This 8 photo sketch uses one of my favorite new shapes. If you are paper scrapping, you can use a diecut or chipboard shape, which is what I did when I used this sketch.

Templates (includes each side separately, and both sides together.) The scroll shape on the template was created by Brittney at “britt-ish designs” and can be found at ScrapMatters.com

This layout uses 7 photos, because I wanted to include journaling. I used Crate Paper’s “Brook” Collection for all 4 of the patterned papers, and most of the embellishments.  There is 1 solid paper used.  The awesome 4″ chipboard letter (and the scroll shape, as mentioned above) is from Keller’s Creations.

This second, 8 photo, layout is digital (I used my own template!) and was created for a challenge at Persnickety Prints, using the Heirloom freebie add-on kit by Deena Rutter, part of her Scarborough Fair collection.

This 7 photo sketch isn’t very intricate, and I think you may be able to do it quickly.  No promises, though!

Left side template
Right side template

The layout was fun to create, mostly because I love these pictures of my grand-puppy.  I made one significant change to the sketch, in that I added 5 (five) 2×2″ photos on the right side.  I used 5 patterned papers and no solids.

This 12 photo sketch is very versatile.  Don’t have 12 photos?  Take out some of the small 2x2s on the left side and use embellishments instead, or place larger photos there instead.  Want a larger title?  Remove the lower left photos altogether!  Don’t like to journal?  Stick another photo there instead!  All sketches are just suggestions, so don’t feel locked into creating it just like you see it.

left side template
right side template

As you can see from the layout, I certainly don’t follow the sketch exactly. I’d had those male/female chipboard accents for awhile and wasn’t sure how I was going to use them, but they were perfect for this layout!  And over on the journaling block, I included both journaling and a photo!  This layout uses just 7 photos, along with 6 patterned papers and 1 solid.

So often I see 1 page layouts with 1 large photo, but what do us 2-pager-multi-photo gals do with that?  How about something like this 6 photo layout?

I cropped my photos a little more than called for in the sketch, because I had an extra photo and wanted to add some embellishments.  I didn’t need to journal, so replaced the journaling block with another embellishment.  There are 4 patterns and 2 solids used in this layout, all from the Basic Gray Granola collection.

This 7 photo sketch is great for when you have some strong photos that you not only don’t want to crop much, but you want them bigger!   If you don’t want to add a sub-title, you could add even more photos there, instead. There is more visual white space than in most of my sketches, so if that bothers you, add more photos or stuff!

The layout uses 7 photos, though one of them is tucked into the title.  There is no journaling, just a quote, because the pictures and title say it all.  I don’t usually leave so much space that doesn’t have photos in it, but the busy word paper made me okay with the idea.  As it turned out, this is one of my favorite layouts I’ve ever done.

With this 7 photo sketch, you could easily replace the focal photo on the left page with a larger photo.

The layout uses 11 photos by grouping three 2×4 photos in each of the spaces designated for a 4×6 photo on the right page. Turning those photos black & white added some visual interest, but was done mainly because the photos weren’t very good quality and b&w is more forgiving.  The 6 patterns and 1 solid are from the BoBunny “It’s My Party” collection, as are the embellishments. To save paper, I cut out from behind the large red square and used the flip-side for the large square on the left.

This 7 photo sketch requires very little cropping of your 4×6 pictures, and none at all if you use a 5×7 as your focal photo.  The large letter used in the title helps balance the left page.  The background papers are a simple layout.  This would be a fast layout to do!

In this 6 photo layout, the photos have been cropped more than in the sketch, to allow more room for embellishments, and the large initial (number, in this case) starts the title that is finished in the journaling (Five Things I Love About Easter).

This 7 photo sketch, with 4 large and 3 smaller photos, could easily be altered to use just 4 photos and 3 embellishments.  I don’t often design with a large focal photo on the right page, but it works this time partly because of the size progression of the photos on the left side.  (I think… really, I’m not a design expert, so am just guessing, folks!)

In this layout, I only used 6 photos, and added extra title space.  I also left space for journaling at the bottom left of the right page.  The layout uses 5 patterns and 1 solid.

A Super Sketch occurs when the girls and I all do a similar layout, but with different results.  No, wait, that’s pretty normal for us.  So a Super Sketch must be when I then take those layouts and create at least 2 sketch variations from them, to share with all of you!  This is the very first time I’ve done it, and hope to have more in the future.

This sketch has a strong focal point on the left side, with several overlapping circles and circle outlines.  Due to the placement of the title, it is best to use a solid paper for the outermost circle.  The larger circle on the right helps bring visual balance to the layout.

This layout, created by Robin S, was the original inspiration for all of the layouts and sketches.  The circle outline on top of the focal photo on the left is painted chipboard, but you could also use paper and popdots for the same effect.  There are 3 patterns and 4 solids (or almost solids) on this layout.

Take Two!

The second sketch orients the focal picture horizontally, and uses a different size photo altogether. There are also more photos on this sketch, plus room for a subtitle and journaling. While the layout of the paper initially looks similar, you’ll see some changes if you look closely… for instance, the 3rd circle in the top left corner of the right side.

This layout, created by me, happens to be one of my all-time favorites that I have done. (The rest of the title quote says, “…is our favorite place to be.”) There are 4 patterns and 2 solids used here.

Take Three!

The third sketch gets the most pictures on the layout, at 7, and still leaves room for journaling. Christine liked my idea of using a second circle on the right side, but she brought it out of the corner and down to the middle of the sketch. Also, while her focal photo on the left is vertical (like the original), it is smaller and she used a smaller and more offset topping circle.

The layout, created by Christine P, at first appears to be simpler, but still manages to sneak in a few doo-dahs!  A major embellishment constant on these layouts is the ribbon(s) on the top outline circle on the left side. Not only are they fun, they take up some of the “dead” space near the top of the layout. And while it may look like the circles on all these layouts are different sizes, I promise you they are all exactly the same size! This layout uses 4 patterns and 2 (almost) solids.

This 7 photo sketch uses mostly full-size photos, for those of you who make good use of your camera’s zoom lens. The 2 photos on the left could easily be replaced by a larger single photo or several smaller photos matted together. That element is balanced on the right by the vertically aligned photos near the center of the layout.

In this layout, there are two different focuses. On the left are the posed shots, and on the right are the action shots.  The layout uses 3 solids and 4 patterns from BoBunny.

This 8 photo sketch is inspired by a layout my friend Christine P. created. The rick-rack could be doodles or stitching or rub-ons or ribbons, but it is an important part of the sketch.

This is the 7 photo layout that Christine created. It uses 4 patterns and 1 solid. She amazes me how she can just start cutting paper and sticking it down, without knowing how she’s going to crop her pictures or where they’re going to be placed. Her layouts always turn out looking great, though!

Before I created the sketch, I was inspired to create my own version of Christine’s layout. I only used 6 photos, but kept the same basic elements of the layout and the sketch. It uses 3 patterns and 4 solids.

This 9 photo sketch uses 2 uncropped photos as focal points.  The small circle on the right echoes the larger partial circle on the left, and gives the layout added visual interest.

The layout below uses 7 photos, because one of the photo spots was used for journaling and another spot was used for a portion of the brochure that went along with these photos. The photos on the right side were also rearranged a little, to accommodate the embellishments I wanted to use. The layout uses 5 patterns and 2 solids.

This 8 photo sketch, uses a large half circle (again!), but it is so covered up by the other layers that it is more just the idea of the circle. Notice that it ends under the vertical strip on the right side.

This layout uses 4 patterns and 1 solid. It is only 7 photos, and you can see how I adjusted the sketch to make room for embellishments. Almost all of the photos are cropped just a little smaller, and the journaling is limited to the circle on the right side of the layout. One of my favorite things about this layout, though, is the bent corner. To achieve that, you must use double-sided patterned paper.

This 9 photo sketch is another with my favorite things… circles!  I really try not to use them all the time, but am always looking for new ways to do sneak them in. The 4 photo block on the left balances the large background circle on the right.  Either side could hold it’s own as a single page layout, if you’re into that sort of thing.

In the layout I only used 7 photos, replacing one with a journaling block and another with a favorite of mine… a flower embellishment.  There are 4 patterns and 3 solids in this layout.  (And since so many have asked… the pictures were taken at sunset on Asilomar Beach in northern California, with a Canon DRebel.)

This 10 photo sketch has 2 focal photos. The left focus is enhanced by heavy matting, while the right is a larger format photo. The background is mostly just that… background that is there to anchor the photo arrangement. That doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, though!

This layout only used 7 photos.  In the 8th photo space (the 5×7), I used part of a program from the ceremony we attended. It is often daunting to include the program and multiple photos, which is one reason I wanted to show that it can be done and still look good. I replaced the 9th photo with a date/time journaling block. This layout uses 3 patterns and 1 solid.