A share from Guest Designer Amanda Hall

A massive hello to all scrappy chatters!

I’m popping in to write about a favourite technique of mine… using JUMBO photos on a page. I do this most of the time by printing directly onto the background cardstock. For this month’s projects I actually did this technique twice, one on kraft and one on white cardstock. Any coloured cardstock can be used of course.

I fell in love with this technique many years ago, because the main focus is maintained on the most important part (the photo and the story) and as I am a minimalist scrapbooker, the small amount of left over space to decorate was not at all intimidating. It is now one of my ‘go to’ techniques as it’s so simple and can look so powerful.

The trick to printing on your cardstock is simply picking the right photo. I prefer to have some white space / negative space / blank space that allows one to embellish and have a title and journaling without squashing everything up and making it too crowded and overwhelming.. 

This photo for example would not work. There is not enough blank space to fit any memory keeping (title and journaling) or pretty it up. There is also no way for it to fit seamlessly onto an A4 sized print without it looking weirdly placed (ie. the heads would be cut off mid page).

The photo below would be a good one to use as the sky could be used to blend in the card stock.

This is the photo that I picked for the first layout. 

At the top of the photo there is a nice piece of sky which is easily altered to look as if it fades up and is a part of a whole A4 sheet. To do this I opened the photo in photo editing software (I use photoshop) and removed that pesky strip of land and then altered the levels until the sea was super white and bleached out. You may need to use an eraser tool, blending tool or the sponge tool to get the desired effect so as it looks naturally faded off into the background.

To print the image, I clicked print options and I positioned the photo at the bottom, as the photo lends itself to that positioning. Your photo may be looking in from the sides or from the top. It really depends where your white space is. A face peeking in from the side would be an awesome page!

In the second layout on kraft, I chose a photo that again could be printed large onto cardstock but needed to be mindful that my daughter’s head was half out of the shot. Whatever happened I needed to ensure the photo was placed to the left. As this photo was conveniently taken against a white wall, there wasn’t a lot of editing to do prior to printing.

In both the images I have changed the tone to black and white but of course you don’t have to. In an upcoming Kraft Plus challenge I use a colour photo and I was so pleased with the end result.

Becoming a Scrappy Chat member has so many advantages!!
Kits are still $39 + Postage with LOADS of value for you money, as it is like doing 3 classes - all in the comfort of your own home + additional technique sheets for even more learning!

Each premier kit comes with:

Video AND  instructions to complete the three layouts

Feature a many techniques with product to be used well after the life of the kit.  (With all of our kits you will have plenty of product and knowledge to add to future projects)

Photos of each project including close up detail pictures

All the product needed to complete the project with a list of additional basic items used such as ink/ paints/gesso/texture paste and colour sprays you will need out of your supplies.

The kits focus on how to use various products teamed up with some pretty paper to compliment them, so there is always less or non-consumable products in our kits, to not only help you complete some beautiful projects, learn many techniques and ways of using the different product as well as taking them well beyond the kit projects.

Kits are $39 + postage and come out monthly

 please e-mail us at orders.scrappychatdesigns@gmail.com if you would like to order this kit

For more kits and other products visit our website www.scrappychatdesigns.com.au 

Scrappy Chat Designs Kit club Membership (e-mail us to purchase):

This lasts for 3 months is $135 and includes 3 kits at 5% off and postage for all 3 kits (they are released monthly).  As a member you also get ‘insider’ info on what is coming up in the next kit – sometimes even a pic! You get additional 'Technique sheets' showing you more techniques you can nail with the product in the kit from the talented Arty Chic's.  You are also guaranteed the kits which do sometimes sell out VERY quickly.  If you are interested in membership, you need to pay the membership fee by the 30^th of the month prior.  

Just email for this deal orders.scrappychatdesigns@gmail.com