Splendid Stag | Julie Taylor

Hello Magpies.

Today I’m sharing a layout about a recent stag trip to Dublin, Ireland. This is the start of the build up to my daughters wedding so expect a lot of wedding spam incoming!!!

Creating grid style layouts is always a fun way to tell a story, and for this project I decided to work with a 9-square design. Each square became its own little canvas, and I decorated them using bits and pieces from the March embellishment kit.

This kit turned out to be absolutely perfect for my layout. The colour palette was mostly green, which worked beautifully with the photos I wanted to document — a few stag photos from a trip to Dublin in Ireland. The earthy greens and natural tones really complemented the theme and helped bring the whole page together.

To begin the layout, I cut a piece of white cardstock down to 9.5 x 9.5 inches. I distressed the edges to give it a slightly worn, textured look, then stitched around the perimeter for a bit of added detail. Once that was done, I mounted it onto a piece of pale green patterned paper, which helped frame the layout and tie in with the colours from the kit.

For the grid itself, I created nine squares and stitched around each one. The stitching adds a lovely handmade feel and also helps define each section of the grid. After sewing, I arranged them across the page in a jumbled fashion.

The most enjoyable part was decorating each square individually. I mixed and matched elements from the March embellishment kit — small die cuts, layered pieces, and textured accents — building little clusters within each section. Some squares feature photos, while others highlight decorative pieces that support the theme of the stag and travel. I pulled green papers & bits from my stash to add to the page.

Grid layouts like this are such a great way to combine photos and embellishments without the page feeling overcrowded. Each square tells a small part of the story, and together they capture a lovely memory from the trip to Dublin.

Thanks for joining me today.

Until next time,

Products used:

Hey Little Magpie Embellishment Kit