Randi's Review	Sarah's Review	Rachel's Review	Cathy's Review	Kathleen's Review

Review by Randi

The Scrapper's Block is a handy foam block with a sandpaper type covering over the foam block. It is comfortable and easy on the hands. This is great for those "distressed" pages. I used it in this mini-accordian book to give a rough look to this booklet about the Rough Rhinos.





I used the Scrapper's Block to "rough up" the rose paper on this collage-type journal.



Matherials used: Friend Paper (Die Cuts With a View)
Rose Paper (Die Cuts With a View)
Cardstock: pink, maroon (inside cover)
Leaf stickers (Mrs. Grossman's Vellum Collection)
Daisy Stamp inside faux wax seal (Source unknown)
Walnut Ink (Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger)
Alpha Brads (JoAnn Scrap Essentials) (note: prongs were cut off and brads pop dotted up to make the name PEGGY on the front)
Metal Bookplate (JoAnn Scrap Essentials)
Silver Mini Brads (JoAnn Scrap Essentials)
Larger Silver Heart (JoAnn Scrap Essentials)
Kilt pin (Watch Us)
Love charms on pin (Crafts Etc)
Jump rings (Crafts, Etc)
Dragonfly Brads (prongs removed)
Heart and Rose charm (Watch Us)
Dog Tags (Chronicle Books)
Chain (Chronicle Books)
Ribbon Roses (Crafts Etc.)
Circle Clip (Making Memories)
Rub-On (Making Memories --inside the flip-up)
Love Jelly Label (Making Memories)
Gold Hinge colored silver with Krylon Leafing Pen
Pink Glue for Faux Wax Seal
Glossy Accents around dragonfly brads (Ranger)
Organza Ribbon (Horizon)
Scrapper's Block roughed up the rose paper (Puzzle Mates)
Metallic Rub-Ons to cover black spine (Craf-T)
Fixative Spray (Kryon)

I don't do a lot of distressed pages, at least I DIDN'T before I received this handy little block! I'll keep it close at hand now. I liked it much better than using sandpaper. One thing of note, however, is that it seemed to lose its "roughness" rather quickly.

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Review by Sarah

PM Designs Scrapper’s Block: A Great Idea that Wears Out Quickly

I was particularly excited when I first saw the PM Designs Scrapper’s Block! I had been wondering what technique was being used on all those trendy layouts in the magazines. Of course, sanding off the color and the edges is how to get that shabby, distressed sort of look. Now how come I didn’t figure that out sooner?

And sanding is exactly what the Scrapper’s Block is for. It’s a one-inch by three-inch little block of foam that has sandpaper-like roughness on the two widest sides. It’s a wonderful size for a small lady-hand to hold. The foam gives it just enough flexibility to make it really easy to work with. It’s a fabulous idea, and the results are beautiful.

On this page, I used the Scrapper’s Block to scrape away the brightness of color to the PM Designs Teal Paint Stripz, and also give it a slightly aged look. Then the strip was inked with VersaMark and embossed with sparkly powder. I love how it turned out.

Supplies Used:
Office Clipboard
Novelty Paper: Fibermark (Bling)
Embellishments: PM Designs (Scrapper’s Block)
PM Designs (Paint Stripz: Teal)
Magic Mesh (Dottie Ann)
Poetry Dog Tags
Jo-Ann Scrap Essentials (copper and white brads)
Bulldog Hardware (White Vinyl Cup Hooks 1")
Lettering: PM Designs (Chalk It! Alpha-Upper)
Color and Supplies: Craf-T (Luster Rub-Ons: Russet)
Craf-T (Decorating Chalks: Brown)
Craf-T (Glimmer Decorating Chalks: Golden Copper)
Jacquard (Lumiere Paint: Metallic Bronze)
Loew-Cornell (3/4" Flat Tip paintbrush)
VersaMark Pad
Stampin’ UP! (Stampin’ Emboss Powder: Iridescent Ice)
Corner Rounder
UTEE (copper)
Adhesive Tech (The Glue Tube)
Adhesive Tech (Glue Runner)

 

Another example of what the Scrapper’s Block can do can be seen on this page made for my Lake City Craft Company review: the rose-printed paper, originally a very bright red, was sanded to a muted red with whitish edges.

“Tree of Love”
Supplies Used:
Paper: Die Cuts With a View (Stack III Rose Paper)
Provo Craft (music paper)
Bazzil (Monochromatic Trio: Sienna)
Embellishements: Lake City Craft Company Quilling Kit (Simple Treasures, Kit 1 #208)
Pewter spiral clip
¼” red ribbon
Jo-Ann Scrap Essentials gem
Tulle (from wedding rice bag craft kit)
Jo-Ann Scrap Essentials (gems)
Jo-Ann Scrap Essentials (brads)
Jo-Ann Scrap Essentials (book plates)
Pewter spiral clip
Making Memories (black photo tabs)
Magic Mesh (Fine Weave 12” x 12” Black)
Stamps: Close To My Heart (My Acrylix: Believe lowercase)
Close To My Heart (My Acrylix: Sans Small uppercase)
Inks: Ranger (Tim Holtz: Distress Inks: Vintage Photo)
Memories (Dye Ink Pad Black)
VersaMark
Ranger (Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Antique Linen)
Memories (Dye Ink Pad Black)
Ranger (Holographic Embossing Powder)
Colors and Supplies: Craf-T Decorating Chalks (Brick, Dk Brown)
Craf-T Glimmer Chalks (Lilac, Blue Sparkle)
Craf-T E-Z Chalk Enhancer
Craf-T Metallic Rub-Ons (Russet, Nubian)
Lake City Craft Company (White Craft Glue)
Ranger (Holographic Embossing Powder)
Red coarse glitter
PM Designs (Scrapper’s Block)
Ranger (Glossy Accents)
Adhesive Tech (Glue Runner)

Sadly, the Scrapper’s Block wears out quickly. Small bits of paper, chalk, and so forth get into the rough edges, and the roughness wears out in a hurry. As the Scrapper’s Block wears down, it just smears whatever color is already ground into it on the surface you are trying to sand. This is definitely not a beautiful result.

I attempted cleaning my Scrapper’s Block with baby wipes (which only got bits of wipes stuck into the part I tried to clean). I also tried to clean it by rinsing it under water and lightly rubbing. It took several hours for the foam to dry, but it didn’t help the smearing problem.

At $2.49, I am disappointed in the Scrapper’s Block lifespan. It started out fantastically, but wore out after just a few projects – about 5 papers averaging an estimated 4” by 4” each.

In Summary: PM Designs Scrapper’s Block is a wonderful little block for sanding that has a disappointingly short lifespan. I recommend considering other options.

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Review by Rachel

I was so excited when I saw this product in our package. I have wanted to get one but could never find them at my local scrapbooking stores. It is sandpaper that is wrapped around a block. It actually mimics a nail buffer for your fingernails. It is wonderful. It is small and fits right into the palm of your hand. It is quick and easy. This was my favorite product of this review next to the Chalk Its. I could have used this on every layout and never tire of it. It doesn’t make your hands tire and you have more control over it than you do a piece of sandpaper. It also isn’t rough on your hands.

In the following layout, I used it to rough up the patterned paper and then applied distressing ink to the paper. I also used it to rough up the metal frame to help the metallic rub-on adhere to the frame.

 

Christmas 2001
Supplies Used:
Chalk Its: Holly Days – PM Designs
Scrapper’s Block: PM Designs
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Christmas Stack – DieCuts With A View
Vellum: Unknown
Rub-on Saying: Christmas – Making Memories
Metal Frame: Making Memories
Metallic Rub-ons: Emerald – Craft-T
Chalk: Red & Green – Craft-T
Charm: Snowman – Making Memories
Glitter: Close To My Heart
Write N Rub Pen: Close To My Heart
Stickles: Candy Cane – Ranger
Distress Ink: Vintage Photo – Tim Holtz/ Ranger
Adhesive: Glue Runner, A Fine Line, and The Glue Tube – Adhesive Tech
With the following cards, I roughed up the Paint Stripz to add another texture to the card.

 

Merry Christmas card
Supplies used:
Paint Stripz: Bright (Rainbow) – PM Designs
Scrapper’s Block: PM Designs
Chalk It: Let it Snow – PM Designs
Cardstock: Bazzill
Acrylic Paint: White – Apple Barrel
Ink Pad: Silver – Stampabilites
Alphabet Stamps: Antique Alphabet – Image Tree
Colored Pencils: General’s
Adhesive: Glue Runner & Rectangular Glue Stick – Adhesive Tech

 

Happy Birthday Card
Supplies Used:
Color Blocks: Celebrate – PM Designs
Paint Stripz: Orange – PM Designs
Scrapper’s Block – PM Designs
Stamp: Happy Birthday – Inkadinkado, Inc.
Ink Pad: White – Memories
Cardstock – Unknown
Adhesive: Glue Runner – Adhesive Tech

In conclusion, this is one product that every scrapbooker should have in their supply drawer. It is a great product for beginners and experts alike. It is one product that you will always find in my supply drawer.

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Review by Cathy

Tired of using that rough old sandpaper to get that cool distressed look? PM Design’s new Scrapper’s Block is the right thing for you. The block is a small rectangular sponge like block with a rough surface to sand your projects. The block is easy on your hands, fits in my basket on my desk and works great. I found that by sanding paper, the paper is more likely to accept inks and chalks.

My first example is a PM Design Paint Stripz that I sanded first horizontally then vertically for a really great effect: .

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The tag below has a distressed Paint Stripz from the Tropical Collection, sanded with the Scrapper’s Block. .

Supplies Used:PM Design: All IN ONE- Paper Adventures Paper;
PM Design: Scrapper's Block;
Creative Impressions: Creative Twill-Halloween;
Creative Memories: Halloween Stickers;
Craft-T: Metallic Rub ons(Copper);
Lasting Impressions: Mini Matte B rads; and
Cock-A-Doodle Design: Halloween Frame.

The PM Design’s Scrapper’s Block is a tool that is receiving the highest recommendation from me. This is a tool that everyone should have. It is useful, inexpensive and works great.

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Review by Kathleen

I was very intrigued when I received the Scrapper’s Block from PM Designs. I have never really done much with distressing on my scrapbook pages so I was eager t o give it a try. The Scrapper’s Block is a double sided foam block with a small grained grit on both the top and bottom sides. The edges are smooth and comfortable to hold onto. The entire block is about three inches long by two inches wide and one inch deep. It fits very nicely in the palm of your hand.

My first experiment with the Scrapper’s Block left me a bit disappointed. While I like the end result of my layout, I was discouraged at how difficult it was to get the look I wanted. I thought since the cardstock from Diecuts With A View was white core, it would be easy to distress. I was wrong. I had to really work hard to get the paper to reveal the white beneath. It also seemed as though my Scrapper’s Block was loosing its grit after this project.

‘Love at First Sight’
Products used:
PM Designs – Scrapper’s Block
DCWV – textured cardstock
7 Gypsies – Blue infant patterned paper
Making Memories – rub on words
Magic Scraps – black slide mount, scrappy tape
Bazzill Basics – Buttons
Adhesive Tech – Glue runner
Kathleen Campos – photograph
Other – silver paper, glitter, micron 05 – black

While my first experience with the Scrapper’s Block was disappointing, my opinion changed when I tried the technique on other projects. I found that the Scrapper’s Block "scuffed" patterned paper, Paint Stripz by PM Designs, and paper that was slightly wet, very well.

In summary, while my initial experience was not what I had expected, I did find, with more experimentation, I was able to find some good uses for the Scrapper’s Block and will use this product again on future layouts and paper crafts.

For more information visit PM Designs