It’s Time for Winter in July!
It’s hot as heck outside here in Arizona, so naturally I found myself drawn to a cool winter layout from the Creative Memories Blog while looking for inspiration for this week’s Scrapbook Live.
Beyond the snowy photos, what immediately caught my eye was the use of a knockout-style Border Maker Cartridge. Over the past year or so, Creative Memories has released several knockout-style cartridges, and I thought this would be a fun opportunity to pull them out and see what we can create.
The other detail that really stood out to me wasn’t obvious at first glance. The background initially looks like a single sheet of paper, but when you look a little closer, you realize it’s actually made from two very light tonal papers. Because the patterns are subtle, they blend together beautifully while still adding just enough visual interest.
That gives us a chance to work with a recurring theme in scrapbooking —how your paper choices influence the overall feel of a layout. We’ll experiment with mixing and matching papers to see when subtle changes are enough and when adding more contrast creates a completely different look.
This layout also gives us room to experiment with our knockout-style Border Maker Cartridges. While the layout just shows one BMC in use, the design includes the opportunity to use multiple if we want. So, we’ll decide together whether it looks best using the same cartridge throughout or by mixing and matching different knockout designs to complement our photos and paper choices.
I’m also thinking about expanding this one-page layout into a two-page spread. I haven’t decided which photos I’ll use yet, but I’m hoping to pull a few from our recent road trip. As always, part of the fun is seeing where the layout takes us once we start creating!
Supply List
- Photos (if you already know what you’ll be working with)
- Designer paper or cardstock
- Paper trimmer
- Border Maker System
- At least one knockout-style Border Maker Cartridge (bring two or three if you’d like to experiment with mixing designs)
- Your favorite coordinating embellishments, if you’d like to add finishing touches
In This Replay
- Adapted a 2018 Creative Memories winter layout into an everyday family layout
- Explored how tonal and predictable papers can support busy photos without competing for attention
- Discussed choosing paper “roles” based on the energy of your photos
- Mixed two different knockout-style Border Maker Cartridges within the same design
- Demonstrated how to alternate Border Maker Cartridges for a coordinated border treatment
- Adjusted the original measurements to improve the spacing and border proportions
- Used wider white photo mats to separate busy photos from a patterned background
- Reinforced the importance of repeating colors throughout a layout to create a cohesive color palette
- Shared ideas for adding finishing details with punched accents, titles and journaling
- Talked about using inspiration layouts to rediscover tools and techniques that may have been forgotten
Download the PDF Handout
Download this week’s free handout below before Scrapbook Live. It includes the inspiration layout along with the measurements you’ll need to follow along. After the live, I’ll update this post with the replay and a recap of the ideas and techniques we explored together.
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