For October's 2nd Saturday, we shared ideas on how to use vellum in your scrapbooks. Here is a recap:
Vellum can be used to add a unique touch to any page. It looks great on formal or heritage pages as well as icy winter layouts. It can transform solid cardstock and customize patterned paper. There are some tricks to working with vellum. Here are a few tips:
Smudges and creases will show more easily, so handle and store with care.
Bright or dark colors and patterns show up better than light colored papers when placed underneath vellum.
Colored vellum can really change the appearance of other papers. Play around with different colors to find just the right combination.
Vellum makes a great journaling option. It's perfect if you want to trace letters. Because vellum isn't as porous as other papers, make sure you use a pen that works on slick surfaces.
You can print on vellum, but you will need to allow a little extra drying time. Ink will smear if it's not dry yet. If you're printing multiple sheets, be sure to remove the vellum from the tray after printing.
Vellum looks great with torn edges. Tearing with the grain will give you a straighter line than tearing against the grain.
Most adhesives will show through vellum, so here are a few suggestions: Look for an adhesive that is made especially for vellum. It usually comes as a roll of tape or a solid sheet. You can also attach vellum with other things such as brads, eyelets, ribbon, or staples. You can hide the adhesive by covering that portion of the vellum with another embellishment.
Vellum makes great embellishments. Think bubbles, bug wings, flower petals, fish scales, water, windows, snowflakes, and icicles.
Here are some layouts that have been created using vellum. Hopefully you can capture some ideas to use in your own albums!
Colored vellum was used to journal on, then slipped underneath the photo to hide any adhesive.
Patterned vellum was used down the center of the layout and also as a photo matte. For the name plate, I printed onto plain vellum and attached it to the page with eyelets.
Journaling strips were made from vellum and then handstitched onto the layout with embroidery floss.
Using vellum for titles and journaling still allow you to see the beautiful patterned paper underneath.
When you have a lot of journaling on a page, break it up by placing it into columns.
Sometimes I have a hard time finding room on my page for journaling. I remedied this by printing my journaling onto vellum and then stitching it into place over one of my photographs that had "empty" space on it.
Cut or tear vellum into pretty journaling strips and attach them with decorative brads. The brads act as bullet points as well as a way to attach them to the layout.
On this layout, the angel wings were cut from vellum and lightly inked around the edges. I used a paper piercer to poke tiny holes along the "veins" of the wings.
I stamped a dandelion onto vellum to give it a soft, transparent look.
Candi punched flowers from vellum and attached them across her layout.
Delicate butterfly wings accented with stickles make a soft-looking embellishment.
Crinkle and fold vellum to mimic lace.
Patterned vellum was used as a photo matte. The title was also made from vellum.
Candi die cut vellum letters and inked them to help them stand out. I love how you can still see the patterned paper through the title.
The word "beach" is a rub-on that was placed underneath the vellum journaling block.
The same idea was used here with a large die cut letter placed underneath the vellum journaling block.
Random images were stamped onto vellum with black ink. It was then placed over patterned paper to act as an overlay for the tag on the 2nd page.
I love this idea of printing a quote onto vellum and then attaching it as a border across the layout. It's subtle, yet effective.
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Last month we learned different ways to use bling on your layouts. Now it's time for show and tell! These pages were designed by some of our customers:
Kya (age 4) used rhinestones to frame her close-up shots. She also accented the dragonfly wings. Great job, Kya!
MaryAnne Nelson created the cutest Prom album! I love the little accents of bling she attached for flower centers and the glittery letters she used for her title. Notice how only the first letter of each word in the title is large and glittered? This is a great way to make those supplies stretch!
Here's another layout from MaryAnne's album. Notice how each letter in her title is a different color? It unifies the colors in her layout as well as uses up extra letters from different alphabet sets.
Mason McFadden is turning into a scrapbooking pro! I love the little bling accents he has used along the page border. What pretty kitties!
Thank you to everyone who participates in 2nd Saturday every month! We have a lot of fun and hope you are enjoying it too!
One thing that made this album easy to create was using products from one line like this one from 3 Bugs in a Rug. Not only does all the paper coordinate, but there is also matching punch outs that make really cute tags and journaling blocks. Add a touch of ribbon and some self-adhesive flowers and you have a darling book to showcase your fall photos. 
The back cover is only a piece of patterned paper. It looks like she's really gone to a lot of work to embellish it, when all she's done is add a felt flower. So simple!!
