Smooching Cheeks / My Scraps & More

Yep, I said smooching cheeks!  Haha!  That's what my layout is all about.  I can't get enough of soft squishy baby cheeks.  This picture of my little Paige is almost three years old, and she's five now.  But she still has these cheeks, and I still have to pry myself away from them most days.  They're just so soft and sweet, and my favorite time to smooch her is first thing in the morning.  I'm a crazy mom, I know :D

Anyway....back on topic.  I created this layout for a Got Talent Challenge last week over at My Scraps and More.  The challenge was to use a busy background, create a complete sentence for the title, and to mix up the alphas.  I used the Capture Life collection from Echo Park.  I'm in love with this line....holy cow is it gorgeous!  I picked this very busy and loud patterned paper for my background, but I altered it up a bit.  I added gesso and then some watercolors and gelatos.  I added lots of separation from the background and my photo with lots of layers of solids.  Plus I added a bit of vellum in there, too.  I never want to the photo to be drowned out, so I always make sure that nothing overpowers it.

I added a fun die-cut to the background.  This one was made by Wilna over at Two Peas a while back, and I just LOVE it.  I cut it in white and then "messied" it up with a stamp.  I wanted it to show, but not too crazy since the background is busy enough.

A close up of the gesso and gelatos.  I also added some striped washi tape here and there....I LOVE this striped tape.  I use it A LOT.  It's from Michael's.

Messy thread is a great way to add texture and interest to your layouts.  I used a random wooden veneer heard here that I painted blue.  You can also see that I used four different fonts for my title.

The other side of the photo...more thread and a fun arrow paper clip from Hobby Lobby clearance! Score!

I hope this inspires you to use a busy background...it's really fun to challenge yourself to do something you don't normally do.  I'm getting more comfortable with these busy backgrounds.  It's all about finding the balance and not letting it overshadow your photo.

Thanks for stopping by today!