school days layout…

i’d like to share my montly design team project for the CLEARSNAP BLOG with you…

I love school supplies, well, now I call them “office” supplies, but it’s the same thing: notebook paper, pens, paper clips, staplers, hole punches, and all the other little doo-dads you can find at the office supply stores. I also collect vintage supplies, those are my favorites!

So, when Hampton Art released their new stamp sets for Graphic 45’s ABC Primer collection, I just had to have them. My son’s 4th grade school photos gave me the perfect chance to use them. But the photo was a little on the “bright” side to say the least, so it was a bit of a challenge to bring in the vintage touches I like but balance them with the crisp, primary colors in the photo.

The first thing I reached for was my ColorBox Premium Dye Inks by Stephanie Barnard; they are bright, vivid and clear and would work well with the colors in the photo. The next things I gathered up were some school themed stamps; including the ABC Primer stamps. Black and kraft cardstocks would serve as a base; black to set off the photo and kraft to lend a vintage feel. Then I found a few patterned papers that would fit in with the layout. For embellishments, I noticed that some felt flowers by Epiphany Crafts matched perfectly with the background color of the photo. Baker’s twine in red and brown worked with the theme and colors as well.

Here’s how all these supplies came together…

The colors coordinate with the photo, but their style along with the stamps used, embellishment choices and the distressing, make it a little vintage too.

here are a few closeups of all the little details…