All Night Media's Guide to Blending Chalks

Kids’ Play Do you remember warm summer afternoons, when your mother sent you outside with a new box of chalks? Oh the fun you had, drawing sidewalk scenes and hop-scotch squares, reveling in your creativity. You’ve grown up, and your choice of paper crafting mediums is more sophisticated; but the joy of chalking shouldn’t be left behind. This versatile coloring tool has matured as well, becoming an essential for scrappers and card makers. Blending chalks are a flexible, forgiving medium, and a great choice for beginners. Chalks are: Versatile - add dimension to die-cuts, create custom backgrounds, tint photo copies, stencil borders, alphabets & more! Mistake-proof - unlike coloring with markers or inks, simply erase your mistakes! Self-sealing - no fixative needed! Best of all, All Night Media® offers blending chalks in four acid-free, themed color palettes to coordinate with any project, as well as a designer set to create the soft look of Brenda Walton's artwork. Let us guide you through the basics of blending chalks - before you know it, you’ll be playing with color in your layouts and projects, just like a kid again! Tool Time Although All Night Media’s chalk sets include applicators, chalks can be applied with almost anything: All Night Media 2-in-1 Embossing Tool Paint brushes Cotton swabs/balls Blender pens Craft pom-poms Make-up applicators Facial tissues Different tools produce different results: the embossing tool is great for precise application; cotton balls work well for covering large areas; blender pens will create a watercolor effect. Experiment - you may discover some new options! Note: Avoid using fingers to apply chalk. Skin can transfer natural oils (and acids!) to your project. Wash your hands before starting chalk projects - it will remove natural oils from your skin that may cause smudges. Forget About It Blending chalks are a stress-free way to add color to your paper crafts, as smudges and mistakes are easily removed with a white kneaded (vinyl) eraser. The eraser also doubles as a design tool, allowing you to remove sections of a background or design to create interesting effects. Note: It may be tempting to use that pink dome at the end of your pencil, but rubber erasers contain grit that can damage your paper and turn your chalked area into a muddy mess! Chalking 101 Application Rub the applicator over a chalk square with a smooth, circular motion. Tip: Apply lighter shades of chalk to your project first, followed by darker shades. Next, swirl the applicator on a sheet of scrap paper to even out chalk distribution (this ensures uniform color application on your surface). You are now ready to apply chalk to your project. Use a circular motion to cover large areas and produce soft effects (i.e. fluffy snow, animal fur), or rub back-and-forth for darker, precise application (i.e. chalking edges, highlighting die-cuts). Vary pressure and direction for a variety of looks. Building Color Chalks are designed to produce soft colors, but you can achieve deeper tones by building layer upon layer of color to your desired effect. This card’s vibrant colors were achieved by applying several layers of chalk over mulberry paper. Rich hues are intensified by layering with dark cardstock. Blending Colors Looking for that perfect color? Blend some chalks together to create a new one! Create a “puddle” of each chalk color on scrap paper. Blend small amounts to achieve your desired color and apply to your surface. Burnishing You don't always need to spray your chalked project with an aerosol fixative. You can simply burnish (set) the chalk with this easy technique: Lay a sheet of tissue paper (or scrap paper) over your chalked item. Rub lightly with a bone folder or spoon. Any excess chalk is transferred to the tissue paper. Allow your project to sit for 30 minutes before placing in a page protector or envelope, giving the chalk time to absorb into the paper fibers. Now that you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to experiment. You’ll be surprised at how many techniques you can accomplish with just a few squares of chalk! Terrific Techniques Custom Backgrounds Create your own background with chalks! Apply desired colors to plain cardstock, swirling and blending to achieve your look. Enhanced Embossing (Dry) Dry embossed images and solid-color embossed papers look even prettier with a dusting of chalk. Vellum Variations Chalk behind solid or printed sheets for soft colors. Or crumple vellum and chalk over the creases for a unique accent. Perfect Popping Also known as “chalk embossing,” chalk popping is a great technique for backgrounds, producing a beautiful watermark-style effect. Begin by chalking your desired background color all over plain cardstock. Coat a stamp in watermark ink and apply randomly. Allow ink to dry (or use a heat gun). Chalk over the stamped images with a similar color chalk and they will “pop” out of the background. Tip: To keep your work area clean, place a sheet of scrap paper under the item you are chalking. Stamping Chalks are great for coloring ink-stamped images; or achieve beautiful hand-drawn looks by stamping an image in watermark ink, allowing to dry, then lightly brushing over the image with chalks. Tip: Chalk & burnish all items before gluing to your layout or each other. Applying chalk over excess glue can create dark blotches. Aged/Burned Paper Perfect for vintage looks or collage projects. Rub edges of torn paper with brown chalks for a burned effect. Work chalk around outer edge to create a time-worn appearance. Chalk Marbling Create vibrant swirls of color with this novel technique. Fill a shallow pan with 1/2” of water. Lightly scrape 2-3 chalk colors onto the surface and stir only once. Gently lay a sheet of cardstock onto the water; lift out immediately and let dry. If paper curls, flatten with a slightly warm iron. The result - beautiful marbleized paper for cards, scrapbooks and paper projects! Photo Tinting Add a punch of color to black & white or sepia -tone photocopies by applying small amounts of chalks. In this example, chalk was added to the sepia photo to bring out golden hair, rosy cheeks, dress collars and sashes, boots and flowers. Stenciling Chalks are a perfect stenciling medium, as several colors can combine for subtle shading (apply light colors first). Outline edges with a pen or marker for added definition. Highlights & Shadows Bring amazing dimension to ordinary die cuts by highlighting and shadowing with chalks. For the most natural effects, choose chalk colors that are close in color to the piece you are shading. Tip: Blending chalks work best on papers with greater tooth (texture). Avoid using chalks on glossy or coated cardstock. Chalk Painting Chalk colors become intensely vibrant when applied with a wet paintbrush. Altered Embossing (Powder)* Emboss a stamped image with white powder, brush with blending chalks. Rub off excess chalk, leaving a subtle, shiny hint of color. *Setting your project with an acid-free craft sealer is recommended in this application. Tip: Never blow or wipe excess chalk from your project - this can cause unsightly smears. Instead, gently shake off any residue. Altering Rub-ons* Customize rub-ons with chalks. Create shadows, stripes, dots - whatever suits your project! This technique is great for stickers too. *Setting your project with an acid-free craft sealer is recommended in this application. Leaping Off of the Sidewalk and onto Your Papers These are just some of the ways chalks can bring exciting colors and unexpected effects to your paper crafts. Let our projects and techniques inspire your imagination, but allow your creativity to guide you into discovering new chalking techniques.

Back to top