Smudged ink? Follow these tips!

Marvy markers, Zig® Writers and Pentel Gel Rollers work the best for journaling on vellum. Freehand journal on vellum, or take advantage of vellum’s transparency and trace your journaling right on top!

You can also try some special effects; for example, color with chalk, markers or colored pencils on the reverse side of a sheet of vellum. Chalks and colored pencils will give a soft, muted look, while markers can produce a stained-glass effect.

And remember: Have patience with ink! Let the journaled piece dry for a few minutes before working with it.

Take care when cutting vellum with pattern-edged scissors, as vellum creases easily—and the crease will leave bright white marks. Stick with those patterned scissors with a small design, such as deckle or stamp.

Tip: Try tea bag folding with vellum papers. Yes, it can be done, and the results range from delicate snowflakes to elegant stained glass. 

Play with your papers to see what looks best under a vellum overlay. Layer white vellum over bright colors instead of pale or very dark colors. Put colored vellum over a darker solid sheet of the same color for a deeper shade; place it over a lighter solid of the same color to brighten the shade. And painted vellum? Well, just about anything goes! Experiment to see what colors and patterns you like best. 

Yes, you can layer vellum over patterned paper—you can even layer patterned vellum on top of patterned paper! Take a look at “Grandma’s Garden” above, the lovely page Amy created by combining painted butterfly vellum with tone-on-tone blue lattice paper and a matching gingham. Amy selected the blue patterned papers to highlight the blue butterflies in the vellum sheet. She accented the page with page with yellow vellum butterfly cut-outs to pick up the yellow butterflies in the vellum. The white mat and white journaling piece keep the page light, while the black mat makes the photo “pop” off the patterned background.

 Amy’s choice of butterfly vellum allows the lattice paper to show through, creating a subtle three-dimensional “scene."

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