Thrifty Thursday: 6x6 paper pads

Good Morning Blue Fans. Nat here again with a Thrifty Thursday.  Have you ever loved a paper collection so much but don't want to spend a lot of money on all of the papers because you want every.single.embellishment. that is offer with that collection? Those embellishment packs can really add up.....and quick. If a 6x6 paper pad is available with the collection, try buying that the next time and challenge yourself to incorporate that into layouts. I love working with the 6x6 paper pads because the scale of print is proportionate to the paper, of course it's easy to double and use it on cards and to be honest, I feel like I don't waste as much with the smaller papers. They work great for die cutting, punches, photo mats, etc.

For my layout, I used the Pink Paislee "Pen Pals" collection. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this line. While some papers are floral, it's not overly girly. The color palette is great for those patriotic layouts (or cards) and the navy, grey and other blue tones make it great for boy projects. I have seen so many layouts using a lot of white space. I love the look of this. Not only does it same time to create a page like this, you don't use as much paper filling up a 12x12 base page. I also like the look of layering behind a photo....just creating a cluster of various patterned papers behind the photo. So, that's what I did. I love this picture of Carter.................in 20 years, I will still love it; he will not I'm sure of it. I started with a white base page and did some red droplets of red Maya Mist over my paper. I did not spray on my paper, rather I took the spray nozzle out of the bottle and dropped color with that onto my paper. I love using mists like this because there is no mess. I chose the papers from the 6x6 paper pad and cut strips, banners, mats,I used  etc. When I say there was no planning or reason in my cutting, I mean it. I just cut haphazardly. If you are doing a layout like this, it's best to place your photo down (no adhesive) and then start layering your papers behind it until you get the look you like. Once you do that, grab that cell phone and take a picture. Then you can take everything away and start gluing down by referring to your picture to see what you had where. Also for layering like this. it's best to put adhesive in the middle of your photos/papers. This will allow you to be able to tuck things behind stuff. When you are complete, you can run some glossy under the edges to secure everything down. Once everything was in place, I created my title with the chipboard letters from the collection and added some red twine to make it look like a banner. I filled in spaces with pieces from the ephemera pack. I think I've said it before..................I love ephemera packs. And this particular one is by far one of my favorites. It has SO many pieces in it. And it's so versatile. love love love LOVE. This layout came together so easy.

For Cat's layout,

She used an older line from Basic Grey (a bit of a throwback in her Thrifty Thursday!) called Hello Lucious.  First she gathered up her papers and supplies, made ink droplets on her cardstock and set it aside to dry.  She used a tutorial from the Basic Grey blog to create her layout, making a few adjustments to keep in line with the 6inch papers.   The triangles ended up being 6inches tall and 3.5inches at the base.  This layout was SUPER fast.  Just cut the triangles and adhered them, then added her pic, title and embellies.  She used a mix of embellishments from the Basic Grey line, DIY Boutique by Simple Stories, washi tape, Adornit Choose Happy stickers and Thickers.  Even though the paper line was not tropical in theme, the bright cheery colors provide a pretty backdrop for the picture.

Supplies :)

Thanks so much for stopping by. Do you work with 6x6 paper pads? What do you like to create with them?

And we have some winners from yesterday....Heather and Amy C. Thanks so much for these challenge ideas. Consider those accepted and we will get those added to our fish bowl.

Stay True Blue

Nat