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Scrapbook ideas to add style with serendipity squares - small collage pieces that can be used on virtually any layout. The variety of colors helps pull out the colors in your photos, and the squares serve as visual "bridges" when you're combining two different-colored photo mats.
I make a full sheet of serendipity squares at a time, mat them, then attach them to layouts as needed. Depending on your personal tastes, you can add as much torn paper or rubber stamping as desired.
Scrapbook Supplies. To create serendipity squares, you'll need: solid-colored cardstock, patterned paper that includes colors from your photos that you want to emphasize, adhesive, archival pigment inks (pinwheel pads and rainbow pads that pull apart work the best), rubber stamps, embossing powder and a tool for heat embossing (optional).
Steps. Once you've got the scrapbook supplies needed, follow these steps:
1 Choose the solid cardstock that will serve as the background for your squares.
2 If you plan to emboss any of your stamped images, stamp randomly on your solid paper with pigment ink. (If you don't plan to emboss your images, skip to Step 8.) Sprinkle the stamped images with embossing powder, then melt it with a tool for heat embossing.
3 Starting with the lightest color of ink, daub randomly onto the paper to make small, irregular shapes of color. This type of application is called "direct-to-paper." Don't worry if you cover an embossed image—the ink will wipe off. Cover 10-20% of the page with your first color.
4 With the next lightest color of ink, use the direct-to-paper technique again, making small irregular, color shapes. Partially overlap your second color of ink over your first to make a third color.
5 Use this scrapbook technique with as many colors as you'd like to add. Work from light to dark and add metallic inks last. Leave some areas of your background paper uncolored.
6 If you embossed, use a tissue to wipe off excess pigment ink from those areas.
7 Blot your paper and set it aside to dry. Give it adequate time to dry to avoid smearing.
8 Select your rubber stamps. Good choices include large background stamps that can cover several squares and small images that can fit easily into a single square. I like to choose 4-5 stamps that fit a theme, plus a large background stamp of script.
9 Using permanent black ink, stamp your larger images randomly on your background paper.
10 Rip your patterned paper into strips that are approximately ½" to 1" wide and 6-8" long. Adhere strips randomly all over your background.
11 Restamp if necessary. With black ink, stamp smaller images in any unfilled space. Don't worry about overall composition of the full sheet, but try to have at least one element (ink, stamp, paper) on every square inch of the paper.
12 Use a paper trimmer to cut your large sheet into uniform-sized squares. I like them in 1¼" or 1½" sizes. You'll end up with dozens of delightfully unique squares.
13 Mat each square onto a metallic- or solid-colored background layer that's ¼" larger than the square.
Want to know one of the best scrapbook ideas you can do with chalk? After stamping images with an untinted or slightly tinted ink pad, use chalk to add color to the images. This gives you great versatility with color and a beautifully soft, pastel look.
To create a 3-D sticker, first find a plastic surface that will let you easily remove the sticker once it's assembled. Select three stickers with the same symmetrical design. Sticky side out, fold the first sticker in half and place it on the plastic surface. Fold the second sticker the same way and align the folded edge with the first sticker. Take the third sticker and place it sticky side down on the folded back halves of the first two stickers. Remove the 3-D sticker from the plastic surface and adhere it to your page. Apply chalk to a stamped image with beautiful results.
Use these scrapbook ideas to enjoy your scrapbook creations.
I make a full sheet of serendipity squares at a time, mat them, then attach them to layouts as needed. Depending on your personal tastes, you can add as much torn paper or rubber stamping as desired.
Scrapbook Supplies. To create serendipity squares, you'll need: solid-colored cardstock, patterned paper that includes colors from your photos that you want to emphasize, adhesive, archival pigment inks (pinwheel pads and rainbow pads that pull apart work the best), rubber stamps, embossing powder and a tool for heat embossing (optional).
Steps. Once you've got the scrapbook supplies needed, follow these steps:
1 Choose the solid cardstock that will serve as the background for your squares.
2 If you plan to emboss any of your stamped images, stamp randomly on your solid paper with pigment ink. (If you don't plan to emboss your images, skip to Step 8.) Sprinkle the stamped images with embossing powder, then melt it with a tool for heat embossing.
3 Starting with the lightest color of ink, daub randomly onto the paper to make small, irregular shapes of color. This type of application is called "direct-to-paper." Don't worry if you cover an embossed image—the ink will wipe off. Cover 10-20% of the page with your first color.
4 With the next lightest color of ink, use the direct-to-paper technique again, making small irregular, color shapes. Partially overlap your second color of ink over your first to make a third color.
5 Use this scrapbook technique with as many colors as you'd like to add. Work from light to dark and add metallic inks last. Leave some areas of your background paper uncolored.
6 If you embossed, use a tissue to wipe off excess pigment ink from those areas.
7 Blot your paper and set it aside to dry. Give it adequate time to dry to avoid smearing.
8 Select your rubber stamps. Good choices include large background stamps that can cover several squares and small images that can fit easily into a single square. I like to choose 4-5 stamps that fit a theme, plus a large background stamp of script.
9 Using permanent black ink, stamp your larger images randomly on your background paper.
10 Rip your patterned paper into strips that are approximately ½" to 1" wide and 6-8" long. Adhere strips randomly all over your background.
11 Restamp if necessary. With black ink, stamp smaller images in any unfilled space. Don't worry about overall composition of the full sheet, but try to have at least one element (ink, stamp, paper) on every square inch of the paper.
12 Use a paper trimmer to cut your large sheet into uniform-sized squares. I like them in 1¼" or 1½" sizes. You'll end up with dozens of delightfully unique squares.
13 Mat each square onto a metallic- or solid-colored background layer that's ¼" larger than the square.
Want to know one of the best scrapbook ideas you can do with chalk? After stamping images with an untinted or slightly tinted ink pad, use chalk to add color to the images. This gives you great versatility with color and a beautifully soft, pastel look.
To create a 3-D sticker, first find a plastic surface that will let you easily remove the sticker once it's assembled. Select three stickers with the same symmetrical design. Sticky side out, fold the first sticker in half and place it on the plastic surface. Fold the second sticker the same way and align the folded edge with the first sticker. Take the third sticker and place it sticky side down on the folded back halves of the first two stickers. Remove the 3-D sticker from the plastic surface and adhere it to your page. Apply chalk to a stamped image with beautiful results.
Use these scrapbook ideas to enjoy your scrapbook creations.
There are practically millions of scrapbook layouts available on the internet so you will never be frustrated by the lack of choice. If you wanted to go on a course to learn how to scrapbook and get ideas you would normally have had to pay for this. However the good news is that there are free courses available on the internet today. You simply need to complete an email application form and you can receive a lesson every day some courses offer over 20 lessons.