Sketch Support #43 | Learn How to Use and Adapt Scrapbook Sketches | Day 3

Allison
5 hours ago
3 min read

Once a month learn how to use scrapbook sketches and adapt them to fit different styles, photo sizes, and themes. Sketches = endless scrapbooking ideas with little effort. Sketches do all the heavy lifting allowing you to have all the fun!

Day 3 of Sketch Support is always about showing how you can adapt the the sketch to work for a different size of layout. For my layout today I altered the one-page sketch to work for a two-page layout.

Here is the one-page sketch that was used as my starting point.

You can download the full sketch with measurements and placements by clicking here.

You can also grab the Sketch Support #43 Bonus Sketch Examples!

This month it is a 3-page PDF of 23 different sketch options. That makes 24 sketches for this month of Sketch Support. There are options that show how to change up the papers, use more photos, use less photos, there are four two-page options, and then an 8-1/2 x 11" option. The fun part is that you could use each option as a layout on its own, but you could also mix and match different options for endless possibilities!

You can purchase the bonus sketches by clicking here.

Variation #1 - Extending the design to work on a two-page layout.

At first I was a little worried about the potential difficulty of adapting this one to work on a two-page layout. The way the swirl is positioned on the sketch it brings a little bit of a challenge when it comes to extending the design across two pages. Then I had a light bulb moment of slightly altering the shape of the swirl by using a straight line across one page and then curving it into the rounded design on the opposite page.

I started off by adding my row of photos and then adhered the triangles across the bottom edge. Then the triangles start to curve into the swirl design once it passes the last photo in that row.

Variation #2 - Flipping the direction of the swirl.

One of the most common reasons I will flip a design is to prevent my photos from going in the wrong direction. Basically it comes down to that fact that I don't like having the subject in my photos facing towards the outer edges of the layout. It may sound kind of silly, but it's a very useful way to ensure that the attention stays focused on the layout and those photos.

Variation #3 - Using a different element to create the swirl.

I love the idea, especially on a two-page layout, of creating movement within the swirl design by using arrows. One of my go-to ways to create an arrow is to layer triangles together, pointing in the direction the movement in the photos is going.

To make these triangles I cut several 1-1/2" squares and then cut each square in half diagonally. As it got towards the end of the swirl I tapered the size down to 1-1/4" and then 1".

Variation #4 - Adding more photos.

Naturally since I was creating a two-page layout, adding more photos was a must. I started off with a set of six 4 x 6" photos. I could have just stayed with the 4 x 6", but I would have only been able to use five photos and you wouldn't see as much of the swirl.

There was enough empty space on the edges of the photos so I decided to narrow them down to 3 x 6" and this gave me the room I needed to include all six photos AND not cover up as much of the swirl.

The sixth photo is in the same general placement as the two smaller photos on the sketch so no other adjustments were needed for that area.