Beyond the Page
One of the reasons I love working with sketches is that they take the guesswork out of layout design. I’m no good at pushing photos around on a page. If I don’t have a clear vision of my page before I get started, then I’m not going to get anywhere.
This used to be a big problem for me whenever I would make a mini-album. For some reason, I thought that every page had to be unique, and that’s where I would get overwhelmed. Once I let go of the idea that every page needed to be different, and I let sketches guide my creative process, mini-albums became a lot easier and a lot more fun. I want to show you an example of this idea in action. Hopefully it will inspire you to use your sketches in new ways too!
My creative process always starts with a sketch. Sometimes I create a sketch with particular photos in mind. Most of the time, however, I simply search my sketch notebook for a design that fits the photos I’m ready to scrapbook. In this case, I wanted to document my son’s obsession with taking pictures. I had a single photo of him taking pictures with his camera, so I looked for a one-photo sketch. Since there would only be one photo on my page, I wanted the design to have some visual interest, and this sketch with the circle behind the journaling and title caught my eye.
After I selected this sketch, I realized that my son’s body was facing the “wrong” direction. No problem! I simply flipped the sketch so that his body would face towards the page and the other design elements. (If I had kept the sketch as it is, my son’s body would have been facing away from the page).
Shutter Bug Layout
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Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill) • patterned paper, cardstock stickers (Studio Calico) • chipboard letters (American Crafts) • letter stickers (October Afternoon) • buttons (Basic Grey) • twine • 12 x 12 page by Donna Jannuzzi |
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Tip: Notice the small inset photo next to the title. I realized as I was making this page that if I looked on Gabe’s camera, I’d be able to find the exact picture he was taking when I snapped his picture. So I printed it at 2 x 2 inches and added it to my page. Is it part of the original design? No. But it’s important not to be limited by sketches; they’re meant to make the process easier and faster rather than to restrict your creative freedom.
Growing Up Together Album
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Supplies:
chipboard album (We R Memory Keepers) • patterned paper, label stickers (October Afternoon) • chipboard letters (Heidi Swapp) • buttons (Scenic Route) • punch (Fiskars) • acrylic paint • twine • ribbon • mini-album by Donna Jannuzzi |
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I used the exact same sketch as the foundation of a mini-album that documents the relationship that my sons share as brothers. I wanted to keep this project simple, because there was no way that I could document every moment or experience they’ve shared. I narrowed down my photos to my favorite shots of them together over the past 16 months—photos that really stood out in my memory. As you can see in the image below, I kept the sketch in its original orientation and spread the design across two pages. The left-hand page features a circle as the background for the journaling, and the right-hand page features my photos. There's also a band of patterned paper running across both pages, as the sketch specifies.
Album Spread #1
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I didn’t follow the sketch exactly on every page of my album. In the example below, I knew I wanted to include both of the photos on one page, so all I did was split the space designated for the one portrait-orientation photo so I could use two landscape-orientation photos. Remember, a sketch is there to be a guide for your process; it is not meant dictate every design choice. You should always feel free to adapt your sketches to work for you.
Album Spread #2
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Tip: To speed up the process even further, limit your product selection before you start working. I chose a set of circle die-cut papers and a few sheets of patterned paper, plus some label stickers and buttons for embellishments. The assembly process was very quick, and I have to admit that this was one of the fastest mini albums I’ve ever made. When deciding what to do for the cover of my mini book, I took a cue from my products and used the same die-cut paper from the inside pages on the front cover.
When working with sketches, don’t stop with mini-albums and layouts alone. Maybe your favorite sketch would work great as a card, wall décor, or an altered item. The only limit is your imagination!
Join the fun!
For more fun with sketches, make sure you visit The Daily Trumpet blog on February 12 and February 19. These are the last two installments in our “Six Weeks of Sketches” challenge. Three winners each week will receive a free eBook, and one grand-prize winner will get a Cricut Expression worth $349. The more weeks you enter, the more chances you have to win!
Buy the eBook
And don’t forget to pick up your copy of my eBook! You’ll enjoy seven original sketches that have each been interpreted three ways, plus 32 bonus sketches to inspire your scrapbooking.