Serendipity is a very popular and simple technique for your cards and scrapbook pages. They take but a little time and your bag of scrap paper, and you have a unique and interesting accent that matches your page!

Serendipity means by chance or fate. It is no coincidence that the word was chosen as the name for this technique; it was destiny!!! The technique involves using different pieces and colors of cardstock, mulberry, vellum, etc, torn into strips, and placed on a piece of paper in a random manner so that by chance they come together to make interesting and beautiful patterns. They use up scraps and leftover bits, and you can use the same colors that are used in your layout, to match perfectly your embellishments. One can even make serendipity elements with stamps, stamps that match and use complimenting colors, stamped randomly onto a plain background. Serendipity can be used to make deco squares, frames, matts, title toppers, borders, or any other elements for your pages. They look better in smaller strips and squares, but could be a background if you so chose.

Supplies:

Cardstock/mulberry/vellum, torn into strips and small squares
Glue stick
Paper backing

It makes it far easier if you have a xyron to run your paper through first to make one side sticky; however this is not necessary, as you can completely cover the back of the paper with glue to hold all corners down.

For your background paper, you need a piece slightly larger than what you intend to use. With enough scraps you can easily fill an 8 1/2X11" or 12X12" piece.

Instructions:

If you have a xyron, run the paper through before tearing. If you are using a gluestick, tear the paper into strips and squares first. Tear the paper into strips and squares. If you have decorative scissors you may want to use them here to make interesting edges.

Take your torn pieces and cover the back completely with glue. The entire back must be covered. Stick them down randomly all over the sheet. Try not to put too many of the same color too close together, but do not worry about how it looks at this point. It should look cluttered and messy. Allow some of the strips to fall over the edge of the background paper as you can trim them later. Continue until the entire sheet is full.

Embellish the collage. Some embellishment suggestions are:

Charms

• Eyelets
• Magic Mesh
• Stamp ink and embossing (metallics are nice)
• stickers
• Punchies
• Buttons
• Ribbons
• material
• vellum
• skeleton leaves
• Metallic rub ons
• PearlEx and Lumiere
• Glitter
• journaling
• The squares can be added to tags.

Cut your shapes. If cutting squares, mark the back of the sheet with the size you want, and cut with a large paper cutter or scissors. If you want another shape, mark the shapes you want the serendipity element to be, such as a frame. Think of other shapes that could be used such as triangles and circles, Sissix letters and shapes, strips for borders and for on journal boxes, Most squares need to be matted somehow.

I usually use a coordinating color from the squares. Now your squares/elements can be enhanced in a number of ways. Most often a fiber or wire is added, wrapping the square like a present.

Placement on a page is completely subjective. They can be placed anywhere you please. In the use of squares, often - odd numbers of squares is more pleasing to the eye…but still it is subjective and there is no wrong.