Got frames? Well, of course you do! Frames, either made of paper, wood, metal, or acrylic, are included in nearly every digital kit on the market. A lot of people think they are kind of essential. But how often do we actually use them?

Other than simple paper frames, I know I don’t use them a whole lot. But on occasion I play around with different ways to use them regardless of the frame type.

Today I want to talk about some fun ways to use frames in a more creative way…

Frame Alternatives

At their core, we use frames to highlight something, right? This is particularly true for photographs, which are often the centerpiece of a scrapbook page. By framing a photo, you create a distinct boundary that separates the image from other elements on the page, thereby enhancing its visibility and importance. Frames can also add a layer of aesthetic appeal to the photo itself, complementing its colors, themes, or emotional tone.

Something a lot of people (including me) forget is that frames are not limited to photographs. They can be used to encircle and accentuate any element on your scrapbook page, such as text boxes, quotes, or other memorabilia.

Detached Frames

When you add a frame to your layout, rather than perfectly aligning the frame over the photo, offset it so it looks detached. Something like this:

Note: I created this example using a cluster from “Summer On The Beach” by ET Designs.

Creating this effect is fairly simple. It’s just a simple matter of changing the angle at which the frame is positioned over the photo.

Most often I think we all tend to position our frames aligned “perfectly over our photos. Like this:

Looking at both options, I think you can see why the detached frame could add a bit more interest to your layout.

This next example is a little bit different. It’s still detached but look closely to see if you can find the big difference.

This is what some call a “threaded” photo. Can you see how in only two places the photo is actually over top of the frame? This is a unique twist on the first example of a detached frame.

And I thought I’d quickly show you how easy it is to create this effect. Before I do that, just a quick reminder…I use the current version of Photoshop Elements (PSE – 2024). So, my screen shots may look different than what you see on your screen.

I’ve opened a new blank 12×12 file and loaded, paper, a frame and a photo:

Note: The photo is from Pixabay. The paper & frame are from “Summer On The Beach” (link above).

As you can see, I placed the photo above the frame. What I need to do now is erase the parts of the photo that I want to be under the frame.

There are multiple ways to do this. I’m going to show what I think is the easiest. The first thing I do is draw a selection box around the right-hand portion of the photo that I want to erase:

Now I ensure that the frame layer is active and press Ctrl+J (Create new layer). PSE then creates that new layer (layer 2 for me) of only that portion of the frame.

Now I ensure that the photo layer is active. I then Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of that partial frame layer (layer 2) and PSE draws a selection box that matches that shape:

Ensuring that the photo layer is still active, I then just press the Delete key and that part of the photo is erased:

I then just repeat the same steps on the left-hand side of the photo. And I end up with what you saw at the start of this example.

And you can use this erasing technique on any frame…not just a simple paper frame.

Anchor Frames

And there’s nothing that says we have to use frames as frames at all. Try using a frame to anchor elements, word art, photo clipping mask or a transfer to your layout.

In the above image, the “outline” frame was made using a technique I explained in a post about stroking shapes. I’ll give you a quick refresher.

I’ve opened a new blank 12×12 file and loaded a thin, square, wood frame:

Next, I simplify the layer and press Ctrl-Click on the frame layer thumbnail to make a selection (marching ants). Then I create a new layer and go to the top tool bar and select Edit->Stroke-(Outline) Selection. PSE opens the Stroke settings dialog box and I set the Width to 3, the Color to black and ensure the Location is set to Inside. I delete the original frame layer and here’s the resulting outline frame:

I then used that frame to anchor a selection of other elements along the right side to create the cluster:

I added a transfer ending up with the image you saw at the top of this section.

I ultimately used this cluster for a layout; adding some clouds near the top of that outline frame, some paint and some word art:

Note: For this frame/cluster and layout I used paper and elements from the Digital Scrapbooking Studio Coordinated Collection by various designers – “Coastal Waterways” (now retired). For more details about the layout, you can find it in my 2024 Gallery.

While this “outline” method works best on simple frames, you’re certainly not limited to just that kind. You can actually use just about any frame to create an outline anchor. Though I would recommend that you not use a frame that is overly ornate or full of intricate little cutouts such as this frame:

And you certainly don’t have to use just an outline frame as I’ve shown. You can use any frame as an anchor. If you go through some of your kits, you’ll likely find more than a few anchor frame clusters!

Try using those as a guide to create some of your own unique anchor frames.

More Frame Tips

Don’t get framed in by using frames the old-fashioned way. Break the paradigm and try something new. If you think outside the box you may find yourself using some of those frames more often.

When creating an outline anchor frame, you can make the outline frame any color you choose. And you can make it as bold or as translucent as what fits your layout.

Don’t be afraid to use a frame as a page border!

As always, if you have any questions or want to make a suggestion about a topic you’d like me to cover, please don’t ever hesitate to “Message Me”.

Thanks for reading this week’s Tuesday Tip. If you want to stay informed about new posts, just click “Follow Me” to stay in touch. I hope you have a wonderful week!