I’m the first to admit, sometimes, when I find a style I like, I stick to it like glue.

Or, in this case, when I fall in love with a sketch (like this one, from the Simple Scrapper membership) I like to use it over and over and over again. With Traci’s collections, I love to use as many of her amazing papers as possible, and this allows me to do so!

I also love that there’s SO many different things in each collection, that just by changing up the collection, you have a whole new feel to the exact same page design!

Want to mix up some of your favorite sketches or templates? Here’s some of my favorite ways to “mix them up”:

Flip around the sketch-- mirror it horizontally or rotate it 90 degrees. Changing the “perspective” can change the whole sketch! (I did this with the Chasing Rainbows layout and it gives it a whole new look!)
Use journaling cards or word art instead of elements-- they work as a title as well as a decor piece, and it usually changes where your eye goes on the sketch! (I did this with the “My Person” layout!)
Alternate between using patterned paper backgrounds and more neutral backgrounds-- Just changing the background can change the feel of the page!
Add to the sketch! I like to add details to the corners to make even simple sketches or templates feel more complex.

For this layout, I used the collection from Harvest Moon to document my sons in the leaves. (Note, on this one, I used a neutral craft background AND added more details to the corners)

For this layout, I used the My Person kit to highlight my husband. (This is where I used the “word art/journaling card” tip, and this one has more of a “patterned” background with the woodgrain, rather than a neutral or simple background.)

For this layout, I used the Wildflower kit to highlight my sweet youngest son.

For this layout, I used one of my favorite collections of all time, Keep Chasing Rainbows, and flipped the papers on the sketch a bit to make a “selfie” page.

Four different collections, one sketch… but four VERY different pages. Don’t be afraid to get into that rut … and throw some different papers at it to mix it up!