Heritage Scrapbooking with Fiskars

I've found I treat my heritage photos differently than my current snapshots. I guess I could say I treat them with a great deal of respect. Sort of along the lines of respecting your elders. These photos have been around longer than I have.  They have survived moves and fires and being shuffled from box to box or withstood magnetic albums.  Many are discolored or deteriorating. Yet these fragile treasures are here today providing a visual of where I came from and who I am. Putting a face with a name. This can sometimes cause us to become timid when attempting a heritage album. It can seem overwhelming. Now is the time to get those memories recorded. 
 
First begin with the photos. Once they are organized, the decision needs to be made to use the original photo or a copy. Using photo editing software, damaged photos can be corrected. I almost always try to work with a copy to avoid further damaging old photographs. When using an original, a good suggestion is to avoid adhering them directly to the page. Instead consider using a photo corner punch or one of the Border & Corner Punches to create a slot in the paper where you can tuck the photo in (and avoid adhering). Another good option is utilizing traditional photo corners. There are many other tools that are perfect for heritage pages. In fact, Fiskars has tools specifically designed for heritage scrapbooking, such as the Heritage Combo Corner Punch and Heritage ScrapBoss Stencil. Fiskars also has a wide assortment of other tools to easily add sophisticated details to your pages.
 
Our new lines by collage artist Kimberly Poloson beautifully enhance heritage photos. The vintage feel and variety of textures provide the perfect home for treasured memories of years gone by. All of the layout examples in this article utilize her products.

This first layout uses one of the most versatile themes in heritage scrapping, the family tree.  Fiskars' woodgrain texture plate adds amazing texture to this handcut tree trunk when paired with a sanding block.  A few leaf punches quickly add whimsical detail.  The elegant stamped frames are a beautiful choice to add names to faces.
 
layout by Lisa Storms

The photos I used already had a deckle edge and I wanted the layout to reflect that vintage style. The light inking and brown-on-brown stamping I did gives the layout a some subtle texture without adding a lot of overwhelming detail. The Lacy Days of Summer Border Punch gives this layout such a pretty, nostalgic feel. I love how old-fashioned that flower border looks!

layout by Stacey Kingman

Our next example illustrates a creative way to label a multitude of people in one photograph.  Fiskars' very popular Threading Water border punch perfectly anchors punched tags to attractively identify each person.  Combining the flocked textures, stamped journaling label, and decorative edges pulls together an effective heritage layout.
layout by Lisa storms

This photo was mounted in an old folder from the photographer, so I left it the way it was. The folder is quite heavy, but the 12-in-1 Sewing Multi-Tool pierced it with no problem and I was able to sew the buttons right onto it. I added the “scallops” with the punched hearts to soften the lines of the photo and the harlequin paper and to add just a bit of a feminine feel without getting too “girly.”

layout by Stacey Kingman
Hopefully these ideas will inspire you to get out that box of photos and begin incorporating those treasured memories into your albums for both yourself and future generations to enjoy.