Creative Scrapbooking: Imaginatively Covering Common Faux Pas

Creative scrapbooking is an art form that inspires ingenuity and relaxation. Nonetheless, it can also be fraught with stressful moments when scrapbooking blunders occur.

But worry no more! By using some of the following creative scrapbooking methods, you can make any scrapbooking gaffes look great!

Scrapbooking Dilemma #1: Glue Globules

Creative Scrapbooking Solution:

Any adhesive on earth has the potential to stick—or stick out—in unexpected and unwelcome ways.

If you find that glue has slopped all over your card stock, ribbons, or stickers, you may be able to rid yourself of the excess by applying an adhesive remover with a cotton swab and gently erasing it.

Does the notion of all that rubbing make you a bit uncomfortable? Is the glue dried on a precious photograph that you don’t want to mar? You can always add another element to your scrapbook, such as a sticker or picture, over the glue blob. Be imaginative and use your creative scrapbooking know-how to think “outside the album”!

Scrapbooking Dilemma #2: Mispelled (oops… we meant “misspelled”) Words

Creative Scrapbooking Solution:

We’ve all done it—misspelled words in our beautiful scrapbooks. It’s enough to make even the most seasoned scrapper want to cry. But before you break out the tissues, realize that there are plenty of creative scrapbooking quick fixes for your quandary!

First, decide if it’s possible to simply correct the text by inserting the proper letter or even changing the word slightly. For instance, if you meant “too” and wrote “to”, you may be able to pop in that second “o” relatively easily.

If that’s not a possibility, cut a piece of card stock in the shape of the misspelled word and glue it on top of the error. Write in the correct word and… voila! You’re in business and have added an element of depth to your scrapbook page.

Scrapbooking Dilemma #3: Paper Rips and Blips

Creative Scrapbooking Solution:

Who says that every paper has to be perfectly cut? Creative sprapbooking to the rescue again! There’s a trend known as “shabby chic” and many album designers love to pepper their scrapbooks with rough edges and asymmetrically cut papers and photos.

The next time you make a goofy cut, ask yourself, “How can I incorporate this into the theme of the book?” rather than, “How can I fix this mess?” You’ll be surprised at how one “mistake” can challenge you to “up” the proverbial ante and add pizzazz to your creation!

Scrapbooking Dilemma #4: Half-Stamped Images

Creative Scrapbooking Solution:

Veteran scrapbookers know that half-stamped images are the name of the game—but that doesn’t mean they like them. Quite the contrary, such blemishes are often met with sighs of frustration.

The next time you experience a half-stamped image, understand that you have a few choices and needn’t assume the worst.

You can easily put a sticker or attach a similar add-on over the mistake. Or you can fill in the image using a gel pen (which can add a fabulous “freehand” aura to the page.) Finally, you can try to re-stamp, though you’ll need to exercise high levels of patience as you carefully re-apply your stamper.

Scrapbooking Dilemma #5: Sticker Shock

Creative Scrapbooking Solution:

Wait a minute. That sticker shouldn’t be there! It doesn’t make any sense! It’s terrible! It’s going to ruin everything…! Or is it?

Misplaced stickers may be the perfect inspiration for creative scrapbooking changes. Perhaps you originally had a plan for the page you’re designing, but a fortuitously mislaid sticker forced you to take your album in a much more unique direction. It would be serendipitous, instead of catastrophic!

(Of course, if you don’t want to work around your sticker, there’s special remover that every scrapper should have some in his or her scrapbooking kit and it works wonders.)

There’s an old saying that there are no mistakes in life. We’d go so far as to say there are no mistakes in scrapbook designing, especially when you apply creative scrapbooking techniques!