Scrapbooking Ideas
Tip of the Month: Brads
Mad About Brads
by Sara Naumann
Brads are a great basic for scrapbooking, card
making and so many other paper crafts!
The Techniques
Try some of the techniques on the sampler, they
are perfect for scrapbookers, stampers and card
makers—and they’re great for paper
crafters. Here are a few tips that you can use
to kick up the use of all those adorable brads
on the market. Click the sampler image to
see a larger version.
Sanded brad: Try using the
Making
Memories sanding block to lightly sand
some of the paint off the top of the brads. Simply
hold the brad by the prongs and sanding the top.
Sanded and White Ink: Sand a button brad, then
tap a white StazOn
ink pad around the edges and
on the top to accentuate the detail. Tip: This
button brad gets even more dimension if you dot
a black fine-tip Sharpie marker in the faux holes.
Rub-On and Black Ink: Yes, you can apply a rub-on to metal! Attach the Brad to a piece of paper
first, then transfer the rub-on. Remove the brad
from the paper, then tap around the edges with
a black StazOn
ink pad.
Punched Circle of Paper: A 3/4" circle
punch perfectly fits a 22mm Great Big Brad™.
Simply punch the paper and glue it to the top
of the brad with any type of adhesive. Want more
dimension? Ink the edges of the circle and/or
the brad.
Double Rub-Ons: Not only can you apply
one rub-on to a Great Big Brad™, you can
apply one on top of the other.
Sanded and Penwork: You can alter the brad—and
you can enhance it with simple penwork, like
this flight pattern. The dragonfly was sanded,
then attached to paper and a dashed line drawn
onto the paper.
Balloon Brad and Penwork: This
balloon brad was left as is (though you could
add a rub-on!) and a swoopy penwork balloon string
added below it. Simply attach the brad to the
page and add a free-form string.
Brad Edged with
Paint: A quick swipe with cream acrylic
paint gives this silver brad a shabby chic look (it
looks great as the center of a silk flower!).
Simply hold the brad by the prongs and lightly
swipe acrylic paint around the edges using
a foam brush. Let dry, then attach to paper or
flower.
Sanded Brads and Flower: Adding an uneven number
of brads to the center of a flower is a great
design technique. Here we chose five brown mini
brads, sanded the tops and attached them to the
flower. First, sand the brads, then attach the
flower to your paper with one brad in the center
hole of the flower. Use a pencil to mark four
other positions around the center brad, then
use a craft knife to make holes and insert the
brads as you cut.
Projects created by the design team and staff of The Memory Zone Scrapbook Store, LLC are property
of The Memory Zone Scrapbook Store, LLC. All other projects are reprinted with permission
of the original author. Please enjoy these projects with respect to the designer.
Give credit where credit is due, do not replicate for contests or take credit
for the work.
