We are so very excited to welcome our June guest designer, Sharon Gurley, to the blog today! Sharon’s projects are beautifully designed and precise, and often leave us asking, “How did she do that!?” Well today, you won’t have to ask, because Sharon is here to share how she created a gorgeous traditional layout and pocket page spread using our June 2021 kit and add-ons that will inspire all of us, no matter what format you prefer! Let’s take a look!
Hi, crafty people! This is Sharon, and I’m thrilled to be a guest designer for Elle’s Studio this June!
Supplies | June 2021 Kit, Cork Labels, Tiny Shapes and Dots Puffy Stickers – Cool Tones, Good Times Paper Stack, Weekend Stamp, Celebrate Summer Stamp, Mini Dated Stamp, Large Jane Alphabet Stamp – Outline, Large Jane Alphabet Metal Die
Have you ever had a single tag from a monthly kit inspire an entire project? This happened to me as soon as I saw the “Best Dad Ever” tag from the June 2021 Kit. The colors matched my husband’s shirt perfectly from our 2020 Father’s Day outing. It’s amazing how a small 3 x 4 inch tag blossomed into a 12 x 24 inch spread of a traditional layout with accompanying pockets.
Let’s start with the traditional layout. I was inspired by the November 2020 sketch Kristina Proffitt used which features a large photo and bold title. Knowing this, the “Best Dad Ever” tag wouldn’t stand out enough to be my title, so I moved it to the pocket side of my spread to become a subtitle. Next, I pulled in more colors from the Good Times Paper Stack to expand my color palette to include green and kraft along with the light and dark blues from the monthly kit. Don’t be afraid to cut your tags! That’s exactly what I did to include more light blue for my paper layers in my photo mat using the glasses 4 x 6 inch tag.
Tucking the left side of the ‘Q & A” 3 x 4 inch tag hid what wouldn’t work for my layout and transformed into a spot for the date and the beginning of my journaling. For my date, I found that the numbers from the Celebrate Summer Stamp work well with the Mini Dated Stamp, especially if you’re looking for thicker numbers. For my prominent title, I heat embossed the Large Jane Outline Alphabet Stamp in white and cut them out using the Large Jane Alphabet Metal Dies. These are the two most utilized Large Jane items in my stash! The rest of the finishing touches on my traditional layout came from the die cuts of the monthly kit, a stamp from the Weekend Stamp, and the Cool Tones Tiny Shapes and Dots Puffy Stickers.
Now let’s look closer at the other half of my project: the pockets! When I combine a traditional layout and a pocket page, I visually connect the two sides by using the same products and colors. The monthly kit and add-ons made this easy! I was able to use tags and die cuts from the June Kit along with a heart from the Cool Tones Tiny Shapes and Dots Puffy Stickers. To pull in more of the kraft color, I used a cork piece from the Cork Labels. I also brought in more of the dark blue and green by using the Good Times Paper Stack. Once again, don’t be afraid to cut up your tags to make a project truly yours. That’s what I did to customize the pocket in the upper right corner.
For this pocket, I started with the “This Weekend” tag and trimmed it to include just the checklist, since I was only documenting one day. To build it back up to a 3 x 4 inch tag, I cut strips of the green striped paper from the Good Times Paper Stack for the top and bottom. Next, I created an embellishment from the round Sunday stamp found on the Weekend Stamp. I popped it up using foam adhesive and placed it into a nook I created with a circle punch. What I love about this tag is that I can easily recreate it with the Weekend Stamp in any color for a future project.
Thank you for taking the time to look at the details of my project! Hopefully it’s inspired you to document with your June kit and goodies. Check back again in two weeks to see what I’ve created with more of the amazing June release!
Hi, I’m Sharon, and I love paper crafting! You’ll usually find me making cards, creating decorations, and scrapbooking in my craft cave (also known as my basement) in the Chicago suburbs. Even at a young age, I kept travel journals and took photos, so when I discovered Project Life in 2015, everything clicked into place. I’ve been documenting my life with my husband and two young children in pockets ever since. It’s truly my favorite crafty project of all time!
Find more of Sharon’s beautiful designs on her Instagram feed, and be sure to watch the blog for her next project, coming two weeks from today!