Scrapbook Challenge and Photo Tutorial

Here's another challenge I hosted over at Memorable Seasons on National Scrapbook Day and I wanted to share it here.  Our challenges were all based on colors.

My challenge is to "Go Green" and use some of those things you would otherwise throw away...specifically paper scraps. No full sheets of paper are allowed (except for your layout base)! If you want to use other things you would have thrown away, that's fine too. Your layout doesn't have to have any green color on it and the theme can be your own choosing, but I want you to grab some scraps of paper (no matter the size) and use them in any way on your project.

The other part of the challenge is to incorporate something you've already purchased, but never used yet. You've already spent the green cash on those supplies, now get some use out of them and make your friends green with envy!

In my layout, I used the paper scraps to create a patchwork border around the photos. These borders were cut from only 6 strips of paper that were 1" wide (I did use 2 strips from each paper, but the papers were varying lengths). I punched the edges of the strips with a border punch, then cut them into several different sized pieces. I also used a stamp set I had liked, but have never inked yet. I altered the cut tag in the middle by painting white over it to tone down the darker green color. The yellow borders that follow the patchwork scallops are also paper strips I would have normally thrown away. They were left over from when I punched the papers with my border punch. The punch neatly made skinny little strips and when I turned them over, the back side had solid colors.

Here's the details with photos of how I created this layout...

I started with a plain white sheet of 12x12 cardstock for my base and a handful of pattern paper scraps.

 I cut my scraps down to 1" strips and then used a border punch to create a scallop edge on one side.

Once I had the scallops punched, I used my scissors to cut smaller pieces that were 1, 2 or 3 scallops wide.

When those were cut, I placed my photos onto my white cardstock base to figure out the placement I wanted and traced around the photo edges with a pencil, making some tick marks at the corners.

Then I removed the photos and began laying my cut scallops on the white paper to determine my overall scrap pattern. I did alternate the colors and sizes of scallops to give a more random look to my border. Kind of like a patchwork quilt.

I also determined where I wanted to use that new stamp set and stamped the birds in various places along the scallop border line.

Once I had the scallop placement just how I wanted it, I added some adhesive and then started sticking my scallops down to the layout base.

Once the scallops were all in place, I went back in with an eraser to remove my pencil marks. Then my photos were placed on the layout and some of the scallop edges were a little crooked, so I looked around to see what scraps I wanted to use and saw these little strips sitting on my desk. They were leftover from when I punched the scallop borders. Along the top of the paper, the border punch took off these little strips and they were skinny little straight pieces so I decided to use these to border my photos. I did flip them over to use the yellow solid color on the back.

For the little bird stamps, I decided to also use some more of my scrap paper and paper piece the birds. I stamped the images again onto the scraps, then hand cut out the tiny shapes and used my tweezers and a liquid glue to adhere them to the layout. Again, I used the solid backsides of some of the papers.

For the center title, I cut a label shape from my scrap piece of the coordinating label paper, then painted over it with a watered down white paint to soften the color. I also added the rub-on bird and words from the same collection for my title. The label was adhered with foam tape to give it dimension and I added some coloring around the edges with a yellow marker. I also touched up any areas of the brown that had white paint on them by going over them with a brown marker. You can see the white areas below as I'm filling them in with the brown marker.

The last step of this layout was to add stickles to the birds and to the label border. I used Rock Candy Distress Stickles and the birds turned out SO pretty after it was all dried.

Even though NSD is over, I'd love to see what you create with your scraps and one new product that you've purchased but not yet used! Take my challenge and Go Green! :)

Supplies Used:
American Crafts Letterbox Collection:
-Sincerely
-Cheers Glitter Finish
-Madam Embossed paper
-Adieu
-Respectfully
-Rubons
Fiskars Threading water border punch
ColorBox Fluid Chalk ink--chestnut roan
Yellow cardstock
White paint (tinted label to tone down color)
Ranger Distress Stickles--Rock Candy
Jillibean Soup"Handmade"Stamp set *purchased previously from MS
Zig Brown Pen and CTMH Yellow Marker
Sponge