Sunday, May 9, 2010

Sketch Week, Part 1

It's Sketch Week! And this month it's more like Sketch Week the extreme version. May is one of my favorite months. One, because it's the month that two of my favorite people in the world were born in and two, because it's home to National Scrapbooking Day. I know National Scrapbooking day has passed already but I thought this month I would amp it up a little in celebration of our favorite hobby.

So what does this mean? More layouts, more giveaways, a sneak peek at our newest Sketches for Scrapbooking, (Volume 6), and even a few surprises. I don't know about you but I'm ready to get started!

This is the sketch, from Sketches for Scrapbooking, Volume 6 (available July 1) that I will be using as the starting point for each layout this week.


I love this sketch for many reasons. Lots of photos, ample room for journaling, and fun details with paper. Another reason is that this sketch reminds me to step out of my normal routine. Most of the time I fall into a pattern with my pages - title in the top left area, journaling in the bottom right. I love that this sketch puts the journaling right smack in the middle.

Layout #1 - "Reckless Driver"

Supply List - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned paper: Doodlebug Designs, We R Memory Keepers, and Sassafras Lass; Punch outs: Doodlebug Designs; Brads: Doodlebug Designs; Alphabets: Prima and Doodlebug Designs.

When I look at the sketch I see the large circle on the right page as a die cut patterned paper. However, I didn't have one that went with the paper I used so instead I cut a large circle out of patterned paper and added a stitched border around it.

• Variation #1 - The stars as suggested on the sketch would have worked just fine with this page but I happened to have these cute little cars, arrows, and road signs. They are in the same suggested location as the stars on the sketch.


I added a little detail to the car punch outs by attaching brads to the center of the wheels. Adding little touches like that can help jazz up a simple embellishment.

• Variation #2 - I added a large die cut journaling piece behind the strips and then used pop dots on some of the strips. I wish I had a great reason to give you as to why I added the journaling piece but I don't. I just thought it looked cute and it came with the same set of punch outs as the cars.


On the sketch there are three strips below the journaling strips that have words on them. There are a lot of things you can do with that part of the sketch. On this layout I took the last sentence of my journaling, enlarged it, and then cut the strips a little larger than the other journaling strips. That way, since it was a sentence that pretty much summed up the theme of the layout, it stood out among the others.

Layout #2 - "Puppy Love"

Supply List - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye, October Afternood and (I can't remember who the puppy paper was from.); Stickers: Doodlebug Designs; Bone Alphabet: (Don't remember, I bought them sooooooo long ago!); Alphabet: Doodlebug Designs.

• Variation #1 - A super easy way to get multiple uses out of sketch is to flip it. For my Puppy Love layout I created a mirror image of the original sketch. Just like if you stamped the right side onto the left and the left side onto the right.

• Variation #2 - Two of my pictures that I intended to use for the 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" pictures on the sketch just couldn't be cropped down. If I would have cut them down to 4 1/2" I would have lost important parts of the picture. My simple solution was to leave the 6" height and still cut the 2 1/2" width. There is plenty of room on the layout to have the larger height without covering up too much of the design.


• Variation #3 - I still used journaling strips as suggested on the sketch but I changed the way they were arranged. On the sketch several of the strips overlap onto the photo beside them. I didn't want to do that since Drew and his puppy were taking up the whole photo and I didn't want to cover them up. So, instead I arrange the strips to form a block with even spacing on the left and right.

• Variation #4 - For something a little different and maybe not that noticeable, I extended all of the strips across the whole page. This would work great is you were using a strip of patterned paper with words across it and you didn't want to cut the words off or you had a 12" embellishment (like a chipboard border) that you didn't want to trim down.

• Variation #5 - Speaking of the strips, I used a scallop border for the bottom strip instead of the straight cut patterned paper. This is one of the easiest way to change the look of a sketch and just think of all the different borders (especially with so many cute border punches in stores right now) you could do!

• Variation #6 - Instead of stars this time I used hearts cut from patterned paper and then added some dog bone words and stickers. Just like on "Reckless Driver", I add a little finishing touch to the dog stickers, this time, by adding some Stickles on the nose.


• Variation #7 - I moved the title over to the left edge of the right page instead of having it on the right edge of the photos as suggested on the sketch (the mirror image/flipped version). The sketch gives you a lot of room for the title whether you want to use larger alphabets or have a long title. I had a fairly short title but after "testing" it out on the layout I just thought it looked better towards the center. That whole area above the photos is usable!

Part of the extreme version of Sketch Week this month will be that instead of giving away one copy of Sketches for Scrapbooking for the whole week, I'll be giving away one a day! Leave a comment to enter the giveaway and each day I'll post the winner of the day before. :)

108 comments:

Julie said...

I've been looking forward to this all month. Great sketch as always.

Melanie said...

This is my fave week on your blog! Your layouts are too cute!

Brenda Johnston said...

I love this new sketch! Can't wait till the book comes out!

Just Sew Sue said...

Fabulous. When's the new book out?

Gretchen Lindsey said...

So excited to see the first day of sketch week! Your boys are too cute! Can't wait to get my copies of volumes 4 & 5 which I'm getting for my birthday this month!!

Cindy Leggett said...

Wow! How exciting to see a sketch from the new book. Adding the brads to the wheels was so clever. Thanks for sharing with us your wonderful talents.

dawn said...

Happy Sketch Week Everyone. I hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day. These layouts are so so cute Allison. I love the big circle "diecut" love how many pictures to use. The first one is so funny, love the journaling about Drew steering. Those are cute embelishments on both layouts. Thanks so much for showing two layouts today and for the giveaway EVERYDAY, so exciting.I cleaned off my scrap table yesterday so I could scrap all week and try to do these sketches along with you. I can't wait to see tomorrow's!!

Connie K. said...

Great sketch! I love all the fun patterned papers you used and the cute die cuts too.

Laura J said...

Cute layouts!! And I'm thrilled to be seeing a sketch from the upcoming sketch book #6!!!!

Joanne Walton said...

Yeah a new sketch book, love your interpretations

nanapatty said...

Little boys and their toys and us and our scrapbooking!! Cute layout and love the big circle!

Jennifer D. said...

I have been looking forward to Sketch week!!! You did not disappoint!! SO excited about your new venture! It will be a HUGE success!!

Kim said...

So glad to hear you are coming out with Volume 6. Your sketches are such a time-saver. Thanks for showing these variations -- proves once again how versatile a good sketch can be.

Kelly said...

Thank goodness it is sketch week!!! I am so ready!

Christel said...

I love this sketch and am so excited about it being sketch week again. Yay!!! Love both the layouts that you did and the way you cluster your embellishments together.

Miss Misi said...

Great uses of the sketch. Both LOs are adorable!

Heather said...

You use the cutest embellishments on your pages. Are they all homemade or do you buy them from different designers?
I can't wait to see what you do next with the sketch.
Heather

connie said...

I have looking forward to Sketch week! I love all the small details you add to your LO's.

Unknown said...

I just love your sketches and layouts- they are always so fun and inspiring:-)

Unknown said...

I love this time of the month, Sketch week is the best. Thanks for the ideas as always.

Scrapthat said...

Very cool!
Every sketch looks better and better than the next...they are all FABULOUS!

Therese said...

Glad that it is sketch week - love the inspiration!!

The sketch is great - really think that the circle adds so much to the page.

Christa Allgood said...

I love the little bones......did you make those?

Marcia S said...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who saves old stuff. You never know when you'll need dog bone alphabets! Love the sketch.

R. Dorrian6 said...

Woo Hoo! It's sketches week! I Wish every week was sketches week. :)

Anonymous said...

I couldn't wait to see what was in store this week. Once again I was not disappointed. I love what you did with the sketch in the first one - the car die cuts are so cute! I love how you did the journaling piece & strips. On the second page those dogbone stickers are so cute. I also like how you changed the layout pages order.

Amy S from Texas

Colleen said...

I love that you do focus shots and explanations for some of the page details. I often overlook them when I take in the whole page and they give me such inspiration for my own pages.

kroller said...

So excited about "extreme sketch week"! I love the added inspiration these weeks give me to actually use all those supplies I keep reorganizing : ) LOL Love the big circle too...I have so many papers (you know the ones you just have to buy because they're gorgeous or intricate. Then I don't know how to use them without cutting or covering too much of them up. Great way to "see" more of those papers. Thanks for the giveaways too!

Allison Davis said...

Sue, the book will be available July 1.

Gretchen, Happy Birthday! :)

Dawn, I love that you are going to use the sketch this week. Be sure to show me what you do with it!

Heather, both layouts today have pre-made embellishments. On Puppy Love I mixed together some of my own with the dog stickers.

Christa, I didn't make them. I had bought them probably 5 or so years ago. It was a whole alphabet set of them. :)

Jennifer E. said...

Sketch Week couldn't come fast enough for me. I love the detail in these layouts and can't wait to use this sketch for myself. Thanks for the inspiration.

Catherine Chiarino said...

What a cute and different sketch! I love the embelishments in the puppy page!

Amy from KC said...

I am so excited about this sketch! I love that the journaling is in the center of the layout. I tend to place my journaling on the right, in a corner, so mixing it up by putting it in the center is a good change for me.

I'll say it again: Woo Hoo sketch week!!!!

Amy13 said...

W-O-W! Your layouts are always so over the top FANTASTIC! Love them both. And I love how you show us how to use one sketch in so many different ways.

Kim M said...

This is always my favorite time of month. That sketch is excellent! I just love the big circle in the design. I can't wait to see all your variations this week!

kate said...

Love that your sketches are for 2 pages. I don't think I could do the word strips though, even though they look great.

KariLynn said...

I always look forward to Sketch week. Love the new sketch and layouts, fabulous.

Viji Siddharth said...

oh my goodness what a fab layout allison..i love how you use so many photos...love it!

Shannon said...

Awesome layout! I love that font, what is it?

LouAnn said...

Hooray for sketches week. I've been looking forward to it. Can't wait to see the rest of the layouts this week.

LouAnn

Britia said...

As always a fabulous sketch and layouts.

nicole.jones said...

I just discovered your site last week and I love it. I've already ordered sketch book 3,4 and 5 and put my name down for the DVD. I will also be ordering book 1 & 2. Love the pages you created with the new sketch for book #6. Thanks for the opportunity to win book #6, I will be here everyday entering my name to win.

Nicole J

Anonymous said...

Love the sketch!!!! The reckless driver layout is super cute!!! Just ordered the first 3 of your books and can't wait for them to come...then maybe by July I will order the next 3!! :D

Jody said...

OMG! I love this sketch and your LOs. So many details and little touches really added to these photos. Thank you
Jody IA

Anonymous said...

OH WOW!!! I am so lovin' your sketches and sure would not mind winning a copy of this!!! Thanks for the contiuous inspiration and for the giveaway!!!

Happy Day,
Misty

Bev said...

Love your sketches and layouts

CodyandTraci said...

I can not thank you enough for all the time you put into this. Oh, and congrats on all the success you and your family have been having. You deserve it.

Susan said...

Love love love sketch week!

Janelle H. said...

Love this week's sketch and how different it looks with flipping it or doing something as simple a scallop edge. Fun!

debbie susee said...

Love your sketches and style.

Alana M said...

I love all the little touches in your LOs.

Ginny H said...

I love seeing how you make your sketches come to life! We have that little red car in your first LO. It has made it through 3 of our sons and is now being loved by the fourth one!

Steffanie said...

I LOVE sketch week! Seems live forever wating for it each month! Thanks, Ali, for another great sketch! Looking forward to the rest of the week!

Christina said...

Yay! A new sketch-as a newbie to your sketches, I have been looking forward to this week. Thanks so much for sharing-I'll be putting this sketch to work this week!

Amy Powell said...

Thank you for using the die cut circle! Sometimes I get stuck on how to use them, what a great idea you had for it on this layout! I will have to try stitching on one sometime :)

Penny Peck said...

Great sketches as usual. Great pictures as usual. Great ideas that helpl as usual! Thanks!!

The Strayers said...

I seem to have become a slave to sketches, and your 2-pagers have really helped me get some photos scrapped. Keep up the good work!

Jody B. said...

I absolutely love this weeks sketch. I look forward to sketch weeks on your blog.

Anonymous said...

It's sketch week! WooHoo! The layouts again are so cute. As always you again gave great tips & ideas!!

Stacie in OK

Kelly said...

I am so excited to have found your blog via Two Peas!! Ordered a book last night and can't wait for a week of fun, ideas and yippee-prizes!

christine c said...

I love, love, love your sketches!!! so thrilled that you are coming out with a new book!!!!

Micki Smith said...

Why didn't I find these while I lived in KC and could visit the store in Springfield often? :) I'll be ordering the older books asap; need some much-needed guidance to make up for the lack of scrapping the last 3+ years. Saw the links on 2p and these are worthy of all the buzz - great style!!

AndreaFriebus said...

These layouts are so cute! I really need to win the sketch book!

Unknown said...

How exciting for us! I hope that I'm the lucky one! Thanks for the chance to win!
Beautiful eye candy!
-Cher

carissaH said...

I love your style. Such clean lines. the focus is really on the photos. Thanks for all you do and the chance to win!!

wendy said...

I've been looking forward to sketch week since the last one ended!

Anonymous said...

Your pages are always an inspiration!:)
Linda J

Michele Mc said...

Love Sketch Week! It might be just the boost that I need to stop rearranging my supplies and actually create something for once. Very inspirational so thanks for all your efforts and for sharing!

Heike said...

great sketches

Samantha Taylor said...

Love this sketch! It really is beautiful. I'm blown away by all your great accents on you page.

lynnscraps said...

Great sketch. I just received my first book and I love it. Will be ordering the rest of them!

Anonymous said...

Love the sketch! ... and fabulous layouts :) so excited for this week on your blog!

Erica Hettwer said...

Love these layouts! Quick question, how do you test out your titles?

Anonymous said...

So happy it is sketch week again. Thanks for the great inspiration. Off to scrap this sketch.
scott.lisa3@verizon.net

Rachael R said...

This sketch is so cool. I love how you explain the variations.

Julie said...

I couldnt wait for this week. I have enjoyed all your past weeks so much. Thank you for all your inspiration.

Scrapgirl3 said...

I really love this sketch! There are so many things you can do with it. In fact, I have some pictures similar to the ones you have in the first example (with the ride-on toy) that I have already scrapped that I now want to rip out and start over!
Love it all!

Luv2talk said...

I never get tired of seeing how you interpret each sketch. I'm looking forward to a brand new volume of ideas!

budletsmom said...

Another great sketch and I love how you flipped them in the second LO. As usual I love your embelishments all those little added touches that just make your LOs pop.

Stella said...

I absolutely LOVE your sketches! They are so simple to use and versatile too! I think that every scrapbooker should have at least one of your books on their inspiration shelf!

Christine Babcock said...

I love both of your layouts today and I can't wait to use this sketch.

floridagirl said...

I would love to have this book for scrappy inspiration. I usually just go to Sketch blogs (like this one) for inspiration when I am designing.

Tasha said...

Love your sketches! Especially love all the variations you show, makes it so much more versatile.

Scrappin' with Wendy said...

Love, love, love your sketches!! Can't wait to get the new book!! Thank you so much!!

Carly said...

Love your sketches! I have been in such a scrappin slump and your sketches are helping me get my creative mojo back. I would love to have the whole book!

Musings by Me said...

I love this sketch! I will definitely use it in the future!

Anonymous said...

I love the pages. I needed inspiration for a birthday layout with trains. You provided that with the car layout. Love your work!!!

Linda from KS

Anonymous said...

this is a fantastic sketch! I love your ideas and variations. I enjoy seeing your boys too. They are adorable.

Debbie L.

Anonymous said...

Another great sketch! I'm always searching thru my pictures for the perfect one, usually I leave a lot of them out. By using your sketches I can actually use more of them! Thank you for thinking outside the box and sharing the creativity you have.

NancyS

LeAnne Smith said...

As expected...a fabulous sketch! Can't wait to see what more you have in store for us this week and playing along!

Susan said...

Love that your sketches use so many photos ~ thanks for the inspiration!

Laura Whitney said...

Love the journal on the strips of paper. I am not found of my handwriting so I usually journal on the computer and I like this idea alot.

Robin W. said...

I have been waiting for sketch week this month; I always find so much inspiration! Thank you!

lenore said...

Great sketch! I love all the details you add to your layouts!

Melanie said...

I used your sketch books for the first time this weekend and had a great time! Hello mojo! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

I really enjoy your sketch week :) thanks for sharing!

Barb said...

Read so much about your books...would love to have one. Thanks for sharing.

Tiffany said...

I love this sketch b/c I find it hard to use all the cute scallop papers in a different way and this would be perfect!

TracyL said...

Love sketches and happy I found you! Thanks!

debbi said...

I really love this sketch and am looking forward to seeing what all you do with it this week!

Hiroko said...

Love your sketches! I mostly scrap 2-pagers and it is hard to keep my layouts from looking the same.

Laura said...

I love this sketch because I have been buying lots of circle die-cut papers, but don't always know how to use them in my scrapbook page. I have Volumes 1-4 of your books and would love to win #6! I too have been looking forward to your sketch week since the last one ended!

Gina said...

I have been so looking forward to sketch week. Didn't really start following your blog until the end of sketch week in April, and was so excited to see what you would do in May. I just shared your blog address with my sister-in-lawand told her about sketch week yesterday at our Mother's Day dinner. She is having a crop party next month with about 10ladies and I am going to share it them them as well. I love your ideas; the brads for accents on the wheels and the little bones! I love your pages!

Unknown said...

I have been looking forward to the sketch week all month!! I love your sketches and layouts. They are PERFECT in my book! Thank you for the opportunity to win a sketch book. I have my fingers crossed that you will pick me!

cards4ever said...

I would love to have a book of sketches.

Allison Davis said...

Shannon, if you are asking about the one I think you are (on the Reckless Driver layout?) it's called StopSign. :) If that wasn't the one that you were talking about let me know!

CodyandTraci, thank you so much! That is so sweet of you to say that! :)

joel & ginny, isn't that car awesome! I'm so sad that Jackson has out grown his. The last time we went for a spin in it he was a little too big. I'm glad I got pictures of it before we had to put it away! :)

Erica, I test by actually putting the letters down. A lot of brands I know that I can put them down, pull them up with out damaging my paper and then they still maintain their stickiness. If they do happen to lose their stickiness I just add a little adhesive to help them out. :)

Thank you everyone for the sweet comments! It makes my day to hear about so many of you getting a lot of use out of our sketch books! :)

Anonymous said...

I just recently found your website. I love your sketches and have already used a couple of them for layouts.

Cheryl Kielly

Anonymous said...

Just received my first sketch book in the mail today. I ran right into my scrapbook room and tried it out. Love it! Can't wait to invest in the other volumes.

Roberta C

Unknown said...

Love these books! Can't wait to add a new version to my collection!

Kristen said...

I love journaling strips!