| This is a Glossary of terms from the Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking, Tracy White, ed., 2005.
Pre-made or handmade item used to embellish a scrapbook layout. Anything from a Products designated as “acid free” have a pH factor of 7 or greater (or 6.5 by industry standards). Acid-free materials, such as cardstock, are Process that causes the acidity of one item to affect another. Clear plexiglass sheets cut into shapes with holes drilled in them for binding into an album. Rather than using traditional rubber with a wood mount, the acrylic stamp is clear and features a clear plastic mount or block so that the user can see to position the stamp precisely. Products that affix photos, paper or embellishments to another surface. Types vary depending on the desired application. Varieties include adhesive dots, dimensional tape, double-stick tape, glue sticks, liquid glues, photo splits, sprays and tabs. Many are available in permanent and repositionable formats. Book used with page protectors to store completed layouts. Traditional styles include three-ring, strap-hinge, post and spiral bindings. When the appearance of an item (anything from patterned paper to notebooks to CDs) is transformed with inks, paints, art media or ephemera. Shades located directly next to each other on a color wheel. Products and materials proven to have a safe amount of acidic and buffered content. Pencil or marker designed to soften, blend or seal chalked, water colored or stamped images. Curved tool designed to help fold, crease, score and burnish cardstock. Metal fasteners with prongs that can be inserted through multiple materials. Available in a variety of colors, sizes, and finishes, these accents also work as decorative elements. Roller (available in different densities) used to spread ink and other media onto cardstock. Can also be used as a burnisher and to create resist and texture effects. Materials, such as paper, with a pH rating of 8.5 that contains a buffering agent to neutralize acidic contaminants. To rub material firmly (with a brayer, bone folder or other tool) to smooth, compact or set a fold or element. Available in a range of color palettes and applied with a sponge applicator, cotton ball, brush or fingertip, chalk can give a soft pastel color to backgrounds or images. Also ideal for shading and filling in stamped images. Dye and pigment inks that produce soft, powdering and often opaque images. Many varieties help stamped images stand out on dark-colored backgrounds. Also widely used to create distressed look on paper. Thick paper board used for a sturdy background, mini-album cover, shadow box frame, etc. Program designed to help scrapbookers identify archivally safe products. Products receive the “CK OK” seal of approval if they meet established preservation guidelines by preservation experts from Creating Keepsakes. Combination of items – from memorabilia and mixed media to photos, clip art and stamped images – used to create a single decorative surface. Items areadhered and sealed with a glaze or decoupage medium. Watered down watercolors, dyes or acrylic paints that can be applied to paper or accents to add subtle color. Circular spectrum of colors designed to show shades that produce harmonious color schemes. Shades situated directly across from each other on a color wheel. Hand-held punchy designed to remove sharp, 90-degree corners from photos, leaving curved, blunt edges. Trimming a photo (or other page element) to alter its composition or remove unnecessary or cluttered backgrounds. The art of scrapbooking is also referred to as “cropping.” Product designed to remove or neutralize the harmful qualities in acidic paper products.
Cutting tools that produce a variety of decorative edges. Styles range from postage stamp edges and the torn deckle look to ornate flourishes and traditional pinking shear cuts.
Clear glaze used to adhere, seal and protect layers of memorabilia, illustrations or pictures layer by layer, resulting in a decorative collage. Shapes and letters created with a press and die that features sharp steel rules to cut through cardstock or other materials. Liquid glue or glaze that retains its raised surface and shape after it dries. Application of acrylic (or other) paint using a stiff-bristled, dry paint brush. Using a template and stylus to push paper into a raised shape or texture. Water-based, quick-drying ink. Check package label for permanent, removable and acid-free qualities. Any type of accent, decoration or adornment used to embellish or promote the theme of a layout. Hand-held electric tool that blows hot air on a concentrated spot to melt embossing powder or enamel. Can also be used to quickly dry stamped or printed ink. Clear or slightly tinted ink designed to use with embossing powder because of its lengthy drying time. Chalk can also be applied over the ink to produce soft designs. Clear or colored embossing ink in a pen form. Available in a variety of tipshapes and sizes for easy application with words, hand-drawn designs and tight spots.
Fine powder (in a rainbow of colors) designed to be sprinkled over embossing ink, then melted with an embossing gun for shiny, raised results. Brass or plastic sheet featuring cut-out shapes. Used with a light box and stylus to create dry-embossed images. Completely sealing off photos or memorabilia to prevent acid migration or damage from other items. Items, such as tickets, postcards, labels and other dimensional images that can be used in collage and to adorn layouts. Round or shaped metal fastener attached with an eyelet setter to flatten and secure. Also known as “grommets” or “rivets.” Metal tool with a cone- or star-shaped tip that must be pressed or hammered to flatten the back of an eyelet. Yarn or strings available in numerous colors, textures and thicknesses. Can be used to hang other accents, tie items together or simply add dimension. Spray that dries to a matte or glossy finish to seal and protect artwork from smudging or smearing. Element on a layout designed or positioned to immediately catch the viewer’s eye. Ball-point pen with smooth-flowing opaque or metallic ink. Lighter colors are easily visible on dark background. Water-based medium, often created from a mixture of whiting and glue, used to prime surfaces (such as canvas or metal) for painting or gilding. Coating the edges or surface of an item with a thin metallic finish. Vintage, nostalgic photos that often document family, community or world history. Solid glue sticks melted with an electric glue gun. Melted glue can be used as an adhesive or as the base for dimensional and textural effects. Text on a layout, which often tells the story behind the event or emotions showcased in the layout’s photos. Strong string or thin rope, often manufactured from plant fibers. Item sandwiched between two pieces of transparent adhesive sheets. Often used to protect fragile documents and photos. Overlapping items to create added dimension, texture or visual interest. Electric or battery-operated light source used to illuminate template shapes during the dry embossing process. Element that’s resistant and colorfast to sunlight. Non-archival bonding chemical found in wood and wood-based materials that make it sturdy. When ground into a pulp, as with newspaper, the bonding agent weekends and the material becomes brittle and will yellow with age. Abbreviation of “Local Scrapbook Store.” Covering an item (or a portion of it) to prevent it from being painted, chalked or inked as other sections are colored. Mounting a material such as cardstock, patterned paper or fabric behind a photo or accent, with just a border showing around the periphery. Materials that document or commemorate past events, such as fliers, brochures, newspaper clippings, postcards and tickets. Woven paper or metal. Also metal or fabric screening and self-adhesive Magic Mesh. Creamy medium that can be applied with a sponge, brush or fingertips to add metallic highlights to paper and accents. Small album that either comes ready-made or can be custom made with tags, cardstock and other elements. Can be attached to a layout, used as a theme book or presented as a gift.
Trimming, layering and gluing cardstock or other materials to re-create an image. Often based on a pattern, such as pictures from tole painting or coloring books. Metal tool with a needle-sharp point used to poke small holes. Tool designed to cut cardstock, paper or photos. Available in personal, guillotine or rotary styles. Some feature interchangeable blades that produce decorative edges and scoring marks. Number that reflects the acidity and alkalinity of paper. Materials proven to be acid- and lignin-free, and safe to use on or near photographs. Small, pointed metal piece attached with an eyelet or brad to secure photos or flat embellishments to a page. Slow-drying, fade resistant, permanent opaque ink. Ideal for heat embossing. Page element that holds memorabilia, journaling or additional photos on a page. Album featuring two or three short metal posts that screw together and hold top-loading page protectors. Must albums can be expanded with post extensions. Thin, sturdy material designed to run through inkjet printers without wrinkling or buckling. Narrow strips of paper coiled around a thin shaft, such as a quilling tool, toothpick or paper piercer. Tight swirls can be pinched, elongated or joined with others to create larger designs or motifs. Pen used to blot out red glare from a subject’s eyes in photos. Item secured with a non-permanent adhesive that can be removed and re-set numerous times. Stamping ink that masks other inks. For example, when an image is stamped with resist ink and then covered with dye-based ink, the image will show through with a “ghosted” appearance. Alphabet and images that can be transferred to backgrounds with a burnisher. Note: Metallic rub-ons are also referred to as “rub-ons.” Rubbing sandpaper, steel wool or a wire brush to distress and scrape away the top layer of patterned paper, white-core cardstock or pre-printed accents. Using as special blade or sharp object to emboss a line into cardstock to create a crisp fold. Copying all or part of a page design, element or aspect of another scrapbooker’s layout for your own creation. Flexible cutting surface (ideal for use with craft knives, eyelet setters and some circle cutters) that doesn’t show wear, even after multiple cuts.
Clear sleeve designed to hold a completed scrapbook page. Only acid- and polypropylene-free versions should be used for archival projects.
Plastic sheets that can be stamped, printed or written on, then trimmed and heated in the oven or with a heat gun. Heated images with shrink and thicken. Page protectors that open along the sides and are designed to cover layouts. Created for use with strap-hinge and spiral-bound books. Opaque ink that dries quickly on most surfaces, including metal, glass, plastic and fabric. Requires a special cleaner to be completely removed from stamps.
Album featuring pages bound with a metal coil. Pages mus tbe used as layout backgrounds or covered with cardstock or patterned paper. Requires side-loading page protectors. Colors situated on either side of a color’s complementary shade on a color wheel. Using a cosmetic, kitchen or sea sponge to apply stamping ink or art medium to cardstock or other materials. Rubber, acrylic, or foam shape that is dipped in ink or paint and is used to create an image on various materials. Glossy or matte self-adhesive images, words and designs. Tapping a round brush into ink or paint and pouncing it onto paper or cardstock to produce a textured or mottled finish. Adorning a layout with machine or hand-sewing. The process of joining to halves to form one 12” x 12” computer scan is also known as “stitching.” Album with pages (that must be used as the layout background or covered with other paper) held together with a plastic strap. Requires side-loading page protectors. Blunt, round-tipped tool designed to press into cardstock (or other materials) to produce dimensional images. Usually used with a shape template. Exchange of supplies, ideas or completed projects between fellow scrapbookers. Strips of paper that may have a hole at the top for looping string. Available in a variety of sizes, colors and themes. Cut from cardstock, vellum and fabric, they can be used as backgrounds for other embellishments, journaling and as photo mats or mini-book pages. Negative portion of a cut-out shape, usually made of brass, cardboard or plastic. Template shapes can be drawn and cut out or traced with an embossing stylus to create dimensional designs. Album featuring three round or “D”-shaped rings that hold top-loading sheet protectors. Easy to add and remove pages, but with a wide gutter between facing pages. Page protectors that open along the top and are designed to cover layouts. They can be embellished with stamps, inks, paints and other media. Heat-resistant clear acetate that can be used as an overlay, shaker window or background. Can serve as a slick surface for stamping or printing. Pre-printed styles are also available.
Semi-translucent paper available in a variety of colors and textures for layering, stamping, dry embossing, texturing and more. Rich brown liquid (sometimes created from walnut shells) used to dye, stain or color-wash paper, fabric and other materials. Available in liquid, ink and crystal forms.
Colored pencils that can be turned into watercolors by mixing with water or a blender pen. |