The Calm Before the Storm Layout

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Hello! I'm back today to share this layout I did commemorating the start of a big project at work. Click through to read about how it came together!

I posted this layout on Scrapbook.com here, where you can pick up some of the supplies I used if you like what you see.

This layout started with the photo full of saturated colors. I liked how the highlighters on the side lined up in a rainbow order (I did that!) and how it was had a grid look to it with everything (mostly) squared up. I initially thought I wanted to do a grid layout, but I couldn't find any inspiration I was crazy about, so I used the rainbow look to layer some papers straight down the middle of my 8.5x11 page. I thought the fade from blue to pink was pretty and the blue fit with the "calm" and the pink fit with the "storm." I used My Minds Eye Market Street Ashbury Heights 6x6 paper pad because I thought the colors coordinated well with the photo.

After I adhered my paper, I splattered some water colors in a blue/brown color. Then I placed my photo. I also layered in some kraft tags because the color worked well and because it fit with the office supply vibe.

For my title, I was very excited to use my new Big Shot and alpha dies. I cut them out of brown cardstock and found these large cork letters in my stash from Hobby Lobby. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the natural look of cork! I didn't have 2 Ms, so the second M is an upside down W. Tricksy! I added some tiny attacher staples to a few of the letters because I cannot live without that thing!

To add a little shine, I decided to use gold as an accent. The three gold things I had in my stash were normal-shaped paperclips (office supplies!), the arrow paperclip, and the geotag. Thankfully, they worked with the layout, so I added them in a visual triangle around my photo.

Once all of that was done, I just needed to add some details. I added the cork plus signs from Studio Calico (a kit from 2015, I believe) and glued down some gold sequins making another visual triangle.

I roughed up the edges of the papers that weren't covered up and called it done.

I am still loving scrapping in this size and will definitely keep doing it! The things I love abut this page are the way the colors fade, the sequins and plus signs sticking out the sides, and the title. Those little alpha dies are worth their weight in gold! I never would have written that out with Thickers for fear of using up the entire pack. But you never run out of letters if you can make them yourself!

Here are some things I learned: there is an akward space between the word "calm" and the top of the photo. Maybe I should have added journaling there (and I might still go back and do that) or pushed the elements together more closely. I also don't love how much blue there is at the top. If I could have found a different, but still blue patterned papaer to use instead of two strips of the ombre, that might have been a better look.

All in all, though, I love how this came out and I'm proud of myself for keeping at the traditional layouts. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!