Scrapropos

It was all about the white background back when I started scrapbooking eleven years ago. Creative Memories taught us to back a few photos with paper, place stickers here and there and add a lot of journaling. This was all done on the plain white Creative Memories album inserts. My technique has changed over the years as the scrapbooking industry has introduced new products and styles of creating layouts. “I’ve come a long way baby!�

Would I go back and redo the pages I created back then? Absolutely not! It is too much fun seeing the progression my scrapbooking style has taken. Can I replicate any of the techniques I utilized as a newbie scrapbooker? Why not? Here is the question I posed to myself for this week’s challenge. What I came up with was creating a page on a white background. It is something, as I look through more recent albums, that I seem to have avoided doing for years now.

Are you with me? Grab a white sheet of cardstock and a few pictures and see where it takes you. Here is the layout I came up with:

I simply die-cut my title, backed my pictures and added rub-ons to provide a whimsical style to the page. This set of rub-ons included the jewels that you see I’ve added to the layout.

I’m happy with the page, as simple as it is. The white background truly allows the pictures to pop off of the page. I may just have to try this technique again. Let me know how it works out for you.

Something we scrapbookers create for most of our layouts are titles. They’re the anchor that ties our pages together and gives the reader an idea of the theme we are looking to express. In my scrapbook room you will find a plethora of supplies for making a variety of titles on my pages. From sticker letters in every shape, size and color to letter stamps that are wood-mounted, foam or clear acrylic. These are the scrapbooking supplies I never feel guilty buying since they are used so often.

The technique I would like to feature today is using foam stamps to create a title. I prefer to use paints with my foam stamps and the process is quite simple. The following layout, “SNOW�, uses this technique:

Here’s how to create a similar title on your next layout:

1. Use an inexpensive foam paint brush to apply the paint of your choice to the stamp. I find this type of brush provides a more even coverage and avoids having brush strokes. Of course if you are looking for a “rougher� look then you may want to use a regular paint brush and get those “brush strokes�. Apply a thin even coat of paint on the stamp for best results and stamp on the cardstock of your choice.

2. Allow the paint to dry and then cut out the cardstock around each letter in various geometric shapes.

3. Accent the edges of the cardstock with the same paint to add extra dimension to the title and allow to dry.

4. Matte the geometric shapes in coordinating cardstock.

5. Provide even more dimension by adding metal letter brads to the lower right hand corner of each letter shape.

6. Tie pieces of ribbon and add to the top of each with a glue dot. The ribbon I chose went along with the theme of the layout, but you could use plain ribbon as well