B is for BUTTONS, BRADS, and BORDERS - @AprilAtoZ #A-ZBlogChallenge

Welcome back, and thank you for checking day 2 of the A-Z Blog Challenge – Scrapbooking Edition!

Today’s letter is B which stands for Buttons, Brads, and Borders.

These are three additions that really make your scrapbook page pop. To start, buttons are a versatile and easy way to embellish a page. A common item found in the home (leftover from clothing or in a junk drawer), they are a good way to reuse existing materials in a fun way.

A few ideas to incorporate buttons include:

-         Accents to shapes, flowers, and characters. I like to adhere buttons to the center of my die cut insects (bees, dragonflies), and flowers. You lace the center of the button with thread, color the button to add contrast, or even sew (this works better with super-thick paper stock) the button directly to the page for an authentic effect.

-         You can create a mosaic with different colored buttons, using the circles to form a design or border. I’ve seen pages that use green buttons to form the foliage of trees, or the gold/yellow of a sun. You can use your imagination and layout something cool.

The second B is for Brads. Brads are metal posts that can both accent and act as an anchor on your page. They have a tack-like shape that pierces two pieces of paper, and flattens on the back of the page to sandwich the scraps together.

Example:

-         Puncture the two pieces of paper you wish to brad together using a puncture tool (shown) or a needle nosed piece of metal. (You can use a large sewing needle, or the lead tip of an automatic pencil if you do not have a puncture tool.)  

-         Once pierced, you push the pointed back of the brad through the aligned holes.

-         Split and flatten the dual, flat metal spokes on the back-side of the paper, and your project is studded. J

Brads work to add hardware to your page, and they come in a variety of shapes, colors, and styles. The head of the brad can be a jewel, an emoji, or a holiday design (hearts, stars, etc.). You can use them to add a themed emphasis, or to add motion to paper tags.

Some examples include:

-         To pin a tag. You can journal or add a note, and the brad-anchored paper allows the reader to pivot or move to reveal hidden journaling, or a brief description. Tags can add depth and realistic effect (i.e. a suitcase with a travel tag listing your vacation destination).

-         Brads can also be used to bind layers of paper to your page, creating a “book within a book” feel. I’ve added short stories, and posted works to my12x12 pages this way.

     To do this, you would first layout where you want the mini-book to go, then puncture the spine (three brads are recommended), and pin the mini-book to the page with the brads.

Our last B of the day stands for borders. I opted to give this accent its own letter because it kind of stands apart from other page embellishments. A border does exactly what it says – it borders your page and it adds a linear dimension to your scrapbook.

Borders come in a few styles:

-         The most basic and easy type of borders are stickers. They’re a great, simple go-to that don’t require a lot of work. Here are two that I’ve used in the past:

This theater border is a cool one – a caricature of people sitting to see a movie or a play, I used it for my annual movie page. It made for a fun contrast to the tickets and movie memorabilia I collected that year.

Another one that I have set-up for a future page is this spring border (sticker). The effect of new grass is soft, and easily decorates a standard blank page (the 12x12 paper came with the album).

-         Another type of border is one made of paper. This can be done freehand (take a strip of green paper and cut fringe to make grass), or using a repeated die cut image.

Here are few examples using cut outs:

Following the spring theme, I die cut a duplicate image of a white picket fence. This can be used for a garden or new home (moving) page.

Next I used a water die cut to frame a ‘floating’ duck. Again, you can make this by hand or using several pre-cut papers, assembled to run along the length of your scrapbook page.

Lastly, I utilized this summer die cut. I partially cut the edge of sand-colored paper, then layered the edge of yellow flip-flops on top to give the illusion of walking on the beach.

I can use the square for a flap-open image or hidden journaling, which makes the page interactive and interesting.

These are few ways to use buttons, brads, and borders to make a scrapbook page unique.

I thank you so much for visiting today!

If you are ready for more incredible A-Z Challenge topics please visit the A-Z Blog Challenge official page or search for #A-ZChallenge and @AprilAtoZ to read other the participants’ letter B.

I hope to see you again tomorrow – C is for Cropping.

-         SNG J