The term "fibers" is used to describe any yarn- or string-like item. Adopted from fiber arts such as crochet and embroidery, fibers have become a favorite embellishment for all sorts of scrapbookers. You can use fibers in many of the same ways as ribbons, plus a few others, as long as you bear in mind their unique properties. For example, most fibers don't have a flat side, so they won't accept rub-ons as readily as ribbons.
Fibers can vary from the very plain (embroidery floss, yarn) to the very "froufrou" (eyelash and boa fibers). I don't know the names of all the various types of fibers, and it seems there are new ones on the market every month. As with anything else in scrapbooking, you should use what speaks to you.
Many scrapbook stores sell fibers either by the yard from their original skeins, or prepackaged in coordinating bundles. Grow your collection slowly, purchasing fibers you know you will use.
Once again, I can't possibly show you all the ways you can use fibers in your layouts, so instead I'll show you some of the ways I have used them, and hope they will spark creativity in you. As you browse scrapbooking magazines and websites like this one, notice how other paper artists have used fibers to enhance their layouts.
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On this layout, I used embroidery floss to embellish a photo mat. I used white embroidery floss to cross-stitch across the top of the pink mat, and embellished the bottom with small blue beads. |
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A strip of fuzzy fiber along the edge of two perpendicular sides criss-cross near the corner to create an anchor point for an embellishment (in this case, a round metal-rimmed vellum tag). |
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Entwined fibers create a sense of femininity, and serve double duty by giving you an easy place from which to hang a charm. |
You can also use fibers in the hole of a tag, just as you can with ribbon. Just remember that thin fibers will look "anemic", if not paired with - and, hence, bolstered by - heftier fibers. Experiment - if it doesn't look right to your eye, change it!
Create a layout using fibers as an accent, using either one of the ideas presented above, or an idea of your own.
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