Give your page that Audrey Hepburn twist!

Whenever I think of pearls, there's only one fashion icon that comes to mind: Audrey Hepburn. Remember her with a tiara, huge sunglasses and a cigarette holder wearing that black sheath dress and long black satin gloves in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's? What's the glamor factor there? Yup, it was the strands of pearls around her neck that defined elegance and sophistication.

I've noticed recently that scrapbookers have also use pearls to give that touch of glamor on their pages. Be it pearl centers, brads, conchos, stick-ons, swirls, or strings, these pearl embellishments all bring that Audrey Hepburn twist to projects and pages!

Let's take a look at pearl centers and conchos. Nicole used hippie cool elements on her page but her pearl centers gave an elegant contrasting detail. On the same note, Issa's Prima flowers with pearl conchos toned down the rugged feel of the page as she used them with distressed and teared papers. Alby's pearl stick-ons placed on the butterfly and on the swirl gave that whimsy feel on the page.

Til Death Do We Part by Nicole Maki

Supplies: Papers: Fancy Pants, Paint: Folk Art, Stamps: Bombshell Stamps, Flowers: Prima Marketing, Pearl Centers: Martha Stewart Crafts, Ribbon: Offray, Markers: Copic, Tool: Distresser (Tim Holtz), Other: recycled packaging, thread.

Design Notes:I colored in some of the squares on the grid paper with the same markers used for coloring my images. It coordinated the colors on the page and gave the patterned paper a new look. Layering stamped flowers with fabric flowers and a dimensional center (like pearls/buttons etc.) provides a perfect color match and visual interest. Popping up design elements (like couple, title and bird with banner) helps them not get lost on the page. Stamping directly on a photo in an empty area is a nice way to add interest without extra bulk.

Capture Life's Little Treasures by Issa Virtucio-Lucido

Supplies: Papers: BasicGrey, KI Memories, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Rub-Ons, Lace Cardstock: KI Memories, Pearls: All About Scrapbooking, Ink: Clearsnap, Flowers, Epoxy sticker: Prima Marketing, Others: glitter glue, brown pen.

Design Notes: I used paper tearing and paper distressing or inking in this layout.

Journaling: Ever since I got hold of this baby, I promised to myself never to miss life's little treasures. Thanks to my cousin Ronald for his Canon EOS 350D hand-me-down cam... now I never miss a thing in my life!

Dream by Alby Laran

Supplies: Papers, Stickers: Making Memories, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Chipboard: Maya Road, BasicGrey, Scenic Route, Rub-Ons: Royal Brush, Ribbon: We R Memory Keepers, Flowers: Prima Marketing, Pearls: K & Company, Ink: Tsukineko, Bingo Card: Jenni Bowlin Studio, Transparency: Hambly, Stamp: Hero Arts, Embossing Powder: Ranger, Paint: Claudine Helmuth Studio, Other: gel medium.

Design Notes: One thing I like to do in most of my layouts is to ink the edges of all papers with chalk ink. I likewise inked the edges of the journaling tag, the die cut words, the strips of sticker words and the chipboards. I mostly use shades of brown, specifically chestnut, as I did in this layout. It's one easy thing to do to unify the elements of the pages and to tone down the bright colors. I also enjoy using paint on my pages so I incorporated a bit of that in the small chipboard frame. I mixed the acrylic paint with gel medium to create texture. I used the frame to direct attention to the stamped image which was embossed with copper embossing powder. This layout was very easy and fun to put together as I combined materials and techniques that I enjoy using.

Journaling: God created a beautiful world for us to live in, and someday I hope to see most of it. For now, I am content to explore the country God planted me in, as well as the neighboring areas. But someday, God-willing, I will see the world.