Light boxes are a really handy and fun tool to use in scrapbooking. Although they have been around a really long time in the crafting world, many scrapbookers are unfamiliar with a light box and aren’t sure what it is or how it can help them with scrapbooking.
A lightbox is an enclosure (usually a box of some sort) containing white-light balanced fluorescent tubes behind a flat translucent glass or plastic surface on which transparencies or negatives are laid in order to view them. This definition came from photographytips.com.
In layman’s terms a lightbox is a device which comes in a box or table format, with lights that allow you to trace things, see your negatives and a few other cool creative ideas.
This tool is one of those things that you don’t necessarily need, but can make scrapbooking more fun. If you enjoy tracing your own embellishments, creating your own page accents with clip art or paper piecing, a lightbox is a must.
In addition to being great for adding to your pages, a lightbox makes it really easy to look at your negatives and see exactly what is on each one.
A lightbox is really simple to use. The first thing you will do is plug it in, as most modern lightboxes have electrical plugs. Once you turn it on, you will have a bit lit up surface. Place the item you wish to trace onto the lightbox. Then place a piece of paper over it. You should be able to see the outline of the design right through the paper. Thicker cardstock is hard to use with a lightbox as it isn’t see through.
You can also use a lightbox for dry embossing. Grab a brass template, and put it directly on the lightbox. Place your paper over the top and you should be able to see exactly where you need to press. Turns out great everytime.
Lightboxes can also be used for stamping projects, craft projects, and card making, just to name a few.
Do you have a lightbox? What are your favorite things to do with it?
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