Slide Show Tips

Looking for ways to add a focal point and dimension to your card? Try a slide mount and then try one of Roberta Wax's ideas at personalizing them for your own art. Here she offers 24 tips on ways to decorate and use slide mounts. You can see Roberta’s article and samples using slide mounts in Take Ten™ volume 3.

1. If using plastic mounts with transparencies still attached, simply snap them open and remove the celluloid. Add your own transparency, vellum, paper, etc., before snapping them back together, or cut them apart and double your pleasure.

2. Plain white or black cardboard mounts are easy to color with everything from inks to chalks to acrylics. Use your regular inkpads to stipple on a mix of colors, or go direct-to-paper for a deeper hue. Cardboard mounts also easily accept ink, chalk, watercolor, walnut ink (for a nicely aged look), acrylics, etc. Plastic and metal mounts look wonderful covered with Lumiere, acrylics, permanent dye inks, embossing powder, etc.

3. Cardboard and metal mounts take embossing well. Plastic slide mounts are likely to melt under the heat of an embossing tool. When embossing cardboard mounts, color them first and then emboss images on top, or emboss the entire mount. Try using ultra thick powders, then stamp into the melted powder for a deep impression.

4. Use pre-decorated mounts. Several companies offer pre-printed mounts that coordinate with many papers.

5. Spray it on. Spray paint is a quick way to cover a lot of mounts. Simply lay them out on newspaper and spray away. Spray webbing and spray glitter also add fast pizzazz.

6. Cover them with paper. Not only is it quick and easy to cover slides with a vast array of decorative papers, but covering the mount lets you coordinate it to any card or scrapbook style. And it’s a great way to use up those scraps.

7. Put two or more together. Use several mounts to create a visually interesting card or scrapbook layout. Or make a multi-window frame by taping two or more mounts together then covering them with paper or fabric. Try turning the windows so that some are horizontal and some vertical for an appealing design.

8. Collage with bits of scrap paper. Coat scrap papers with glue or gel medium and cover front of mount. Let dry before affixing to card.

9. Stickers. Overlap various stickers for an even faster collage.

10. Add shimmer with metallic leaf. Some mounts can be run through a Xyron machine for a quick tacky surface. Or add dry pigments (such as Pearl Ex, Perfect Pearls, etc.) for a more subtle glimmer.

11. Wrap them with wire, fibers, beads and thread. Add buttons and bows, ribbons and jewels.

12. Stack a few together for a fast shaker card. Some mounts already come with transparencies. Or glue a transparency to the back of one mount and use foam tape to add depth. Add your favorite sprinkles inside.

13. Coordinate the slide to any background by stamping a matching or complimentary design on paper and wrapping the mount. This is especially effective when coordinating scrapbook pages.

14. Use brads or eyelets as decorative attachments.

15. Attach slides to your projects with double-sided tape, adhesive dots, foam tape (for dimension), etc.

16. Get a layered look by gluing together several slides with transparencies. Stamp or collage different images for the different layers.

17. Cover a mount with any extra-tacky tape and add beads, glitter, etc.

18. Punch holes in them and dangle charms or beads - or attach other mounts using jump rings.

19. Cover the opening with pre-printed transparencies, stamped vellum, mica, etc.

20. Use them to highlight a stamped image or a word or to frame a sticker, button or charm.

21. Tie four together to create a little box.

22. Make a mini book.

23. Make fast pins and necklaces. Most of the mounts are thin enough to easily punch a hole.

24. Most mounts are double-sided. Cut them apart to get two mounts.