Hello, friends! It’s Meghann Andrew with you today and I am here with an important public service announcement: Scrapbook & Cards Today has years and years worth of entirely FREE content here on the website to inspire you to create! Before you start downloading, take a look at what I created; documenting a truly special day for my daughter and me, and a very special photo that I wanted to be sure was the focal point of my layout. I went to the latest free files included in the winter 2019 issue bonus files and chose the “hearts cut file” by Paige Evans, used on page 48 for the winter issue’s inspiration challenge to help me out with this focal point dilemma!
Download here!
This cut file certainly inspired me, so I decided to play along to create my own 8-1/2” x 11” layout.
Supplies | Winter 2019 Issue Hearts Cut File; Close to My Heart: Celebrate Today collection cardstock, patterned paper, stickers, vellum, & stamps; Mix-In paper packet; pearls & glitter gems; Sweet Leaf Exclusive Ink
I loved Paige’s layout, but by choosing a smaller format, I started to switch things up and make the design my own! I cut the heart cut file out in both pink and green paper and chose to use the thicker heart pieces as well as the thin ones that Paige chose to use. Printing my photo at 5” x 7” ensured that it would be large enough to be the focal point on my layout and fit inside one of the larger hearts. I added lots of texture with my sewing machine before adhering my framed heart photo to the beautiful grid background paper from the Close to My Heart Mix-In paper packet. I then adhered five additional die cut hearts to the background—choosing the thin hearts to ensure that they didn’t take away any focus from the thick heart-framed photo.
Once my focal point was set using the heart cut file, I focused on creating my title, as it is a big design element on my page. I made this one very big, choosing the “happy” banner stickers from the Close to My Heart Celebrate Today collection to begin the title with stitched lines across the top. I added this banner layered on top of my photo, forcing your eye to move across the framed photo when reading the title. I then stamped “moments like this” using the Celebrate Today scrapbooking stamp below. My journaling, which I added in Photoshop Elements, was printed after I stamped to ensure that it was in the perfect place under my title, and I added it in gray ink to make it pop less on the page.
My final steps were all about adding small pieces of embellishment that would help to keep the focus of the layout on my framed, die cut photo. I added the “what a day” stamped circle right on the photo frame edge, topping it with a floral sticker, vellum leaves, small pearls, and glitter gems, also at the photo’s edge. Adding two more embellishment groupings: a fussy-cut flower and a vellum banner around my photo created a triangle of embellishment.
To balance all of the embellishment at the top of the page, I had to add a small grouping to the base of the layout that did not take away from my photo. I chose a simple pink vellum heart, the “celebrate this life” phrase stickers and a grouping of glitter gems and a pearl: all simple, and small elements that didn’t hold as much visual weight as my photo.
I hope this layout inspires you to find your favorite freebies from the amazing, free content available here from Scrapbook & Cards Today, and use them to create a project that focuses on the most important aspect of your design, whether that be a treasured photo or meaningful journaling! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!
Be sure to find Meghann on Instagram @meghannandrew
What a great layout. Pinning this one for a future project. Have just the right picture in mind. Thank you for sharing.
Question about the cut files…what kind of machines are they compatible with? I am a creative newbie and all I have is a Silhouette Portrait….thanks!
Gorgeous page Meghann, Love those beautiful colours together. Cute ears too!
Gorgeous layout and thanks for reminding me about the free cut files. Love this one.
Such a BEAUTIFUL LO! Noticing all of the stitching and detail work you put into it. Beautiful!
Love this layout.
Really cute layout and that would definitely be one to remember the times they represent.
Great Layout! I have a lot of the CTMH products you used! Can’t wait to check out the free file and do some creating of my own! Thank you for the beautiful inspiration!
Love it! ❤️
Love this layout, thanks for the inspiration. I have an 8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook that I haven’t worked on in years…time to dig it out!
Cute layout (and daughter!). I like the banner placement, will keep that in mind.
Awesome layout! Your photo really is a focal point. I love CTMH products and I am going to check out the products you used here. Thanks for sharing this idea!