Sketch Week, Day 3

If you haven't had a chance yet make sure you visit the Scrapbook Generation online store and download the new July free sketch! And, while you are at it, don't forget to go check out the layouts from Andrea and Lynette!

Scrapbook Generation's Free July Sketch

Download by clicking here.

"No Grown Ups Allowed"

Supplies - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned paper: Simple Stories and Echo Park; Alphabets: Simple Stories (no), American Crafts (grown ups), and Echo Park (allowed); Wood grain stamp: My Mind's Eye; Ink: Prima chalk ink; Stickers: Echo Park; Embroidery floss: DMC

My third use of this sketch and here I am adding more pictures again!

Variation #1 - I changed a lot when it came to the photos. Yesterday I took the photo block on the left page and extended it to the left and with this layout I took the photo block on the left page and extended it to the top and bottom of the layout.

I decided to basically remove all the photos on the left page of the sketch and do my own thing to work with the extra amount of pictures I wanted to use. I did kind of use the three smaller photos on the sketch as a starting point but used a row of three slightly larger photos (3 x 4"). I continued the same row of photos to cover that whole area. I removed the background behind the photos because obviously that whole area is covered with photos on my layout. 

On the right page I substituted one 3 x 5" photo for a 4 x 6" photo and added a small 2 x 2" photo.

The 2 x 2" photo was just add to help support the story. The photos of the boys are taken up close so you don't see the whole playhouse/swing set. I felt like I needed to get at least one picture in there of that. I like 2 x 2" photos for little details like that. They are easy to add pretty much anywhere you need them.

Variation #2 - I tried to follow the sketch closely for the papers.

On the left page I added a few extra strips and instead of them being only 9-1/4" in height (as the sketch suggests) I went ahead and extended them with that photo block.

On the right page I added 1" to the background piece. The reason I did this had to do with the larger 4 x 6" photo that I used. Since I had a photo with 1" more than the sketch suggests I compensated by adding 1" to the background.

I also added a fun element to the paper design on the right page. I used a wood grain stamp to make "wooden" strips.

I was lucky enough to find a patterned paper that matched the color of the wood in the pictures almost exactly! I added them on the blue piece in a way so that you can see three of the "wooden" pieces. I finished them with little metal "nails" at the end of each piece. 

Variation #3 - I used the same stamped "wooden" pieces to embellish the left page.

I cut a little notch at each end, layered them over each other, and finished everything with a stitched star, arrows, stickers, and some twine.

Variation #4 - I moved my journaling to the same spot as my layout on Wednesday. I didn't want to cover the stamped pieces too much and there was plenty of space below the pictures.

I also added another stitched star and an arrow by the journaling.

Be sure to check back on Monday to see who won the giveaway! Have a great weekend!