Working with papers pre-printed with a layout design

**Designer projects are not always linked in our posts, but you can always find their blogs in our sidebar or in the staff tab**


Hello everyone, Claude Campeau here with you on this fall morning!  I'm here to share a recent layout featuring my sweet Zoey.

I don't know about you, but there are some beautiful patterned papers out there that I simply don't know how to use.  You know, the kind that is pre-printed with a layout design.  The kind that makes you wonder how you can make it your own.  The kind that freaks you out because you don't want to cover anything up.  Here, let me make it clearer by showing you an example:

Lucky 7 Factory - Douce Mélodie collection

Gorgeous sheet of paper, isn't it?  When I saw it, I immediately loved it and wanted to use it... and then I stared at it forever (or so it seemed) because I did not know where to start!  After a while, I simply decided to cut random pieces of matching paper, layer them on my layout, and add my pictures.  Although I wanted to keep most elements visible, I decided not to sweat it if some parts got covered.  It simply added to the "layered" look.  I moved things around until I liked what I saw!  Here is the end result:

I love that a lot of the work is done for me, yet I can add my own little touches to make it more "me".  In the following close-up, you can see where the strips of paper overlap the pre-printed elements without taking away any of their impact.  It all meshes together pretty well, doesn't it?

Add a few embellishments (including twine to mimic the swirly lines), some journaling, a title, and you are done!


I think the best advice I have for you is to treat these pre-printed sheets of papers as you would any other.  If elements end up being covered up, so be it.  You'll see, it's not all that difficult once you decide to "let go and just scrap!"


Claude