Scrapbook Background Papers Can Save Your Layout!

Do you ever get "stumped" and just can't come up with a layout idea? Do you ever have one of those layouts you just can't find that right embellishments for? There is so much out there in the way of embellishments, tools, supplies and things to use to make scrapbook layouts, that it is common to just get overwhelmed with it all and get "scrappers block".

On the other hand, those on a limited budget often tend to think that not having a whole bunch of the current scrapbookers tools is why we can't make those great and fabulous layouts. I've been there!

But I have learned that you don't need to spend alot of money on tools and supplies to scrapbook your memories and create absolutely fantastic and wonderful scrapbook layout pages! You don't need every tool out there! You don't even need much more than BACKGROUND paper!!!

AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC

When we took my 5 year old grand daughter to The Aquarium of the Pacific she was so amazed at the marine life, we could hardly get her to leave! It is a wonderful educational and fun place to go! The kids are able to get very close to the marine life and even pick up the sea animals! She petted a baby SHARK!!!

Okay, back to the layout! The main thing that stands out here is the background paper. It is a water theme - rippling water - beautiful shades of white, blues, teals, and greens! The whites give the resemblance of the water "sparkling". You might not be able to see that very well in the photo, but if you have the actual paper in your hands, it is just like that.

All I did was take color matching/coordinating cardstock and cut mattes to mount the photos. 1/4 inch borders on 2 different colors and then alternated between the shades being layerd. One has the blue first, then the aqua. The next photo has the aqua first, then the blue. These colors go great to further accentuate the water color theme while seperating the photo from the background paper and still keeping continuity

I just typed the journaling on a white cardstock rectangle and printed it a teal/blue ink. The title block - I typed the title Aquarium of the Pacific onto a long rectangle of white card stock and then just added that fish embellishment. I found that fish embellishment at my local The Dollar Store for a buck! The fish, and the 2 squares with a clear rhinestone in the centers and then 2 pieces I used on a similar layout -all for a buck! I double mounted the title block and the journal block - alternating the same colored card stock I used to matte the photos.

I had just gotten into using eyelets, so I secured the title block and the journal block to the background paper with aqua colored eyelets. If you watch sales of online stores, you can find eyelets for very cheap.

Another idea....

Another way to use background scrapbook papers is for the displayed scene in the paper. When we took my grand daughter to the local petting zoo, she had fun. Not much to say... she loves animals. So no journaling needed. So, no embellishments, no journaling - what's left? The background paper! I created a layout with the background paper dipicting the theme of the photos - a barn yard scene! I then simply cut close ups of her with various animals out of the photo - taking no background scenery. I cut large squares, long rectangles, small squares and then arranged them around the "barnyard". In addition, I took white cardstock and punched out some two inch squares and used them just to date and name the layout. Just play around with the layout of the photo squares as they compliment the barnyard! How easy is that! Layout cost? 64¢ for the background paper.

There are so many background papers out there and of practially every theme or scene you can think of. Whether it be a place, an item, seasonal, educational, Disney, school, heritage or old fashioned...you can most likely find a background paper for your theme! Background papers are a great help in getting http://scrapbook-layout-ideas.blogspot.com target="_blank">scrapbook layouts done quickly and inexpensively and still keep them amazing and wonderful for holding your memories!