maybe but I think it looks good on masculine cards.

As with any technique, it looks good if it's done right, and if it enhances the overall design.
I've often wondered how some of the things I've seen done on cards are percieved by non stampers. Staples are a good example of this. I imagine that most people, upon receiving a card that had elements held together with staples, would think that it was rather slip-shod and poorly constructed. That's the main reason that I have never used them.
I've also seen some very clever cards where stamps have been used quite ingeniously, but that make me wonder who on earth you'd ever send them to and for what occasion! I like to make sure that the front of a card relates somehow to the sentiment inside...that the whole thing makes sense.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that we should be aware of our "audience". Non-stampers just wouldn't appreciate some of the things we do.http://forums.splitcoaststampers.com...ons/icon12.gif

to tear or not to tear
 

I had the hardest time tearing edges when I first was introduced to it at my stamping club. It seemed a step backwards, not forwards, and it always had that element of surprise (would it be even or have too many dips and hills, etc.) to it which my rather analytical self had a hard time with. But now that I've done it many times, I really like the look. Staples are the next thing that I'm finally getting used to, and even liking... I'm so glad for my demo and club--I would sit in the same stamping box forever and not grow or try new things at all without Kari's encouragement and brave forging of the way!

I do agree that tearing suits some cards/designs and people to receive it better than others (my mom gets straight edge cards always), so I don't use it all the time on every card.

I agree wrt staples. I was somewhat tempted by the Fastenator and their fancy designed wide staples, but when I thought about what they would look like on a card or SB page, I figured regardless of whether the staples were pretty colours or engraved with a nice design, they would still look like staples.

ObOnTopic: I occasionally use the torn paper technique but am always very fussy about the scale of the tear with respect to the size of the project. If the tear is huge I find it overwhelms the project and disrupts the balance for me. I am a minimalist though, and use the same approach to fibres (I really don't like having wads of yarn tassles or ribbon flags hanging off of projects) and all of the other "latest fads".

I was definitely not enamored when I first saw staples. But I kept open minded about it, because I kept seeing more. When I spotted a box of colored staples at Target last week for just 99 cents, I bought it, and last night uploaded my first card with staples.

(Anyone else have trouble typine staples without an M? I always type s-t-a-m-p-l-backspace three times-p-l-e-s.)

Anyway I used blue staples, and I really liked how it came out. :)

When I first started stamping (about a year ago) I had to emboss everything (wet or dry), then about 2 months ago, I decided I wanted to try the distressed thing & I have kinda obsessed over the wrinkled, crinkled & torn looks, but I like it done with a bit of a minimual feel. I also like how tearing seems to have the look of mulberry paper. Now that said, I don't seem to like the staple look, so I guess in about 6-8 months all my cards will have a staple in it.....hahahaha.
Of course, I also think that certain techniques look more appropiate with certain cards (exp. if you are doing a formal card, not using torn papers, etc). I guess letting the done of the card dictate what techniques to use.
And since I still consider myself a newbie, that's my take on the matter...

LOVE tearing edges. Now I also like doing the faux suede where you run teh bone folder over and over teh deg of teh cs until it starts to fray and then you can oull it apart-works awesome with SU paper because it is such a heavyweight paper!:)

My cards usually start with a straight edge and then I fool around with it a bit and end up tearing one of the papers. It just softens the card for me. I just like a bit of the tear showing and I usuallly chalk or ink the tear.

I have a few rules of thumb. A card needs to have either a metal edged tag, torn edge, ribbon, hemp, or a piece of metal somewhere. Is that too rigid?

I love tearing. And, I like the distressed and have been experimenting. But, I also do even lines, etc. Depends on the card. I don't think I'll do staples but am getting more into other embellishments in general.

Ditto!

Thanks Britta. I was wondering what that was and will be experimenting with that.

I like the torn look. I usually use the torn look when I am making a card for a man though :) it just seems more manly sometimes:)

Me too!!!
love the tearing.
I like to ink the torn edges too.

I too love to tear. I also will ink the edges if needed. I don't tear on all my cards, just some that need something on the bottom for example. I can't embrace the whole staple or paperclip concept. Maybe since I work in a cube all day surrounded with supplies, I just don't want it in my craft projects. I don't even like the examples in the catty with staples. Glue for me, eyelets, or brads.

You know, Britta, you really oughtn't start drinking quite so early in the day!!!

ROFL at your typing, obviously your fingers were NOT cooperating!

A couple of you mentioned tearing for manly cards. Probably because if feels more earthy. But it also lends itself well to Victorian style, very feminine cards.

I don't have a scanner so I can't upload any photos, but I love the torn look and its juxtaposition with the precision of cut pieces. The cards I've been making have an initial look of 'seriousness' on the outside with humorous words inside.

For example: on the cards I call Sage Words, I've done a background of various types (three different sets have leaves, maps and spirals done in tone-on-tone inks). Over the background I place a smaller rectangle of cream cs stamped with Italian script in a co-ordinating color with an inset of a half face stamp (masked) also done in co-ordinating ink. To the left of the cream rectangle, which runs lengthwise) I glued a much smaller rectangle (gray background brayered with gold/copper/silver) perpendicular to it and on top of the metallic rectangle, I glued Sage Words (co-ordinating ink) on a piece of cs torn on the bottom only.

Inside are humorous sayings such as: Never pass up an opportunity to pee.

Okay, I confess, I have a weird sense of humor;) but the whole extreme opposite look tickles my funny bone. I rarely 'do' serious cards. The exception is sympathy cards.

Rainsong

I am the QUEEN of typos!!! (and now it has been quoted and so I am stuck with it!!! LOL)

I really don't like the torn look at all. I seem to be the minority, though.

I admit that came reluctantly to the torn edge fad, but now I love it. I don't use it every card, but agree with others that it works well for masculine and vintage-style cards.

As for staples, I was even more reticent about those, but have finally given in and used them on a couple cards.

Heather

I like a torn edge but I have to admit that I was relieved to see that the new catty seems to have less torn edge samples than last years. I guess I like torn edges in moderation. I thought so many of last year's samples had so many torn edges that they looked messy, like they were done by a novice. Even now I'll look through the new catty, see a card and think, you know, that really would look better without the torn edge. But that's just my humble opinion!

I like paper any way I can get it. Torn is good but some people think it looks sloppy. Wetting cardstock and crumpling then drying it on a flat surface gives a nice aged look with a cleaner edge. I like that alot too. Maybe you wanna see what they think of that if you plan on making anything for them.

Me too. I love the torn and disstressed look and it'sso easy for anyone to do.

It's "manly" because its hard to put a ribbon on a "man" card!

I missed the edge of one of my cards when stamping with a background stamp and had to tear it off. I totally added dimension to the card, and got me hooked on tearing. I am usually a neat freak, too, with clean, even edges, so it was by accident that I learned to think outside my box!!! Now I love the look!!

I love torn edges on a card...especially 2 or more of them layered together.

I agree with Happy Heart that you have to remember your audience. One time my hubby saw one of my cards that had a torn edge and he said that it looked like I couldn't find my scissors! I personally also like staples but realize that others (hubby) would just think I was lazy about finding some glue.

I'm not sure who said it (Wrose?) but I think torn eges can be soft, collagy, victorian and feminine. Torn edges with a floral central image are beautiful!

I love tearing my edges, especially at an angle. I usually only tear one side though.
Paula