Enhanced with Stamps

Embellishing scrapbook art allows you to spice things up – giving your scrapbook pages an added punch. A little ribbon, a few fasteners and a handful of dimensional accents can dress up your most basic layouts and draw attention to specific elements with ease! No matter what you prefer, the following 10 tips can help you achieve the look you are after!

Dimensional elements – To best achieve dimension in your scrapbook art, you will want to use elements that have been cut out closedly – they may include hand-cut letters, accents, photos or rubber stamped designs.  Paper tole techniques for rubber stamping can be used to make stamped images ‘POP’ out of your scrapbook pages and add interesting elements to the overall story. By using a dimensional foam tape these elements will not affect pages they face in your scrapbook album.

Paper Tole Cowboy

Pockets - Pockets are fun ways to save mementos or to tell individual parts of a story. Readers can select items from the pocket and enjoy the memories each one invokes. Pockets are also ideal in those instances when you have too many photos for your page. Vellum or clear pockets can be used to show off keepsakes in scrapbook art as well. Some of the tips and ideas for making  pocket cards can be used in designing lovely scrapbook elements. Pockets can also be created from ribbon, mesh, fabric or anything that can be adhered along the sides to hold your memorabilia. Pockets can be secured with double sided tape or you may wish a more decorative approach using brads or eyelets in the corners to secure it to your page.

Page Protectors – Page protectors do a wonderful job of protecting your scrapbook pages and the stories they tell, but they hinder the interactive portions of fantastic pages. If you have a page which features a pop out element or something you need to be able to access to completely enjoy the page design, then do the following. Place the page inside the sheet protector. Mark lightly the corners of your pull out element. Remove the page from the sheet protector and insert a cutting mat inside the sheet protector. Using a ruler and a craft knife, cut a slit between the corners you have marked on the sheet protector.  A simple cut or slit can re-introduce the interactive designs back into your scrapbook art.

Clear acrylic and rubber stamps – Stamps allow you to make as many matching or contrasting images as your page design needs. Colors will always coordinate perfectly as well and coloring techniques will be as uniform as you desire. Clear stamps are perfect for cute titles and quotes which may be made up with alphabet stamps or purchased as a complete saying ready to apply to scrapbook art.  Specific clear stamps can add to the theme of your scrapbook pages and help you in telling your story. Clear stamps can also be used as embellishments that simply add flourishes or other decorative designs to your pages for that finished look you seek.

Clear accents – Clear accents can be purchased for scrapbooking art but can be tricky to add to a page as you do not want to be able to see the tell tale adhesive showing through a fun element. To avoid this problem you can adhere your clear accents with a spray adhesive, a single layer of double sided tape (smaller accents) or a clear drying liquid adhesive. As long as you cover the entire back of your clear accents they will slook stunning on your pages. Another fun clear accent can be created with clear transparencies. You can create windows that feature a stamped design or enhancement in your scrapbook pages in this way. Pay particular attention to how they are fastened to the page to avoid the problem of adhesive showing through.

Clips - Swirling clips are ideal for attaching a ribbon or tag to the side of a photo or other element. This type of clip can also adhere vellum sheets over a desired area, hold the end of a string, fasten a tag loosely to a page or simply create swirling party themed designs!

Micro Beads – With a dusting of dimensional color micro beads give ordinary accents an extra helping of glitz and glamour on your scrapbook pages. When you are using micro beads, a clear liquid adhesive is ideal. Be sure to cover the area completely where you want the beads to go. Using a glitter tray, pour the micro beads over the glue and pour off the excess. Allow them to dry in place and enjoy the dimensional texture they add to your scrapbook designs. Micro beads are fun to use to cover geometric shapes you can use as an extra accent on scrapbook art. They can also fill in color for stamped designs or borders.

Barbed Wire Embellishment

Wire – Wire is easily bent into many shapes and can make interesting titles or borders. Wire can be enhanced with beads, curly sections, ribbon, or other colors of wire.  For an extremely unique farming or ranching theme, try making your own barbed wire embellishments.

Tags – Tags can serve as a mini canvas for unlimited looks or as decorative mats for titles, sayings or theme ideas. Tags are available in a wide variety of sizes and materials making them easy to add to almost any scrapbook design. Tags are ideal for adding a special theme or idea perfectly framed with a lovely tag in your scrapbook art.

Punches – Paper punches are like mini die cut machines and can instantly reproduce precision shapes out of cardstock, patterned paper or even thin metal sheets. Small shapes can help create an intricate and lovely border in little time to a scrapbook page. Border punches can be used to make wonderful lacy and intricate designs that add a touch of elegance to the edges of your pages or scrapbook elements.

Scrapbook Smiles today!