Sometimes you may want to add a little twist to the scrapbook photos in your album. Here are some fun techniques for giving your photographs a different treatment. Make sure you experiment on a few unimportant copies before committing yourself to any of these methods! That way you’ll be sure of the effects you can achieve before you work on the actual items you’ve set aside for your page.

Shrink Film

Shrink art can add an abstract or child like feel to your photographs or scrapbook pages.

Shrink art is easy to make. First, you print your photograph directly onto shrink plastic film. Next, punch a small hole into the top of the photograph. You will use this hole to later attach your photograph to your scrapbook. Then, cook the photograph until it shrinks!

Tinting

Tinting is a great way to add a touch of color to black-and-white photos. Tinting can be used to draw focus to a certain portion of a photograph or add color to a dull black and white page.

A special product called Photo Twin pens is useful for tinting. The basic idea is to draw on the photograph with these pens to create custom tints. For example, you can add a rosy blush to Grandma’s cheeks.

Bear in mind that a great deal of practice is required to get these pens to create the desired results, and in the beginning, you’re probably better of practicing on pictures that you don’t plan on using in your scrapbook.

Crystal Lacquer

Crystal lacquer adds shine and protection to your photographs. This shine adds a soft elegance to any page. However, crystal lacquer looks especially nice on more formal gift scrapbooks.

It’s as simple as painting your photograph with the crystal lacquer and let it dry. Be especially careful not to let the lacquer spill over the edge and ruin other parts of your scrapbook pages.

Magnifying Marbles

Here’s a great trick to add a unique magnifying effect to letters or photographs under them. This is a great elegant touch for favorite relatives or gift scrapbooks. Glass marbles can also be used to create artistic children’s art and scientific looking scrapbooks for young scientists.

To create this look, you will need glass marbles with one flat side. Then, paste these marbles with clear drying glue on top of writing or an embellishment that you want magnified.

You’ll have begun to see how many interesting creative effects can be achieved with your photographs with a few simple tools and supplies. Browse through our section on using scrapbook photographs for more tips and tricks. And you can follow the link to online suppliers for all the specialist materials you need for your work.

It’s hardly surprising that military scrapbooking has become very popular. Many families have relatives who have been or are currently on active duty. A special scrapbook album can be a uniquely personal memoir of military service and can incorporate all kinds of mementos. Specialist online suppliers provide military themed scrapbooking materials, such as albums, cutouts and die-cuts, embellishments, paper and stickers to help you create a fully developed patriotic character to your scrapbook.

Here are some ideas you might like to try to create interesting metallic effects on a scrapbook page of this type.

Embossing

Embossing is basically painting using heat. Embossing adds color and metallic shine to items. Embossing can be used to add a metallic feel to items and can create a somewhat masculine effect.

To emboss an item, sprinkle the embossing powder over the surface you want embossed. Then, heat the powder until it melts. Aluminum foil placed over the object can be used to quicken the heating process. To reduce static cling and a mess afterwards, just place a dryer sheet on top of the item before you work. To clean up, simply brush away the remaining powder.

Embossing powder is available online in a wide variety of colors and tints.

Using Metal Tags

An interesting alternative to regular paper tags is using metal. Any bits of metal can be used. Using a metallic Rub on you can change or enhance the color of the metal to add a dramatic touch to your scrapbook page.

Simply, rub the product on the metal. Then cover the item in a clear embossing powder and heat. Optionally, you can stamp the item with black ink before you emboss for an even more dramatic result.

Faux Metal Designs

To give a metal look to your scrapbook page, print the items directly onto vellum. Color the back of the vellum with a soft color of ink. Emboss clear. Repeat this process until the vellum has a shiny look.

Tarnishing and Untarnishing Copper

Copper, tarnish or untarnished, adds another unique metallic look to your scrapbook page. Furthermore, copper is fairly easy to work with and cut into various shapes. You can tarnish copper tooling foil by either heating it. This gives the copper red, orange, and purple tones. Alternately, you can use Liver of Sulphur to make the copper look old and blackened.

Tarnish can be easily removed by rubbing Tabasco sauce on the tarnish.

Scrapbooking with a military or patriotic theme has attracted many enthusiasts and you’ll find many specialist supplies to help you create the theme you require. Check out our online resources for military scrapbook supplies - or do an online search to find the results you need.