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Miscellaneous

Eyelets and Rivets

Rivets are basically flat-top eyelets. They also come in lots of shapes and holiday styles. To set these, you can use a hammer, setter and punch, or a fun easy-to-use tool like the Crop-A-Dile. If you want to set the eyelets anywhere, you might consider the Instant Setter. These little accents, shaped or round, add character to your layouts. I've posted a few examples:

Above: an elegant card with rivets set on the corners.

Below: I used turquoise I-lets to adhere the printed vellum to the two background pages in one corner. I fanned the documents open to create interest. Eyelets also work well to adhere acetate to paper.

Stamps

Raffia and Wire

Brads

Even easier to use than eyelets, brads can be set without any tools at all. Perfect if you love the look of eyelets but have toddlers taking naps and can't afford the pounding or the quiet setters!

Picture Pebbles

A picture pebble is basically a flat marble. It magnifies any photo, letter or picture. Adhere it to your layouts with a clear adhesive. I use them as water drops, bubbles and just for fun.

Magic Mesh

This fun acid-free self-adhesive mesh comes in various styles and colors. It adds a lot of texture under die cuts, as borders, or set with rivets or eyelets. Since it's self-adhesive (and removable) it's a snap to use!

Paper Flowers

You can make them yourself or buy them for great accents. Remember, though, that real flowers naturally contain lignin and may be acidic. Keep them away from the photos in your layouts by mounting them on matte acid free cardstock or placing them in clear envelopes. Don't forget about the photos on the opposite page, too!

Make Your Own 3D Embellishments

There are a lot of fun ways to add your own embellishments to your work. If you want to try, set aside a day with a list of themes you need to work on. That day, you will only work on embellishments. Here are a few ideas:

Sewing

Using a sewing machine or needle and thread or fiber, you can add a lot to your scrapbook page or embellishment. Using an embroidery needle (with a dull tip) and pre-pierced holes (pierce the paper on a mat to prevent wrinkling) and your choice of fiber, thread or floss, the opportunities are endless! There are even tiny inexpensive sewing machines available for this purpose. Email me and ask about taking a class (I teach them!).

Clay

Working with clay can also be a fun experience. I like the no-bake type, such as Makin's Clay or Creative PaperClay. Using push molds, cookie cutters, or even your own personal affects, you can make your own 3D embellishments and buttons. You'll have a blast!

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