I wanted to share with you some design ideas for creating a unique foundation on your page for your photos to reside.  It's a great way to begin a page because it gives your photos a "home"  and gives them a solid layer on which to build upon.  Obviously, a square of cardstock or patterned paper is the simplest way to create this base. I'm going to give you some out-of-the-box ideas using supplies you may not have thought of before.

Try LEFTOVERS as your foundation:

These tags were made for journaling, but grouped together in a rectangle, they make a wonderful base for these photos of my daughter.  You could create similar base with patterned paper, but this set of die-cut tags were quick and easy because they were already cut and color coordinated!

supplies:  die cut tags (Collage Press) + metal photos corners (Making Memories) + scissors (Fiskars) + font (Typeslab Serif) + brads

Used alone, these perforated tickets could make a cute accent to your page.  But grouped together, they make a colorful and textural matte for my photos.  The rough edges of the perforations add a rustic feel that works well with the pumpkin patch scene and the wooden letters.

supplies:  tickets (SEI) + letters (K & COmpany) + flowers (MAking Memories) + font (Veteran Typewriter) + buttons

Hope you enjoyed this series as much as I. if you missed my previous weeks check them out .

Week 1 PAINT

Week 2 STAMPS

Week 3 PATTERNED PAPER STRIPS

To learn how to make layouts like ones shown here pick up a copy of Design Workshop for $5.99, authored by me, Lisa.

Week 3 winner is Lisa Kisch

I wanted to share with you some design ideas for creating a unique foundation on your page for your photos to reside.  It's a great way to begin a page because it gives your photos a "home"  and gives them a solid layer on which to build upon.  Obviously, a square of cardstock or patterned paper is the simplest way to create this base. I'm going to give you some out-of-the-box ideas using supplies you may not have thought of before.

Try PATTERNED PAPER STRIPS as your foundation:

To create a sense of motion on this page about my kids tubing, I used various widths of patterned paper staggered across the page.  It makes a visually interesting platform for the photos and gives the mostly-white photos a nice colored background to contrast against.

supplies:  patterned paper (Studio Calico, October Afternoon, Jenni Bowlin Studio, vintage) + stickers (Studio Calico) + pearl (Basic Grey) + flower

I could have used a square of kraft cardstock to matte my photos and journaling on this page, but by weaving several 1/2" strips together, I've added much more texture and interest to the foundation.  I purposely trimmed the edges unevenly to keep the base from feeling too blocky and square.

supplies:  patterned paper, journal card, stickers, label (Jenni Bowlin Studio) + flower (Prima) + button

Come back next week to see what other foundation ideas I share. if you missed my previous weeks check them out .

Week 1 PAINT

Week 2 STAMPS

To learn how to make layouts like ones shown here pick up a copy of Design Workshop for $5.99, authored by me, Lisa.

week 2 winner is goldnuggt

I wanted to share with you some design ideas for creating a unique foundation on your page for your photos to reside.  It's a great way to begin a page because it gives your photos a "home"  and gives them a solid layer on which to build upon.  Obviously, a square of cardstock or patterned paper is the simplest way to create this base, but for the next few Fridays I'm going to give you some out-of-the-box ideas using supplies you may not have thought of before.

Use your STAMPS as a Foundation:

A border stamp can make a great photo matte!  On this holiday page, I used a scalloped border stamp to make a box that neatly holds my photos and title.  A few snowflake embellishments soften the corners and add a festive feel.

Supplies: patterned paper (Making Memories) + stamps (Studio Calico) + ink (Stampin' Up) + letter stickers (Making Memories) + sticker (Fontwerks) + brads (Making Memories) + machine stitching

Come back next week to see what other foundation ideas I share. if you missed last week, check it out here. To learn how to make layouts like ones shown here pick up a copy of Design Workshop for $5.99, authored by me, Lisa.

Week 1 winner is MEganKlaur

I wanted to share with you some design ideas for creating a unique foundation on your page for your photos to reside.  It's a great way to begin a page because it gives your photos a "home"  and gives them a solid layer on which to build upon.  Obviously, a square of cardstock or patterned paper is the simplest way to create this base, but for the next three weeks I'm going to give you some out-of-the-box ideas using supplies you may not have thought of before.

Try PAINT as your foundation:

A super simple way to create a colorful background for your photos is to use paint.  For this page, I laid a piece of die-cut paper on my white cardstock and painted over it with magenta acrylic paint. Once the paint dried, I topped it with chipboard buttons and stitched a quick frame around it.  It makes an interesting and textured backdrop for my black& white photos.

Here's another example how a few swipes of paint can pack a bold punch on your page.  After adding the green paint, I stitched a grid and added a few scraps of patterned paper to place my photos upon.

For more fun tips and advice like this, make sure you pick up a copy of Design Workshop for just $5.99.

Play along with us this week (and come back next week for a new challenge!). To participate, add your layout using the link below. Each week, one person will win a copy of my book, Design Workshop. Contest closes Thursday after the post at midnight MST.