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 6 photo sketch uses all uncropped 4×6 pictures and can be created with just 5 sheets of 12×12 paper.  It uses a large title, and the large right side circle balances that.

The layout uses 8 photos, and arranges them just a little differently. On the left side, a photo was used in the title, and 4 2×3 photos replaced the 2 6×4 photos. On the left side, the journaling circle was replaced with a photo, and two larger photos were used instead of the four. Three patterned papers were used.

This layout uses 9 photos, arranged just a little differently, but still recognizable as the sketch.  There are 5 patterns and 0 solids.

The layout is exactly like the sketch, with 2 patterns and 3 solids.. With the size you see here, you can’t see the fuzziness of my large photo, but I want to point it out to you.  Why point out a “flaw”?  Because I believe that it is okay to use a less-than-perfect photo as your enlargement/focus.  If it is the only photo that you have, and important to the story, use it!

I created this 8 photo layout before the sketch, and it is one of my personal all-time favorites. I used papers from K & Company’s Urban Rhapsody collection.  I think there are 9 different patterns here, but that is only because the paper is double sided (I do try to limit myself to no more than 5 patterns, when I buy paper!)

This 8 photo sketch is simple in it’s design, both in the arrangement of the photos and in the layering of the papers. If you are new to using sketches, this is a good one to start with.

This layout is almost exactly like the sketch. It uses 4 patterns and 2 solids.  The papers are from the “Storytime” line by Cosmo Cricket.

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 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.

Here’s another 10 photo sketch.  Ten is the 2nd most popular number of photos for my sketches!  (Eight is tops, so far)

This layout is 8 photos, because I combined the strip on the left and used part of a brochure in that place, and on the right I shortened the top right photo and added a small one under it. The photo on the bottom right is a postcard, which allowed me to include a perspective I otherwise couldn’t. Don’t be afraid to use postcards and brochures on your layout (the title on this one is also from a brochure)! There are 4 patterns and 2 solids used here.