Distressing Techniques

oh, here I'll give a Quickie Lesson on Distressing-
materials-
brown ink pad
paper (patterned or plain)
cardstock (i like textured with a White Core)
pack of disposable emery boards ($1 store)

now, i know it hurts, but ATTACK your paper. I tear it, so there are raggedy edges, then crumple it into a ball. I uncrumple it a bit, and rub a brown inpad along the torn rdge and along the surface of the paper. The ink settles in the crinkles of the paper.
For the cardstock, i tear it, then use the emery boards to 'file' some color off to reveal the White Core. Then i rub brown ink along the edges and across the surface.
i have learned it is OK to abuse your paper, that is how it gets distressed LOL.
Distressing is a nice way to age papers for heritage or masculine pages. It also helps papers to match each other better LOL

you can also distress ribbons by running a brown inkpad over them or dyeing them in tea (tea is probably not scrapbook safe, but ok for cards) TEA DYE- steep 1 Black Teabag in 4 ounces of boiling water, for 5 minutes. remove teabag, squeezing it into the same cup Allow the tea to cool place lace, ribbon, eyelet lace, or fibers into tea, let soak overnight. remove items from tea bath, lay flat on paper towels to dry You can use more teabags, or alter this to get the color you like