Once a month learn how to use scrapbook sketches and adapt them to fit different styles, photo sizes, and themes. Sketches = endless scrapbooking ideas with little effort. Sketches do all the heavy lifting allowing you to have all the fun!
It's time!! (I hear that phrase in Bruce Buffer's voice. He's an MMA announcer and I just watched some fights this weekend so that seems to be where my brain is going right now.)
Sketch Support has arrived with a new, FREE one-page sketch, five days of layouts based on that sketch, and we'll end it all with a YouTube video.
Here is the sketch that I used as the starting point for each layout this week:
You can also grab the Sketch Support #14 Bonus Sketch Examples!
This month it is a 3-page PDF of 23 different sketch options. That makes 24 sketches for this month of Sketch Support. There are options that show how to change up the papers, use more photos, use less photos, use only 4 x 6" photos, there are four two-page options, and then an 8-1/2 x 11" option. The fun part is that you could use each option as a layout on its own, but you could also mix and match different options for endless possibilities!
Supplies used - Cardstock: American Crafts; Stencil: Tim Holtz; Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Die cuts and chipboard pieces: Simple Stories; Foam alphabet stickers: American Crafts; Alphabet stickers: Pebbles Inc. and unknown; Mummy/circle cut file: Miss Kate Cuttables from the Silhouette Design Store; Embroidery floss: DMC; Computer font: Century Gothic
I mostly followed the sketch while customizing a few elements to fit what I had to work with and my theme.
Variation #1 - Using smaller photos in place of larger photos.
I had a set of five 2 x 2" photos that I wanted to use for this layout. For the most part they are still in the same general area as the photos on the sketch so I didn't have to make big adjustments for them to work. I almost doubled the amount of photos by simply using smaller photos in place of the larger photos.
You really have a lot of room to play around with different photos on this sketch. The way I see it you can cover as much of or as less of the circle background as you want and easily customize the photos to fit the amount or size you have. My photos ended up covering slightly more across the circle than the photos on the sketch do, but there's lots of room there.
Variation #2 - Combining the title and journaling.
In the pictures, Jackson has on a shirt that says "Mummy says I am sweeter than this candy!" I decided to use that as inspiration for a large title and it also replaced my journaling. I didn't feel like I needed to add anymore than that phrase. I did add his name and the date on the larger mummy die cut.
I thought this was a fun change to my normal title/journaling style. It was fun to just go with a longer title and let it play the role of both title and journaling. Sometimes it's a nice change to mix it up a little and do something different.
To construct the title I used a mix of different styles, sizes, and textures of letters. I also slightly altered the saying by removing the word "this" to better fit my arrangement.
Variation #3 - Changing or adding elements to better fit your theme.
For my circle I still followed the wreath style on the sketch with the clusters of embellishments on two edges, but I used different themed elements to go with my photos.
First, my circle has been turned into a mummy. I found a super cute mummy cut file in the Silhouette Design Store and used it in place of the background circles. I used a gray cardstock for the frame to match the gray shirt Jackson is wearing. Then for the strips I used white cardstock. I wanted the white strips to closer resemble cloth so I used a Tim Holtz stencil with Antique Linen Distress Ink to add a pattern on each strip. To finish the mummy piece I added some stitched borders to each piece.
For the clusters I used candy die cut, sticker, and chipboard pieces from the new Simple Stories collection: Boo Crew.
Variation #4 - Adding an extra background element.
Since I was going with a lot of white cardstock on top of a white cardstock base, I wanted to add another layer of subtle color just to help that mummy piece stand out. I used the same Antique Linen Distress Ink with an ink blending tool to add a circle of light color around the whole mummy piece. Then I added a few splotches and sprays of a light gray and black watercolor.
That's all for today! Check back tomorrow for layout #2!
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