Happy Here & Now │Gemma Summers │Clustering

Hello, Gemma here with my layout based on our theme for this month, which is Clustering.

I love clustering because I like to use a lot of embellishments on a page as you will see from my layout this month! Having clusters of embellishments helps your eye travel round the page, and I have used them to surround my photo, with one cluster on each side. I chose to base my layout on a selfie of me at my craft desk, which I printed in black and white so I could chose any colour palette for my layout.

I started with a lined paper (I used a lot of the Pebbles 'girl squad' collection for this layout). I went with my photo central and decided to ground the clusters with some mixed media first.

I went with pinks, peaches and coral made using some distress inks and the packaging technique. I then added some splatters and crayon marks. I knew most of this would be covered up but some would still peak through for colour.

Next I could focus on my clusters.

I started by fussy cutting the speech bubbles, trees and raindrops. These elements were all from pattern paper, individually cut and arranged. I backed the speech bubbles onto craft foam to raise them and give the cluster different dimensions. I always start with the bigger elements, then move onto details like the puffy stickers, buttons and roller stamping.

I worked on both clusters at the same time, so they looked balanced and both had all the same elements in them. I stuck to coral, turquoise, black and white.

As the layout is about me, I chose stickers that match me like the backpack, headphones

and the girl puffy sticker even has my hair cut :)

The title was made from turquoise glitter words from Paige Evans, as I like the script font and the colour fits perfectly. It's a recent photo of me so really is 'here and now'. I used stamping in diagonal corners and added a doodle border round the entire page, with black pen.

Don't forget we would love to see your layouts using clustering this month
on our Facebook page and Instagram using #ukscrapaddicts

I hope you enjoyed this layout.

Is your craft desk your happy place too?

See you next month!