It's February - the month we celebrate Valentine's Day, and all things love/heart related, and I've pulled some love and heart themed layouts to share with you. I don't always have pictures from Valentine's Day but am always able to use hearts on layouts that document the people (and pets!) I love.
This layout was so much fun to put together - but I'll let you in on a secret - it was a page kit! This layout was designed by Allison Davis for a class she taught, and I purchased the kit from Scrapbook Generation.
Why would I show you a layout I did not design? Because I want to highlight some of the lessons I learned by making this layout.
Don't be afraid to use a paper collection that at first you didn't like.
This is a paper collection from Photo Play that caught my eye when it was first released because of the bright bold colors. I loved them, but I did not care for the bird stickers. I didn't order it because I thought how could I ever use this collection? When I got the page kit and saw that these were the papers that were included, I was a little skeptical, but as I followed the directions in creating this page, I fell in love with the final look. While I would never have bought this collection, it came together to create a stunning layout that perfectly complimented the photos of Alyssia and Jim.
Layer, Layer, Layer!
I had so much fun creating the left side of the heart by layering all those flowers, hearts, birds, feathers and vines! I followed the kit photo exactly because I know that layering is not one of my strong suits, but it was so easy. I started with the bigger flowers first (as per the directions) and then added the hearts and smaller flowers. The birds were attached with foam adhesive and then the word stickers. The last step in layering was adding the vines and leaves under the other stickers. By adhering some of the pieces with foam adhesive, it created a space to easily "tuck in" the smaller pieces.
It's the little details that make a huge impact.
I wish I had taken a before and after picture to illustrate this point, but I didn't realize the impact until the layout was finished. The delicate vines and leaves added to the left side of the heart really help guide your eye around the layout. They direct you right to the photos. Also, they were adhered to lift off the page by only putting adhesive on the end tucked under other stickers, and that gives the layout further dimension.
Another little detail is the single line of black stitching around the right side of the heart. At first, I considered leaving it off because I would have to free hand draw the line to stitch on - and that is not a strength of mine. However, I'm glad that I added it because it really helped complete the layout!
Use pattern paper for your background.
I typically use solid cardstock in neutral colors such white, cream, kraft & black. But I had so much fun using even a simple dotted background! I don't typically even think of using pattern paper, but now I'll look at my stash of paper completely differently! I can't wait to try this out on other layouts I want to make in the near future.
So, the next time you pull out a page kit to complete, try to complete it as designed and see what new techniques you can learn and make your own. To check out some more of Scrapbook Generation's awesome page kits, go to: https://scrapbookgeneration.com/sg-exclusives/page-kits/ .
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