If you are a paper crafter, you probably have piles of scraps lying around that need using. I tend to collect paper scraps and leftover die-cuts in a bin and it is starting to overflow. One way to use those items is by making embellishment clusters ahead of time so that you have them ready for an upcoming project.
These little clusters were created as my final The Rabbit Hole Designs team project. They were a great way to showcase the stamps in the collection and use up some of my paper scraps.
When creating embellishment clusters, add elements that are both vertical and horizontal. On this Mad Hatter piece, I added some vertical tags cut from pattern papers and some horizontal paper strips.
Before I shaded the images, I chose patterns for each of the embellishment clusters so that I could create matching elements.
Searching online, I discovered a variety of outfits for the White Rabbit, so I took some creative license here and shaded the coat yellow to match the pattern papers I was using.
Choosing patterns from a scrap bin can get a bit overwhelming. For the Alice cluster, I knew that I would be using yellow and blue, so I selected patterns in those colors.
When you are mixing pattern papers, pick patterns that are both linear and curved. The plaid pattern was my anchor, and the blue lines served as a grounding point. I selected florals and polka-dots to break up the lines and bring in some softer patterns.
The die cuts can also serve a purpose. Tags and border cuts can be curved or square which can add to or disrupt a design.
Scalloped or curved pieces on the March Hair embellishment are in both the border and the tag. This gave it some balance with the curve of the florals and dots.
Texture in an embellishment cluster can also serve a purpose. You can add texture with a pattern print, thread, gems, or etches dies.
The DoDo cluster has texture in the circles with the galaxy print and stitched edge. The stitching was brought over to the pattern strip to bring some more texture to the design and the vellum serves as a nice contrast to the patterns.
In my video, I share more ways to add balance to your embellishment clusters and I show you how each of these came together.
Creating elements like these is a great way to use up paper scraps you have stashed away. Having the embellishments ready ahead of time, makes for a quick card design or a decoration for a scrapbook page or gift tag.
If today’s project inspired you to use up some of your paper scraps, I would love to see your projects. You can share them in my private facebook group community or tag @misscarriescreations in your post.
I hope this inspired you to try something new. If you have any questions about this project or the supplies listed above, feel free to leave me a comment.
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