Distressing is all about imperfection, getting messy and having fun with what ever new tool it is you want to use. Its main goal is to give that vintage, old,  well used, or worn-out look to your paper craft project. You can buy pre-distressed product ready to use or have fun doing it yourself.

Paper Tearing is easy and a fast way to add texture and a little something to your layout.  Dont worry or think to hard about tearing your paper, your a tearing it, its not going to be perfect if you want a clean stright look then use scissors. Have fun and try it firist on a scrap paper. The best paper to tear is something with a white-core because you will have that rough white edge after your done, which is great by itself or you can chalk or ink it to give it a totally different look. Always remember paper does affect the tear, cardstock is a heavy paper and will be easy to control where the tear will end up and ho wide or jagged. Thinner paper does not mean easier to tear, becareful and try a few scrap papers first. If you use double sided paper, you will have a smooth and rough edge.  For a smooth edge, tear the paper away from you. For a  rough edge, pull the tear towards you. If you are using one-sided paper and want to reveal the white core, remember to tear the paper toward you.

Paper Tearing Techniques
 
Controlled  Edge
Grap a ruler and lay it on top of the paper, hold the ruler down with one hand and  tear with the other, if you want hills or bums a
long the way put you finger in front of the rule and hold the paper down in that spot be for tearing with with the other hand.
Soft and Fuzzy Edge
Fold the paper to form a good crease. Then use a cotton swab or your fingertip to apply water down the crease to slighly wet it.
Then tear away along the wet crease, you are going to try and pull it a part while you tear it.
Wide Torn Edge
Hold the paper with your fingertips and start tearing with both hands in opposite directions. Remember one sided paper to reveal
the white core tear towards you.

Inking is a technique that really makes layers stand out on a layout, especially torn layers. To ink the edges, just hold up your paper in one hand and your ink pad in the other... now gently rub the ink pad against the edge of your paper, basically you are making smears on the paper. Or you can ink n a flat serface just put a scrap paper under your paper before inking.
Sanding is a fast way to add an old feel to your paper, you can also use sanding blocks and emery boards, and just good old sand paper. anding works best on papers and cardstocks that have a white core... this allows the core to show through. 
Chalking the edge of a torn paper will add a little extra flare to the page, chalks come in different colors you can even blend chalks to get that just right color or the look you are going for. You can use anything to chalk with your finger or a q-tip or an eyeshadow applicator, just rub the chalk with the applicator and then your paper.

Tags: Paper Tearing distressing