IT'S COOL TO BE SQUARE

My kids would argue the title of this article and tell you that it is not cool to be square, but I'm talking about being cool in the scrapbooking world. I remember when I purchased my first square punch. Every layout that I created had a border of double matted squares with stickers in the middle of them. I'm still crazy for squares, but I've replaced my stickers with Creatables. Sometimes I print a graphic and cut it into a square and sometimes I cut out the graphic and mount it onto a square. I love cutting alphabets into squares and using them for titles. Really the possibilities are endless on ways to be cool.

I hope these few layouts are enough to get you inspired to dig out your square punches, open up your HugBug Browser and begin being cool ... or is it square.

Layout 1: YOU'RE SEW SPECIAL

Supplies:

• Sweet Sentiments Creatable by Colleen Parry
• ColorMates cardstock, dark spring green, light autumn red
• Vellum
• Assorted buttons (source unknown)
• White felt
• White embroidery floss
• Needle
• Sewing Machine

Instructions:

1. Open up a workspace, I use Microsoft Word, and copy and paste the background quilt graphic. Size to 9”x6 ½”. Print 2 sheets onto vellum.
2. Cut 3, 4 square quilts and machine sew to white felt leaving a ¼” border of felt. Sew a button in the center using white embroidery floss. Cut a quilt piece an appropriate size to use as a mat for your photo. Sew white felt on the same as the quilt squares.
3. Tear a 4” and a 2 ½” piece of red cardstock and sew using white embroidery floss to the top and bottom of the green cardstock.
4. Create a title, I used LD Stitches font, and print onto vellum. Tear out the title and attach to the bottom red border using buttons and floss. Tear another vellum strip and attach across the top red border.
5. Arrange the quilt squares across the top red border and adhere. Adhere photo to quilt mat and adhere to layout.
6. Place a few random buttons onto the layout.
   

Layout 2: BADGER STATE GAMES

Supplies:

• Once Upon A Creatable by Tim Brazier
• Magic Mesh from Stampin' Up
• Cork Sheet by Magic Scraps
• ColorMates cardstock, dark creamy cocoa, light creamy cocoa
• White cardstock
• Mulberry paper, tan
• Small Square punch

Instructions:

1. Open up a workspace, I use Microsoft Word, and copy and paste the castle wall background, and the 3 different elves. Print off a full sheet of the castle wall onto white cardstock. (If you wish to use this pattern for journaling or a title, add typing before you print it off.) Size the elves to fit into your layout and print.
2. Cut out the elves and set aside. Cut 1, 3” square of the castle wall. Adhere a torn piece of cork in the center. Cut a random piece of Magic Mesh and place over the cork. Cut this square into 4, 1 1/2” squares and mat onto the light cocoa cardstock.
3. Mat photos onto the light cocoa cardstock and place a narrow strip of Magic Mesh to the bottom of the photos.
4. Tear a wide strip of mulberry to run from corner to corner and adhere to the dark cocoa cardstock.
5. Arrange photos and castle wall squares onto your layout. Determine the size needed to create castle wall for elves and cut out. Use a small square punch to create a top border for the wall. Randomly adhere cork and Magic Mesh.
6. Adhere all elements to the layout and arrange elves around the castle wall.
   

Layout 3: VACATION

Supplies:

• Travel Adventures Creatable by Carolee Jones
• Frames and Borders by Gina Jane Johnson
• Background paper, Blue Lagoon Brush Strokes by Paper House Productions
• Cardstock, white, aqua
• Photo paper
• 3D Dots by EK Success