I sat and looked at the sketch for awhile. It was interesting but I wasn’t sure it was me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to work with it. What if it turned out horrible? What if I hated it and wasted my paper supplies to make the page? These are the usual questions that pop up. It’s so easy to just skip an unfamiliar design and step into something more comfortable. I knew though, that if I did that, I might not ever move past the blocky style I so easily fell into. And so I set to work with Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #437.
I started with the same process I afford any sketch. I began by searching for photos. I asked if I needed to restrain myself to use just one photo or could I maybe add a few more. A sketch can always be altered or stretched to fit the design. I chose three pictures and set to work choosing supplies. I wanted fun, bright and happy things for my layout. Supplies in hand, I was off and running to the next step. What could be throwing me off? Perhaps the large triangles? They were an integral part of the design but I needed to look past them. I chose to start with just the photos, building the clusters around them and setting them upon a shelf. Once I had done this, it was easy to set them atop the triangles on the canvas. Everything came together to create one cohesive layout.
Box of Happy by Christy Strickler |Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Letters: October Afternoon, American Crafts; Buttons: Jillibean Soup, Maya Road; Die Cuts: Simple Stories; Digital Die Cuts: April 2015 Pocket Life Collection by Traci Reed; Snaps: Making Memories;Wood Veneer: Cocoa Daisy: Jewel: Freckled Fawn; Stickers: Pink Paislee; Other: Vellum confetti, Twine, Doily; based on Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #437
A new sketch can be a powerful tool to help you step outside of your normal scrapbook layout design. Don’t avoid sketches. Challenge yourself to break the sketch down into parts. Examine each part and work with it, section by section. Each time, you will be building the sketch outward until it sits upon the canvas as a whole piece. Once this is done, you can make small tweaks here or there to ensure the layout has the parts of your style that you love. For me, it was adding a trail of confetti through the page. Lately, I have been loving the addition of small sprinkled bits. The confetti adds diagonal flow and thus energy to my layout. I simply can’t make a page unless I sprinkle some thing onto the background.
In the end, I adored this layout. I often find that the pages that challenge me most are those that I love the most. It is very satisfying to try something new. Now it’s your turn! Head on over to Scrapbook Challenges to try out Sketch #437 or one of the many other sketches from the sketch library.