Laura Vegas

Hey everyone! I've got a new layout up over on the Bella Blvd blog today. I was brainstorming for a few new features on the Bella blog as I wrote up our August schedule, and I decided to start a new one called "Spread It Out", focusing on two page layouts. I knew I would pretty much freak out my layout designers, as I know a lot of designers do not enjoy creating two page layouts. Which is why I'm committing to creating a new layout for this feature each month, and then inviting/forcing (same thing, right?) one other designer to play along with me.

I love to embrace the two page layouts, as I actually enjoy making them. I think that's because I love to incorporate tons of photos onto them, and it's a great way to document all of those things that just can't fit on a single page layout. Like birthday parties, for example. Which is why I decided to scrap photos from Sarah's 9th birthday party for my first layout.

I mentioned this on Instagram a few days ago, but I'm so used to working with just ONE collection (and being told exactly what collection) when it comes to the majority of the layouts I create for Bella. Whether it's project sheet layouts, catalog layouts, booth work … it's more limiting and you work within the assortment of papers in that one collection.

So when I do have a layout to make, where I can really work with whatever collections I want, I get stuck. It's like I don't even know where to start in picking out my patterned papers (which is how I start all of my layouts). I have a HUGE stash of Bella papers, and it's not like one or two collections were calling out to me. I finally just pulled out a few of my paper holders, very randomly, and within just a few minutes, pulled out about 6-7 patterned papers, all from different collections. I didn't overthink it, which helped speed up the process.

When it comes to the photos, I'm pretty sure you all know by now how much I love photo collages. I'm not one to make several layouts about the same event/moment, so I really try and incorporate as many photos as I can on my layout. And when it comes to working a huge amount of photos onto a layout, photo collages are just a smart way to go. It keeps the photos contained and organized.

I used templates from Kerri Bradford Studio of course, and created two separate collages with 8 photos in each. I also printed 3 photos individually, for a total of 19 photos on my two page spread. What I'm not showing here (mostly because it wasn't totally finished), is that I also printed 10 more photos that I slipped into a 6×12" divided page protector. I'll add that right in between these two pages in the album. So my total is actually 29 photos for this spread.

I pulled out my favorite white grid patterned paper to hold my title and journaling. The overall design of this page is one that I do quite often, so I knew the basic placement of all of the elements on this page. I knew I wanted to use the Blueberry Sienna chipboard alphas for my title, and then added a die cut word and some alpha stickers to complete my title. And as always, I lost the dot to my "i", so I simply added a tiny enamel dot in it's place.

I picked out patterned papers that coordinated with the colors in the photos, and that coordinated together as well. I did little debating over where to work in each paper, as it all just sort of fell together and balanced itself out. I didn't want the layout to be super patterned paper heavy, so I die cut a circle border from the yellow patterned paper to add to each side of the spread. Just a little way to break things up, and add a little "dimension", but in a flat way. If that even makes sense?

I think this layout fits in perfectly with how I prefer to scrap. Lots of photos, lots of patterned paper, some die cutting, a title mixing chipboard/stickers/die cut words, and simple embellishments. I knew I would probably add some chipboard elements to embellish the page, and I lucked out when I pulled out a package of Hearts & Stars chipboard pieces, and found five stars that perfectly matched the colors on the page. I added a coordinating enamel dot to the center of each star.

Head on over to the Bella Blvd blog to check out what our other designer created for this new feature. And continue to watch for it once a month, as it will usually fall on the third Thursday of the month.