Girls Night

Welcome to the final day of Blog Candy Week!  I will leave all comments open until Midnight Central Time on Sunday.  Winners will be announced on Tuesday.

Today I have another sketch-based two-page layout to share, along with a few tips. 

I apologize for the poor photo - if the light is better in the morning I'll replace it! Update: New photo is in place.  I can tell I don't use pastels much anymore, because this was h-a-r-d to get a decent picture of!  Be sure to click on the pic to enlarge it.

This is another Sketch Support sketch, which I followed almost exactly.  Just a few tips on how I added some easy texture & dimension to this.  First, I replaced a cardstock strip with the pink crocheted ribbon at the bottom.  Ribbon is a quick & easy way to add texture.  The best way to adhere an uneven surface like crochet is to use Scor-Tape; the 1/8" width was perfect for the top edge of this one.

Second, the sketch called for some stitching around the main square (the alpha paper).  To keep the feel without taking the time to actually stitch, I just poked holes with my paper piercer.  I could also add pen stitching between the holes, but I opted to leave it plain for this layout.

Third, I popped up my cardstock stickers on pop dots.  To prevent them from sticking where they shouldn't, you simply place the pop dot(s) on the back without removing the top paper, then cover the remaining adhesive on the sticker with baby powder (or use an embossing buddy).   Finally, to help tie in the stickers with the rhinestone flourish, I added some rhinestones as flower centers/buds in each embellishment group.

Oh, one last note: did you notice that (following the sketch) there are three groups of embellishments on the layout, arranged in a triangle?  As was repeated in every art class I took in college, there are certain things that make a design pleasing to the eye.  Odd numbers are more pleasing than even, especially threes.  Also, arranging items in a triangular shape across a design like this helps your eye flow through the layout rather than getting "stuck".  And repetition is very pleasing: same shape and/or same color, etc. are enjoyable to look at.

I hope you've had fun here this week!  I am totally looking forward to drawing names of winners!  Hope to see you back here soon.