My Scrapbooking Blog

Dark photos can be difficult to scrapbook.  I have learned the best way to scrap these types of pictures is to start with a dark background and then highlight the photos throughout the layout.  This will give it a dramatic look and your pictures will stand out as opposed to disappearing on the page.  It’s best to keep the matting at 1/16 or 1/8 of an inch.  Mulberry paper added a great touch to the layout below.  I tore an opening in the mulberry paper (use a wet paintbrush or waterbrush to make this easier) creating a frame which I then stitched to my layout.  The dark background works with the darker photo instead of against it, drawing your attention directly to the photo.

For a standout title, try using large monogram letters for your entire title.  I used Basic Grey undressed chipboard monograms for these layouts.  (Note: chipboard that is plain and unfinished is often called undressed, bare, or naked.)  For extra letters, you can trace on chipboard and cut them out.  Next, I traced the letters on cardstock, cut out, embellished, and glued to the chipboard.  Be sure to embellish the letters before adhering to the chipboard.  The ways to embellish these monograms are endless.  You can use buttons, brads, eyelets, snaps, rivets, charms, ribbon, fiber, clips, staples, tags, diecuts, etc.  You can also use techniques such as stamping, stitching, inking, distressing, doodling, etc.  My favorite adhesive when using chipboard is Liquid Glass by CTMH.  There is a bit of drying time involved but it will hold forever!

I love acrylic letters but these clear embellishments can be hard to challenging at first.  This layout shows many different ways to attach acrylics without your adhesive showing…stitch them on your page, attach with brads or staples, or use glue dots and then cover it with ribbon, buttons, or other embellishments.

Although I do not use them very often because of their cost, overlays can add a lot to a layout.  On the page below I added pictures underneath the overlay and on the top I added the title and chipboard flower.  I then stitched the overlay to the background paper to hold everything in place.