SYSSS - Week 4: Cover the Seam!

Welcome to Week 4 of our Scrap-Your-Stash Summer Saturdays! Thanks to all who played along last week and uploaded layouts featuring Squares of Diamonds to the album on the facebook page. I love the layouts you created! If you're just joining us, this is how it works: Each Saturday until September 8th I'll provide you with the theme of the week and a checklist of supplies. You'll "shop" your supply stash and choose the items and photos that you want to use.

The checklist will be specific to the TYPE of items you'll need, but you'll have total flexibility as to the ACTUAL item you choose to use. For example, the checklist might say "floral paper, cardstock, flower embellishments", but you can choose the color & style of the floral paper, the color of cardstock to coordinate with it and whether you want to use die-cuts, stickers, or punched flower embellishments.

Substitutions are encouraged: if you don't have or don't like a suggested item in your stash, switch it up for something you do have/like. For example if you absolutely hate floral papers, sub in a striped or other patterned paper, cardstock to coordinate and some geometric embellishments. It's totally up to you! All that's left to do once you've chosen your items is to create and share! (Note: feel free to use ANY brand of supplies - you do not need to use Creative Memories...although that's probably what you'll see in my layouts ha ha!) Ready for week 4? YAY!

This week we are piecing together, then covering it up. I love the look of a variety of patterned paper pieces coming together on a layout or project, but sometimes the place they "join" looks unfinished! In browsing through pinterest I found a whole bunch of great layouts that take care of that and add an extra layer of interest by cleverly making the seam or join a design feature. Take a look at the layouts I've gathered for us as inspiration on this weeks Pinterest board to get a sense of why covering up the seam can make a layout go from ordinary to extraordinary!

The idea is simple - add a piece of paper to your base page and then add dimension and interest where the pieces meet. Items for covering the seam could include a variety of punched shapes, die-cuts, stickers, border strips, paper strips, ribbon etc. Here's a few layout sketches with measurements to give you some ideas (but of course feel free to run with this concept however you like!)

Here's the Supply List for this week:

- 12" x 12" paper for the layout base - patterned or solid
- Another 12" x 12" piece (or scrap minimum 6" x 12") piece of patterned paper in contrasting or coordinating colors
- lots of scraps - big or small - and punches
OR
- lots of die-cuts, stickers etc
OR
- strips of paper and Original Border Maker System and Cartridge
- Any other supplies you want to add once your layout starts to take shape

Here are some of the decorative supplies I'm planning on using this week...as you can see I have a few flowers that I can choose from!!! (Full Bloom, Reflections, Enchanted, Pastel and  Denim Blues!!!)

Once you've had a look at the pinterest board and picked your supplies, create your layout, take a photo of it and upload it to the OCM Facebook Page in the Week 4 Album (follow the link or choose "Photos" from the left hand sidebar on the main page, click on the Week 4 image, and then click on "Add Photos"...or simply add a comment with a photo.)

You can post it anytime, but those that are posted in the album by next Friday night will have a chance at our next prize! I'll share my take on this theme on the facebook page tomorrow!

Happy scrapping!