Sketch Week, Part 2

We're going from a mess yesterday to trouble today. Apparently this week is all about documenting Jackson's stubborn toddler ways.

The sketch, from Sketches for Scrapbooking, Volume 7, that is the starting point for all the layouts this week.

Layout #2 - Choo Choo Trouble

Supply list - Cardstock: Bazzill, yellow patterned paper: KI Memories, everything else is Jillibean Soup

Variation #1 - Sometimes I don't have a super technical, design influenced reason of why I changed something on the sketch. Sometimes I change something just for that, a change.

On the right page I used three 4 x 6 photos instead of one 4 x 6 and two 3 x 6 photos. I could have easily cropped the top and bottom photo to the size recommended on the sketch but I was wanting to change it up a bit. I wanted to see how it would look to stretch that column of photos to the edges of the page.

This is an easy solution for those pictures that you don't want to or can't crop and there is no need to worry about the large background rectangle the photos are on. You can easily remove it without altering the whole layout because it's a background piece. Or you can even do like I did and add 1/4" strips on the left and right of the photos in place of that background piece.

Variation #2 - On the left page I used a wallet size photo in place of the 2 x 2 1/2 photo. Both boys were on the edges of the photo and I needed the whole picture to support my story so there was no cropping that one.

An added bonus is that the wider picture covered the seam between the two papers for my large arrow.

Variation #3 - I really had a lot of fun creating the arrows on this page. Not only are do they add a different look to the layout but they also support the story. Jackson couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to ride the train or not and was so back and forth. The arrows going in different directions was a way for me to incorporate the theme of the layout into the design.

The arrows are all made from the same size of strips on the sketch. To make them I cut my strips and then a square from each paper as well. Then I cut the square at a diagonal for the arrow point. When you put them together you might see a little bit of a seam but with most papers it doesn't stand out too much. One thing to watch out for, if you like to ink the edges of your papers, is to not ink the edges that will go together (the seam between the arrow point and the strip). That way it looks more like the arrow is one piece instead of two.

Variation #4 - I did use the circles like suggested on the sketch except mine are a little smaller. I also added in some corrugated arrows from Jillibean Soup.

One thing I really like about the corrugated pieces from Jillibean Soup is that they take color so well. I added chalk ink to the arrows and used paint on the title pieces. 

I moved the embellishments that are to the left of the title on the sketch to below the title. If I would have kept them to the left of the title I would have been covering up more of the patterned paper arrows than I wanted.

I always say, when it comes to moving things or using different sizes, as long as it's in the same general area it will work. I don't know if I would call the arrows by my title as being in the same general area as on the sketch but because it's still near the title, there aren't any large gaps between elements, and it still completes the visual triangle on the page, it totally works.

Day two means it's your second chance at the Jillibean Soup and Sketches for Scrapbooking giveaway.