Embellishments: To Add or Not to Add?

Are you having this nagging doubt that you may upstage your precious photos or clutter your pages with scrapbooking embellishments? One moment you're just so tempted to paste the embellishment onto your page, and the next moment you're questioning yourself, "Should I? Should I not?” You even wonder if you're just trying to force that simply irresistible page accent onto your page to satisfy your craving for…more embellishments.

Well, you're in good company. I still remember the first time I encountered packets and packets of wondrous embellishments. My eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and my heart fluttered in excitement and the truth was, I simply can't decide. What a rush!

So, for those of us who love scrapbooking embellishments, we have to learn some balancing acts and avoid falling into the trap of overwhelming the pages with loads of such page accents. Here are some tips for you to consider when you're holding that simply irresistible piece of embellishment in your hand, and pausing for that momentous decision.

Is it distracting? If it distracts people from your photos, you might be better off saving that piece of embellishment for another page. Let's remind ourselves that photos form the essence of scrapbooking, not embellishments.

If there's only a single photo especially with close-ups, by all means launch into your most daring mode and spark up your page with embellishments. But keep the scrapbooking embellishments to the minimal, when there are multiple photos on a single page.

Is it trendy? If the reason to use the page accent is because it's the coolest or hottest trend right now, upon reflection this may not be so in the long run. Remember how you flinched in horror as you looked back at your biggest fashion mistakes? It can happen to your scrapbooking layouts too.

Is it functional? If the piece of accent has a functional purpose such as concealing unsightly parts of your photo, adding balance to the overall layout or holding another item in place, then use that lovely embellishment.

Does it fit the theme? If the embellishment boosts your story-telling ability for the page, then jump on the chance.

Is it your style? If the purpose of the embellishment is to copy what you've seen people did in some magazine, it's might not speak of your own style. Instead, follow your instincts and use whatever you feel confident of expressing your style on the page.

There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to scrapbooking with embellishments ideas. Just keep in view that an embellishment or two, when used in the right combination, will contribute to the vision you've been trying to express in a powerful way.

About the Author:
Fion Lim is the creator of Everything-About-Scrapbooking.com - Learning about scrapbooking? Here's your guide to beginner scrapbooking. Find tips, ideas, inspirations, articles, and resources to quotes, poems and fonts right here.

Feel free to use the this article provided it is published in its entirety, with the resource box and a “live” clickable link to: http://www.everything-about-scrapbooking.com

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