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Embellishing with Gears
by Rachel Myerson
(Dec 19, 2011)
Many scrapbookers feel that their "go-to" embellishments are flowers. They are pretty, easy to use, available in a variety of colors, and they go with everything - except boys. Since I am the only female in my family, I have been looking for a go-to embellishment that works on many of my masculine layouts, one that is available in many sizes, textures, and male-oriented colors. I believe I have finally discovered that embellishment - gears! Although gears originally came into the scrapbook industry as part of the steampunk style, they can be used in a wide variety of layout styles and subjects. Here are some examples of using gears on layouts and cards. The cable cars in San Francisco are one of the few truly mechanical forms of transportation left, so gears are really the most suitable embellishment there is for a page on cable cars. However, even if you are riding a more modern form of transportation, gears are an excellent embellishment choice for a layout about any type of transportation, including cars and trains. On this layout, I layered die-cut gears with metal gears to create a mechanical theme.
Gears are also a perfect embellishment for anything to do with science, such as a museum visit, school science project, robots, or a home science kit. On this layout about a science museum, I layered die-cut gears with some journaling spotso provide a few science-themed journaling clusters.
Just as flowers are perfect for the day-to-day life of girls, gears are perfect for the day-to-day life of boys and men. Gears are a perfect choice for any layout about boys and their "toys," whether it's a 10-year-old with his first phone, or an older "boy" with his new car.
Gears are a great shape for male birthday cards too.
Of course, gears are not limited to the subjects shown here, and they are certainly not limited to boys. They are also a great choice for back-to-school layouts, heritage layouts, and anything using the steampunk style. Gears are available in a variety of materials: I hope I have interested you in adding some gears to your embellishment stash for use on upcoming layouts and cards. I think you will really enjoy the variety and feel that gears give to your projects.
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