| Garden Treasure Book (Web Exclusive) |
From "Scrapbooking"
episode SCB-228 |
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Let your creativity blossom! The first yields of nature's springtime bounty can be a wonderful addtion to a scrapbook. In addition to being a complement to heirloom photos, the pressed flowers and leaves record the memory of a beautiful garden.
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By Holly Christian
Craft designer and writer When spring comes to your neck of the woods, press those fresh sweet blooms and use them to grace scrapbook pages. Spring flowers bring to mind Mother's Day, which prompted me to create garden pages with vintage photographs of my mother and grandmother. I scanned vintage black and white photos and printed them on parchment colored cardstock. Photos printed on cardstock or on matte photo paper are not considered professional or premium quality, but I prefer the soft look for old time photos. Drying Flowers Of all the ways of drying flowers, pressing them in a large book is still the simplest . Collect blooms that are dry and blemish free. Delicate greenery and flowers work best. Try pansies, violets, Queen Anne's lace, forget-me-nots and miniature roses , and combine them with ferns, grasses and herbs. Leave the stems in place or snip them off at the base of the flower. Place the blooms in a large book, sandwiched between pieces of absorbent paper , or easier still, use a phone book. Most flowers take two to four weeks to dry. Check them after about 10 days and replace absorbent paper if necessary. When dry, store them carefully in envelopes until ready to use. Purchase a small flower press, make your own press (see a DIY Kids project -- click here) or if you like fast results, try a flower press for the microwave, which produces pressed flowers almost instantly. If you live in blizzard country like I do, find pretty pressed flowers at retail craft shops. Click here for templates and steps for the featured Garden Pages
Materials: scrapbook pages
photos
pressed flowers
card stock
acid-free colored paper
scraps of decorative paper
craft scissors
oval frame template
craft knife and self-healing cutting mat
straightedge
ruler
deckle edged scissors
glue stick or photo mounting tape
Liquid glue
self-adhesive laminate
scrapbook markers - Determine the general layout of the page.
- Trim photos to desired size and mount them on layers of colored paper and cardstock. I scanned vintage photos and printed them on parchment colored cardstock, then mounted them on pretty paper in shades of violet, periwinkle, and royal blue.
- Create picture labels and frames for pressed flowers with squares or rectangles of neutral cardstock layered on colored background paper. Use the template provided to create an oval flower frame. Use deckle edged scissors to cut the inner oval and mount it on a colored background. Glue the frames to the scrapbook page without the flowers. Add them last.
- Make decorative cut paper borders and page accents with scraps of decorator paper folded and cut, then glued to colored cardstock to show off the pattern. Fold strips of paper in half lengthwise, and then fold in half widthwise twice. Snip away triangles of paper on the fold, then open to reveal the cut pattern.
- Add all decorative elements to the page, then use dabs of liquid glue to attach the pressed flowers. When dry, apply self-adhesive laminate over the cardstock to enclose the pressed flowers.
RESOURCES :
Making Glorious Gifts from Your Garden
Model: 0806924799
Author: Marie Browning
(October, 1999)
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
Handcrafted Journals, Albums, Scrapbooks and More
Model: 0806939354
Author: Marie Browning
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
Cover to Cover: Creative Techniques for Making Beautiful Books, Journals, and Albums
Model: 0937274879
Author: Shereen Laplantz
Lark Books / Altamont Press
Website: www.larkbooks.com
A Year of Scrapbooking
ISBN: 0737000643
Author: Debbie Janasak
1999
Time-Life Books Inc.
Website: www.timelife.com
Art of the Scrapbook: A Guide to Handbinding and Decorating Memory Books, Albums, and Art Journals
Model: 0823010198
Author: Diane V. Maurer-Mathison
Watson-Guptill Publications
Website: www.watsonguptill.com
200 Great Scrapbook Layout Ideas
Author: Dena Wilson Crow
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Creative Concepts
Website: www.scrapbookingideas.com
Crafting Beautiful Journals and Albums: How to Personalize, Embellish. . .Scrapbooks
Model: 1581801351
Author: Anna Morgan
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Making Great Scrapbook Pages
Model: 1562314416
Author: Hot Off the Press Design Staff
(1998)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Hot Off the Press Inc.
Website: www.craftpizazz.com
New Ideas for Crafting Heritage Albums: The Latest Tips and Techniques ...
Model: 1558705805
Author: Bev Braun
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Broadway Books/Random House, Inc.
Website: www.randomhouse.com
Country Living Handmade Scrapbooks
Author: Editors of Country Living
Order this title from Amazon.com.
William Morrow Books / Hearst Books
Website: www.harpercollins.com
Holly Christian
Craft artist and writer
Holly Christian
Website: www.hollychristian.com
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