Scrapbook With Your Cricut | March About Last Month

Hi friends, thanks for visiting my channel today. I hope my layout inspires you!
In this video, I’ll create a 6x8 hybrid double page layout using Cocoa Vanilla Studio Happy Days, in combination with Cricut digi work. I created this layout with a couple things in mind: first, it’s my March About Last Month layout; secondly, it was created for the weekly scrapbook challenge over at Scrapbook Nerd (in the Facebook group). The theme was Easter!
To create the title on page A, I welded several components together to make the journal mat. I began by choosing the fonts I liked best (in this case, a mix of script and typewriter). After typing each word in those fonts, I adjusted the sizes so that “hello” nestled in the downward swoop of the letter M in “March”. I grouped them together using Attach, then attached the entire title with Offset (0.1 inches, for those that gotta know).
Next, I duplicated the offset image- this is what will make the journal mat possible. I’ll explain that in a minute. After searching the DS image gallery for a page divider, I adjusted the size until I was happy with it, duplicated it and shrank it down by 0.25 inches square. Next, I converted the smaller image to Draw, centred it over the larger cut version of the page divider, then selected Attach.
With all that done, now it can be put together. Remember the two titles we created? We’re going to choose one of them- it doesn’t matter which, and we’re going to ungroup it. The only part of it that we want is the offset. Take the offset, and centre it over the journal mat. Be sure to leave enough of the offset hanging off the top of the journal mat so that everything will remain securely together. Once it’s centred, select Weld. Now, your journal mat should have a funky word bubble growing out the top of it.
Ungroup the second of the two titles, delete the offset in that image, and centre the drawn part of the image (hello March) HORIZONTALLY. If you do it vertically, it’ll drop your title to the centre of the mat. We don’t want that. lol. When you have the drawn title centred on the offset that’s welded to the top of your journal mat, select Attach.
From here, you can edit the pen colours, if you so choose. I do it at this point so that I’m not sorting it out when it’s time to hit Make. (I also choose to change the colours of the shapes in my designs, so that I can keep everything straight in my brain so there’s no ‘eew, I don’t like that’ down the road).
I have used this technique in my crafting before, and it’s a fave. Once I had my custom journal mat designed, I went ahead and added my journaling to it, using strawberries as bullet points. (Strawberries are images found in the Happy Days collection, which is why I used them. The die cuts were too big, and there weren’t enough to make all my bullet points. So, they were drawn).
Although I didn’t replicate the title work for page B, I did leave the patterned paper layering and the rest of the journal mat (in its natural form) the same. The main reason for that basically boils down to flow. The title catches your eye, along with the bright and cheerful patterns and colours, and draws your eye through both pages. Design principles 101, right there. However, page B differs in that I added a small photo and gnomes as decoration. The gnomes both tie into the March aspect of the theme: one is dressed like a bunny, for Easter, and the other is a nod to St. Patrick’s Day.
For the journaling, I added two more bullet points, then added my customary monthly highlights at the bottom of the journal mat. Both pages will be going inside page protectors in my mini album.
I hope my tutorial made sense to you! As always, if anything is unclear, leave me a comment and let me know. I’ll do my best to clarify. If you made it this far, I applaud you. I have a knack for being long-winded lol!
And…because I was so long winded, I have no space left for sharing the products I used lol! If you really need to know, send me a message. I’ll fill you in!
Cricut Project Link: design.cricut....
Cricut Made Playlist: • Cricut Made
Scrapbook Nerd DT Playlist: • Scrapbook Nerd DT
About Last Month Playlist: • About Last Month

[@inggomez-allen7920]

Love the shape of the journal mat. The layout came out so cute.

[@createwithalison]

Thank you!!