THE THOUGHT BEHIND THE PROCESS

So last week i set myself a little challenge... to spruce up last weeks layout so here it is.

ORIGINAL LAYOUT

SPRUCED UP LAYOUT

I did not add too much and I did not want to rescrap the pics - i am time poor, but looking at the layout when i showed it to you last week - oh  my gosh - the way i do things is a little different now and well.... it needed some work.... i am not saying its revamp is super fantastic but its a lot better to my eye now. {sorry for the photo as the weather was a bit drab when i took it}.

I set myself up at the desk and wracked my brain - i had already used so many items like brads, acrylic hearts, stickers and labels that i was sure that if i used any more the page would become a bismal mess... but the double layout did need help - i created it so long ago and things change....

I went through my list in my head of things i could add - flowers {not going to happen}; ribbon { made the mistake with some on the layout already - and it wasn't working, so there was going to be none of that to spruce it up}; buttons { i already had enough three dimensional items}; rubons { now they could work} and lastly a little doodling{ yes - that is unobtrusive}, oh and stamping {yes this layout really needed some stamping}.

So i set out on my quest - firstly I took off the ribbon as it really was not working. I grabbed my black zigwriter and doodled a rough border around the smaller photos, i then set out to define the title 'birthday' with a little squiggle type doodling, lastly the zigwriter was put to good use on the photo corners. Next i found my white pen and did some dots down the side of the photos - this helped to lighten them up - the photos were starting to look dark and gloomy - i just love my white uniball pen for quick fixes like this.

Mmmmmm it still needed more - i found some Daisy D's rubons i have had stored for a while and decided to add them as they were the right colors of the layout. I had so much blank space around the larger photo on the left so started to add some rubons coming off the picture, i also added more on both sides of the layout pages to help balance the use of them.

To tie the layout together -- which is why i took the challenge {i felt it was a lot of elements on a page but not tied together to become one} i decided to add a border with my sassafrass lass stitching stamps... they are awesome - i added one style to the whole page border using a red/brown ink and then added a border around the journalling with orange stazon ink...

I can now put this layout back in the album for another few years...who knows i might find something else i can add or do to help spruce it up again.

I hope this has inspired you to not pull apart your older layouts but instead if you are unhappy with them to 'revive' them with the many products available - i am sure you will be able to find something in your stash or if not - pay a visit to Tans shop.

have a great creative week

tracey