Want an easy way to take the struggle out of matching patterned papers? This solution is so simple you won’t believe you haven’t tried it.

Here’s an easy, no-fail cheat!

Use monochromatic patterned papers.

Yes. It really can be this easy. Let me show you!

This layout has 4 different patterned papers. They are NOT all from the same collection, or designed by the same designer.

The one thing they have in common is… they all contain shades of green.

By using a monochromatic (single colour) on your layout you don’t have to worry about whether the colours match or work well together.

Pro Tips:

1. Choose ONE patterned paper first. Then you can select more papers that share that colour and tone.
2. If you think it works… it probably does. Don’t second guess yourself out of a great option!
3. You can make this even easier on yourself if you use papers from one designer. It’s not cheating… it’s designed to work together! Why fight it?

Make it Monday

Hop over to Photos Kept Alive where Karen is using colouring to help her concentrate.

More

If you like these tips about working with patterned paper you’ll probably love this post too: Scrapbooking with Bright Colours and Fun Patterns

I hope you have a wonderful day. Let your creativity shine!

Alice.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Just what you wanted, another page with more green! Of course you do!

Since green is everywhere you look today, I thought it was appropriate to share some green layouts, cards and art journaling projects.

Funny thing…

…it turns out I don’t actually use that much green in my crafting. I guess Kermit was right when he sang that “it’s not easy being green”. Apparently it’s not easy scrapbooking with green either.

(And this whole time I’ve heard that purple was the difficult colour for scrapbookers.)

So, in a way this is really helpful. By gathering up green projects it’s easier to be inspired by green and get crafty with it. Besides, you know that you’re going to end up with pictures of someone wearing a green shirt today!

Mint, olive, lime, khaki, avocado, jade, blue-green, apple, chartreuse, grass, kelly, moss, pea, pine, sage, sea, spinach… take your pick!

Ready to get more GREEN inspiration? 

Art journal, or scrapbook? Combine paint, photos, and digital vintage St. Patrick’s Day postcards for a fun take on memory keeping. http://kristiesloan.com/artjournal-style-hybrid-scrapbooking/

Have a wonderful day!

Alice.

Put some pizzazz into your scrapbooking by using bright colours and fun patterns.

Here are some tips that will help!

When you use bright papers that have fun patterns you don’t want your layout to be overwhelming. Find your “neutral” pattern. The yellow paper from the background of this layout is a neutral pattern. Even though it has a busy pattern the monochromatic colours make it a neutral. These are great choices to use between any patterns that are really bold, like the multi-coloured circles.

Really bold patterns can be less overwhelming if you layer photos, journaling or other papers over top.

Adding texture, like embossing, is a great way to add interest to the page without it getting too busy and makes plain cardstock more fun!

Another great way to add texture is to raise some elements off of the page using pop dots or foam tape.

The fun cars on this layout are dimensional. You can create this look by cutting design elements out of patterned paper and layering them on your page.

Make it Monday

If you’ve arrived from the Scrapbook Campus, welcome! You’ve been celebrating in style by creating your own banner for your digital layouts. (If you’ve missed it, check it out!)

Your next stop is to Artful Adventures where Kristie has tips for all-occasion cards without worry. And she’ll guide you with how many and which sentiments to use!

More Tips for Patterned Papers

Visit this link to find 5 more tips for using multiple patterned papers.

Have a wonderful day!

Alice.

Planes, trains and automobiles… but don’t forget boats! What forms of transportation have made their way into your scrapbooks and onto your layouts?

Whether boats are part of your transportation or purely for pleasure you’ll want to include them in your scrapbooking.

This month is LOAD216 Around the World in 29 Days, and the prompts are all travel-related. That doesn’t mean that you have to scrapbook travel photos or vacations.

Day 23 is talking about transportation, specifically boats. What boat-related stories are waiting to be told?

Day 23 – Transportation: Boats

Our only transportation by boat around here is for fun and recreation! I used the journaling to link my childhood memories to my children’s. I was able to share a lot of special moments by using a dozen small photos on this grid-based layout. Yes, that is my 65+ year old father zipping around on waterskis, what an example of living life to the fullest.

Journaling:

Some of my favourite childhood memories are spent on a boat at the lake, and hopefully my boys will fell the same way. We love going to the lake with my mom and dad and zipping around in their speed boat. We go water skiing, tubing and we cruise the lake. This is my idea of summer fun!

Fun details:

• Notice the bright colours of the paper pack that are a perfect complement to the bright colours in the photos.
• This page looks a bit like a pocket page, right? It’s not, but it does USE pocket cards!
• The enamel dots are a fun and playful monochromatic addition to the page. Being the same colour as the background they add interest without competing for attention.
• This layout has 12 photos! It’s perfect for showcasing lots of special little moments.
• When adding photos try to think of where they will fit best on the layout. It is preferable to have people facing towards the centre of the page.

I hope you’ll be inspired to scrapbooking your boat-related memories and get them into your scrapbooks!

Have a wonderful day!

Alice.