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We’re so excited to bring you this guest post written by mixed media artist Ronda Palazzari, instructor of the brand new Bluprint class Fun With Mixed Media: Lively Paper Project. Sign up for her class today to unleash your creativity and get playful with gesso, acrylics and watercolors for a fun, fresh approach to paper!
Photos via Bluprint instructor Ronda Palazzari
Have you ever looked down at your desk to see a pile of paper scraps from your paper crafts projects building up? Torn bits of patterned papers, ones and twos of embellishments, partially used letter stickers? This may sound like a mess, but it can be a great recipe for a “leftover layout.”
Here are 5 fun ideas for using paper scraps in your stash for a “leftover layout”:
1. Pile it
Quick grab up all the leftovers on your desk and place them in a pile. Even those tiniest of scraps, ones and twos of items, punched leftovers, etc. You may not use everything but I guarantee you will have more than enough supplies to bang out a beautiful layout.
2. Don’t overthink it
This is one of the hardest parts. You may not think all these items go together, but by building layers and grouping items, you can make them not only work but also sing. Grab a photo (or photos) and go!
3. Build it
Start the background on some neutral card stock to “ground” all the bits and pieces together. Look to your scraps for a color story. When creating my leftover layout, I noticed soft blues, yellows, touches of green and hints of reds. I used these colors to guide my page.
Layer the leftover patterned papers together and glue them down. Again, don’t overthink it! Did you notice I used the glassine envelope and layered it on my page behind my photos? Nothing is off-limits on a “leftover layout.”
4. Embellish it
Take the ones and twos and start tucking them in here and there. Push things around until you find a pleasing grouping. You can even doodle some shapes here and there to have repeating elements. Not everything will necessarily go onto the page so it’s OK to let some things go.
5. Letter it (mix and match)
Have you ever selected an alphabet for your layout only to realize you don’t have the right letters to spell out your title? Mix and match leftover alphabets to create a dynamic title.
Before trashing your scrap stash, try tidying up your workspace with a leftover layout.
Cropping with some friends? Why not swap leftovers and challenge each other?
I have plenty of scraps