From Sketch to Scrapbook Page...

Hi, Mandy here.  This will be my last post until March next year as I'm preparing for a long trip to Africa with the Charity I work with.  Before I go I want to share a recent scrapbook page and the process I went through from sketch to finished LO.  The colours are a little strange as they were taken indoors in artificial lighting as I didn't have time when it was daylight!  This happy little chap is my Nephew.  The photo is one my sister-in-law sent me last year when he was only 3 months old.  Seriously cute and no I'm not biased (!)

Sketches are a really useful way to get going.  Thinking up my own design takes longer and although it's very satisfying, sketches are quicker for me when time is short.  The pp is one of my fave Christmas ranges called 'Peppermint Twist' by Brenda Walton for K&Company.  It must be about 4 or 5 years old (or more) but I still love it.  Sadly the pp is nearly covered up but still makes me smile.  The embellishment layered cluster (bottom right) is what I made a stack of for the JYC class by Shimelle which I'm doing for the first time this year. 

So, the process of making this LO was pretty straight forward.  I think I've mentioned before that I find it very interesting when someone shares the 'hows and whys' of making something.  I'm nosey like that!  So I started with the photo (still on my hardrive, not printed yet).  There were no support photos so I knew it would be a one photo LO which is something I often do.  So, then I searched for a sketch that was suitable for just one photo.  I have sketches saved on my i-pad and find it very useful to flick through, then have out on the table while I work.  Jana Eubank has pages of fab sketches and they can all be downloaded.  Really great 'do-able' sketches.  I chose a sketch from Page 7.  It's the one second from the bottom on the right edge (dark black scallop circle).... 

Once I'd chosen the sketch  I then printed my photo out at home, size 5" x 7".  The only thing I did to the original photo was crop some of the background cushion away, but I sometimes add frames or touch-up my photos in PSE9, but not this time.  Instead of a solid scallop I decided to hand-sew a large circle with 3 sets of buttons around the edge.  At this point I really want to mention  SJ at 'Little Musings'  and her idea called 'Take One'.    SJ encourages folks to look at their own pages for inspiration and 'take one' idea away and use it on a new LO.  Well, the LO below is one of my own LOs from about 2 years ago and I used SJ's idea to 'take one' thing (the large hand-sewn circle with buttons) and use that on my LO about my nephew.  So in terms of the sketch, the sewn circle and buttons took the place of the large scallop circle. 

I drew around a large dinner plate in pencil to get an idea of the size and placement of the circle...

I cut a wide strip of pp and rummaged for a strip of felt trim (Funday by MME).  The embellishment cluster was already made as a JYC number embellishment (without number obviously!)

I sorted out some buttons in red, green, black and white.  At this point nothing is glued down, but I marked the cardstock in pencil, so I knew where not to sew as there was pp over that part.

I sewed the circle and buttons on the cardstock with green embroidery floss...

I inked the pp with brown ink around the edges and glued everything down.  Then I added the title (glittery red Thickers called Reindeer).  Here's a comparison with the sketch and LO so far... 

I decided to journal around the edge of the circle, which made the circle more pronounced and i think it takes the eye up the LO because it's very heavy visually at the bottom.  The journaling is always harder when you didn't take the photo yourself and don't have much of a story.  Mine says...

" ********'s 1st Christmas... He was only three months old and such a smiler.  Love how he has only one slipper on.  Seriously... the cutest Santa!"

 

Here's a close up...

 

This was such a simple and fun LO to make and although there's not much of a story, I do love that photo.

Have a great Christmas, see you in March x

Mandy.

 

Comments

[Debbie]

Lovely to see how you get to a page, love your embellies you have made too. Hope your trip goes really well x

[Lynne V.]

I hadn't heard of Jana Eubank and have tended to use Page Maps, off to look for some ideas for LO's. Thanks for sharing your process of making a LO, I love seeing how other people do theirs.
Enjoy your 3 months away, look forward to seeing what inspiration you bring back with you.

[Erika]

Great LO love your colour combo and all the layering.
Erika.

[ifa]

Have a good trip Mandy. Looking forward to hearing about it all when you get back.

[Eleanor]

Loving that stitching and buttons. I have a photo of Robbie almost exactly like this - I feel a scraplift coming over me, as you make it very easy with your detailed method.
Elxx

[Gabrielle]

beautiful Lo and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and start to 2012 in Africa! Can't wait to see your African inspired makes in March!

[jayne]

love it x