This 12″x12″ scrapbook layout was the project I submitted for the Academy of Scrapbooking and Arts World Scrapbooking Championship of 2018-2019.
Watch the short video presentation of the project –
The funny thing is that even though I made this layout to submit for the competition, I made it as if there was no competition at all. This was exactly the way I wanted it to look, and this was the way I saw the layout in my head.
This layout is a honeymoon page, and it will go in my wedding album. We literally flew to Myrtle Beach just hours after the wedding. So, for us, this was more “part of our wedding” than it was just a “beach vacation”. I wanted the “feel” of the page to communicate that, so I steered clear of beach-y die cuts and papers (with the exception of the pull-tab).
Also, I knew I wanted to have a hidden pull-out page with journaling to tell our personal story of this time together. Partly, I wanted the idea of a “hidden” page to communicate the fact that a honeymoon is a special, personal time between newlyweds. We learned so much about each other. We encouraged each other, and we enjoyed each other’s company. Coincidentally, I had taken a picture of our feet one morning on the balcony as we drank our coffee. That “feet” picture was perfect to use on the page, but I didn’t want it to be the feature (or should I say… “feet-ture”) since I knew I wanted to have footprints across the bottom. That would have been a lot of feet. So instead, I made the focal photo my favorite picture of us from the trip: the selfie we took to let everyone know we arrived safe and sound. We both look SOOO happy!
I didn’t want the title or anything else to overpower those looks on our faces. My husband carries a lot on his shoulders, but this was one of the few times I didn’t see his eyebrows furrowed. In the midst of all kinds of stuff going on in the background of our lives, at THAT point in time all you see is our happiness. To communicate that, I used LOTS of die cuts and lots of texture but all in WHITE. Nothing, no embellishment, no decoration, no technique overpowers the relationship between US. AND, if you want to see all the “stuff” going on the background, you will have to look closely… and you will still see the words “happy-happy-happy” even in all the texture.
There are also two sets of footprints: one long-stepping one (his) and one with a bunch of little steps (mine). Those footprints continue even as you pull out the journaling page.
I am so happy with the way this layout turned out! I even told my husband after it was finished, “I hope I do well in the competition, but honestly… even if I don’t get very far, this project turned out exactly the way I wanted it to. And I am happy with it.”
If you are interested in the technical construction of the project along with product links (where available), I included that information below. Some of the links may be affiliate links. Thank you for your support!
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE LAYOUT:
This scrapbook layout measures 12 inches square, but also includes a secret 8-inch pull-out journaling page. To start, a layer of gesso covered the white cardstock base page, followed by stenciling with Liquitex Modeling Paste. While that was drying, several shapes were cut from more white cardstock. The larger heart, the arrow, and all the flower dies come from Sizzix and the smaller heart and flourish dies come from Our Daily Bread. The “Happy Happy Happy” die is actually a panel die from Creek Bank Creations, but the die cut cardstock panel was easily trimmed into individual words. All the die cut words and shapes were then sprayed with Imagine Crafts Goosebumps Texture Spray and left to dry.
Prima – Art Basics – Heavy Gesso – White – 17 Ounces
from: Scrapbook.com
While those items were drying, a piece of regular copy paper was placed in between two sheets of Creek Bank Creations Super Tacky Tape, and then that “tape sandwich” was used to die cut all the little footprints (die also from Creek Bank Creations).
The Creek Bank Creations slit die was used to die cut a slit in the side of the layout. Then, 1/4-inch cardboard strip jig was adhered with Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive on the back of the layout. Without the jig, the hidden journaling page would just slide loose behind the layout. After that, a second sheet of 12-inch square cardstock was adhered to the back of the layout, on top of the cardboard strips. The hidden page can slide easily in and out of the layout, stopping at the barrier of the unseen cardboard strip.
Using Creek Bank Creations tab dies and some Echo Park patterned paper, a tab was cut and adhered to the edge of the journaling page, for easy pull-out.
By then, the Goosebumps Texture Spray had dried enough that the white cardstock embellishment pieces could be adhered to the layout with Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive. Three remaining heart shapes covered in Goosebumps Texture Spray were adhered to the journaling page, as well.
At this point, the release paper was removed (from only one side) from each footprint, and then each footprint was carefully placed along the bottom portion of the layout. For continuity, the journaling page was pulled out slightly at this stage, so the footprints could continue across the layout and onto the journaling page. Then, the outer pieces of release paper were removed, revealing a sticky surface. Similar to how glitter is poured over a sticky surface and burnished, “Summer Beach” Mudd Puddles (from Creek Bank Creations) mixture then was poured over the layout and burnished into the sticky footprints.
The stamp reads, “The Best is Yet to Be”, and was stamped with Creamy Caramel ink by Stampin’ Up! and die cut with a Sizzix banner die.
Finally, the journaling was handwritten with a Micron Pen on the front and back of the journaling page, and the page rests, hidden inside the layout.
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