design each moment

Atticus' first Christmas

This is my favorite photograph from Atticus' first Christmas (taken by fellow-contributor Nicole Pasquini!).  I wanted to really focus on just this one picture, so I re-created the one-picture layout found on page 78 of Designing Photo Mosaics and more by Tami Potter.  I used the colors in the photograph as inspiration.

Materials used:12x12 grid paper in cocoa, 3 different patterned papers, 3 different solid papers, stamps and bronze ink, rub-on letters, and the Mosaic Moments toolkit--the one inch square punch, metal ruler, craft knife, Dotto adhesive, Lil Chizler, and cutting mat.

The mosaic layout really makes a nice frame for a very important picture and I love how many different patterns and colors I was able to use.

Hay! How did you do that?

What happens when you show your mosaic layouts to your friends and family? For me, the reaction has been immense! “It must have been so difficult and taken so much time!’ everyone exclaims as they gush over the beauty of the page. “Finally!” I think to myself, “I am receiving the Scrapbook Diva recognition that I deserve!”  Nonetheless, I tell the truth and explain that it is really quite an easy technique. The non-scrappers, still awestruck, look at me skeptically while my scrapping friends clamber to learn more.

The first person I shared my mosaic skills with was my sister Kathy Williams. We sidled up to Tami Potter’s Mosaic Moments booth at the Orlando Scrapbook Expo and loaded up with supplies. I guided her towards the self-healing mat, cork-backed metal ruler and repositionable glue. She also chose a few packs of grid paper in her favorite colors. Her first page came out beautifully, but I really love her latest ‘Pumpkin Patch’ creation. I’m fighting hard to retain that Scrapbook Diva crown!

I like how Kathy cut some of her photos into one-inch squares while leaving some in strips. She matted photos of her and her friends and anchored her page by placing them in the corners. A photo without any distracting elements makes a great backdrop for her title and the page is further enhanced by a sprinkling of pop-dotted pumpkin stickers. Journaling circles the page creating an informational border.

“I get great reactions from my friends,” says Kathy. They ooh and aah over the page and all want to know how I did it and everyone in my crop group says they want to do a page like that too!”

Of course word of mouth is the best advertising, but let’s not forget our Internet friends. Rhondarae and I met online in a scrapbook forum where she also admired my mosaics. I convinced her that it was easy to do and pointed her to www.SnapNCrop.com.

“What attracted me to your mosaic pages was the fact that they use primarily photos,” says Rhondarae. “They have a crisp simplicity yet they look very intricate. I like that you can highlight small details that would get lost in a regular layout with complete photos.”
 

In Rhondarae’s ‘Say Hay’ layout, she was able to fit photos of each member of her family and fill in around them with squares of her hay photos for a pleasing effect. She loved using the metal ruler with cork backing claiming that it really held her photos in place without any slippage while she cut. She also liked the repositionable tape which allowed her to play around with the arrangement of the squares. For further inspiration, Rhondarae checked out Tami Potter’s book on making photo mosaics called Designing Photo Mosaics & More. “I got it through interlibrary loan and liked it so much that I ordered one for myself from the SnapNCrop website.”
 
Rhondarae plans on making many more mosaic pages. “I have found that they lend themselves well to scenery photos as well as photos that aren't taken real close up,” she says. “Another nice feature is that you can use ‘imperfect’ photos and mix and match your pieces.
 
“My father actually commented on my mosaic page when I posted it on Facebook. It is the first time he ever commented on one of my layouts. It made my day!”

Well, it looks like another Scrapbook Diva is born. I guess I will just have to share that crown!
 

 

winter wonderland

These photos are actually from March of this year, but hey, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, so I wanted to include this layout in December.

To help capture the glittery splendor of fresh fallen snow, I decided to create my own patterned paper.  Using photo safe glue, I made swirly lines all over a white piece of cardstock.  Next, I covered the glue in clear plastic glitter. I pressed down gently using a clean sheet of paper and then let it dry while I  composed the rest of my layout.

Materials used:  12x12 grid paper in white, blue cardstock, white cardstock, glue, glitter, 3 photos, the free download Everyday Journal Blocks, the Clearly Calendar stamp set, and the Mosaic Moments toolbox...the one inch square punch, metal ruler, craft knife, Dotto adhesive, Lil Chizler, and cutting mat.

I used the P is for Pumpkin layout from page 59 of Tami Potter's book Designing Photo Mosaics and more as a starting point, because I really wanted to use the phrase "W is for Winter Wonderland".
I wrote this phrase by hand on white cardstock, which I mounted on a 3 2/8 inch square of blue cardstock.
  

I really like how the scenic photo looks larger in mosaic form and it also reminds me of looking out the window. 

I matted my favorite photo on a 4 3/8 inch by 6 5/8 inch blue mat to emphasize Atticus' blue eyes and coat.

I punched the one inch squares out of the glittery patterned paper once it was dry and used them to fill in the empty spaces.  It really gives the impression of snow!

I also added a journaling block and a snowflake I made using the classic fold-and-cut method which I then mounted on a 2 1/8 inch square block.
 
Brrrrr!  Makes me want to bundle up!

the artiste

This project has been on my mind for a while now. 
It all started with one of my favorite photos of Atticus.  He loves to paint and be creative and it is something we enjoy doing together.  I also noticed my craft area was filling up with his artwork.

There are many clever ideas available for preserving your child's artwork, and I thought scrapbooking it would make a nice page in his album.

I used the layout "Sweet 17" by Shannon Johnson, in Designing Photo Mosaics and More by Tami Potter, page 56.  This works especially well for artwork done by a younger child because it is still mostly abstract art and can be used like patterned paper. I ended up switching the background grid paper, the inner squares, and the border squares several times before getting it right.  It can be tricky working with these colors and the painted paper has a texture that doesn't want to lie flat.  But I think it was worth it and once I slide it into a protective sleeve it will be just fine.

White grid paper works best, in my opinion, because it is neutral and has that "blank canvas" appeal.

Materials used: 12 x 12 grid paper in white, blue and white cardstock,  metal ruler, craft knife, Dotto adhesive, Lil Chizler, and cutting mat, 1 photo, and four masterpieces!

The colorful text helps pull all the page elements together and was printed using my word processor and glued to the page.

Cut sixteen 2 1/8 inch squares to form the border, paying attention to the colors and shapes in the artwork.  Alternating colors helps balance the layout while still capturing the creative energy!

Inner Harbor

 My cousin Leila came to visit us in August.  We took a day trip to Baltimore and had fun checking out the Inner Harbor.  What a beautiful place!

I was having a hard time figuring out a layout for these pictures, so it was a great time to use the free Alpha Tiles download. Having those letters in place helped tremendously!
I cut out the correct letters, played with them on the page until I got it just right, and then simply filled the remaining space with photos.  (Tip: The tiles are easier to work with when printed on cardstock.)

The photo of Brandon and I in the bottom right corner had funny dimensions and looked better matted.  This gave me an opportunity to bring in yellow as an accent color, which I used along the left side of the page.

Alpha Tiles are a fun way to add interest to a page, especially when you are unsure about your layout.  They make a great starting point and I like how easy it is to print more if you need them!

Materials used: 12 x 12 grid paper in Robin's Egg Blue, yellow cardstock, the free Alpha Tiles PDF available here, 6 photos, and my Mosaic Moments tools: metal ruler, craft knife, Dotto adhesive, Lil Chizler, and cutting mat.

Theresa Talks About the Basics

My daughter-in-law takes the most awesome nature shots and she made the most of her photography skills while visiting the Tropical Dream Center in Okinawa. I wanted to get as many of these gorgeous photos on the page as I could, so I turned to Tami Potter's Mosaic Moments products to help me make this mosaic. There are nine 3 1/2 x5 photos on this one page and the whole layout only took me about one hour to complete.

Want to know how to get started? You'll need some tools: a self-healing cutting mat with one-inch grids; a craft knife with a fresh blade; some repositionable glue; a cork-backed ruler; and some grid paper. SnapNCrop has all the tools you need to get started, plus they sell the pre-printed grid paper in tons of colors. The grid paper makes laying out your mosaic super easy as the spacing is all figured out for you

 

You'll also need to choose nine or ten photos and some cardstock in case you want to mat a photo or leave room for a title. It's best to choose some photos that are close-ups as well as some with a bit of background scenery for visual interest.

Once you have chosen your photos, coat the back with the repositionable glue and choose the photos that you would like to be your main focus. For Paradise Found, I chose three photos and a journaling block to start my page.

Step 1. First, line your photo up on the mat so that one side and either the top or bottom edge are lined up along the dark guidelines on the mat.

 

Step 2. Lay your ruler along the dark guidelines and cut your photo into squares using the craft knife.

Tips: If you are going to cut your photo into 1-inch pieces, be sure
your subject's face falls between the dark gridlines. You don't want to cut into
their face or cut them off at the neck.

 

Once you have cut your photo into squares, it will look like the photo below. I used 3 1/2 x5 inch photos. There will be a bit of extra on one short side and one long side of your photo. You can see in this photo that the squares on the bottom are definitely too small. And the squares on the right are just a tad too small. You don't want to use these. Just discard these bits. If you use 4x6 inch photos, you may not have extra bits.

Step 3. Lay your main photos and journaling block on the grid, then begin filling in the grid with your one-inch squares. Don't be concerned if you cannot fit the entire picture in the empty spaces -- this will give interest to your page.

 

But don't throw out those extra squares just yet as you may be able to use them to fill in an empty spot! In 'Paradise Found' I used bits of green from the top center picture to fill in a space above the bottom yellow flower. I'll bet you did not notice until I told you so!

 

That is all there is to it - three easy steps to a gorgeous page. Have fun with this technique. It is quite easy once you get the hang of it and the final result can be stunning!