Sticker use on layouts

I've been scrapbooking for about 2 years and just loving it. I don't really consider myself an artistic person. Coordinating colors and PP is very time consuming for my, but for the most part, I'm happy with my layouts and happy with my progress. My question is, I love stickers...well...I love BUYING stickers. I have a healthy supply already. But, when it comes down to doing layouts, I rarely use them with the exception of letter/word stickers. When I realized this I went back to my reference books, on-line galleries, and current magazines and I realized stickers are not widely used. But if you look in all the craft and scrapbooking stores, stickers are everywhere. Ok, here's my question finally...Does anyone know of a good book or online site, gallery or particular scrapbooker that would help me make good use of my stickers? I know Mrs. Grossman's has a book out on using stickers, but I don't care for that line of stickers. Anyone have any other idea references? Anyone familiar with the phrase Sticker-Sneez? Well, when I use stickers, my layouts look like I have a hellacious cold!
Thanks,
Sharon

I know exactly what you mean. I collected stickers when I was younger and scrapbooking seemed like the perfect excuse for having the same hobby as a grown up! But now I find myself w/all of these stickers and nothing to do with them!

I only have 2 suggestions. 1) use as an embellishment on other embellishments. That is, use on deco squares and photo corners and tags, instead of straight to the paper. They work great to jazz up "add-ons'' where as when they're straight on the page they are often kinda cheesy. (not alway, and no offense meant to sticker users--just my opinion based on my old layouts! lol)

and 2) donate some of your unused, full sheets to the Crop for the Cure. There's a thread on here w/contact info for the hostesses. It's a good way to get rid of some without feeling like they are going to waste. I'm going to go through mine this weekend to weed some out.

Oh, and one more tip..don't buy any more stickers unless you KNOW you need them ( or they are really cheap clearance prices! lol)

Hope I helped a little! Oh, and welcome to the boards!

I saw a tip somewhere where the person said they mounted stickers on cardstock, and trimmed around the edges. Then they put them on the page using pop dots or foam adhesive squares for added dimension.

Dot's ideas re: Photo corners / Deco squares are great too!

Also, if you search for tips in "Resources" you will learn how to make shaker boxes. You could use stickers on the inside or outside of them.

Welcome to the Hood!

I saw a show where they made serendipty squares with stickers....it looked very cool. I haven't tried it yet though.

Oh great ideas!! I have been wondering the same thing!

Thanks for the great ideas. I'll try some of them. Now, if only we could get some really creative scrapbookers to put a book together of examples, I'm sure they'd make a mint on the book. I'd sure buy one.
Sharon

You could donate the stickers to local kindergarten/preschool classrooms. Teachers love to use them as rewards or part of their craft projects. I don't use stickers anymore. Funny how our styles change.

Watch DIY scrapbooking if you get that channel. They have Mrs. Grossman on all the time giving sticker tips. Even if you don't like her stickers she gives great tips. Like layering stickers. Take two identical stickers and stack them on top of each other seperated by a pop dot. This makes great 3-d stickers. Also don't be afraid to cut your stickers. Don't feel forced to use the elephant holding the umbrella when all you need is the umbrella.

Annetta

All the above ideas are great! One other thing to think about to avoid the Sneeze look. If stickers are "grounded" to something, rather than put on at random, they tend to look better. I don't use stickers often either, but I had farm pictures of my kids and found some cool farm stickers. I had the cow peaking around a photo matte, with a couple chicks at her feet. Not my usual style, but it worked for that page. Also, instead of random flower stickers on a page, try lining them up to form a border or an arch or bunch them in the corners to achor the page. You could also take a collage tag where one layer is stickers, then maybe some vellum, ribbon, pp, whatever, so the sticker isn't standing alone. I think MM magazine had a special issue on using stickers a while back--you might be able to get it on their website.
Hope this helps!

These are great ideas! I have way too many stickers and they do look kind a cheesey and amateurish now especially compared to the tags and other more sophisticated embellishments! The other thing that switched me from not buying as many stickers was I realized I used a sticker once, but a stamp I used over and over and on cards as well as layouts so it made more sense to buy stamps. Of course now I have about 200 stamps, but you can match them to your colors and page style perfectly.
I still use some stickers on the corners of photos or the edges of a page if it just needs something to "finish" it. I also started including sheets here and there in my nieces and nephews birthday and holiday cards and they love the treats!!

That's a great idea, Maureen, about including the stickers in cards. I am going to try that! Thanks.

If you take a look at my gallery, you can see a Ariel tag I made using the stickers on cardstock with foam tape idea. They turned out great!

Wonderful ideas, here!! Especially Dot's!!

I used to think this, but at CKU last year, one thing I noticed was that there was a LOT of use of stickers and die cuts by the teachers on the projects. I think the grounding rule is key, layering, using them as accents with other items (including other stickers), and also using stuff like chalks and inks to make them a little more dimensional.

I love stickers too and your are right they are not used across the board as much as you would think especially because stickers line the walls at most LSS...I don't know of any book or online gallery but I did see once on QVC that they used stickers to balance a lo for instance, if you are scrapping about a trip to the pumpkin patch use the pumpkin in the title (replace the a in patch for a pumpkin) and then use it once or twice on the page in journaling or as an accent on a tag....they called it grounding the sticker I think, making it part of the lo and not just this thing off in a blank spot on your page.....I liked this idea and this has helped me to use stickers more wisely so that I don't have sticker overload and they aren't everywhere...also if you make cards...stickers are the best replacement for purchasing graphic stamps...personally I very rarely purchase stamps with graphics/images on them...but I can use word or letter stamps hundreds of times, using different themed stickers...

WOW!! All these ideas are great! I esp like the idea of inking and embossing them to get a more deminsional look. And mounting them on cardstock and using brads or eylets to add an accent or tie ribbon through!! Also, you can try mounting them on something else, like vellum or chipboard and using crystal glaze for the top to encase it!!

Here is my idea... I noticed that I am not using stickers either, but I love them!! I know we are all trying to catch up and most people spend the time on their kids albums... what I decided to do with all of my unused stuff is go through my house, gather up every last photo that I can find that is not in a frame... I organized them into topics, and then I organized them even further based on time frame. Now I am going really quick, when I have a free moment, and cropping, adding mats with my scrap paper I have and finding appropriate stickers and then journalling. I know what you are thinking... ya right! But, it is an idea... I have been really successfull in getting pages done quickly! It took forever to organize the photos, but now that is done, doing the pages is easy and now all of my memories will be in book! I am only about 1/5 of the way there... but it feels great! Good luck!

I have done some cute tags putting stickers on cardstock and then using foam tape. I love to buy them too. It's using them that's another story!!!

Lisa