How I put a layout together...

The one about the elevated pancakes

It's been a while since I shared my creative process for a layout so here's a quick tutorial on how I  put a layout together these days (with the need to incorporate paper scraps, happy mail bits and ephemera). This layout was shared last month on the blog so you might have seen this before.

I start off by picking out my base piece of patterned paper, then find smaller pieces that coordinate to mat the photos. I also try to find scrap pieces to tuck underneath my photos to create a mat for my decorative elements. Once I'm happy with the main composition, I just stick my pieces down with a mixture of wet and dry adhesives. This forces me to commit to the placement instead of moving pieces around (a real time-saver). I do leave the edges of each piece unglued so that I can tuck small little bits like a ribbon tab or a small piece of paper to pull the elements together.

Because I'm working with so many patterns, I like to find ways to draw attention to the photos.  Like "framing" the face and embellishing around the photo.

Then I start adding in the details....like the washi tape for a little bit more pattern and also to serve as a top layer of adhesive. And textured die-cut pieces for interest.

And fun embellishments. :) These days, I've been "journaling" with stickers and quotes.

The final step for me is the title work. Now, lots of people might start with the title work first but I do it at the end because I'm trying to use up my mish mash chipboard letter/sticker collection. You know, squeezing in as many bits without overwhelming the layout. *winks*

There you have it...how I put a layout together. :) It is relatively fast and I do about 4 layouts in one sitting even though I share them in over 4 weeks (because let's be real, that drawing thing takes up a lot of time! *LOL*).

Has your creative process changed over the years?