Scrapbooking in Solid Colors

I'm trying to use up my solid cardstock stash. I can't seem to create a nice layout with solid colors; solid cardstock and embellishments. How and who uses solid cardstock for layouts. HELP!!!

I've enjoyed using it for sports layouts, but I don't think I have any of them uploaded here.

I do It's all about color, contrast, and your embellishments. Ink, paint, or stamp onto the cardstock to give it a pattern. Make shapes out of other colors (like my palm tree and the waves below). Add small shapes of patterned paper. Use brightly contrasting colors to mat your pics. I'll be interested to see what other ideas get posted!


Marilyn - pages 12 & 13 together By Stick


Marilyn - pages 2&3 together By Stick


Marilyn - page 19 By Stick


cambria left By Stick

The key for me is layering several colors that go together, using punches and lots of pictures. I have several in my gallery. Here's a few examples.

[image] Shaw Park Gardens - Ocho Rios, Jamaica By KVRLVN[/image]


Key West, FL - Sunset Cruise By KVRLVN

Seattle, WA By KVRLVN

Make your own patterned paper with it. Stamps, stencils, masks, paint, ink, etc.

Also, photo mats; also, combining it with patterned paper as I did in some of the layouts below.

Hawaii 2010 - Pages 4 and 5 - Evening and Morning in Waikiki By Aquabunny

Hawaii 2010 - Pages 6 and 7 - Whale-Watch By Aquabunny

Hawaii 2010 - Page 8 - Whales By Aquabunny

Hawaii 2010 - Page 9 - Lei By Aquabunny

Hawaii 2010 - Page 22 - Waikiki Aquarium By Aquabunny

A Bite to Eat By Aquabunny

Snow Magic By Aquabunny

Add texture to it by dry embossing, using a paper crimper, distressing, tearing, or weaving it. Inking the edges also gived cardstock some "oomph".

You can also create your own patterned paper with it. For example, you have this terrific lo in your gallery:
Back to School By RoyalScrapClub

You could recreate this lo almost entirely with cardstock. You could cut cut different size squares and layer them to create that background. You could cut alphas from different colors of cs and adhere them to a piece of white cs to create that alpha pp. You could cut diamond shapes and adhere them to a sheet of cs to create the diamond pp..you could use stitching or even dotted lines to complete the look of that pp.

Punches can really be a helpful tool when working with cardstock, too.

Here's a lo I did for a cardstock challenge.
Our Flag By Justowen

Here's another lo I did that was mostly cardstock...border punches were my friend on this one :

Swim Lesson By Justowen

This was mostly done with cardstock, but does have a lot of embellishments, too..

Tiger Pride By Justowen

This is cardstock, with lots of rubons, flowers and other embellishments.
Dad's Army Retirement (November colour challenge) By Justowen



This was a challenge that allowed only cs, stamps, inks & one embellie. 44th Birthday By Justowen

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Your layouts look so nice. Good job. Love the palm tree and the waves.

Very nice layering too.

Fab examples! Texture is a great idea, I need to incorporate more embossing into my scrapping.

I find it more challenging to use patterned paper. Most of my layouts are on solid cardstock.

Same here. Mine are mostly on solid cardstock - I'm trying hard to incormporate more patterned!

A lot of my LOs are on solid cardstock too, I just add pattern paper to it sometimes.

I almost always use plain cardstock as backgroung and add more collored and patterned paper. I have a hard time using pattern as a backround because I am always afriad of making a layout too busy (I usually put a ton of pictures on a layout). I just don't have the eye for patterned bacground, though I wish I did.

I agree with michelley2002. I like to use solid cardstock for the background of my layouts too. Then I use up scrap pieces of patterned paper by adding them on top. I love to add inexpensive details such as paint, stitching and doodling to give it interest and to help blend the colors a little.

The hardest thing for some people is being ok without a pattern. I do a lot of LOs with solid colors. you cna leave it plain or use it to make your own patterns.

here i added paint or ink:

Duck, Duck, Elmo By Lamoo12

worm By Lamoo12


these were dressed up with stickles or brads:

I'm not touching you. By Lamoo12

Sunglasses By Lamoo12

Dump trucks By Lamoo12

these used transparencies to dress them up:

"kitchen" chairs By Lamoo12

boys backyard stones By Lamoo12

These have layers of solid colors:

riding horses By Lamoo12

Busy Boy By Lamoo12

I dont drink and drive By Lamoo12

these are more monochromatic (use shades of one color):

DS1 Jumping By Lamoo12

I like dirt By Lamoo12

these use punches to create shapes and color accents:

Halloween Bees (closed) By Lamoo12

Halloween Bees (open) By Lamoo12

DS2 on horse By Lamoo12

sometimes varying the shapes will help:

lookin' hoppy By Lamoo12

you can also weave the papers together to get your own pattern:

wagon rides (dbl) By Lamoo12

hth

If you are used to pattern paper and just want to use up some of your plain cardstock.....
Use stencils and paint, mists or gesso to dress up the background
Punch around the page to make a shape out of it
Cut your photo mats out of it, cutting larger than your photo and use TH on the edge dies to dress up the mat
Punch just the top of the page (for example with a wave punch for a beach LO)....

Alison

I love doing solid cardstock LOs and do a TON of them - I often embellish with stamping and handmade embellishments.
Some are on the simple side like these:
Western Nebraska By Here Kitty

King of Ribbons By Here Kitty

Cities in the Sand *Mar/Apr 10 Scrap 'n ARt By Here Kitty

And some have a lot of stamping:

In My Dreams I Can Fly By Here Kitty

My myself & I By Here Kitty

Treasure Hunt By Here Kitty

Yellowstone By Here Kitty

Fly Away With Me By Here Kitty

The Sky is the Limit By Here Kitty

Once Upon a Time By Here Kitty

• Here Kitty Said:

Looking at these layouts is like thumbing through a magazine! Wow!

The layouts are awesome, and the scanning/photography is amazing.........just like a magazine! TFS!
I also couldn't beleive that some of those were solid cardstock that you stamped......totally would have thought it was patterned paper.

Thanks for asking this question. Soon I will be doing a layout of me taking my grandson to see Sesame Street Live Elmo show. Many pages will be primary solid colors and I am in a quandry as to how to do them. Same situation with his first birthday party pictures. It was all red and blue cars theme so I am back to the primary colors. But I keep reminding myself that pages for a 1 and 2 yr old don't need a sophisticated, all-out embellished page.

Nor do pages for anyone of any other age - it's so freeing!

Look in my gallery on page 8 - I made a tribute album using almost nothing but solid cardstock.

All of the responses I read are GREAT IDEAS! I sure will use most of them too since I also feel "naked" sometimes on a solid cardstock. Another idea is to use ribbons/lace/or fabric pieces to embellish the page.

I love these layouts! They inspire me.

I almost always use solid cardstock in several colors sometimes. Then I add embellishments. If I use patterned paper it is usually only as a border.

I have a problem with busy layout too. Do you do a lot of paper taring?

I'm going to check it out. Thanks for sharing.

did you try to use some up for punching out stuff?
you could always just pre-cut mating size - ready to go...

when I first start to scrap I made this layout... did'nt have patterned paper...

2001_last day of school_03a By Kitty_wOlf