Today, Scrapbook Challenges is featuring layouts that utilize the cork trend. Despite it’s plain brown color, cork adds a warm and inviting texture to any layout. It’s lightweight which makes it perfect for adding a bit of dimension to your page without adding weight. Chances are that if you love wood veneer and wood grain prints then you will also love cork. There are a variety of ways to add cork to your pages. Let’s take a look at a few options.
First Day of School by Christy Strickler | Supplies Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants, Webster’s Pages, Studio Calico; Doily: Studio Calico; Tape: Freckled Fawn; Metal Clip: Crate Paper; Button: Jillibean Soup, Crate Paper; Other Twine;Inspired by a Sketch and Story Starter from Simple Scrapper Premium Membership
Some companies carry patterned paper which features a cork design. You can also buy thin sheets of adhesive cork which you can use in place of patterned paper. Should you decided to use thin sheets of cork directly on the layout, I advise you to reinforce it by adhering it to a piece of cardstock. Cork can be very delicate and may crack as it flexes. Liquid adhesive such as Zip Dry will help the cork adhere to the cardstock while reducing any cracking.
Our BookWorm by Christy Strickler |Supplies Patterned Paper: Studio Calico, Lawn Fawn; Letters: Studio Calico; Cork: Freckled Fawn, EKSuccess; Punch: EK Success: Wood Veneer: Freckled Fawn, Pinkfresh Studio, Studio Calico; Flair: BlueBird Chic; Stickers: Freckled Fawn, October Afternoon; Vellum: American Crafts; Other: Tag; Based on Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #371
The easiest way to add real cork to your page is to use a pre-made embellishment. In the layout above, I have used two: the title” BookWorm” and the frame which houses the journaling card. Pre-made embellishments come in the natural cork color or with designs painted or stamped onto them.
You can also create your own custom cork embellishments using punches and dies. To do so, choose from a patterned paper with a cork design or use one of the thin sheets of actual cork to create your embellishment. On the layout above, I used a circle punch with the new EK Success Cork Sheets.
Twelve sheets of cork, in varying grades of texture, come in the EK Success Cork Paper Pack. Half of the sheets come with an adhesive backing. The other half will require you to adhere them.
I tried a variety of punches with both the adhesive backed sheets and the plain backed sheets of cork. All of the punches cut through the cork smoothly. It may be cliche to say so, but it was as smooth as cutting through butter. To be on the safe side, I will still add cardstock backing to the plain backed sheets.
While buying pre-made embellishments is a wonderful option, making your own embellishments has it’s own advantages. Use a solvent ink such as Staz-on to add your own stamped images to punched cork shapes. Experiment with acrylic paints and other mediums to create custom designs or gently hand stitch through punched shaped to add more dimension and texture.
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