A Vintage View

With all of the 24th of July celebrations going on this week, it's caused me to reflect on my own pioneer ancestry. This naturally leads me to think about how I can capture that history to share it with my children.

Vintage scrapbooking is one of my favorite things to do. There are lots of vintage scrapbooking products available in the market which make it easy to add a unique vintage look to your layouts.

So what does 'vintage' mean, anyway? In the scrapbooking world, vintage refers to a specific artistic style. There are three main elements which will help you create a vintage look:

1) Paper

The colors and patterns of your paper create a background for your vintage look. Use soft shades like rose, ivory, mint green, and also some bold colors such as burgundy and teal. Soft, muted patterns on your paper will add to the vintage feel.

2) Embellishments

When it comes to vintage embellishments, think of your grandmother's sewing box. Items such as buttons, lace, ribbons, silk flowers and stitching add to your vintage theme.

3) Distressing

If it's vintage, it's got to look old. There are many techniques you can use to add a distressed look to your papers and embellishments. Techniques like inking, chalking, or sanding the edges of your papers or embellishments or lightly crumpling your papers all add to the vintage style.

If you want some fun fonts to add pizzazz and an authentic vintage look, check out this link. It includes free fonts with a historic or heritage theme. There are fonts that represent specific decades of history, famous fonts from movies, and other vintage themes.

Try using some of these products and techniques that capture the look of days gone by. I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do, and it will create a unique family heirloom you can share with those you love.

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