Are these shadows or cutting papers

[monia13]

So what's the technique to make the papers look like boarders? It looks like a frame or boarder was cut out out of paper and placed on top of another paper. I noticed this in several of the layouts posted in the Sneak Peak section.
Is it cutting out the big square from the middle of the paper? Or is it placing papers on top of each other and playing with shadows? I hope I'm explaining this right.....

 

[YepBrook]

It's my new template set!!!

The borders are made by cutting out the center of a paper, and leaving the outside intact.

 

[MommaTrish]

Cut outs I believe. The ones for Brooke peeks, right?

 

[lorryfach]

You can create this effect either way, actually. Use an inner shadow to make something that looks like a cut-out, or you can actually cut the part out.