Scrapbooking 101: Create a 12 x 12 Page From an 8-1/2 x 11 Sketch

There are many times when I’m perusing scrapbook magazines and come across a sketch that I just love, but the size is 8-1/2 x 11, when I typically scrapbook in size 12 x 12.  If you are in that same boat, I’ll show you an example of how you can still use the sketch on your page.

Here’s the sketch (from the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Scrapbooks, etc.):

And here’s the page they featured in the magazine:

Now here’s my pageI started by creating my 8-1/2 x 11 page based on the sketch and then placed it almost to the very right edge of my 12x12 piece of cardstock.  There was a little too much white space on the left edge of my page, so I added a button & 2 brads to the lower left corner.  But that still wasn’t enough…..I felt that the left side was still way too overpowered by the right side.  So, I used strips of olive & white cardstock to make it seem as though my title block extended all the way to the left side of the page.  As you can see, this helps to draw the eye across my page and over to my photos, which I want as the focus.  I also used the Rule of 3’s to draw the eye to various parts of the page…..using olive & rose red embellishments in 2 areas to coordinate with the olive & rose used in the title circle.

By creating an 8-1/2 x 11 page from the sketch and then building it up, I was able to successfully create my 12 x 12 page.  Give it a try sometime!

For more Scrapbooking 101 posts, see the links in my left sidebar or subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss a post!

Stamp sets: antiques upper alphabet, simple serif alphabet & numbers; Inks: old olive, rose red, whisper white; Cardstock: pink pirouette, old olive, rose red, whisper white, bali breeze DSP; Embellishments: old olive & rose red 1/4” grosgrain ribbon, rich regals brads, playground designer buttons, white embroidery floss; Tools: circle scissors plus, glass mat, cutter tool, paper piercer, mat pack