All about Chipboard

I am new to the whole chipboard thing. I hear a lot of people say they can cut chipboard using different machines. What are you cutting exactly? Do you buy a sheet of plain chipboard or something? I ask because I've never seen that anywhere. I only see chipboard that is already in shapes, letters or #'s.

Also, I know that you can alter your chipboard by painting it, covering it with paper...what else do YOU do with it?

Yay for this thread b/c I am new to the world of chipboard! As well as scrapbooking..

You can buy plain chipboard, my LSS has it, or you can use cereal boxes, or the backs of notepads.
We get tons of it here at my office with paperwork so I never run out!

You can paint, ink, sand it, cover it with paper etc etc etc

I use chipboard ALOT, most of my pages in my gallery have some form of chipboard on them!

I use my sizzix a lot to cut different shapes of chipboard, it cuts really well! I get my 'chipboard' by using cereal boxes or packaging that i've tested with a ph tester pen to determine the acidity of it.

I've cut out flowers, photo tabs, i've used the chipboard as a stabilizer in recipe index cards, covers to mini albums, you can cut out letters for titles...all kinds of uses.

i am new to chipboard too....

Wow, I didn't realize I could use cereal boxes and notepad backing for it. Thanks so much for the great ideas!!!

it depends on the thickness of the chipboard too. i like the really thick stuff and there is no way i can cut it with my sillouette, i cant even get it through my xyron . so i have to cut it by hand. and for that i recomend a sharp exacto and patience, it taks at least 3 cuts to get through it, but that's what i like.

I am loving all the alpha chipboard right now but it can get so expensive when you want a variety of fonts and colors. I havent tried to cut my own, I guess I'd need a template to trace. Is sissix the best product for cutting chipboard??

I like the really thick stuff too, but I use the thinner cb in my big shot.If you want it to look thick, add Diamond Glaze on top or embossing powder. If your lss doesnt have any or you dont have an lss, go to a print/copy shop, my BF works for a printing company and every pack of blueprint paper they get has cb sheets in it. HTH

Another thing you can do is use your work processing program to print out yout letters in the font and size you want, glue it to your cb and when dry, cut it our with an Xacto knife or scissors. Works quite well if you are good with the xacto knofe....which I am not.

OK - First: My lss gives me sheets of the cardboard that comes in the back of the packs of printed paper. Sometimes they are generous and give me 5-6 sheets, other times just 1 or 2, but it mounts up over time. I cut out my shape, either by hand or with my Cricut - run the shape through my xyron 900 and adhere it to the cardboard. (or 150 is its a small shape)(a good liquid acid free glue will work well, but you will have a drying time) Then I cut it out with scissors, using an Xacto when necessary. If I want a thicker piece, I run the first piect thru the xyron again and adhere it to another piece of cardboard and cut it again. If I want really smooth edges edges, I get out my Dremel tool and smoth it with a sanding disk.

Secondly: I read on a Cricut thread that if you secure your cardboard to the cutting mat so that it will not move around, send it thru to cut your image, then without removing the cutting pad, press the load paper button again and cut the image again, and maybe a third time, it will cut the chipboard very well. I will try this this weekend to see for myself.

Hopes this helps.

OOO Chipboard is one of my favorites. I love all the new shapes they are coming out with! And all the great alphas. I love using MM paints to paint them. Also, Basic Grey has some wonderful shapes!

[quote=Mother Goose
Secondly: I read on a Cricut thread that if you secure your cardboard to the cutting mat so that it will not move around, send it thru to cut your image, then without removing the cutting pad, press the load paper button again and cut the image again, and maybe a third time, it will cut the chipboard very well. I will try this this weekend to see for myself.

Hopes this helps.