Mix & Match
For some scrapbookers, mixing patterns from different manufacturers is intuitive, effortless, and energizing. But for others, the process is intimidating or even paralyzing. If you fall into this second category, don’t despair. You can still match patterns like a pro.
In her upcoming eBook, Design Workshop: Become a design genius in 10 easy steps, Lisa Dickinson offers reliable advice for designing pages like a professional graphic designer. (After all, she is a professional graphic designer.) Lisa's tips for matching patterns are simple and easy to apply, giving every scrapbooker a chance to overcome that paralyzing feeling and achieve beautifully mismatched results. Not convinced? Wendy Smedley and Rachel Gainer—two pattern-matching novices—took Lisa’s advice to heart and found that pairing patterns wasn’t as impossible as it seemed. Find out what they discovered; then test the tips for yourself.
Tip 1:
Combine different-colored patterns that are the same scale.
Even if the colors are widely different, choosing similarly sized patterns will give your papers a sense of commonality and unity. This technique works especially well with small, repeating patterns that are each mostly one color. Such simple designs add texture and depth without stealing attention away from photos and journaling.
Example A
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Supplies: patterned paper (Jenni Bowlin, K&Company, October Afternoon, Studio Calico) • chipboard letter (Scenic Route) • letter stickers, flair accent (American Crafts) • rhinestones • brad • stamping ink • Folks font • 12 x 12 page by Wendy Smedley |
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To save time, Wendy often relies on coordinated collections, but for this assignment, she challenged herself to choose papers from four different manufacturers. Following Lisa’s advice, she looked for geometric patterns of approximately the same size. Three of her choices are predominantly one color plus white, and the last is a striped pattern that includes the other colors. Wendy says, “I enjoyed getting inside Lisa’s head and learning how she intuitively lays out her pages. I’m thrilled with how my layout turned out, and I’m looking at my patterned paper in an entirely new light.”
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WENDY’S ADVICE: If you enjoy the time-saving benefits of coordinated collections but want the eclectic look of handpicked patterns, try subscribing to a kit club that does the matching for you.
Example B
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Supplies: patterned paper (All My Memories, BasicGrey, My Mind’s Eye, Scenic Route) • chipboard letters, letter stickers (October Afternoon) • chipboard butterfly (Scenic Route) • Garamond font • 11 x 8½ page by Rachel Gainer |
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If you feel uncomfortable abandoning the security of precoordinated papers, experiment with a combined approach. To create this feminine page, Rachel started with two floral patterns from BasicGrey’s Lemonade line. Then, using these papers as color inspiration, she selected three supplemental patterns from different manufacturers. “Lisa’s tip made it easy to mix floral and geometric patterns, a look I’ve always admired,” says Rachel. “I love that I can start in my comfort zone—with precoordinated papers—and still achieve that handpicked look.”
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RACHEL’S ADVICE: If you organize your patterned paper by manufacturer and collection, finding small, monochromatic patterns may take a while. Try creating a special category in your system for versatile prints like these, or use this system to organize scraps and leftovers.
Tip 2:
Combine different-sized patterns from the same color palette.
To mix small and large patterns on a single layout, you’ll need to use another visual cue to tie the papers together. Repeating similar colors throughout your design is a simple way to establish a sense of unity and flow.
Example A
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Supplies: patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket, Little Yellow Bicycle, Sassafras Lass, Studio Calico) • doilies (Little Yellow Bicycle) • journaling card (Jenni Bowlin) • letter stickers (American Crafts, K&Company) • brad (My Mind’s Eye) • photo corner • string • 12 x 12 page by Wendy Smedley |
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Like most scrapbookers, Wendy owns a lot of patterned paper. Since she organizes that paper by manufacturer and collection rather than color, it’s not always easy for her to round up papers that fit a specific, predetermined color palette. In this case, she decided to simplify her search by sticking to just one hue (green). And thanks to Lisa’s advice, she felt confident about pairing elegant organic prints with more casual gridded patterns, because they had something else in common—color. “This was very different from my normal process,” says Wendy. “But I’m happy with the results, and I plan to use this approach many times in the future.”
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WENDY’S ADVICE: Find a place to start. Start with one inspiring piece of patterned paper, and work from there. If the paper features just one or two colors, hunt for other papers in those hues.
Example B
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Supplies: patterned papers (BasicGrey, Scenic Route, Cosmo Cricket, Chatterbox) • letter stickers and rub-ons (American Crafts) • Gill Sans font • 11 x 8½ page by Rachel Gainer |
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While Wendy followed Lisa’s advice by pulling together designs in a single hue, Rachel opted for a more colorful approach, using the bright bird paper to inspire her color palette. Each of the other papers is predominantly one color plus white, as in Wendy’s first layout. But unlike Wendy’s patterns, these patterns all vary in size—from the tiny green grid to the large yellow ovals. The varying pattern sizes work together because they reflect colors in the bird paper and share a casual, geometric feel.
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RACHEL’S ADVICE: When mixing this many vibrant patterns, avoid mixing casual and formal prints. Instead, choose a visual theme for your papers—such as geometric, rugged, or feminine—to help narrow your choices. (If you want to mix themes, try a monochromatic color palette.)
If you still feel paralyzed by all the patterns at you fingertips, try limiting your choices. Set a timer for ten minutes, and pull five small patterns with one dominant color from your stash. Or start with just one sheet, and build from there. Just remember that all your papers should share at least one strong visual connection (whether it’s color, style, or pattern size), and you’ll be mixing and matching patterns like a pro in no time. Guaranteed!
Coming Soon!
Master today’s trendiest looks, from layered approaches to handmade accent clusters to mixed-and-matched patterned paper. Talented author Lisa Dickinson, a professional graphic artist and longtime scrapbooker, has gathered 10 helpful tips (illustrated by 22 beautiful layouts) that will take the mystery out of page design. Available May 19.