Todays Story | Julie Taylor

A layout using the Fox Box stencil #113 to give unique background.

Creating this scrapbook page was all about texture, layers, and letting the details tell the story. I began by cutting a large heart aperture from the centre of my page. To soften it and give it a well-loved feel, I distressed the edge before machine sewing all the way around the heart and also around the outer edge of the page. That stitching instantly added movement and a lovely handmade finish.

Next, I traced the same sized heart onto white cardstock. Using stencil #133, I inked over the heart, repeating the pattern all over the shape, in orange ink, to add warmth and interest. Once the ink was dry, I machine sewed along all of the stencilled lines, which created extra texture and a subtle sense of depth. When I layered the two heart pieces together, they formed a beautiful, detailed background ready for my photos.

I mounted my three photos onto a couple of patterned paper matts and adhered them at the base of the heart, slightly over to the right. This helped anchor the design and left plenty of space for embellishing. Along the bottom edge, I added a strip of rickrack trim for a playful touch, then built up layers of tags, ephemera, a paperclip, and a metal charm around the photos.

To finish, I threaded the tags with twine and embroidered them into place along the edge of the heart, tying everything together beautifully. My title, straight from the February Fox Box, fitted perfectly along the top of the photos and completed the page just as I’d imagined.

Thanks for joining me today.

Until next time,