Two Peas in a Bucket

10 Ways to Use Vellum Paper

1. TONE IT DOWN Vellum is a great tool to use when you want to include something on your project, but you want to prevent it from being the first thing you see.  Kristina Nicolai-White wants the subject of her photo library to take precedance over each individual photo in the collage she scraps on her layout, "78862." Vellum was a perfect solution.

Another example is by Two Peas member tcochonneau.  We love how she covered her background with washi.  Vellum helps keep the colors from overpowering the focal point of her page "Washi Love." A stitched border secures the paper in place, while splatters of paint add another layer of interest.

2. CREATE A TITLE WITH IT Corrie Jones tucks pieces behind and on top of a custom title she created for her layout "Sweet Summer Friends", the assembly of which she shares on video.  Concerned about how to hide adhesive? You'll notice she just used a stapler.

3. MESS IT UP!  The fearless and artistic Wilna crumples her vellum and sews down the middle of it on her layout "Hello Summer."

4. JOURNAL ON IT Vellum allows for a pattern to show underneath without your text getting lost in the design. It looks like Marie Pea ran her vellum through a typewriter, or used a typewriter font, at the lower portion of her page "Tea & Honey."

Nancy also typed on her vellum, as well as cut out a center of the paper for her title.  This page has a coordinating video tutorial; check it out here.

5. PAIR IT WITH WHITE  Jennifer Kinkade combines it with white cardstock for a dreamy look on her page, "Beauty in Simplicity."

6. CREATE DEPTH By staggering vellum speech bubbles and geotags between layers, Lilith Eeckels gives a sense of depth to her layout, "Love This."

7. USE IT TO "ARCHIVE" NON-SCRAPBOOKING MATERIAL Biochemipea was able to include a leaf in her altered mini book "What She Found."

8. INVITE THE VIEWER IN Journaling pieces carefully tucked in vellum envelopes hint at there being something more for the viewer to discover.  Jill Sprott demonstrates how she used a variety of envelopes and pockets, including vellum paper pockets, in her video tutorial here.

Lexi Bridges also found a vellum pocket to be the perfect holding place on her page, "To the Stars and Back."

9. USE VELLUM LIKE A SHAKER BOX Favorite trinkets and treasures can move around freely under a sheet of vellum that has been affixed to a page.  Lilith does this in her layout "Looking for a Good Book."

Nancy takes this approach also for her page assembled on video: "Christmas Tradition."

10. COMBINE IT WITH MORE VELLUM! Shimelle pairs a printed vellum pattern with a plain vellum pocket on her page "Teachers Too."  In fact, "Vexed by Vellum" is the topic of this Adventures of Glitter Girl video episode where different vellum products and ideas are discussed.

We hope you feel armed with more ideas on how to put this specialty paper to use.  If you're looking to add vellum to your stash of paper supplies, see our selection here.

Trends Watch: The Handwritten Look

Cursive and doodles, script and handwritten accents - we're seeing this trend more and more.  If we can't achieve this look on our own, the pens of artists and designers have done the work for us!

Wilna uses this print from Studio Calico's Sundrifter line as a focal point for her page, reinforcing the story of how her daughter loves to have fun, while Jen Kinkade uses it to help document her love for creating:

In American Craft's My Girl line we see not only sweet kittens and rainbows, but a happy handwritten font.  You'll notice some of the letters are filled in with color, adding to its whimsical design:

Here we see these designs are not just for younger subjects, but for anyone who is drawn to a feminine color palette and style like this Project Life spread by geekgalz. 

Jen Chapin mixes the pre-designed handwritten elements with a die cut, letter stickers, and her own handwriting:

This paper from Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper has been a favorite to many:

A 6x6 page from a paper pad makes the perfect photo mat on this layout by Nary:

Another way to pull in this look is with the use of stamps.  Ali Edwards uses her handwriting in the design of her stamps manufactured by Technique Tuesday.

Here Ali has used the cling stamps to create her own patterned paper.  She's used a darker shade of ink to make her design tone-on-tone, thus keeping the focus on her photo and journaling card.

Are you comfortable with a pen in your hand and want to try this look on your own?  Be inspired by Paperiliitin who created a bold and daring background on her page:

Are you a fan of this trend?  Browse this look and other typography-focused products here!

Also, don't miss our stamp sale happening now!

10 Tips for Scrapping with Mason Jars

We admire them on our tables and on pretty patterned paper, but we've seen discussions on the forum, "I'm stuck. What do you do with mason jars?"  Well, today we've rounded up 10 clever and inspiring ideas.  Here's how we've seen this motif show up in our paper projects and in the Two Peas member gallery:

Mini album by suzyplant

1. Fill in your jar with journaling.  List the treats or recipes you love. Your journaling doesn't even have to be food-related; a list of favorite things works too!

Happy Birthday by Jill Sprott

2. See how far you can stretch this supply by altering it.  You don't have to simply stamp or stick it down and call it done. Jill placed a number inside and added a bow.  Then, she stitched lines coming out of it and placed dimensional circles on the end.  Look to your other embellishments for clues on how you can do this; I'm willing to bet Jill's idea stemmed from the birthday balloons on the left. 

Love by mpcapistran

3. Repeat the motif.  Repetition is a design principle that will work every time.  Don't be afraid of overlapping them. Try creating a border like the one above or even a grid design with multiple jars. Mpcapistran's journaling reflects on how love cannot be measured; how appropriate then that the paints, hearts and butterflies are not contained within the jars but are floating out of them.

Just Peachy by stwing2

The Good Stuff by Jill Sprott

4. Use it literally!  If you have a layout about canning or cooking in the kitchen, consider using this as an embellishment.

Farm Girl Mini Album by shellyemcdaniel

5. Use its shape as a base for a mini album.  Shelly's cute country style shone through in this project using October Afternoon's Farm Girl collection.

If I Could Bottle Your Love by KJ Starre

6. Fill the jar with stuff!  We've seen such great ideas from the Peas including confetti, sequins, lightning bugs, stars, hearts, stamps or a combination of various shapes like the layout above.  Shannon Tidwell did an entire video tutorial on using glitter with stamped jars here.

Flower in a Jar by sweetpea778

7. Use the jar as a paper "vase." Create your own flowers like this one or use premade embellishmetns and designs like die cuts, stickers, stamps or florals. Pressed and dried flowers would be neat too!

Ladybug Hello Card by msdixie

8. Create a scene within a jar.  Try stamping, doodling or even using rubons. A winter scene with snow would be beautiful.

Sometimes by SJ

Jar of Memories by cdheeren

9. Use jars as a frame for photos.  They make the most unique homes for photos.

Gift tags by lintsi

Vintage flower jar tags by mypapercrafting

10. Create unique gift tags!  They make a stand-out embellishment to a gift or package.

Inspired to try this for yourself? Browse some of our favorite mason jar designs here!

Trends Watch: The Nautical Season with Nancy Damiano

Nothing says Spring quite like a nice bold nautical theme. It's navy, graphic and timeless. We've been seeing it pop up everywhere in fashion, home decor and jewelry.

It's nice to see that trend in scrapbooking products this season as well. From the bold red, white and blues of Fancy Pant's Down by the Shore to Glitz' Uncharted Waters with its additions of fuschia and gold.

This nautical page uses themed elements to highlight a day ashore on a cruise vacation. The repetition of anchors and flags bring out the 'where' of the page, while the bold turquoise color lets the landscape photo shine. 

Now let's take a look at how fellow Peas are using the nautical theme in some non-conventional ways.

This pirate page by Jossiah uses the same collection on an everyday layout depicting childhood. I love the contrast of feminine flowers and an anchor here.

This popsicle page pulls the red,white and blue elements from the collection while telling a funny family story by BeckyLitz. The banner creates a shelf for the photo and adds whimsy to the layout.

This Nice Catch layout by audreykit uses beautiful layers of the Unchartered Waters collection to highlight a cute fishing shot. I love how she used twine to draw the eye to the title. 

I love how brains32192 documented her thoughts on motherhood in this page using the same collection.  Anchors symbolize stability and strong foundations - what could be more perfect for a page highlighting a mother/daughter relationship.

Whether it's a day at the beach, cruise vacation, silly moments or important bonds, the nautical theme has something for you.

Show us how you've used this trend in your pages. We'd love to take a peek!

 

Trends Watch: Cityscapes and Skylines

Here and There paper by Studio Calico

Cityscapes and skylines are making an appearance in recent colllections like Here and There from Studio Calico and Amy Tangerine's Yes, Please!.  Buildings of different heights and designs are not only fun to see all lined up in a row, but they help tell the story of the places we visit or call home.  This motif gives a sense of adventure to our pages and projects, and tells the "where" in our stories.  Let's take a look at how we're seeing scrapbookers use this trend:

On this page about her son growing up too fast, midwesterngirl uses a cityscape paper from Amy Tangerine to subtly reinforce how her son will one day move on to see new places and things. This reminds us we don't have to necessarily be documenting about a place, but something deeper.

Paige Evans creates an impressive masked border at the bottom of her page.  The weight of it is balanced with several small photos filling up her background.  She gives a helpful how-to on how to recreate this design here.

This page by its just me is so clever!  She's created her own custom skyline out of washi tape.  The lines around her photo and title are drawn at an angle, mimicking the buildings.  She's topped the page off with a cloud pattern.  Perfect!

Amy Tan created her own skyline with machine stitching, inspiring us once again to not overlook the powerful potential of needle and thread.

A cityscape can make the perfect design for a card too!  Lucy Abrams highlighted two windows of a digital image she printed in yellow to indicate the recipient's brand new space.  A button makes a cute sun, and a cloud background adds to the whimsical feel.

Check out our Pinterest board here for more ideas on using this trend. Create your own scenery on your projects with our selection here:

What do you think?  Have you tried using cityscapes and skylines in your projects?  We'd love to see!

Shape Up Your Scrapbooking: Triangles

(Source)

I never thought I'd want to look at a triangle again after geometry class, but this shape is proving to be a favorite in the way we see it trending all around us.  Not only do they give your projects a hip and fresh design, they are easy to make and use!

Jen Johner layers the Studio Calico wood veneer shapes over triangles she's cut and arranged by hand.  By leaving some triangle spaces blank, she's broken the pattern and created extra interest.

The oversized triangle on this layout by adogslife13 makes a large impact and gives space to a cluster of embellishments.  The row of tiny arrowheads - a similar shape - on the journaling card highlights the difference in scale.

Rows of triangles filled with patterned paper give this clean and bold page by sodulce a sense of rhythm.  You can achieve this look using a Silhouette machine or an exacto knife!

Looking to add triangles to your projects?  Browse our triangle products here!

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Check out our Pinterest board, this month's featured selection and our most recent Garden Girl project release for more on the subject of shapes, including Julie Campbell's card video dedicated to triangles.  Play along with us this month and tag #shapeupyourscrapbooking on your favorite social media platform for a chance to win big (details here)!

Trends Watch: In This House...

(Image Source)

You may have seen the popular "family rules" word art while clicking through the web.  We love how these displays of family values can be works of art in one's home.  We've seen it on everything from decorative pillows to staircases to pallets.  It's no wonder we're seeing it in layouts as well!

Garden Girl Lynn Ghahary played with a stamp similar to this one by Studio Calico to create a prominent design on her layout, giving weight to her adorabe black and white family photo.

Amy Heller had a similar idea, but put her Silhouette machine to work to create a colorful title that balances the arrangement of small photos displayed on miniature hangers.

If stamping or die-cutting isn't your thing, you can still achieve a big-impact title with letter stickers like scrappygirljenni did here.  A family portrait is a perfect accompanying photo for a saying like this one.

And finally, here are a few favorite products that help tell the story of family and home. You'll notice the design of this stamp and this stamp were inspired by this trend!  See our entire selection tagged with "home" here.

What about you?  Have you played with this word art trend in your home or in your papercrafting?

Trend Watch: Chalkboards

Chalkboards are huge right now.  Chalkboard walls in homes, intricate chalkboard art and chalkboard speech bubbles just to name a few.  (Raise your hand if you have a chalkboard wall in your home.  ;)

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And, like all trends it's starting to make it's way into the scrapbooking world.  Glitz Design just released some chalkboard themed papers at the last CHA.  I love these and can't wait for projects using these papers to start showing up in the gallery.

Pebbles includes chalkboard speech bubble stickers in their Seen & Noted line.  I definately need to get a white pen so I can journal on these.

The trend is even showing up on washi tape... like this roll from Freckled Fawn.

Echo Park has released a Project Life friendly line called Today's Story that includes chalkboard journaling and accent cards.

And if you're a digi scrapper your choices are even more abundant.  :)

Now what about taking this trend right onto the cover of your projects like scrappfever did?  

Or translating it onto the background of a page?  waisam was inspired by Garden Girl Wilna's layout in her video for the In the Mood video series when she created this page.

So, while chalkboard art is a relatively new trend in the scrapbooking world I think it's just starting to make it's presense known.

How about you?  Have you been inspired by this trend yet?

 

Trends Watch: Typewriters + Workshop Giveaway Winner!

Though this mechanical device used to put our thoughts onto paper is used less and less in our fast-paced world, the typewriter is seen more and more in our paper crafting designs.  Here are a few projects where we've seen this classic vintage icon being used:

My Type by april yap

Love You So Very Much by digikiwichick

She Believed by Lucy Abrams

A Life in Letters by Jill Sprott

I Love You Card by Joscie

Shop the type and typewriter look here!

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Congrats to moadibp2 - you are the winner of our Journey Into Cardmaking Workshop giveaway!  You will receive an email shortly welcoming you to the class. :)

Trends Watch: Vellum

Good morning Peas!  Today we're looking at vellum - we are seeing this transparent and lightweight paper make a comeback.  Look at some of the fun ways we're seeing it being used in projects:

Layers of vellum pockets hold photos and notes in this December Daily / Journal Your Christmas album by soaphousemama.

Nancy tucked her wood veneer title and star embellishments in a vellum background pocket.  She demonstrates how this page came together in her Memory Keeping Monday video tutorial.

Jennimoc has placed snowflakes both below and above her vellum layer on her page First Christmas Snow.  Her die cut is softened by the see-through layer, and her embossed snowflake images pop off the page.

A sewn-on rectangle on this card by meghannandrew serves as a shaker window for loose confetti. 

Biochempea helps tell the story of her daughter's love for discovering things in nature by tucking a leaf in a vellum album insert.  See the full album here - beautiful!

We're not just seeing vellum used in projects, but manufacturers are finding all kinds of clever ways to use it to make innovative products.  Here is a small sampling of our vellum selection in the store:

Check out the full selection here!