Lovely Layering Tutorial

Hello, everyone!  It's Adrienne here today with a lovely little layering tutorial for you!  It's no secret that I LOVE layers on my layouts, so I thought I would share a few tips with you so you can try them out for yourself :)  

Let's start with a look at my finished layout and then I'll break down the steps on how I created this below...

 

Ok, first things first...Gather your photos and supplies.  

I chose two photos for this layout and sized them at 2 x 3.  I also used a couple of Maggie Holmes Fabric Frames, a few bits from the mini album supplement pack, and a few pieces of patterned paper.  

 

When I layer, I find it's easier for me to start from the top and work my way back.  I can't visualize it the other way around.  So basically, I take my photos and start layering bits around them before I even break out a piece of 12x12 card stock or patterned paper...this is probably my biggest trick to layering.  I start small and tuck in paper and bits as I see the design unfold.  This also helps me keep the photos as the focal point of my layout.

 

At this point, I still haven't adhered anything down yet.  Sometimes I add a couple of tiny glue dots here and there, but only if I'm 100% sure I like the placement.  I also try to place my glue dots toward the middle of each piece, rather than the outside edge of something. By doing this, I can still tuck bits and pieces around the edges to add more layers if I need to.  

 

I also like to use these foam adhesive dots to add height and "lift" elements up.  They add depth and dimension and help give your layout that layered look.  

 

If you look at where the black arrow is pointing, you can see that I placed my pieces on some patterned paper and I added another paper piece under the left photo.  I usually pull colors that I use on my layouts from my photos and if I don't like the way something looks, I just pull it out and find something else.  

 

In this step, I added another piece of patterned paper to bring in something black, which I'm using as my "pop" color.  I also stamped an ampersand on the tag to the right and added a black clothespin.  All of these elements help add layers and texture.  

 

As you can see above, I added some black letter stickers on top of the tag for my title and I tucked a piece of aqua chevron twill under the black clothespin.  

 

I also added some black "parentheses" by the "love" frame and I placed some Maggie Holmes word stickers on top of a plain white tag for some more layers.  I also added some chevron wood veneers from Studio Calico (which I painted black) and some Basic Grey Candy Buttons to the background paper. 

 

 

See all of that dimension?  Swoon....

And here's a shot at the completed layout again...

Well, I hope you enjoyed this layering tutorial and if you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment :)  Oh, and be sure to stop by the shop and check out all of the new goodies!  

I hope you have a great day....xoxo

Comments

[www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkXRvt1uY1q-PRvUTbJ9fU3TtsTN3yyDNM]

You give just the best tutorials ... Everything you say makes sense and it clicks in place. Thank you

[Nicole]

Thank you for your feedback! I'm glad we could inspire you with Adrienne's tutorial. Please feel free to share your creations in our Flickr gallery. We'd love to see them!