One of my favorite parts of the day is opening the drapes on our French windows and letting the morning sunshine stream in. I have always loved glass and light and anything see-through and shiny. Now look what is available to eager scrapbookers all over the world (can you tell I’m excited). The humble old transparency, the staple of the office supply cupboard, has been brought back into the light by crafting manufacturers with some stunning results.
No more cloudy vellum images, transparencies instantly mean; clear, crisp designs are here to stay.
The following two pages use a pre-printed transparency from K & Company. These dramatic designs lend themselves to any color scheme or theme you chose; the crystal-clear transparency means that you can layer items over the top of the sheet or even underneath to create a pattern over your images. The 12" x 12" size is perfect to use as a whole background sheet or you can cut down the image to create small accents.
Just like so many other scrapbooking products, you can use the transparent sheets just as the designer intended or you can alter and enhance the product to create new and interesting uses. Transparencies lend themselves to stamping, painting, hand-lettering, sanding and even tearing -- just remember to work slowly when tearing. When stamping or painting, allow extra drying time and use appropriate products; experimentation may be the key.
The following two pages combine a pre-printed transparency from Artistic Expressions and acrylic craft paints. Artistic Expressions focuses its designs on creating overlay sheets for your scrapbook pages. They have so many designs, with wonderful titles, quotes and expressions and they now come in white as well as black. The paint on the following pages was added to the back of the Expressions sheet to further highlight the printed design.
If you can’t find a pre-printed design that suits your needs, why not consider creating your own. Inkjet compatible transparencies can be found in any office supply store and adapted to fit right into your scrapbookers’ tool box. Not only can you print titles and journaling onto these with your computer, but you can scan photographs or memorabilia or other designs and print these out also. In the following pages, page elements were created as well as title strips with an inkjet transparency. Using this versatile medium means that you really can customize so many elements of your page to suit your needs. Why not consider turning a colored photograph into a black and white shot and overlaying the two items, or highlighting one section of a picture by enlarging it onto a transparency and creating a custom background or photo mat.
Whether you choose a pre-printed or home-produced transparency, the clear, crisp look will be one you are delighted with. Why not try them all?
