BACKGROUNDS

I would have to call myself a cardstock junkie. I love solid colored cardstock and buy it in bulk. I have some patterned paper, but it’s on the bottom of my cardstock pile looking a little dog-eared. Accenting a layout with patterned paper is fun but I never seem to have the perfect piece. This is were Creatables come into my story. With Creatables like Backgounds and Behind the Scenes, I no longer have to anguish over the perfect piece of patterned paper. If you can’t find a match within these Creatables, you can also find backgrounds to match within the graphic sets.

To print backgrounds, set the margins as small as they will go within the program you are using. I use Microsoft Works and set my margins to 1/2” all the way around. Size your background graphic to 8 1/2”x11”. By covering your whole work space, this will allow for the largest printable area you can get. To maximize even more space, set your paper size to 8 1/2”x14” and add a plain sheet of paper to your cardstock to create a 14” piece of paper. This will allow for the printable area to become larger.

Okay, now it’s your turn to get creative. Start playing around with printing your own patterned paper and see what you can come up with.

Layout 1: ACTING CORNY

Supplies:

• Behind the Scenes Creatable by Carolee Jones
• Barnwood Sage Real Life paper by Pebbles
• White and kraft cardstock
• Vellum
• Paper fasteners by Creative Impressions
• Jute
• Chalks (optional)

Instructions:

1. Print a full sheet of the Summer Plaid pattern from the Behind the Scenes Creatable. Trim off the excess edges. Attach to the left side of the Barnwood Sage paper 1/2” from edge using paper fasteners in each corner. Tie jute between the paper fasteners along the top and bottom of the printed paper.
2. Mat photos using the kraft cardstock. Arrange onto layout and adhere leaving space for journaling.
3. Insert a text box into your workspace and create a journaling box. ( I use Microsoft Works. To create a text box, go to Insert, and then click on Text Box. To size the Text Box to fit within the layout, go to Format, Text Box, and Size. Here you can adjust to create the size needed.)
4. Create the journaling and print onto vellum. Trim and attach to layout using paper fasteners in the top corners. To highlight the title or certain words, run chalk over the word using an applicator or Q-tip.

Layout 2: WYOMING

Supplies:

• Old West Creatable by Laurie Furnell
• Gold cardstock by Bazzill
• Black and parchment cardstock
• Vellum
• Pop Dots, 1/4” by Ranger
• Hemp Jewelry Cord
• Chalk
• Vellum tape by 3M

Instructions:

1. Print a full sheet of the Rawhide pattern from the Old West Creatable onto parchment paper. Tear the edges in a shape to give it the look of a tanned hide. (See layout.) Chalk the torn edges brown. Adhere to the right side of the gold cardstock towards the top.
2. Print the sheriffs badge onto parchment paper and size to fit onto layout. (Determine the space to put the badge on the layout and then size the graphic by going to Format, Object and Size.) Cut out and adhere to the bottom right of the layout using pop dots.
3. Mat photo onto black cardstock leaving a 1” border on the top and bottom. Roll up the top and bottom border using a pencil. To keep in place, poke a hole with a needle into the mat close to the picture and tie around the roll using hemp. Do this in 4 places. (See layout.) Adhere to layout on the left side towards the top.
4. Copy and paste the rope frame to a workspace. Rotate the frame by going to Format, Object, and Size. Rotate 90 degrees. Insert a text box within the rope frame and create a title or journaling. Print onto vellum and adhere using vellum tape.

Layout 3: MOUNT RUSHMORE

Supplies:

• Backgrounds Creatable by Gina Jane Johnson
• Bazzill cardstock, red, blue, tan
• Computer font, Scrap Script
• Sewing Machine (optional)

Instructions:

1. Print a full sheet of the Old Flag background and trim the excess edges. Cut the stars from the stripes and mat both onto tan cardstock. With the sewing machine, stitch around the stars using tan thread. Adhere to red cardstock. (See layout)
2. Print a title onto tan cardstock and trim to a 1” strip. To create the strip, put the document setting in your workspace on landscape and insert a text box. Determine where the text box should go according to your layout. (Print on a plain piece of paper to be sure you have your spacing correct.) Adhere the strip 1/2” from the bottom of the layout.
3. Mat photos onto blue cardstock and stitch along the edges. Adhere to layout.
   

Layout 4: BEAR COUNTRY

Supplies:

• Backgrounds Creatable by Gina Jane Johnson
• Behind the Scenes Creatable by Carolee Jones
• Ark Creatable by Linda Wolfe
• Brown Bazzill cardstock
• Parchment cardstock
• Hometown Alphabet by Lettering Delights
• Pewter eyelets by Making Memories
• Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTE) by Ranger
• Embossing Heat Tool
• Gold stamping ink (source unknown)
• Paw stamp by Judith
• Square stamp by Hero Arts
• Chalk
• Deckle edge scissors by Fiskars

Instructions:

1. Print a full sheet of Warm Sand from the Background Creatable and a full sheet of Brown Pin Stripes from the Behind the Scenes Creatable.
2. Mat photos using the Warm Sand. Leave a 2” edge on one of the mats to embellish later. Tear a 2 1/2” border of the pin strip paper, chalk the edges brown and adhere to the bottom of the brown cardstock. (You’ll need to add a small torn piece to the end of this border to make it 12” wide.) Place eyelets at the each end of the border.
3. Copy and paste the Bear head from the Ark Creatable and size to fit layout. (To size the graphic, go to Format, Object, and Size.) Create and size the title using the Hometown Alphabet from Lettering Delights. Print the bear head and title onto parchment cardstock. Cut the bear head out using the deckle edge scissors and cut out each letter separately. Chalk around the bear head graphic.
4. Tear a strip from the brown pin strip paper and adhere to the photo mat with the 2” border. Place 2 eyelets in the top of the border. Embellish using the UTE and stamping with the paw using gold ink.
5. Arrange and adhere all the elements to the layout. Use eyelets to attach the bear head graphic.