Scrapbook Techniques | Be Happy

Starting with a blank page can be an intimidating way to begin a layout. The following scrapbook techniques are perfect for pairing with this month's "Be Happy" Kit, or just tuck them into your back pocket for a time when your creative mojo is low. Either way, we hope they’ll help inspire your next project!

Feature shapes. 

Maggie Massey created a page featuring circles with her layout, Hello Spring. She says, "As you may already know, circles are my favorite shapes to add to my layouts! To create this page, I started by punching circles of various sizes from white cardstock. I stamped my favorite sentiments from the adorable Fresh Start stamp set onto those circles and then adhered them to my project. Next, I traced circles of the same sizes over my stamped circles—slightly offsetting each trace—to add some depth to my design. Love those greens!" We love the movement the cascading circles create on her page! 

Kelly Noel featured hexagons and stars in a stunning way on her layout Five *On My Way Collection*. About her project, Kelly said, "I LOVE shapes of any kind, so the chipboard diamonds in the On My Way bundle were my favorite embellishment from the collection! I used them here and traced the shape onto patterned paper, cut them out, and used them in combination to create a dynamic background for my layout." We love the result! 

Incorporate mixed media. 

On her project Sunshine Girl, Catherine Davis combined the raincloud silkscreen with the acrylic paint from the main Scrapbook Kit to create a dynamic and colorful background! This technique can be used to create a variety of designs for your pages. 

Guest designer Diane Payne skipped the silkscreen and used her acrylic paint in a more organic way as the base for her photo on her layout, I Call This...Work. The colors on her page work to highlight the vibrant blues and greens in her photo and the spatterings of paint around the page add the perfect finishing touches. 

Keep it in the middle. 

Marcy Penner kept all the elements of her layout, Spring is Here, stacked neatly in the middle of her page. This clean and simple design always creates a bold impact that's sure to wow the viewer!

On her layout, 2nd Easter, Maggie Massey grouped her embellishments of patterned paper butterflies and colorful plastic hearts down the center of her page. This technique draws the viewers' eye towards the center of the page to her photo and journaling! 

Use white space to your advantage. 

Candace Perkins achieved a page that "wows" on her layout, April 2018 Sunday Sketch. By featuring white space in the bottom ⅔ of her page, she created a big, bold impact with her design.  

On her page, Ty Ty, Maggie Massey clustered all her color, patterned paper, embellishments, and photo near the center of her page and left the outside edges empty. This stunning design keeps the focus on her story, and the simple pen lines around her paper ensure the viewers' eye doesn't wander off the page. 

Anchor the page with wide patterned paper strips.

On her layout, Me + You, Kelly Noel created a solid base for her page with a wide strip of pink patterned paper. This element anchors her page and creates a great foundation for her "gallery wall" of embellishments. 

Maggie Massey featured a wide strip of yellow patterned paper on the top of her layout, Silly. This design perfectly balances the bottom half of her page with plenty of white space and colorfully painted wood veneer butterflies! 

The design possibilities are endless with the "Be Happy" Kits and April add-ons. Which scrapbooking technique do you plan on trying out this month? Post your creations in the gallery and add a link in the comments. We can't wait to see what you'll make!