Mine! Mine!

As we explored Epcot on our arrival night, we came across this animatronic scene. I remember looking at my husband and grinning like a 5 year old. You see, this is my absolute favorite part of Finding Nemo. Listening to the seagulls shout, “Mine! Mine!” just filled me with glee. So, of course it needed to be recorded in my scrapbooks.

I began this layout with a pinned layout. Oh, Pinterest, how I love you! The original layout was on Scrapbook.com and can be found here. I absolutely loved the playfulness of the original. I really did like how she outlined her papers with a black pen. I thought about it, but I wasn’t sure I would like it. The last thing I wanted to do was have to start over!

As soon as I began looking for papers, I knew I was going to use that orange piece. I liked that paper so much that I bought two of them years ago. And then… I never used them. It seemed perfect for this page because the orange seemed appropriate for a Finding Nemo reference. The design looks like starfish, so also fit a water theme. I decided to use the backside of it as well, which is where the turquoise chevron comes from. Then I picked green to match the color of the plants. Those I pulled from my scraps.

I did make a few changes to the original design, but they are minor. The photo sits up higher on the page. The banners are wider than in the original. I also switched around the angle of the paper in the lower right corner. Honestly, now I wish I had left it the way the original design had it. It’s just too blocky. Oh well.

Embellishments were pretty easy to choose this time! I knew immediately that I was going to use some old starfish die cuts. They are from the Fancy Pants Beach Babe collection that came out in 2011. Yeah, they’ve been in my stash for almost a decade. I added a few cute little enamel stars that I just got from Doodlebug. They are so cute! There’s a bit of ribbon and a wave sticker in the bottom cluster to finish it off. That’s it!

Disney tip: Take time to enjoy the details around the parks. If you run from ride to ride (like I used to!), you miss the incredible work that goes into the theming. Maybe it’s because I’m older and not in such a huge hurry, but I really enjoy examining the extra touches that make Disney special.

Using 6×6 Paper

I have quite the collection of 6×6 paper pads.  In theory, I purchased them for card making.  In reality, they sit on a shelf mocking me because I rarely make cards.  At this point, I’ve put a buying freeze on all 6×6 pads until the space I have dedicated can fit more.  Spoiler alert:  That will take a year at least.

Luckily there is an expert in creating layouts using 6×6 pads.  Allison Davis has made some magnificent sketches that are designed to be used with 6×6 papers.  Though the sketch I used was created for a 2 page layout, I adjusted by using only one side of the sketch.  That meant I needed to change up the placement of the title and embellishments as well.

My first step was choosing the papers I wanted to use.  As I examined the photos, I knew that I wanted to stick to blues and greens.  It really was a no brainer.  The photos have green backgrounds, while the people all have on blue.  (No, I didn’t plan our outfits.  I really don’t plan that well!)  When I reached for my 6×6 pads, I couldn’t find the papers I wanted in just one stack.  So I wound up using a couple of collections.

The design is a really simple one.  It’s a grid that’s just pushed to the side.  All of my other grid layouts are centered, so I liked this little twist on an old favorite.  Please note that even after buying a T-square ruler, I still didn’t get my blocks placed perfectly.  Sigh… someday I will get it right.

In the spirit of using supplies that are old and have been largely unloved, I started by sorting through my bits and bobs on my desk.  I keep a couple of containers of items that either never got put away or were the last few pieces from a pack.  Everything except for the enamel dots came from my containers of orphan items.  It felt so good to give these items a home.  And honestly, I love how they look!

One of my favorite parts of this layout, other than the photos, is the title work.  Originally, I was going to place the title on the white cardstock at the left side of the layout.  It seemed logical since there is more room over there.  I am so glad that I reconsidered and placed it around the corner.  For once my title looks like part of the design, rather than an afterthought!

Hopefully I can create a few more layouts that include 6×6 papers.  I will definitely be reaching for more Allison Davis sketches to help me reach my goals.