Sugar and Spice Layout and some TIPS i've learned along the way...

I am EXHAUSTED. My sister in law took me to a small scrapbook store that she loves (and now I do too) about 2 hours away and let me tell ya, it ain't easy traveling with 2 babies! (She just had my little niece about 6 weeks ago). Luckily, they were happy enough to enjoy the ride there and let us look around and browse. It's such an adorable store and it has so much stuff! They specialize in mini albums which I adore. (I actually made one and bound it on my Your Story...I will try to have that video up tomorrow!)

While I was making this layout, I started thinking of some tips I have found along the way since I have started scrapbooking. The first tip I have for you is DON'T WASTE YOUR PAPER! Seems obvious right? But let me explain really quick. I LOVE background cardstock on my layers. If you notice, I tend to use a lot of borders but my trick is that I actually cut out my borders from the 12x12 and adhere the smaller patterned paper on top of it so that it gives the illusion that there is an entire 12x12 background when in reality there isn't. (DON'T MIND MY GLUEY AND MESSY MAT IN THE PICS!!)

Step1: Cut out by starting your cut at 1"-11" on each side.


Step2: Cut out a second border, this time at 11x11.


Step3: Then you can add your patterned paper (I usually go with a 10x10 as I did on this layout) and you've got a background that looks like it's been matted 3x! ;)





Oh and here is what the back looks like once it's all done:


The squares that you cut out of the middle (since no one would ever suspect they are missing since it would be covered by a different cardstock) can be used for other parts of your layout such as other mats, embellishments, etc :)

That's my tip for today! Save paper and $$...I have to watch my budget now so this helps me get the most out of what would have been wasted paper anyways.

This layout is semi- scraplifted from a layout I saw on the Circle Blog but really has a lot of my own stuff to it. The title is Sugar and Spice from the Once Upon a Princess cart and that little cupcake was colored in by yours truly, then I put some glossy accents over it. The crown is colored in with Stickles and the Sweet sentiment stamp on the bottom is from a $1 stamps :) I used a white gel pen to make some embellishments on my letters and the background quarter note image is from the Imagine Best Friends cartridge. That is by FAR my favorite image ever! =) The pic was chosen for this layout because my little girl can be so sweet, but she has her sassy side already! :)




Hope you enjoy!