Because personal die-cutting systems are smaller than industrial die-cutters, they generally offer a larger number of small shapes. These smaller shapes are roughly similar in size to die-cut letters and can be used beautifully with die-cut letters to make creative titles. For example, in "I love you to the moon and back," Natasha Hixon, Creative Director and Founder of QuicKutz, uses die-cut shapes in place of words in her title. Because she uses die cuts rather than stickers, she can cut the shapes in colors that work perfectly with her title and layout.
Items used: QuicKutz heart, QuicKutz night, QuicKutz Khaki Upper Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Star Mini's Upper Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Marisa Mini's Lower Case Alphabet.
Another fun way to use die-cut shapes in a title is as a background for the title. In the title "Making a Splash," I first create a sparkly blue background using die-cut squares. I then layer die-cut splats in three shades of blue on top of the squares so that they escape the edges of the title block. I cut the word "splash" in matching colors, layering parts of the splats on top of the letters. Using the die-cut shapes under the word gives dimension to my title. The shapes and colors I use also reinforce which word in the title is the center of attention. This is further reinforced by using die-cut shapes and letters for this word and handwriting for the rest of the title.
Items used: QuicKutz 1 1/4" square, QuicKutz splat, QuicKutz Star Mini's Upper Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Star Mini's Upper Case Shadow Alphabet.
The small size of these shapes and the detail of the QuicKutz shapes in particular also make them ideal for creating borders on your pages. You can create either a soft border, without hard lines, or more geometric borders. On her layout for her daughter's portrait, Natasha creates a soft border using mini daisies. To create this border Natasha simply scattered daisies down each side of her page. She cut the daisies in two colors and switched the centers of the flowers, creating two-tone flowers.
Items used: QuicKutz daisies, QuicKutz Marisa Upper Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Marisa Lower Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Marisa Numbers
On the "blast" border, I cut each of my firecrackers in several colors and puzzle the pieces back together in order to give my border more color and detail. The clean inside cuts made by QuicKutz dies allow for this quick, easy "layering" without requiring a lot of hand cutting. I then place them at different angles along the edge of my paper, making a fun page to use for the 4th of July. By using die-cut shapes instead of a piece of paper with a border pre-printed on it, I create dimension that I wouldn't otherwise have. This also allows me to choose the colors for the border and for the background paper.
Items used: QuicKutz blast
You can create more geometric borders by framing your small die-cut shapes, as Natasha does on her "Summer Treats" layout. [Insert image of "Summer Treats" layout.] Another fun way to create a geometric border is to use the negative space created after you cut a shape out of a piece of paper. On my frog border, I simply cut a row of frogs along the edge of a piece of paper, cut that edge of the paper into a 2" strip, and lay it over a piece of pattern paper. This technique not only creates a cute border, it also let me use every bit of my paper (something scrapbookers are famous for!).
Items used: QuicKutz popsicle, QuicKutz Honey Upper Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Honey Upper Case Shadow Alphabet, QuicKutz frog.
Finally, experiment with using single shapes or clusters of shapes to complement the photos on your pages. Because personal die-cutting systems make it possible to create small, detailed shapes, you can use these shapes on your pages without distracting from your photos. One way to use die-cut shapes is to create "scenes" with them, as in the marine scenes shown here. These clusters are small enough that they will add detail and fun to a page without requiring too much space.
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In addition to using shapes that match the subject of your photos, you can also use shapes that match the mood of your photos and which help recreate that mood on your layout. For instance on "Jeni & Ryan," Natasha uses formal die-cut hearts and die-cut calla lilies (combined with hand-cut stems and leaves) to create an elegant and formal mood.
Items used: QuicKutz heart, QuicKutz calla lily, QuicKutz Marisa Upper Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Marisa Lower Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Marisa Numbers
Using a single shape can sometimes be the simple touch you need to focus attention on what is happening in your photos. For instance, on "Sharing" Natasha keeps her page simple using color blocking and only one shape on each page of her two-page layout. This single shape, framed red popsicles, focuses attention on the fact that her little boy is sharing his red popsicle with the dog.
Items used: QuicKutz popsicle, QuicKutz Khaki Upper Case Alphabet, QuicKutz Khaki Upper Case Shadow Alphabet, QuicKutz Khaki Numbers, QuicKutz Khaki Number Shadows.
Using die-cut shapes created by a personal die-cutting system can add dimension to your scrapbook pages in ways that using large die-cut shapes cannot. Experiment! You're sure to find something fun and new for your own scrapbook.
