A Christmas Surprise

Sometimes I find a piece of paper I really want to use and it serves as inspiration for a layout.  This was one of those layouts.  When I was pulling paper, I came across a sheet of Prima holiday paper (which I don't remember buying - I didn't really even think of Prima as a source for great patterned paper) and was instantly determined to use it.  But the graphics were so bold and had such a large scale that I couldn't picture a layout. So I stared at it a while and finally cut it into two pieces based on a natural break point in the pattern.  It still didn't work for me, so I cut the larger strip into 2 pieces, again based on a natural break point in the pattern.  Then I looked at the B side and realized that pattern would be a great accent.  GFrom there I pulled a couple of sheets of Creative Memories paper to serve as wall paper and pulled some pieces from my scrap pile to use as accents.  Here's the finished product:

It turned out to be one of my all time favorite two page layouts in an album.  And in part, because it was another really economical page,  Here are some tips I used to maximize my stash.

• I've mentioned this before, but look for patterned paper with a strong coordinating graphic on the B side.  Here the holiday graphics were awesome, but the brown patterned paper served as a perfect accent.  This is another layout that used only a single piece of patterned paper.
• Wallpaper with a colored paper for maximum impact.  Here I used paper from the Creative Memories Rugged collection.  Creative Memories is one of my favorite sources for paper I am using for wallpaper because it has a nice weight - heavy enough to be easy to use and thin enough to avoid adding lots of bulk to my albums (because I like to get lots of pages in my albums).  In addition the CM paper generally has great depth in its colors.
• Use scraps to accent the patterned paper and to mount pictures.
• Use your punches and die-cut machines.  Here the embellishments are almost all Christmas and winter motifs I cut with my cricut and holiday themed cartridges.  I added them to the layout with both regular adhesive and foam squares to add depth and continue the feel of the patterned paper.

•  Don't become too focused on the theme of the embellishments - the tag on this page is from the Basic Grey Clippings snippets tablet.  I added some tiny glitz letters to customize the tag and added some elements I cut with the Cricut. 

•  Appreciate the happy accident.  Here one of the leaves on the brown spray turned over when I put it through my small xyron.  The red leaf actually adds depth and detail.

Maybe its better not to have a picture in your head . . . .