This layout has been a long time coming. I printed out the photos over a year ago, slipped them into pocket pages and then…nothing. It just sat in the album, waiting. Inspiration took it’s time with this one, but when it finally showed up, everything clicked into place.
Here’s the base – a full photo page (6×8 inches)
My vision was to fill the white space surrounding her with notes and random facts, sort of like this layout I made for Maddie’s 12th birthday. But I wanted to add a bit more depth and texture so I decided to experiment with white ink on vellum.
There’s something really satisfying about the contrast of the white ink against the soft translucency of the vellum – it adds texture without taking away from the photo.
Here’s an in-depth look at my process:
Supplies Used:
- White Pen: Uniball Signo UM-153 in white (highly recommend)
- Vellum: Heavyweight vellum cardstock for durability and that luxe feel
Digital Elements Used:
- Book Icon: from Plot Twist Digital Stamps by paislee press
- Camera Icon: from a travel-themed collection that will be available in my shop soon!
This page was definitely a game of patience.
It sat in the album for over a year until that aha moment finally hit and it all came together. If you’ve got half-finished projects hanging around, maybe it’s just not their time yet—and that’s totally okay. Let them sit. Sometimes the best ideas show up when you’re not even looking for them.
Liz, do you have a printer with white ink? How did you get the digital elements white?
Hi Erika! I printed the design out in black and white, placed the vellum sheet over the design and traced over it using a white ink pen. The pen that I used is listed in the post. The video at the bottom of the post, shows the entire process. The video is only about 1:15 seconds, so not long at all. Let me know if you have any other questions and thanks so much for reaching out!
Got it! Thanks very much