If you're at all familiar with my scrap style, you know I create LOTS of grid-based layouts. And yes, nine-square grids seem to be especially popular with the voices inside my head. But despite the fact that about every other layout I create is a grid, they don't all end up looking the same. (And if you flip through my albums and tell me they do, indeed, all look like repeats, then we just can't be friends.)
What I love about the grid format is the smaller canvases it contains - so many little places to put a photo, journaling, title or just a cute embellishment! I love filling each square with part of the story, tying them all together with colors and patterns. This recent layout is a great example of just that!
S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill White | Bazzill Rain | Bazzill Java | Magical Forest and Marigold Papers | Chipboard | Rainbow
Bow | Stickers | Metallic Pen | Enamel Dots | Scallop Border | Silhouette Cameo | Foam Adhesive
I began with nine patterned paper cut to 3 x 3 to create the base of my page. I opted to top four the squares with photos from our annual family photo shoot, which I printed at 2.5" square with a white border that helps them pop off the background. This left five squares for the rest of my page elements (and the fun part of selecting small pieces to adorn them!
Rather than a wordy title, I chose to use a simple monogram - D for Dickinson - as the page ultimately didn't need a super descriptive phrase. The monogram is cut from brown cardstock using the font Battle Road (a free download!)
After using a tag to hold brief journaling on one square, I filled the remaining squares with matching textural embellishments. I love to layer different pieces from the same collection - chipboard, stickers, die cuts - to create little interesting vignettes. The rainbow is a favorite - I'd love to have a huge one to hang on my wall!
As a final touch, I trimmed down my white cardstock background to 11 x 11, allowing me to add a 1/2" scalloped cardstock border around the entire page and still fit it in a page protector. I used a scallop die cut to create mine, and it didn't quite create a perfectly square border (the corners are a bit wonky). I think I need to design a set of cut file borders to perfectly frame a 12 x 12 page. Adding to my to-do list now . . .
I think I love grid layouts because they are relatively fool-proof, and sometimes you need a creative technique that doesn't require too much thought. Gotta save the brain for more important duties like which pair of slippers to don today or which wine to open for happy hour, amiright?!
