Small is beautiful
Small is beautiful and size really doesn’t matter when you’ve got a 6 x 6″ Notes & Things paper pad by Crate featuring scaled down versions of the larger 12 x 12″ papers in the stunning range.
If like me you tend to scrap smaller format photos, the proportions of the decorative papers are a perfect complement to the scale of the images.
For my first layout ‘Bloom’ I focused on the tabbed file ‘Noted Paper’ and the butterflies ‘Honest’ papers. The scale of the tiny butterflies work so well in conjunction with a standout butterfly band the file tabs are of the size which means you can create indexed clusters of them without them becoming too obvious.
To create the base of the layout, I used gelatos to create bands of colour across the white card stock base. By adding water they blend like watercolour paints to give a subtle base to the layout. Whilst still wet, I added flicks of Heidi Swapp mists to add further detailing. Texture paste was then applied through a mask, by keeping it thin the gelatos colour comes through. Having trimmed the card stock, I used an index style punch to add detailing where the tabbing would appear, along with some Studio Calico gold doilies. The pink border paper is from Flea Market by Crate, which just goes to prove that you can buy new stash without feeling guilty as the old and new work so well together!
I used a combination of the chipboard frames, the mixed tags and the journalling cards on both of my layouts and added further interest by using some of the stickers from the Journalling & Title Stickers. To balance the gold doilies, I added a selection of rub-ons from the Maggie Holmes Styleboard collection to both the layout base and as an embellishment to the chipboard frame.
The smaller butterflies beautifully cascade down the page to lead the eye through the page from the top of the layout to the photo and back up again. The title was simply cut on my silhouette and summed up how my middle step-daughter, photographed at her prom has become a beautiful young woman.
My second layout ‘Enjoy the small things’ features a waterfall effect of a selection of the 6 x 6″ papers, but rather than waterfall down the page, they waterfall up so that I could incorporate the same index tabs as feature papers.
Once stuck down, a line of machine stitching was added across each 6″ width. Like before, I used an older paper B side from the ‘Oh Darling’ collection by Crate for the border and gutted a 6 x 6″ section of the same paper to use the A side in the waterfall run… can you spot which one it is?
I used my gelatos to add co-ordinated colours to the stitched frame, decorating the underside of the white card stock to add interest when creased back and to co-ordinate with the greens in the photo, which is of my youngest step-daughter Nina and was taken on our summer holiday this year as we took a boat trip down the corinth canal.
Like my first layout, I used a combination of the chipboard frames, the mixed tags and the journalling cards and added further details with stickers and gold rub-ons along with mist splatters and tendrils of cotton thread.
The layout was finished with a butterfly from the standouts pack, well it would be rude not too wouldn’t it!
