Bonus Exercise 1: Is it OK to Use a Scrapbook Sketch More Than Once?

I like variety in my albums. I like to use a lot of different supplies and I think that I use a variety of designs on my layouts. To some extent, this is true. There are, however, only so many ways to place scrapbook supplies and photos on a layout. Despite, my love of variety, I don’t mind revisiting a design that I have used before. There are quite a few advantages in doing so.

Using a design more than once feels comfortable. This can allow you to create with more ease and confidence which produces pages you love more quickly and efficiently. Using a design you are comfortable with can leave you room to experiment. It’s not always the best idea to try a lot of new things at once. Without a strong direction, the page may feel as though it’s a jumbled mess. A familiar sketch or design provides the direction, leaving you to try out a new technique or new supplies while leaving the page with a cohesive look.

Many people are often concerned if it’s OK to use a scrapbook sketch more than once. Will it be obvious to anyone viewing the album? I can’t even recall a time in which anyone viewing my albums has commented on the page design. Usually, they are immersed in the photos and the stories. It’s far more likely that you have been using similar designs all along without even realizing it. Try this simple test to see how often you use a design. Choose a layout you created on your own( not from a sketch) and draw a basic sketch of the page. The basic sketch should focus on the photo placement and the main placement of the papers and major elements. Now flip through your album. How many pages have a design similar to the sketch? Probably more than you thought!

Let’s take a look at one of my favorite go to designs. This particular design enables me to use 2-4 photos each time by placing them in a loose cluster.

I love to group items and overlap them a bit to make clustered sections.. Though I don’t use the design all of the time, I do find myself reverting to it often. I can easily layer embellishments onto this cluster, add or remove photos and place the journaling wherever I see fit. I used this design to create this next layout.

Focus, Click, Repeat by Christy Strickler |Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill; Digital Kit: Focus, Click, Repeat by Amanda Yi; Die Cut: Scrapbook Challenges; Medium: Perfect Pearls by Ranger

I placed the cluster on a block and then layered embellishments under and around it. Creating this layout led me to creating a sketch for Scrapbook Challenges.

Of course, I couldn’t share the sketch with the SBC sketch crew and not make a new layout to go along with it.

Crystals by Christy Strickler |Supplies Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup; Letters: American Crafts; Acrylic: Studio Calico; Punch: EK Success, based on Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #447

I changed horizontal photos for vertical ones while making the section for patterned paper a bit smaller. Essentially, I just rotated the sketch. I embellished a bit lighter on this page, making the clusters less heavy. This is in part due to the busier feel of this patterned paper collection. There is also more visual weight to the second page which can be attributed to the heavier colors( specifically the brown). Rotating the sketch also affected the page balance.I adjusted the placement of the circles and allowed the embellishments to flow off the main photo cluster. I also shifted the title upward a bit.

Both pages are similar and yet unique. The design is essentially the same at the core. It’s the choice of size, color, and the types of supplies used on the page that change it’s overall appearance. The second page came together quickly( My aim was for speed and not a new technique). I was comfortable in the design and I was able to focus my efforts on choosing supplies that add meaning to my story. The best examples of how one design can be used many ways are often available on sketch sites like Scrapbook Challenges. To see a few more variations on this sketch,be sure to visit the scrapbook challenges website!

What’s your go to design? Do you have a favorite sketch?