WORTHY OF MENTION: TULIP PAINTS

:I have an idea you're familiar with Tulip products. Kind of impossible to walk through a crafts store and not see them. Tulip products are often thought of as being limited to fabric...not so! Porous is porous is porous. Usually what works for (and with) fabric also works for paper. And Tulip has an extensive array of products that work just fine with paper.

Tulip Puffy is a dimensional fabric paint that puffs when heated. it can be brushed, dripped, scraped, sponged and stamped on paper. Apply to a stamp with a brayer; clean the stamp and brayer immediately after use. Vary the look by sprinkling glitter or Jacquard Pearl Ex over Puffy while the paint is still wet. To obtain a different color, or to tint the paint, blend with small amounts of dye ink (i.e., Vivid). Heat immediately (heat gun) if you don't want a lot of puff; allow to dry before heating for more puff and pop. Needless to say, the thicker the application, the more the puff. The frame seen in the April 24 entry (Wrapping tissue: EP resist) was painted with Puffy.

Tulip fashion bead paint is the way to go for faux brads. Make those phony brads as big or little as you want, and in any shape. There's no way these guys will poke through an envelope, regardless of the treatment handled out by the sorting machines. Another use...speedy dimensional edges. Fun stuff!

Tulip Cool Color Spray handles the sprayed-on look for light colored papers. Dampen both sides of the paper, either allow to dry or apply the spray immediately. When applied to damp paper, the spray will spread across the surface and blend with other colors. If the paper does not dry flat, place it between layers of white tissue paper and press with an iron set at cotton,

Tulip Glitter is a dimensional paint in an applicator bottle. Here's the easy, easy way to apply a bit of bling (center of a flower, fairy wings, icicles on a roof, outlining letters, etc.). Be sure to give the bottle a good shake or two before use and to wipe off the tip when finished.

Tulip Sparkle Spray is more subtle than Glitter. This is the way to go when you want a light, over-all glitz (die-cut, background, etc.). If more sparkle is desired, hold the bottle close to the paper. Shake, shake, shake that bottle before use; wipe off the nozzle when finished.

These are a few of the many Tulip products suitable for paper. Check out the Duncan site (http://www.duncancrafts.com/) to see them all. The site also has Message Boards and a terrific Gallery.

And when you get tired of paper...do a T-shirt!