Paper Embellishments

Everyone is talking about the economy right now and with the holidays just behind us, our budgets may be looking a little bleak. So when it comes to stocking up on our scrapbooking supplies, all those fun embellishments and extra goodies can really add up. We still want our pages to have that texture, dimension and extra zing though. We can turn to a relatively cheap and versatile staple to still get these results- paper! Using your papers to create extra dimensional embellishments is the perfect solution! You can save money by buying less expensive embellishments, and stretch the supplies that you do buy!

One of the most obvious, but extremely powerful ways to create embellishments from paper, is to simply cut out designs. Using a die cut machine, or even just a pair of scissors, you can create gorgeous custom embellishments to add interest to your pages. Natasha cut out a large heart, then stitched around it to make it stand out. She also used paper to create that gorgeous curled petal flower! Did you know that you can curl and sculpt paper to make beautiful dimensional embellishments? Rachel hand cut all of those gorgeous flowers. Then she added the hand-cut butterfly and folded the wings up to create dimension. Wasn’t that clever? Kim also did some fussy cutting, but she matted hers on a contrasting cardstock to add some faux dimension. There are so many fun things you can do just by cutting into those papers!

A Dream Come True by Natasha Naranjo Aguirre

Supplies: Paper: GCD Studios, Chipboard: The Dusty Attic, Flowers, Pearls: Prima Marketing, Ink: Clearsnap, Other: eyelets. Tools: Die Cut Machine: Sizzix (Ellison), Dies: Spellbinders.

Design Notes: The hand-stitched heart and a few of the flowers are hand-made embellishments that I created to add a personal touch to my layout.

Butterfly Chaser by Rachel Theall

Supplies: Paper, Alphas: Paper Trunk. Tools: Punch: EK Success.

Design Notes: The butterfly is 3D. I cut patterns from a piece of paper that was shaped approximately like wings. Then I folded each wing from where it would connect to the body out to the tip in wedge shapes. These were then glued in place on a piece cut to resemble the body of the butterfly. The yellow polka dotted stripe is a strip of paper that was cut from a piece of patterned paper. The white roses were cut from patterned paper as well. The scalloped border under the title was made using a punch. After the border was punched out of the Kraft patterned paper, the paper was flipped and excess paper along the edge that was not punched was trimmed away leaving the thin strip.

Journaling: I'm not really sure why I do it, but if I'm out with the camera and I see a butterfly, I have to take a picture and then I have all these pictures of butterflies that I never really do anything with! LOL!

Friends by Kim Kendell

Supplies: Paper: Creative Imaginations, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Alphabet: American Crafts, Flowers: Green Tara, Transparency: Hambly, Digital Stamp: 5 Kids and a Dog blog, Other: brads.

Design Notes: Mount fine die cuts on card stock and cut around them, leaving an edge of the base color showing to really make it standout.

Journaling: Friends hanging out at the coast.