This next list is where you get to really show up IN your scrapbook! There are so many ways you can style your pages and creations to really reflect your personality!
31. Leather Look
A leather look can add elegance to your scrapbooking page. To create a unique leather look, simply distress card-stock. To do this, grip the card-stock in your hands. Then, with a gentle circular motion, rub the card-stock together as if you were pre-treating a laundry stain. Gradually, work your way around the card-stock until you get the desired effect.
32. Accents
Simple accents can be added to your pictures, borders, and backgrounds to create an air of softness and elegance. Simply rub chalk (or eye shadow) along the edges of the paper. The color of chalk chosen can be either a similar color to the background, a contrasting color, or an outlining color such as black or grey depending on the result you want.
33. Punching
Basically punching is the cutting out of an image or piece of text using a cookie cutter like tool. Most punches are made of die cast steel. They come in various shapes and sizes. Photographs and text blocks can be punched into virtually any shapes or sizes. These shapes can add to the impact of the themes.
For instance, pictures of your sweetheart can be punched into heart shapes to add to the romantic type of love.
Alternately, small doves can be punched and placed along the borders to add a romantic touch to a wedding scrapbook. Titles and text can also be punched to create professional looking scrapbook pages.
When punching out and gluing small pieces of paper, place a strip of double-sided tape on the paper before punching out the shape. Next, just punch the tape into shape. Then, the piece is immediately ready to place.
34. Colored Paper
Additional color can be easily added to your scrapbook page through different colored backgrounds, borders, and embellishments. A light colored background creates a soft, farther away feeling; while a darker background sharpens the focus. Complimentary colors can be slightly lighter or darker than the background to direct the focus towards or away from portions of the page. Contrasting colors can also be used to create a more dramatic or focusing effect away from or towards various photographs or mementos.
Simply add, fold, or paste additional sheets of paper into your design for the desired effect.
35. Vellum
Vellum is a transparent, translucent material. Vellum can be used to create a slight shadow or shade change to background or embellishment colors. This can be used as a softening agent for baby scrapbooks, as a touch of elegance to gift scrapbooks, or to create dimension in a boring flat page.
To reduce the cloudiness effect caused by gluing, apply only a thin line of glue along the edges of the vellum. In this way, you will see a slight shadow only along the very edge. This will look like a border to the vellum. Vellum is available in both acidic and non acidic forms.
36. Shadow Boxes
A great way to add depth to your scrapbook page is to add shadow boxes. Basically shadow boxes add a shadow to your images. Shadow boxes are also a great way to make your most important photographs or text boxes stand out form the rest of the page. Shadow boxes can also be to emphasis dedications.
To make a shadow box, simply cut a box shape out of paper.
Next, put your embellishment on a larger square of
card-stock. Then, add glue to all four sides of the card-stock square and attach it to the back of your paper. The embellishment will show through, adding greater dimension to your page.
37. Patterned Paper
Patterned paper can be used for backgrounds, borders, and embellishments. Often plain white backgrounds look rather boring and dull. Patterned backgrounds add a touch of excitement to your page. The right pattern tailored to your theme and purpose can also increase that professional look.
Colors and patterns can be used to coordinate with your photographs or to add dramatic effects. Paper with various themes and patterns is widely available.
For instance, a birthday scrapbook could have a background made of your favorite gift wrap. This could add a touch of elegance or a touch of humor depending upon the patterned paper you choose.
38. Textured Paper
Textured paper can add extra dimension to your
scrapbooking page. Textured paper can be used to highlight focus items on your scrapbook page. Textured paper can also be used as a backgrounds or border to give your page an interesting fresh look.
Textured paper is available in a variety of textures and colors and is available in most craft and office supply stores.
39. Book Jacket Backgrounds
For an added personal touch and artist flair use a book jacket as a background. This scrapbook technique looks especially nice when the book jacket is the reader’s favorite book or author, adding a wonderful personalized touch.
Be aware, however, that the glossy coating on the book jacket creates an added challenge to sticking objects to this background. Alternative attachment methods include sewing and eyelets.
40. Adding Dimension
One good way to add dimension to images is to use double stick foam tape. Double stick foam tape literally allows items to pop out at your reader adding realism to items. This technique is especially useful in children’s art and educational scrapbooks.
Simply, cut the foam tape into whatever shape and size you want. Then, attach to shape onto your scrapbook page.
Double stick foam tape is available at most craft stores in various colors and thicknesses.