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What's so magical about Magic Mesh?
Ramie Ahlstrom - Scrapping Deck Cruise DirectorThe ease of use, of course!!!
This stuff is so easy to use that my daughter, at not quite 18 months, can use it! While she really has no idea what she's doing with it, she definitely knows how to unroll it, and say "ooohhhh" when she sees it!
Designed by Karan Olson-Smith, this product comes in a wide variety of colors, from pastel to primary, and even in metallic. The mesh comes in two sizes, fine and medium weave, and also available is a quilted weave, bejeweled metal mesh, Creative Crepe and the Dottie Ann weave (it has small circles openings instead of squares).
I purchased my first package of Magic Mesh over two years ago. It has been sitting in a box, staring me in the face each time I opened the lid, just begging to be used. But, I was afraid to use it, for fear I wouldn't know just what to do with it! So, Cap'n Dawn assigns me this article, and I'm forced to use it...or walk the plank!! (Just kidding...she didn't force me to write anything, just asked me to, and I took it as a challenge. My mesh was so happy! It was finally out of that box!)!
So, I opened the package and took the plunge...how sweet it was! Once I jumped, I realized the water was warm, and there was nothing to fear. Magic Mesh has to be the easiest embellishment I've used in ages. All you do is unroll it, stick it to your page, and you've got an instant embellishment!
Here's the first page I did with this awesome stuff!
I was instantly hooked, and knew as soon as I saw the medium weave, 6" wide white mesh, that I needed to scrap the picture my husband brought home from a volleyball tournament he played in. I knew the mesh would make a great "net" for the page!
Another use for Magic Mesh includes using it as a border, and adding embellishments such as fibers, charms or buttons over it. In this layout, I wove embroidery floss through the mesh, and tied on alphabet buttons to form my title. The mesh makes this very easy, because of the space in each square. No need to use a needle!
It can easily be placed over a colored or printed strip of cardstock to add even more texture to your layouts. Don't be afraid to try any combination you can think of, after all, if you don't like it, just peel up the Magic Mesh and reuse it! It's got a removable adhesive on it, and can be placed several times without losing its stickiness. On this layout, I used the Raven Dottie Ann mesh to form a border between my pictures and the title and journaling. I also used it to create the title.
One way to highlight the title and journaling on your page is to print it on transparency paper or vellum, and secure it over a piece of mesh. This gives some texture to the text spaces, and adds an easy embellishment at the same time. I know Christmas is still a few months away, but there is no time like the present to plan how to add some Magic Mesh to your pages, right?
A very basic use for the mesh is to spruce up a journaling block that is rather plain and boring. This layout has been sitting, almost fully assembled, in my stash for about 6 weeks. I couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted to do with the 4th block, until I saw the teal mesh. It matched the teal in the toy, and the cardstock I used to mat one photo perfectly. So, I added a strip across my journaling block, and added the strips of cardstock to form a border! I had a completed layout in just seconds!
Some other ideas for using mesh include cutting it in die cut shapes (either with a personal die cutting machine, or with the ones available in scrapbook stores around the globe), using it as a background for your photos, or adding it to tags to put on your layouts. You can use mesh like you would use any patterned paper, to highlight special places on a layout, or to form the entire background. You can also brayer ink through the mesh, to give your background a "tile" look. Mesh is so versatile that its hard to think of a way that it can't be used!
Be sure to try it soon, and check out the ideas for using it with your stamping projects, in Suzanne's Sea Dreams.
If you've already given mesh a try, feel free to send some of your layouts to our Reader's Gallery! Send a jpg with your name and city/state or country to Readers Gallery Submission.
Happy Scrappin',
Ramie Ahlstrom
ramieahlstrom@ssreflections.com
Scrapping Deck Cruise Director
S.S. Reflections, Inc.
***Disclaimers - While individual techniques may vary, always follow product manufacturers' directions and cautions for safety and best results.
