Just Because: Daily Practice

I'm back to share another "just because" layout with you. I love that I've had more time lately to create ... well, just because. I mentioned on a post last week that I had ordered a bunch of 4x4" photos using the FreePrints app on my phone, and this is another layout where I put several of those fun square photos to use. 

All of the square photos across the top of the two page spread are ones that I have borrowed (aka - stole) from Sarah's Instagram account. It would be awesome if she would willingly send me photos when I ask, but there's a massive lag in her response time ;) So I have learned to just screenshot the photos, and as it turns out, most of them print just fine. 

These photos were all from cross country season at school last fall, and I'm so glad that I was able to get a nice variety of photos. It may have only been six photos (the bottom two photos seen above are ones I took at the awards ceremony), but I'm so glad I have them. She may have more. In fact, I"m sure she has more. But I'll take what I can get for now. 

I had six 4x4" photos, so I decided to line them up across the top of the two page spread. I knew the title I had planned would look better spread out along the bottom of the page, with the photos up top. 

I will say the one thing about screenshotting the photos from Sarah's Instagram account (and even a few that she was conveniently tagged in, and I happen to see them) is that a lot of them ended up with different looks to them. I did my best not to get too hung up on that, and spread them out in a way that spread out the different looks. I like that there's a few photos of them at meets, a few they took after having team photos taken, and even a photo they took after an early morning practice in the rain. 

I started by digging around in my Silhouette library for cut files I could use on this spread. My intention was to use this layout for Kerri Bradford this month, which is partially why all of the cut files I picked out where from her (the other reason is that I'm very partial to her designs!). Then I decided to go with the love theme for my layout for her, so this became a layout just for the heck of it. 

I started with a background cut, as I wanted to add a subtle patterned paper to the pages, but didn't want solid papers. And anyone that knows me, knows how much I LOVE this circle background from Kerri's Background Basics kit. I was looking for a neutral, subtle patterned paper, and ended up using this woodgrain patterned paper from Bella Blvd (from the wedding collection of all places).

It took me a while to come up with my title for this layout. There aren't necessarily a lot of sports themed cut files out there. Although maybe I'm not looking in the right places, or the ones I see just don't appeal to me. So I had to do a little brainstorming. I came up with "Daily Practice", knowing that I would also add a subtitle along with it.

I picked out the word "daily" from Kerri's Grammar School: The Adverbs kit, and pulled the word "practice" from Kerri's Something To Say kit. I cut them both from a green patterned paper from Little Yellow Bicycle (remember them?), as well as black cardstock. It was actually a sports patterned paper (some sort of field), but the main reason I used it was because it was the right shade of green, our school color. 

I eventually figured out what I wanted my subtitle to say, and used some older High Five alpha stickers from Bella Blvd to spell it out. And just now, I'm questioning whether that should have read "lead" instead of "leads", but whatever ;)

To add a little something above the row of photos across the two page spread, I dug up this fun star border from Kerri's Stars & Stripes kit, cutting it from the same green patterned paper I cut my title from, as well as black cardstock. This cut file has a flourish you can use as well, but I left that part off for this layout.

I tucked it down under the photos a bit on both pages of the spread, and then machine stitched across to really hold it in place. I also added a black scalloped border sticker below the row of photos on both pages of the spread, machine stitching across as well. The majority of the time, when I want a scalloped border, I'll simply use my scalloped border punch on cardstock or patterned paper. But I happen to have a large stash of Bella Blvd stickers, and can usually find duplicates when I need more than one. 

I finished the page off with a few small blocks of journaling, each matted on black cardstock to help them stand out. Sarah always comes up with the best captions/quotes for her Instagram photos, and I wanted to include one of them on this page. I also had a few stars I die cut from black cardstock, and added those across the bottom of the two page spread. I'm pretty sure I was going to add some enamel dots or buttons or something to those stars, but I must have forgotten about that idea at some point. 

I really am becoming a patterned paper, cardstock, photos, die cuts, and sticker scrapper, aren't I ;)

Comments

[Shannon]

Absolutely love this LO. I might have to start printing out square photo's. Cause you can fit so many on a page! I also have to steal photo's from my daughter. I use FB. Will have to try screen capture. Good idea :)

[Tracey]

Your doubles are always so awesome Laura!! Love this!