Sketch Week #1 | How to Use and Adapt Scrapbook Sketches | Day 3

For my last layout I ended up with something that at first glance doesn't look like the sketch at all. But, that is the great thing about sketches. They are not always a rule to follow, only a suggestion for your own creativity to start from. Today, I used a two-page sketch to create a one-page layout.

If you missed day one and two, check them out here:

Day #1 Day #2

Here's a look at the sketch I've used as the starting point for all of my layouts this week:

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

Variation #1 - Removing photos.

Naturally, to create a one-page layout from a two-page sketch you are going to have to condense some things and possible remove certain elements. For my layout, I removed the middle block of 4 x 6" photos and focused on the three smaller photos.

I brought those three photos together, while still arranged as they are on the sketch. It's like the 4 x 6" photos disappeared and those three small photos squeezed together.

Variation #2 - Using a different photo size.

I used 2-1/2 x 3-1/2" photos instead of the 3 x 3" photos on the sketch. I wanted to include my dog's full body in the photos and a square just didn't allow that. Since it wasn't a big change in photo size, I didn't have to really make any big adjustments.

Variation #3 - Replacing background pieces with a large shape.

One of my favorite ways to change up a sketch is to use a large shape in place of a background piece. Using large shapes like hearts, stars, or circles is a great way to get a different look without much effort.

If you imagined the whole two-page sketch shrunken down, the heart is replacing those background strips.

I instantly fell in love with this heart paper and have had sitting on my table for a very long time, just waiting for the right opportunity. Don't you just love finding papers like that? I knew instantly that I wanted to add some stitching to it to add some texture and highlight those individual pieces of the design. I used different coordinating colors of embroidery floss and added a simple border to each individual piece.

Variation #4 - Adding extra embellishments.

I added some extra embellishments along the bottom of the photos. For the most part the embellishments are arranged the same as they are on the sketch, I just went a little flower and heart crazy!

I used a larger heart as the background for my title and then mixed flower stickers, vine die cuts, word stickers, and smaller hearts to create the rest of the cluster.

Well, that's all for Sketch Week! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did! I'm already planning and plotting for the next one!

Products used - Patterned papers and flower stickers: Echo Park Just Be You; Word Stickers: Simple Stories; Heart Punches: Martha Stewart and Recollections; Ink: Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown