Decorator Scissor Savvy
How many decorative scissors do you have? Are you using them to the fullest? Ever wonder why you have them? What can you use them for anyway? If you can't seem to get creative with those scissor blades, follow me as we explore the wide world of decorative scissors! This will really get your creative cuttings going again!
Most of us have at least one pair of decorative scissors in the scrapbook supply stash. Do you have a few favorites? I do! My two favorites are the regular deckle and the regular ripple. I love them so much that I sometimes get in a rut. I use them over and over and forget all about the other (should I confess??) 27 scissors in my collection! And-- up until recently-- "collection" was a pretty accurate word for it! I had spend good money on them, I HAD to have them originally, I was looking at them daily, they were gathering dust, and I was not USING them! That is the definition of a collection right? LOL But I wanted my scissors to be tools, not collect dust!
Now my general philosophy is that any tool should earn its keep or it is a waste of money. And that goes for scrapping supplies too! For every dollar I spend on a tool, I hope to make at least one page with that particular tool. So a five dollar scissors should at least help me make 5 pages right? Doing the math made me realize (EEK!) my other 25 pairs of dusty scissors were not being utilized to the best of their potential!
Time to get busy! And you know, once I started to focus on using them more often, I learned a few things and came up with some fun ideas! Border strips, corners on journal squares, letter blocks, photo mats, pockets, embellished die cuts, lace edging...Let's get started!
Check the pattern:
Every scissors has a pattern. Sometimes the pattern repeats in such a way that both the left and the right side are identical after cutting. This pattern is repeating no matter which way you turn the scissors. Examples of this are the ripple, the corkscrew, and the zipper.
Patterns like this can be good for beginners who don't like to worry about matching edges up too carefully. Fast and simple cuts can be made with these scissors as well as the deckle. Unlike these above, deckle does have a right and a left side to its pattern but it is supposed to be random looking so the side of the pattern doesn't matter anyway!
Most decorative scissors do have a different cut on the right side of the blade than on the right. This is great because you really are getting twice the design power for the same price! You decide which side you prefer. Or better yet use both! Cut your photo mats and border strips to take advantage of the varied looks as shown below.
Simple Borders go a Long Way
Don't overlook the obvious. So many lovely pages are created with a simple 11" or 12" strip in a pattern or solid color. How many border stickers have you bought (and used) that on second look are just solid or basic patterned strips of color with a fancy edge? I have even seen packages of 12 solid color primary borders cut with what looks to be a jumbo decorative scissors! You can do this! In less than twenty seconds you can cut a simple strip border that would have cost you up to 45 cents each at the store! At that rate you can pay yourself $1.35 per MINUTE to cut your own! With your paper trimmer, cut 1/2 inch strips of color and then cut them again close to the edge with the decorative scissors of your choice! Stack them with patterned strips for another border look that is a bit more sophisticated. How elaborate you get is all up to you! Dont reach for the stickers! Save your cash! Instead reach for the cardstock and decorative scissors!
Learn to See Patterns and Shapes in Everyday Objects
More elaborate uses for the scissors are all around us when we teach ourselves to see the patterns and shapes in everyday objects that may be in our photos. Creative cutting can make any embellishment more realistic. Paper piecings can come alive with the right style snip here or there! Do the spindles on that table look like the jumbo scallop scissors? Would that basket have a rough (leaf or bat wing) edge? Does that bracelet look like a chain ( mini scallop with 1/8" punches)? Would that rug look better with a fringed edge (deckle) ? Make a roman column (provincial?) for those vacation photos. Create your own lace for a heritage page. Don't buy lace stickers when you can make a border to exactly match that gown! How about Grandma's pearls or little darling's dress up beads (scallop or postage stamp)? The trims on the Easter eggs and cake decor would look good in thin strips of almost any design!
You can even create a scrapbooking themed page with the help of your decorative scissors! Pencils look more realistic with a rough edge (leaf) between lead and wood and wood and paint. Don't forget the metal eraser caps on the pencil (corkscrew). Make a mini scrapbooking template with decorative sides and mini punches. Coordinate them with little scrapbooking stickers. Scissors die cuts look more dimensional layered with actual decorative cut blades (figure 1 above). The possibilities are endless....
Square It!
We all know that decorative scissors can be used on photo mats (figure 5) but have you thought of using them on journaling blocks and letter squares? Some folks on the Creative Scissors list I am on at groups.com recently had a successful swap of decoratively cut 1 1/2 inch squares meant to be used for mounting letters in titles like those in figure 7. Rather than search endlessly for a specific sized decorative square punches at their local stores, they decided to create their own decorative squares and trade them! What resourceful scrappers!
Corner It!
I love decorative corner treatments! I am a sucker for laser cut corners, corner stamps, and any kind of corner with a little design to it. I especially think that using corners in heritage albums preserves the photos for the next scrapper in the family (many years from now) who will work to preserve them yet again. I am not the first person to own these heritage photos now in my trust and I will not be the last either. Photo corners keep these precious photos in place without adhesives. To create your own decorative corners, cut them with the scissors of your choice and add a few delicate punches. You can even layer several colors on the corners for a dimensional look! Fabulous!
So, take 'em out and dust 'em off! Have fun with those decorative edge scissors!
