Several years ago when I caught this all consuming scrapping bug, it was only natural that this influence would carry over into my new hobby.

It has been a natural progression to ‘design’ my layouts and then make a pattern or ‘template’ for them. As in fashion, the way to come up with unique work is to design and make it yourself.

There are many advantages to making templates. It allows for accuracy with your work (no guess work); you are able to vary the position of the template pieces on the page before cutting out in the actual cardstock/pp; it allows for duplicate layouts to be created easily and efficiently; and colour schemes can be changed to give a completely different image in subsequent layouts.

Templates can be used for repetitive shapes, as in the keyboard in Making Beautiful Music, or in designs where the individual shapes are all different.

You can add meaning to your work by making shapes that highlight a feature of the layout as in Metung Welcoming Committee, where the pelican’s bill shape has been used to focus your attention to the photo.

Method

1. Start by choosing your photo(s) and the papers you want to use.

1. Do a small sketch of your intended finished layout.

1. Carefully draw up your design onto white cardstock or paper to the required size. Number all of these pieces and mark straight grain if necessary..

1. Cut each piece out very accurately.

1. Decide on what pieces are to be cut in each paper. Carefully and economically trace the template pieces upside down on the reverse of the paper, then very carefully cut them out.

1. Place the photo onto the background cardstock and place the template pieces in order around the photo. Adjust accordingly if necessary. Adhere photo and pieces into place.

1. Complete the layout by adding the required title, embellishments and journaling.

This style of scrapbooking is very definitely worth a try, especially for those wanting unique designs; and that’s all of us I hope.