Select Artwork for Larger View and Item List
"Ctrl P" to Print
Strips and Straps
Stacha Reed - Scrapping Deck CrewmemberI can still remember a bit of advice that I learned in the very first scrapbooking class I took. The instructor advised us to always save our scraps. I really took that advice to heart and, therefore, have over ten years worth of scraps accumulated! It makes me feel a little better knowing the cardstock scraps are sorted neatly by color in a file folder. On the other hand, it makes me not feel so great staring at the over flowing basket that haphazardly holds my printed paper scraps. I still struggle between the urge to throw it all away and the promise of finding a new way to use up those scraps. Over the years I have used them for die cuts, punched shapes, and serendipity squares. But now I wanted to try something new, so I decided to pull out all the long thin strips and use those to create some interesting and colorful pages.
Circle Vignettes
I find that I am constantly torn between loving the altered, worn looks and innately trying to make everything neat and fit together. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am an engineer during the day and an art lover/scrapbooker at home. Using the clean, geometric look of the stripes I am able to satisfy my need for order that I usually tend to ignore in my scrapbooks. The result is a simple yet visually interesting page that can be used with any color scheme.
Strips and Circles
Once you start trimming these little strips, you’ll find a ton of ways to use them. On this layout I combined the rigidity of stripes with some fun retro style circles. The circles help add a playful element and keep the stripes from getting too boring. Plus you get the double bonus of using up scraps on the stripes and the circles!
GeometricsYou can also achieve a more masculine look by keeping all the edges a little harder. In this layout for my twin sons’ birthday, I kept all the lines very angular using the stripes and varying sizes of squares. It is sometimes hard to find more masculine embellishments for pages. With this technique you can keep a masculine look for little money by just using up your scraps. To add some visual interest I have also varied the size of the square photos.
Straps
For this one I dug through my patterned paper mess to find some coordinating papers to “strap” my photos right onto the page. Using the strips like little belts is an interesting alternative to matting your photos to highlight them.
WeavingI love the look of woven paper. There is just something magical about the way the color combination of the strips you choose all wind up together creating an entirely new look. This technique makes a great book or journal cover, background for a scrapbook page, a great photo mat, or even the front of a card.
Using up scraps is a great way to create fabulous scrapbook pages very inexpensively. But now that I’ve convinced you there is a use for even the skinniest of scraps, I’ll leave you with a few tips on organization.
- Sort the cardstock scraps by color into file folders you can find at office supply stores.
- Sort cardstock by color in plastic bags and store in a plastic storage container or basket.
- Sort patterned paper by theme, color, or type and store in the same way you do your cardstock.
- For the really organized - you can divide up the scraps by size. File the larger ones for photo mats or backgrounds, and keep smaller scraps in plastic bags for punches, collages, and other small embellishments.
Stacha Reed
stachareed@ssreflections.com
Scrapping Design Team
Reflections Publishing Group, LLC
***Disclaimers - While individual techniques may vary, always follow product manufacturers' directions and cautions for safety and best results.
This entire web site © Copyright Reflections Publishing Group, LLC Legal Statement
LINK TO NEXT PAGE