Q: I'm starting to scrapbook, and I've heard the term "quilling." What is quilling?A: Paper quilling is the art of curling strips of paper and assembling them into designs and figural representations such as flowers, butterflies and the like. Its roots are hundreds of years old. Here's how it's done:
You want to use paper strips that are about 1/2" wide. Roll tightly, letting the spiral roll go so there's a little space between the roll, and secure with glue. You can use a tool called a slotted quilling tool if you prefer: simply slip the paper strip into the slot and begin rolling. Once you have rolled the strip of paper, lightly pinch it together and slide the tool out. Use these rolls to create your designs, which can then be placed on your scrapbook page to add a decorative accent.
Q: How do I give my scrapbook page a dimensional look?
A: There are some very easy tricks for adding dimension to a page. Paper layering is one of the easiest.
First, get the basic parts of your page design down. We used a birthday page for our example, so we settled on the party hat and photo. Add a layer of coordinating paper under the picture to create dimension. Now enhance the party hat with buttons and pop dots, and also use the pop dots under the balloon cutouts. I rolled wire string around a straw to make a curly string that stands off the page for the balloon ribbon. Foam letters are also a great way to bring things off the page. These are a few tricks to help make your page really stand out.
Q: Can you give me advice on how to miter the corners on border stickers?
A: When you use border stickers, creating a perfectly joined corner offers a professional, polished look. Creating a continual look all around the page offers punch and pizzazz. Here's what you need to do:
First place a photo on the page. Measure the border stickers so they are the dimensions of the photo edge plus the width of the border sticker; double that measurement. For example, if your photo is 4" wide and the border sticker is 1/2" wide, the border length would need to be 4"+1/2"+1/2"=5". Place one patterned border around each side of the photograph so the edges are overlapping.
Now it's time to miter the corners. Place the tip of a craft knife on the inside corner of the border sticker where it meets the corner of the photograph. Gently pull the tip across the top layer of the border to the outside corner. Remove the small piece you have just cut out. Do this all the way around the photo. Your corners should fit together perfectly.
