Welcome to It's Hip to Be Square Day 2: Four Square

Welcome to Day 2 of It's Hip to Be Square! I can tell, from the wonderful feedback I've gotten, that you really enjoyed Katrina's banner yesterday. I'm glad it inspired you to think about making something similar for the upcoming holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This type of project would be fun with a birthday theme as well.

I have two guests today. First up is Krista Koenig. Krista has been teaching crafting classes for the past 10 years. She is a self-professed "tool geek" and especially loves diecuts. Krista is going to show us how to create a custom 12x12 background for a layout using four 6x6 papers. This technique could also be downscaled and used on a card. Other variations of this idea could include stacking two 6x6 papers horizontally or vertically across the page and building a layout from there. My husband (!) was even brainstorming ways you could cut the papers into triangles and/or strips and recreate quilt patterns. :) LOL!

When Krista uses this technique, she starts off by choosing four complementary papers from the same paper pad. She likes to use papers from one collection to make it easier to coordinate colors and patterns.

Once the papers are in place, Krista machine stitches them together using a zig zag stitch. This adds subtle definition between the papers and some texture too. A straight stitched border just inside the outer edge pulls it all together.

Once the stitching is done, it's time to build the page. Krista says she kept the photo large and the embellishments simple so they wouldn't be overwhelmed by the background. Let's take a look at the finished page...a bit of stamping, a title, and a tag tucked behind the photo and it's done. :)

Don't have a sewing machine? No worries. There are more ideas below that don't require one. :)

Please visit Krista's blog Red Car Productions to see more of her work and the beautiful things she does with Copic markers.

My second guest for today is Julie Tucker-Wolek. Julie has been "scrapping since my son was born 15 years ago, but really got into it as a major passion about six years ago when my daughter was born. I create everything! Cards, layouts and altered projects!" Check out the beautiful altered canvases Julie sells in her Etsy shop, Dandy Bo Bandy. Julie currently designs for Blue Moon Scrapbooking, Helmar and LESSology.

Let's take a look at what Julie made for this series...she assembled block-style backgrounds, similar to what Krista showed us, but used washi tape, instead of stitching. The tape not only covers the seams between the papers, but also creates pretty borders between them. Julie started with two 6x6 paper pads by Lily Bee and created three layouts, using just 12 sheets of 6x6 paper. That leaves plenty more paper to use on other projects.

This is what the background looks like before adding the washi.

This is what one of the backgrounds looks like once the washi tape is added. Julie went from this...

...to this finished page. The chipboard circles add interest between the blocks of paper and lead your eye down and across the page. Some misting and fun title work completes the look.

                            

Here's another version using the same technique. This page uses three pieces of striped paper and one solid.

                           

On the finished page you can see how the solid block is the perfect spot for some title work and the opposing block holds the photos which balances the page very nicely. The other two blocks are embellished simply with words relating to the photos.

Here's one last variation for you:

To finish off this page, Julie selected two additional pieces of 6x6 paper and punched multiple hearts which she layered and cascaded down the page and used around her photo too. Super pretty, don't you think?

So now we know we can create custom backgrounds for layouts (or cards) and either stitch the pieces together or use washi tape to add another design element to the page. Pretty doable, don't you think?

Julie, thanks so much for sharing your work today! To see more of Julie's work, please visit her blog, Life with the Tucker and Wolek Clan.