jamaica | march project life

One of the things I’ve realized about working with a smaller album is that you have to get creative if you’re going to “fit everything in.” Of course, how much you include is totally subjective and you could easily add more pages. But sometimes, the thought of using a 12 x 12 album with 3 times as many pockets makes me a little wistful. Just think of all those empty pockets waiting to be filled…

Okay, back to what I was saying… you have to get creative. For me, that means layering. Today, I’m going to show you how I added journaling and two gorgeous paislee script cards to my scrapbook using vellum. Yay, vellum!

I printed a selection of my favorite cards from About Us (journaling cards and elements), Press Cards No. 32, and Pictures + Words No. 9 onto lightweight vellum from Paper Source. Just make sure to get the right type for your printer (laser vs inkjet) and follow the instructions for printing.

Here’s what my spread looked like before I started—photos printed and tucked quickly into pockets, a postcard I wanted to include and a see-thru red card from the other side. It wasn’t feeling very cohesive and didn’t leave any room for journaling or extra elements. So I started playing around with the vellum cards, laying them quickly over each pocket to see what would work.

The obvious spot was the postcard. Blah on it’s own, it became a beautiful, subtle background when layered under the Moments card.

The vellum doesn’t cover the text completely but obscures it enough that you can journaling over it legibly. I ran the vellum thru my typewriter before trimming it to size.

The other page wasn’t so easy. I knew I wanted to add another card with the black script to balance out my spread but the vellum obscured one photo too much and another not enough. Plus, I was struggling to keep the transparent red pocket see-thru. After swapping out a few photos and moving things around I came to the obvious conclusion…

… and added it to the red pocket. From the back, the red card is still semi-transparent which is good enough for me (I just wanted the glowing red effect) and the reversed journaling adds some character. From the front, the vellum tones down the red helping it to blend in with the other muted colors on the page.

Here’s how it all turned out… bold black script in two corners, dishes in the opposite, and blue tones hugging the gutter. And Mia, who coordinates perfectly.