P is for PUNCHES & PAPER #AtoZChallenge

Hello again!

We’re rolling with the punches through this blog challenge. For the month of April I will be posting about the theme Scrapbooking, and today’s letter is atheistically pleasing to say the least – P is for Punches & Paper.

To start, punches are small, all-inclusive die cuts that pop-out shapes.

Punches come in a variety of sizes and designs, like hearts, stars, leaves, and words.

When you punch paper, the result is both a small shape, as well as a negative space, which allows for a multiple of effects. You can use the loose shapes for confetti, or adhered patterns.

Another type of punch is a “pocket” edger. This punch creates a raised area to which you can tuck the corners of your photos, stubs, and other mementos.

I utilized a scroll-shaped, pocket punch for an important birthday page this year. (I love how the brown textured paper coordinates so well with the color theme.)

Which bridges over to our next P – PAPER!

I have to give a brief confession here – I am a 12x12 paper junkie. Seriously. I get stupid-excited over cool textures and fun patterns.

Half of the enjoyment I get from scrapbooking is finding the right pairing of theme, pattern, and embellishments.

That said - let's bring out the examples! *Cue fashion show music*:

This first one will look familiar. This lumpy green paper was left over from an old “grass” project and it worked beautifully for my cactus in the D is for DIE CUTS post.

I love to play with contrasting patterns and this green-on-green worked well.

My friend teases me about how I have a page dedicated to coffee in all of my albums. It's an obsession, I know.

The pairing of sticker colors works well, too, like with this fast food page. (The red and blues really pop against the yellow and white backdrop.)

I try not to make a page too busy, but sometimes you can mix-and-match embellishments perfectly.

And other times, I keep it real simple.

This is a beautiful celestial paper that matched a quote of endearment.
(I added a few rhinestones to the center of the stars at the top.)

Most of the time I buy the paper before I find a use for it.

This glitter paper came in a 12x12 sized 20-pack of different colors. The texture is smooth, doesn’t shed (which is why I love it), and it adds a glow to my pages.

I like to invest in 12x12 size paper because if I can’t use it as the base for a page, I can cut it down and use it for photo frames that border and accent.

Whether it’s patterned, plain, fuzzy, or sparkly, paper is what scrapbooking is all about. J

Well, dear blog compatriots, we are owning the alphabet this week. We’ve knocked out some fun and interesting topics, and if you are enjoying this blog theme, or if you have tips or feedback, please leave a comment below.

Me when I get a comment.

I’ve seen my fellow blogsters choose some super-cool themes for this blog sprint, so if you’d like to check out more P-letter topics, please search your friendly neighborhood social media for the #AtoZChallenge as well as the A to Z Blog Challenge website for links.

Our next letter is an important one, so I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow, same blog-time, same blog-channel, for – Q is QUOTATIONS & CONVERSATIONS.

See you then!

-         SNG