Confession: Busy patterned papers scare me!!
They are so pretty, but they intimidate me.
Most of the time I want to frame them & hang them on a wall rather than scrapbook with them.
Usually when I do use them on a project, I cut them up first and just use pieces of them.
BUT there are so many great patterned papers in February's kit and I really wanted to challenge myself to use entire sheets of paper rather than cut them all up!
So I came up with a simple little sketch that I hoped would help me use some of those patterned papers.
Usually when I do use them on a project, I cut them up first and just use pieces of them.
BUT there are so many great patterned papers in February's kit and I really wanted to challenge myself to use entire sheets of paper rather than cut them all up!
So I came up with a simple little sketch that I hoped would help me use some of those patterned papers.
This was the first layout I made based on the sketch. 
I put a solid cardstock against the busy patterned paper to help my pictures & journaling stand out against the patterned paper.
I ended up using 2 pictures instead of just one.
I put a solid cardstock against the busy patterned paper to help my pictures & journaling stand out against the patterned paper.I ended up using 2 pictures instead of just one.
And I made sure to mat them with a white border so that they too would stand out against the busy patterned paper.
I love that piece of plaid patterned paper (October Afternoon) and I think I managed to use it without the rest of my layout getting lost in it!
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This was the next layout I made.
I love that piece of plaid patterned paper (October Afternoon) and I think I managed to use it without the rest of my layout getting lost in it!
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This was the next layout I made.
I stayed very close to the sketch on this one and still used the solid cardstock to help set off my pictures & journaling from the busy patterned paper.
{how cute is my little grandmother??!!}
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And one more layout using the sketch...
{how cute is my little grandmother??!!}
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And one more layout using the sketch...
I detoured a little more from the sketch on this one.I got crazy and centered everything instead of having everything on the right side of the layout!!
{hehehe}
The background paper here (Jenni Bowlin) is not quite as bold & busy as the patterned papers I used on the previous layouts.
So I took the liberty of using a couple other subtle patterned papers to anchor the picture & journaling rather than using plain cardstock.
I like how the picture still manages to stand out though!
{or maybe that is because there are a couple of goofballs in the picture so you can't help but notice it!}
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Well I hear that February kits should be in your hands by now!
Enjoy it!
It's a good one!
And if you need a sketch to get you going, I hope you will use this one!
Link us up in the comments here if you make something.
I would love to see it!
:)
gretchen
