Vellum Paper

vellum scrapbook

Whether you are a creative or someone who simply enjoys organizing keepsakes, creating scrapbook pages is surely something that you enjoy.  There are so many products available in the market to help you personalize your scrapbook.  There are different papers, stickers, ribbons and over a hundred and one things to take into consideration.  If you want to create your very own scrapbook and are determined to get it right the first time around, here is a tip.  Go for Vellum Paper.

What is Vellum Paper?  Vellum or Vélin, in Old French originally means “calfskin”.  Hence, Vellum as we know it these days, is made out of mammal skin.  It is specially created for writing or to be printed on.  It is durable and that is why it is the perfect material for your scrapbook – it will last a long time.  People keep scrapbooks to “immortalize” special moments or loved ones they hold dear.  Certainly you want a sturdy material for your precious scrapbook that you would surely want to pull out and look at even in the coming years.

Vellum paper is the perfect material for your scrapbook not just because of its durability but because it is a fun way to personalize and embellish your album.  It works great in making it more interesting as it adds both texture and dimension.  It copes in a wide array of colors too with many different prints to choose from like swirls, butterflies, hearts and almost any type of accent you could possibly think of.  It also comes in different GSMs, which is what determines the thickness of the paper.  Hence, paper crafters experiment on this to give their scrapbook the effect and appearance that they desire.

Here are some tips to creatively use Vellum Paper on your scrapbook.  Use it as a “curtain” before the main page or important pages of your book that you would like to highlight.  If you want it a bit more on the “crazy” side then you can use it as a “shower curtain” if you are documenting photos of your baby.  You can use it as wings of a butterfly or of an angel.  Vellum can be used as a “glass” in a lantern to give it that translucent effect.

Aside from personalizing scrapbooks, there are many uses for Vellum Paper.  Because of its flexibility and versatility, you can use it for practically anything that requires imagination.  In fact when it comes to using this kind of paper, the sky is the limit.  The only thing hindering you from using it to the fullest is your imagination (or lack of it for that matter).

Be creative and use vellum paper to dress up invites your weddings, birthdays and other special occasions.  You can even personalize your greeting cards instead of getting it off the rack.  Whoever will receive it like your parents, boyfriend or spouse would surely appreciate ten times over.

Personalize your scrapbooks, invitations and greeting cards using Vellum Paper.  Let your creative side shine!

Vellum paper is known to add elegance and class to photo albums.  No wonder it is commonly used is documenting special occasions such as wedding and anniversary photos.  It is also the choice of paper to add style to invitations for formal events as well as extraordinary greeting cards meant for someone who is extremely dear.

Even during the olden times, people recognized that Vellum is not just like any other type of paper.  It is special and should be used only for writings or artworks worthy of its standard.  One of the reasons why Vellum is preferred to be used for these reasons is because it is very sturdy and durable.  Made from animal skin, it is made to last years and with proper care, even centuries.

During the medieval times, the finer manuscripts were written on Vellum and this does not only encompass countries in Europe because some Gandharan Buddhist texts were known to be written on Vellum as well.  In 1455, Johannes Gutenberg’s first Bible was printed on this type of paper as well because it was marketed as a book of high quality.  When it comes to visual art, painters chose to use vellum paper for their masterpieces especially during the 1500.  In fact, prior to the use of canvass, artists painted on Vellum until the 17^th century.  Vellum was also used for important documents such as diplomas.  The Faddan More Psalter, for instance , was a document discovered last July 2006 in Ireland.  This was interesting written over a thousand years ago.

Indeed vellum paper is special because it is extremely durable and superbly elegant in its warmth and simplicity.  The faint grain and hair markings only add to its stylishly high-end appeal.

Since vellum is without doubt considered a specialty paper both then and now, there are ways to enhance its look.  It is not as rugged or porous as most papers so be careful when you apply ink to it as absorption takes time.  Since it is translucent, bordering on transparent, adhesives will be obvious.  It takes practice but once you understand how to deal with vellum, then you will discover that being creative with it is not at all hard.  In fact, it can even be fun!

Here is the vellum paper 101 so you would know how to handle it.

First of all, vellum is so beautiful and delicate that you have to be very careful when handling it.  Be mindful of smudges and creases because since it is light colored, it can be difficult to hide.  Second, when choosing the paper to place under the vellum, pick the bright ones with interesting patterns.  This will look better with the transparent vellum over it rather than pastels or colors that are too dark.  Third, if you are printing on vellum paper, give the ink time to dry as it takes a couple of minutes.  If you are printing several pages, make sure to remove each page before the other one finishes printing to avoid ink smudging.

Vellum is considered a special type of paper then and now.  With the proper use of imagination, the style and elegance it can create to your artwork is limitless.

Vellum Scrapbooking

There is no doubt that many are now hooked with scrapbooking. In fact, some just started it as a hobby and later on become a profitable business. Scrapbooking is not just for sentimental or artistic people. This hobby is for individuals who want to transform their pictures into memorable keepsakes. You can embellish your pictures in your scrapbook by using vellum paper. This material can bring dimension and unique effect on your scrapbook and photos.

Vellum paper is the best material to decorate the pages of your scrapbook. It comes in different designs and colors, so you can create pages according to your personality and mood. Using vellum allows you to match the page design according to the essence of the picture or overall theme of the scrapbook. You are also free to use other embellishments along with vellum.

Making scrapbook using vellum paper is not only for photos. Actually, you can use it to make personalized greeting cards, party announcements, bridal and baby shower and wedding memento. Vellum is such a versatile scrapbook paper. You can punch holes on it and put a lace or ribbon. This will make your craft elegant and artistic. If you have a preferred design or color for your scrapbook, vellum will do the trick. There are vellum with polka dots design, stripes, frosted sheer, embossed designs and more. You can opt for plain vellum or you may use the ones with butterfly, heart or leaf designs.

Using vellum for your craft is an exciting way to create your scrapbook or personalized wedding invitations and cards. Through this material, you won’t think that you are not creative. In fact, your imagination as well as your creativity will be enhanced because there is a lot of ways to decorate your craft.

If this is your first time to make a scrapbook or wedding invitations using vellum, don’t be afraid to cut and to put adhesive on your vellum. Just make sure that you keep it neat by hiding the glue spots by putting stickers. You may also use the other die cuts to conceal unwanted spots in your craft.

You see, vellum paper can make your photos or invitations more interesting and fun. You may cut several colors of vellum into tiny pieces and stick them on the page where you have photos during the party. This instantly creates a page showered with confetti. You may also combine red, orange and yellow vellum, and you create a fire effect. You may use this when you want to create a scrapbook for your camping pictures. Believe it or not but your scrapbook or handmade cards will be artless and ordinary if you don’t use vellum. Don’t waste your time and effort trying to create unique crafts using ordinary paper or stationery. Buy vellum, and make those paper crafts with ease.

Vellum paper was originally discovered and developed by the Hebrews in the early years of the first millennium BC.  At its conception, vellum was a see-through writing surface manufactured from un-tanned animal skin. It was produced in small quantities by first cleaning and removing hair from the skin, and then drying the skin under tension. Vellum paper distributers would next polish the pelts with a pumice rock. Pumice is a porous volcanic rock which is valued worldwide for its abrasive properties. Vellum paper makers followed the pumice polish with a talc powder covering. Talc acts as a filler, and served as the last step in the production sequence.

During its early applications, vellum paper was valued for backlit documents, as light easily shows through the thin animal pelt. Overtime manufacturers began producing vellum paper with the pelts of stillborn animals to save on production costs. Often goat and sheep skins are used in the production of parchment, a term that can be used interchangeably with vellum. Vellum is valued in numerous applications other than as a writing surface, common uses include drumheads and lightshades.

In the 1990’s a type of paper with many of the same properties as vellum emerged. This new paper was manufactured by embossing treated pulp and cotton fibers. The result being a lower gloss, less translucent, milky white in color, and slightly thicker form of vellum paper which is referred to as imitation vellum, Japanese vellum, or vegetable vellum.

In the present day vellum paper has a wide variety of uses which include postcards, certificates, manuscripts, scrapbooking, and tracing. Vellum is now sold in a variety of cream and pastel colors, and even an occasional brightly colored and decorated form. Vellum can even be bought with gold embossing, marble decorations, or metallic properties. Vellum paper can be purchased with a text weight ranging from the lighter 50 gsm (grams per square meter) to the heavy 120 gsm. Non imitation vellum is still used in drumheads today. Its acoustic properties are valued in ethnic hand drums which are used by most Indian tribes. Replacement vellum drum heads are sold in a plethora of diameters and thicknesses to fit the most diverse needs.