Jillibean Soup Bean Talk: Tutorial: New Year Layout by Jaclyn Rench

Hi Jillibean friends! I’ve already made my first scrapbook layout for 2018. While I’m not too keen on restricting myself to a list of resolutions for the year, I thought it might be fun to document some goals I hope to focus on in the new year. Putting those goals down on scrapbook paper and making them pretty with clear stamps, die cuts, sequins, stickers and wood veneer is a fun way to kick off 2018, and a tradition I just might keep!

One look at this page, and you can see that the title is the focus, both in placement and design.

I wanted a title that was big and bold and what better way to do that, than to pull out the cute and chunky die cut letters from Souper Celebration. As I pulled out the needed letters, I quickly discovered that I was one letter short to build the word ‘New Year’. I also determined that the color palette of the letters I had available wasn’t exactly in my design plan. Fortunately, there’s a quick fix for both of those design dilemmas!

I simply used the letters I pulled, as stencils to create my desired look. I flipped each letter to its backside and traced a version of it onto the back of a scrap of patterned paper.

Next I was able to easily cut out each letter around my traced design. I used an x-acto knife for the small center cuts. To finish off each letter and make them stand out against my white background, I used a fine tip black pen to trace a border around each letter’s edge.

Moving on, I wanted to build the subtitle of my page out of small letter stickers. Knowing they would nestle just perfectly between the rows of my title, I reached for the tiny alpha on the Bowl of Dreams Coordinating Label Sticker sheet. Once again, the color wasn’t quite right, but correcting that was another easy fix. I used a black zig marker to color over the letters and numbers I’d need.

To be certain that my subtitle would fit and I’d get the spacing just right, I layed out the stickers onto a scrap of wax paper. The wax paper preserves the sticker’s adhesive and allows for adjustments to be made, to achieve perfect placement. In addition, since it’s mostly transparent, it also allows for a peek at the final look.

With my title, picture and journaling in place I am ready to embellish!

I am always finding an excuse to sneak a label or two onto my finished page. I often use a label as a layering element or even to highlight the date on my project, but I had much bigger plans for the label on this page! I knew that it could translate to a fun and unexpected design treatment, when scattered along the edges of my design.

The label from the Day 2 Day Planner ‘Don’t Forget’ clear stamp set, was just the right size to frame out bits of my journaling. To achieve perfect placement, I printed my text onto white cardstock. Then I was able to stamp over each phrase, to place it within the borders of the label.

All white labels could have worked, but I wanted to sprinkle a little more color throughout the finished piece. To do so, I stamped the label image several more times, onto a variety of colors and patterns.

I then trimmed out each patterned label just along its stamped border. The white cardstock pieces were trimmed along the inside stamped edge, to fit atop of the patterned labels, as pictured.

Once adhered together, the pretty label embellishment are scattered, layered and adhered along the page’s top, bottom and sides.

A sprinkling of wood veneer, puffy stickers, sequins and mini staples finish off this quirky and fun design.

Here’s one more look at the completed page. I hope it has inspired you to document your own new year’s goals and/or helped you pick up a tip or two for your first layout of 2018!

New Year Layout by Jaclyn Rench