Friday 15 March 2013

Scrapbooking ... an unlikely double

Hi, hi.

I did something I don't normally do.

No, I didn't run through the park with gay abandon surrounded by enthusiastic dogs nor did I utter the phrase 'You know what? I don't think I need to buy any more boots this year'.

No. I did neither of these unnatural things. But what I did do ... is this:
I made a double-page scrapbook layout ... and for me, that's almost as unlikely as either of those other things I mentioned.

I've been scrapbooking for around 6 or 7 years now and filled numerous albums with page after page of 12x12 layouts but ... off the top of my head, I can count on one hand the number of double-page spreads there are amongst my scrappy back-catalogue.

So, what led to this deviation then?
The thing is, I had quite a few photos from a fancy Afternoon Tea-time my friends and I indulged in last year.

Too few to make a mini-book ... but, equally, too many to fit on a single page ... and so the Goldilocks option turned out to be a double-pager. Who knew?
The eagle eyed amongst you will already have spotted that I didn't use the same background paper across the spread proving that, unsurprisingly, I've never originally intend this to turn out as a double.

To give me my due ... I did use the two closest matching single sheets I had, then I kept the continuity going by using the same patterned layers [American Crafts' 'Ready Set Go'] and adding a few mirror-image areas to balance the design across the two.

But I'll admit that it all felt a bit strange, especially when adding only half of my "What Say We Make This A Tradition" title to one side ...
 ... while finishing it up on the other:
 Yet ... you know what they say ... the more things change, the more they stay the same ...

... and so I managed to find room for some choice snippets cut from an old dictionary and an old school textbook [on the page above] and then here ... no prizes for guessing who wrote the book from which I snipped this perfect phrase:

So tell me ...do you do doubles?

If so:
  •  do you make them for a specific reason eg: to fit in X amount of photos / to fit in large photos; to tell a longer story? etc etc
  • or do you make them out of habit? Just the same as my habit is single pages.
And if not:
  • Why not?
  • Do you find them too big? Too 'traditional'? Too unruly? Too much work?
I'm already wondering if there's a recognisable 'double-page' type of scrapbooker or scrapbooking style out there!

I'll be waiting to see how you all reveal yourselves ...

Julie :-)

13 comments:

  1. Love these 2 pages,Julie....and they definately go together even with the 2 different backgrounds....I think it probably works best with the slight difference of backgrounds actually.
    I usually make single pages....but probably make a few more doubles than you....but always for the same reason as you...I want to use too many photos for a single page....but don't have enough for a mini album.

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  2. Love the 2 pages, different but the same, good choices.

    having our faces pixelated makes it look like you are having high tea with undercover secret agents hahaha

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  3. Oh.. I've got a pixled head!...thats different!...I'm a greedy girl.... Always double for me...

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  4. These look great, but I have to confess that I have never ever made a double LO... just too big & too many decisions to be made, I guess ;)

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  5. i usually do singles but i'm actually finishing off a double atm as a matter of fact. Doubles are there for when you have a lot of photos (although sometimes I put lots on a single).
    I've never tried a double with different backgrounds but I like yours. I might give it a whirl.

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  6. This is a great two-pager (and relieved about the boots! that's an austerity move too far), and works perfectly. I love all the scraps of things tucked in behind the photos ... I did a lot (mostly) two-pagers in my DDs albums because there was such a lot of life to fit in. I do fewer now. Just pondering why ...

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  7. I mostly do doubles for two main reasons. 1) I have too many photos and I have too much to say to comfortably fit things on one page, and 2) I worry about having two CLASHING pages face one another.

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  8. lovely! loved your LO on Shimelle too!

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  9. Ooh, now there's a challenge! I never make doubles and I find it hard to put my finger on what it is about them I can't manage. They are too big, maybe? They are certainly a perfect way of combining all the story with all the pictures and your lovely page has got me thinking..

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  10. Gorgeous pages Julie. I never do double layouts, I've done one or two but no more than that, they're just not my thing.
    C xx

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  11. Love your layout - and I hadn't noticed they were different background papers until you mentioned it! I have some double pages in my albums - mostly from days out or events where I wanted to scrap loads of pics to capture the day. My natural instinct is 12x12 though :)but it's good to mix it up once in a while!

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  12. Most of my kids layouts up to age about 10 were doubles. Sooooooo many cute pictures to fit in. Nowadays I tend to do single ones, except for school events when I go back to doubles.

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