Pretty as You Please

You have to hand it to Tara Tuck, owner of Picture It Pageframes. She is on the cutting edge when it comes to her line of acrylic scrapbook frames. In addition to the eight sizes of traditional page frames she has created, the new styles, shaped like stars and circles, are definite winners in my book.

While it is easy to see the intended purpose of a scrapbook frame for showcasing a layout, there are a vast number of ideas for using the frames in non-traditional ways as well. Here are just some of them.

• Everyday Display: A page frame? Technically, yes. But what about substituting your layout for an old record, your child's artwork or a special award. How about using it for your monthly calendar or perhaps one of your grandmother's handmade quilt squares? Whatever you have that is pretty enough to frame would be welcomed.
• Layered in Beauty: Just because you put your page in from the back doesn't mean you should ignore all the possibilities on the front. Decorating the front with various embellishments can add to the 3-D effect of your page. Almost anything can be adhered to the acrylic front, such as rub-ons, paint, ribbon, buttons and flowers just to name a few. Keep in mind that heavier embellishments will also require a stronger bonding agent so they don't fall off when your frame is in the upright position.
• Inside, Outside, Upside-Down: The frames don't necessarily have to be hung on the wall or set on a table to show their usefulness. After I discovered that they could be written on with a dry erase marker, I used one of the 6" x 6" frames to create traveling car games for my daughter. I simply printed out several game boards that fit in the frame and let her do the rest. I have also seen a suncatcher that someone has made using one of the new shaped frames. Now that's thinking outside the box, or should I say frame?
• Reinvent the Wheel: Don't limit yourself to using the frames just for displaying layouts. Add a few suction cups with hooks at the bottom and you've created a jewelry holder for your daughter. Attach a strip of magnet across the back and you've got a recipe or menu holder for your refrigerator. Create a welcome sign by hanging a frame inside a wreath on the front door. How about decorating a star shape frame and using it as a topper for your Christmas tree?
• I Can See Clearly Now: It seems that clear things are all the rage right now, both in contemporary design and in the scrapbook trends. You can use that same free-floating idea by stamping a pattern with permanent ink directly onto the frame, adding a printed transparency to the inside, or glass etching on the frame. In keeping with the floating idea, choose fishing line to hang your frame.

The creative possibilities with these frames are endless and I applaud Tara for bringing us such a great, innovative product. For more inspiration on ways to use the frames, check out our gallery here at Scrapjazz and the gallery at www.Scrapbookframe.com.