Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Dad's
Tribute
Album

Now that you've gotten the basics, maybe done a few simple pages and gotten the hang of it, it's time to get down to brass tacks... or brass eyelets... or brass brads. Or any of the multitude of embellishments out there!

"Embellishments" refers to the extra things you can put on a page to emphasize, accompany, customize, or otherwise enhance any or all aspects of your layout. You may want to use some very pretty stickers to illustrate your subject matter. You may want to use eyelets or brads to attach vellum to your page. You may want to use string or yarn to wrap an accent square. You may even be crazy enough to adhere a few brass or pewter charms to your page.

Be bold, have fun and most of all, do what feels comfortable to you! If you like paper and stickers in your books, then use it. If you're experimental and like to use all the metals, do it. Just don't feel you ever have to compete with any one else's efforts.

Moving On To Embellishments

You can make a beautiful keepsake scrapbook album with just the items above, protecting your photos and journaling the stories behind them. But what's next? Here are some embellishments you may consider trying when you're ready to try new things.

Cardstock/Patterned Paper - Cardstock is heavy colored paper and patterned paper is a thinner paper with a decorative design. Paper is used for decoration, cutting out shapes, matting under photos and any number of other uses. Look for acid-free, lignin-free and buffered when possible. It also comes in two sizes, 12x12 and 8.5x11.
Specialty Paper - Vellum, mulberry paper, mesh paper, linen paper, so many papers to choose from! Vellum is an opaque paper that comes in several different weights and the weight determines how opaque it is. You can print your journaling on vellum and it's oh so pretty. You can find a wonderful selection of vellum at your LSS, including 12x12 with gorgeous patterns. Beware when using adhesives on mulberry, however, because most adhesives can be seen through the vellum. I've used vellum tape and it just didn't work for me. I usually either stitch or eyelet my vellum to cardstock or paper.

Mulberry paper is a fibrous handmade paper and is best when wet down with a q-tip and torn, giving the edges a beautiful wispy feathery look. Put that mulberry paper on tags, under photos, or anywhere you want that look.
Stickers - Look for stickers that are acid-free and archival quality. Your local scrapbook store (LSS), Michael's, Joann's, and any Hallmark store should have a large selection. Quality, colors, style, it's all up to you and your layout. Use them as accents in the corners or on borders, around letters or by your journaling.
Beads - From seed beads to letter beads, people are using them all. I've used seed beads to separate letter beads on a strand of thin wire, others use decorative flat beads and bugle beads in shaker boxes.
Tags - Tags are all the rage in scrapbooking, from small dog-tag shaped tags to larger shipping type tags, decorated or with journaling, printed or plain. I bought a package of hard cardstock white tags and just use them as templates to trace and cut my own. Shape Makers and Deluxe Cuts both offer great tag templates in their product lines.
Buttons - Button, Button, who has the button? You can, right on your pages. If you would like to use buttons, but don't like the lumpies, you can find buttons that are thin for your albums. I love the Making Memories buttons because they are nice and thin. But don't overlook those older buttons at sewing shops! ANY buttons will be acid free, so look for the bargains. If you're all into lumpies, any button will do, even if it has a shank (the little tab on the back with a hole). All you need to do is cut off the shank and put it in your book. How, you ask? Easy... grab your glue dots and glue it, grab a needle and thread and sew it.
Ribbons - I've used any type of ribbon I can find, from gauzy to grosgrain. All are acid-free and ready for your albums. Use glue dots to hold them or just punch a few holes and lace the ribbon through.
Wire - Very thin artist's wire is your best bet here. Wire width is measured in gauge, the higher the number, the thinner the wire. If you want to play with wire but don't want to commit to lumpies, try 26 gauge. It's very thin and adds very little weight or bulk to your page. I rarely use adhesive with wire because I like to put it through tiny holes and make loops with it, and the tension of the loops keeps it in place, but I'll use photo splits on the back to hold it in place.
Floss - Yes, embroidery floss. You can buy it in color packs by Making Memories and Two Busy Moms, but you can just as easily dash into the sewing department of your local Target or Walmart and buy much more for the same price. How to use it? I've used it to stitch Xs on layouts or sew journaled vellum to printed paper. I put through the button holes, tie a small knot on top and glue dot it to my layout.
Fibers - Fibers are my latest obsession. Fibers are, quite simply put, yarn. But not the yarn your grandma used to make your winter scarf. We're talking "novelty" yarn here. Eyelash fibers, funky wool blends with strands sticking out all over the place. Chenilles and boucles that are fluffy and fun. Look for fiber cards by many manufacturers at your LSS or hit your local yarn and knitter's shop and ask for Novelty Yarns. Tell them you're a scrapbooker, they'll know what you're looking for. Use glue dots to adhere them to a sketched word on your layout or cut strands and put them through the holes on your tags.
Eyelets - What other industries call grommets, we call eyelets. Small circles of tin, brass or aluminum put through holes in paper and then pounded or pressed flat. These come in so many styles, sizes and shapes, I'm not going to even TRY to list them here. You'll need special tools to set eyelets; see below. Your best bet for finding good deals is online stores or on eBay. I use eyelets to afix vellum to cardstock. They are also very pretty when used as accents to flowers.
Nailheads - Nailheads are metal decorations that have small prongs to hold them down. Push them through your paper, turn it over, and use a hard tool (a pen tip works nicely) to push the prongs down.
Charms - Charms come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some can be set with eyelets, some can be dangled from wire or floss or fibers. You can also use glue dots to just put them on your page or a square in a corner. Very pretty!

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If you're a scrapbooker, there's no better way to journal than in your own
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on my TIPS page.

Please sign my "scrapbook" so I know you've been here to visit! Thanks!