Embellishments
are a great way to accessorise your scrapbook page layouts however buying them ready made can be extremely costly. Using your scrapbooking tools you can easily and effectively create your own free embellishments at a fraction of the cost.Adding tags to your pages is one of the most popular ways of entering details of the event in question. You can make your own scrapbook tags from scraps of card and accessorise it using paper
clips, punches, glitter and scraps of paper that you may have considered throwing away.Use can even use old items of clothing to bring a page to life by cutting off and using the buttons or even removing a whole pocket and adding it to your scrapbook page layout. A pocket can be used to store memorabilia or simply a great way to insert a tag.
Anyone who owns a computer can print images and pictures which will cost next to nothing. These images can be used to accessories tags and backing paper. You can search the web for online craft supplies and for scrapbook quotes or better still make you your own and print those too.
Instead of searching craft stores for fancy colored brads, change the color of the ones you already have. Most scrapbook enthusiasts will know if they enter a craft store to get some scrapbook supplies they are unlikely to leave the store with only one item so steering clear will also save you money. You can change the color of you brads by embossing them. Make sure you hold the brad with a pair of tweezers as they can get quite hot. Try not to over heat as the brad may become brittle.
You can also try decorating a paperclip with ribbon or yarn or changing the color with peel off pens. Paperclips are an alternative way to secure your pictures to your scrapbook page without having to glue the photo down.
Instead of paying out heaps of cash for rub ons, most of which never get used, why not create your own! You will need a computer, printer and transparency paper. By creating you own you can play around with different fonts and text sizes and there will be no waste as you will only print the scrapbook quotes you need.
The main thing is to keep thinking of new scrapbook ideas. When you have a scrapbook page layout in mind that requires embellishments do not rush out and buy them. Try and see if you have adequate scrapbook tools to create your own free embellishments. Making your own embellishments for scrapbook pages not only saves you money but you will also be creating something totally unique.
Above all, never throw away scrap paper or odd bits of card. In fact before you throw anything away even if it is a house hold item consider if it can be used to make free embellishments for your projects.
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Filed under Embellishments by on Jan 24th, 2010. Comment. 
Having a basic set of tools and supplies to unleash your scrapbooking
One way to enhance your scrapbook is to add embellishments
Suppose you have a holiday-themed scrapbook, or even just a page or two. It’s Halloween and you want to dress up your scrapbook for the occasion. Grab some embellishments with small spider web, witch or pumpkin graphics. Stick them on and you’re there. Or, go for some traditional Christmas tree, miniature menorah or ornament embellishments at yuletide.
You can add meaningful text with a selection from die-cut quote stacks. These pithy phrases will help you convey that special sentiment you haven’t quite managed to write from your own pen.
There are many other decorative elements you could choose. Colorful ribbons with designs to match any theme you have in mind are easy to find. Miniature alphabets in paper
Chalks and rub-ons are a wonderful tool to add just that right look. With chalks and a chalking tool you can add a dash of color that is unique to your scrapbook. Rub-ons can be anything from a great looking logo to define your theme to a simple set of unforgettable words that add eloquence to every page.
But even elements meant to be purely practical can add a great design boost. Simple things like brass brads to hold pages together can add color. They can be etched with small scrollwork to add a little zest to the album
Page protectors are always useful. They can be plain, clear plastic to let the page design show through. Or, they can add an artistic element all their own.
Edged with thin black wavy lines they’ll give a contemporary look that brings visual excitement. Or they can provide a 19th-century Victorian look for a heritage album. They can have square cut-outs that allow photos to show through with a protector made of translucent plastic that gives a softer look.
Photo corners can be plain and utilitarian or add a decorative element all on their own. Since you’ll be stocking your scrapbook with dozens or hundreds of photos, the look is important. Fortunately, your choices are practically unlimited.
Get a wide array of scrapbook add-ons and turn a plain ‘accounting’ book that simply records events into a work of art that defines your life.
Filed under Scrapbooking Supplies by on Sep 12th, 2008. Comment.
You’ll need a variety of tools to help you make your scrapbook
Basic scissors are a great starting point. But remember to get ones that fit your hand. Scissors come in all sizes and many shapes. Some people work best with ones with small finger holes, others need a larger opening. Some scrapbookers will want ones with very sharp points, others prefer the added safety of rounded corners.
An Xacto knife is another indispensable tool. There are times when it’s ever so much easier to slice on a board rather than cut. Expand on that idea by investing in a cutting or trimming board or mat. That will save your desk or kitchen table from looking like a bunch of airport runways with lines at all angles.
A trimmer will allow you to place a flat object, usually paper
A hole punch is another handy tool for scrapbooking
Three-hole punches allow you to adjust where the holes should go to fit any scrapbook album style. At the same time, they make it easy to line up the holes and create them with one simple push. But a single-hole punch can be equally useful. Many small items, like an invitation to a special event or a ribbon won in a contest can be stored securely in a scrapbook by making a single, clean hole.
You may want to invest in a cropping tool. Many professionals who have to trim or crop photos find they can’t live without one. They can be as simple as a special pair of scissors or a knife that will trim photos and illustrations to just the right size and shape.
On the higher end of the scale, small machines will allow you to feed your photo in and have it cropped to just the size and shape you want. They also allow a scrapbooker to create a dazzling array of paper or cardboard letters and unique personalized embellishments
Don’t forget to order a personalized stamp pad or die cut. You can give your scrapbook that unique look that anyone will identify with only you. It could be a personally created design, your name, a logo… anything! Go one step further and get embossing powder and a heat tool and you can permanently encode your own personal design onto any page.
But be sure to add that set of pens and pencils, with stencils and templates, that allow you to journal and color your scrapbook to your own personal taste.
Filed under Scrapbooking Supplies by on Sep 11th, 2008. Comment.
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