Mats and Frames

Have you ever bought one piece of patterned paper and then later realized that you wished you had two pieces for a 2 page layout? And what if you have one piece of colored cardstock left,  want to do a two page layout tonight or can NOT remember where you bought the paper? This method is great for stretching your scrapbooking dollars and for saving the day when you only have one piece of paper in a certain color or pattern but need two for your project.

This method can be done with the Fiskars 12" Portable Paper Trimmer or the Falcon trimmer. I have the Fiskars Trimmer and love it for its portable size and the fact that it is safe for children. (Please note, the rotary trimmer is not well suited for this project.) I first decide how big I want the outer frame. The projects below have a 2 inch frame but you can cut your frames 1/2inch to 3 inches to achieve the desired look. Please note that this method can be used for any size papers. I have used 12 x12, but this works equally well on 8 1/2 by 11 sheets of paper. The first thing I do is get a ruler and pencil and mark the corners on the back of the paper. Again for these frames, I cut 2" inside, so I marked at each corner   2" using a regular ruler.   Because these trimmers allow you to start your cut anywhere on the paper, you can begin the cut for the frame  inside the paper to make a one-piece frame. If you are cutting 2 pieces to work together on the same page, I recommend cutting them at the same time. After you have cut a frame, you now have a frame that can be used on one page and a large piece that was leftover from the middle of the paper. If you are using a top loading system you will need to place these papers on another sheet of paper or cardstock. However, this is an excellent use for a piece of stained or damaged cardstock or one where you have made a "boo boo". The first example below is the most "economical" because it takes one piece of cardstock and makes it look like 2 pieces. the other effects are great for mismatched sheets of paper though and just for the FUN of it!

Here are some examples of patterned paper on a Creative Memories page and mixing a pattern with a solid.

Examples of mixing two patterns and mixing a pattern and a solid

Examples of mixing pattern and sold for a two page spread.