Laura Vegas

Sooooo. Back in May, when National Scrapbook Day rolled around, I was searching for the layout I had created for NSD in 2014, and was baffled when I couldn't find it on my blog. I mean, it was definitely up on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog (HERE) that year.

But I searched my blog high and low one day, and couldn't find it anywhere. It makes no sense that I never shared it, but maybe I really did overlook it. Or maybe I did share it and then the post vanished. Stranger things have happened. Anyways. I thought since I don't have anything else new to share right now, I would share it again. Or for the first time. Who knows at this point 😉

I go back and forth between two different styles when it comes to creating my layouts. Sometimes I’m all about the layers and texture and sometimes I work in a technique or two. I almost always add machine stitching and I love die cutting. I also love mixing and matching between manufactures and using a fun variety of products!

However, sometimes I'm looking to create simple and quick layouts, without all the fuss. Of course, I also still want them to look amazing and have plenty of interest. Luckily, there are so many products on the market that make "simple and quick" look "amazing and interesting". I created this two page layout with 10 photos, 6 3×4” cards, 6 thin strips of patterned paper, a few stickers, some alphas (chipboard and stickers), a few paper flowers, and a handful of buttons. And it really didn’t take me any time at all.

With the hugely popular Project Life elements showing up in so many manufacturer’s collections, it’s easy to find a wide variety of 3×4” and 4×6” cards to coordinate with your photos. I am not a Project Lifer (is that a term?), but I have a huge collection of Project Life cards and elements. They are easy for working into my everyday layouts and cards.

The 3×4” cards that were used on this spread came from a single sheet of 12×12” patterned paper, so I did have to trim them before using. I love that it gives the illusion that I dug into so many different patterned papers to create all of these different cards, when in fact, they all came from one sheet of paper.

I truly LOVE my die cut machine and my sewing machine, and I rarely make a project without using one, if not both, of them. However, with the way my scrap space is set up, I don’t have easy access to either one. If I want to die cut a title or shape, or if I want to machine stitch on my project, it involves clearing off enough room on my desk to put those machines. When I set out to do super quick projects, I forgo my die cut machine and head straight to my large collection of alpha stickers and chipboard for my titles and I skip the sewing machine all together.

By printing my photos 3×4”, the same size as my cards, I was able to create a collage of photos and paper across the two page spread. By lining everything up, and keeping things very clean and linear, I was able to get the “bones” of the page (cardstock, patterned paper and photos) put together very quickly.  

I added some simple embellishments to some of the 3×4” cards. By sticking to a few of my go-to embellishments … buttons, flowers, and stickers … I saved time by not having to dig through all of my supplies looking for little bits of things to add to the pages.

Remember, creating eye-catching layouts doesn’t mean you have to spend hours on every page, or put $20 worth of product onto your pages. A little really can go a long way!