scrap!! (or, why do I buy so much patterned paper??) ((edited))

the last couple scrapbook pages I've made were pet pages... they're such fun and cute photo subjects, but-- photos of animals don't always turn out the best, do they? (at least not for me, they don't.) This page was made using a sketch from the new Sketch Support 1-page layout book. You can find more information about it here. (I got these books last week, and showed them off in my last post.) Sometimes, I don't want to think too hard about page design, so using sketches is a good way to get a "head-start on a page. For this page, I used my photo editing software and changed the photos to a more sepia tone before printing them to take out any distracting colors, and I used vintage and found papers along with strips of scrapbooking paper for embellishing the page. This page is photos of Ariel (an extreeeeme close-up), and a photo of Prescott gone bad (he ducked his head right as I clicked the button). Quite a few of my pet photos turn out this way, so I decided to just embrace it and showcase that fact! I scrounged around in my collage and art journaling supplies, and found things that included a miniature playing card, vintage postage stamps and trading stamps, and other doo-dads. I paired those items with my favorite Martha Stewart butterfly punch and some mother of pearl buttons from my stash. Edited this post to add: by using the stamps on this page, this layout met the criteria for the "Going Postal" summer postage-themed blogging project, and I didn't even know it! (I've always loved postage stamps, postcards, etc. although I am not an "official" collector of such items as their own categories-- mostly just as part of my love of all things paper.) Anyway, if you want more information about the Going Postal blogging project, you can click here: 'I'm Going Postal, How About You?' Reading this link again brings to mind the fact that my Grandma collected postage stamps; I used to love looking thru her notebooks when I was little. I now have those notebooks... I will definitely have to write a blog post about that, for sure!

I popped up the butterfly wings with some foam dots, and used blue craft floss in the buttons. The embellishment clusters use orange, blue, and purple, to tie into the colors in the striped paper. The page title and journaling read: I do try, but... No matter how many pictures I take, a good number of them turn out like this- "Action shots," I guess!

This is a close-up of today's page... this close-up shows the dimension of the puffy letter stickers I used for the title. (they're a recent Big Lots purchase; sometimes Big Lots and Tuesday Morning- both closeout stores- have scrapbooking supplies, and you can find some good deals if you hit them at the right time.)

This photo is of the entire page: Prescott and Bisbee have such a good time with their chewies, bones, and chew toys, and I wanted to show that off. I do get some good pictures of the pets from time to time, and I think these photos show off both their personalities! They can get into "the zone" when they're into a chewie or bone, and these pictures show that off as well.

And the title of this post-- how does that fit in, you ask?? Well, I've bought a lot of patterned paper lately, and strangely enough, both of these pages are in more of a "clean and simple" style, with relatively small touches of patterned paper! So, why do I keep buying it, then? (don't answer that!! haha!!)