Welcome! I hope you are having a great summer so far. I think you will enjoy this month's post since scrappin' with silhouettes is fun to do!
What are silhouettes?
I imagine you have seen a silhouette portrait before. In Scrapbooks, a silhouette is when you cut out a specific subject (usually the main subject) from a photograph. Below I will show a step - by -step process, and I will explain how to create Mosaic Moments pages with silhouettes with this photograph below:
I took this photograph at a friend's wedding. I liked how the image of the orange came out - but notice how the background is distracting. There were several people walking by when I took this photograph and I feel like it takes away from the main subject. Anytime you have a distracting background, you can cut the main subject out - creating a silhouette.
Choose a good pair of scissors to use on the photo so it will give you the best cut. Carefully cut out the main subject.
Tip: Cutting out a silhouettes is best when you use a subject that is close up in your photograph since it is easier to cut around. Make sure there are not too many complicated details or you might have a very difficult time trying to cut your image accurately.
Here is an image of the plate of oranges completely cut out from the original photograph. Now how do you use it the Mosaic Moments system?
You can stick your image on top of a Paper Tile™. Choose a size that is close to the size of your image. It is okay if some of your image sticks out of the Paper Tile. This helps give a unique look from a typical mosaic page.
A second option is to put 1 in. squares behind your image. Either way this background is better and less distracting than the original background, and allows you to use these images with Mosaic Moments.
Creating a 3-Dimensional Look
You can also use the silhouettes to create a 3D effect on your pages. In this case you will two copies of the same photograph. Here is the process:
This is the photograph I decided to use. I printed two copies of these. If you need to cut the image to fit withing a certain space, cut them both at the same size before creating your silhouette.
Next, cut out ONLY ONE of the images. Tip: You may need to cut out multiple copies in case you accidentally cut out your image incorrectly. If it is the first time cutting out a silhouette, you may want to print multiple images to practice cutting.
To get the 3D look you will need to get these special dots that help your photos stick up from your page. You find them at a scrapbook store or craft store. Flip your cut out image over and stick the dots on the back. Put them in several spots.
For this next step make sure the original image (not cut out) is already glued on the grid paper. When this is done take your cut up photo and carefully lay it on top of the original image. Take your time to make sure the images line up together. Now you will have a 3D look. In the photo above you can see the two layers on the left side of the image. (click the image for a closer view)
Here is the final page:
Unfortunately you are unable to see the 3D look in this image. I put dots behind the castle, the train, the line of cauldrons, and the snowman. This is a great project to put in a frame. You could also use more than two layers if you choose... just do not get too carried away or it won't fit in your scrapbook or frame :) The cauldrons and the snowman are another example of silhouettes. I put them on top of 2.125w x 5.5h Paper Tiles™.
"Harry Potter Park" supplies used: This page was created with Mosaic Moments™ 12x12 Coffee grid paper and Cocoa Paper Tiles™.
I hope you inspired by this post. Creating silhouettes makes really fun pages, and they are unique and different from the usual Mosaic Moments pages. Have fun!