I'm not sure if they are or not, Jill. But *whispering* if you promise not to tell the Scrapbooking Police......I have used them once or twice when I've stencilled in my albums and just didn't have the right shade in inks that I wanted. I use Creative Memories albums, and the pages are said to be buffered. This means that if something acidic is in contact with the page itself, it is buffered to not let the acidity "travel" I use things that I probably shouldn't sometimes, but I NEVER let them directly touch any of the photos...don't know if this proper or not. If anyone knows for sure, please feel free to correct me!! :)
~Mar~

Any acrylic paint is safe to use. I assume it's safe and acid free because there was a scrapbooking how-to and ideas book I got from the library and it showed several techniques for using different mediums to creat interesting pages. They actually used a sea sponge with acrylic paint and a large-ish stencil to create like a die cut-sized shape to use for a mat for a small picture they had cut in the same shape. Just make sure your sponge (or whatever you are using to apply the paint) is VERY dry. I have even wrapped the sponge or brush in a towel and squeezed to get the excess water from it so the page doesn't wrinkle from too much moisture. Also, along the same lines, don't use too much paint, either. Blot your sponge or brush before using it on the page. Cardstock is less likely to wrinkle than standard weight paper, too. They sell paper paints, but I don't see what the difference is as long as you are careful about the moisture.

One thing I thought was pretty cool was, if you have a symmetrical die cut, sponge a border around the edges and then turn it over and glue it into the open space. It makes a cool effect. (You could even skip the part about putting the die cut back inside the border and use it elsewhere on your page, making the die cut go twice as far.)

Negative cut-outs (the opposite of a stencil- the pieces that would be left over when a stencil is cut) are also great to paint borders around. I got a package of 100 assorted cut-outs for $1.99 at Crafts 2000 (it's the same chain as Pat Catan's stores) and use them all the time.

Great info here ladies, I think I will have to get out my stencils. By the way Mar, I think I hear a siren coming for us. LOL Penny

ROFL "Nope, Officer, I have NEVER used anything but acid free, lignin free products...I am telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth!!"
~Mar~