Geometric Paper Piecing

Have you been doing scrapbooking for a while now? Then odds are that you have stacks of 12" x 12" white papers taking up space in your life. Being a scrapper, you are probably sentimental and don't like throwing anything away. Besides, every time you bought refill pockets for your albums, they listed those blank pages as an asset. Problem is, you have not been able to figure out what to do with them. Good news! I love using those blank pages and from time to time I will post a BLOG where I have done just that. Today is one of those days. Of course you can use any size paper, but I used 12" x 12" paper. Let me show you how I turned a blank page into this:

If you are into paper crafts, you will already have a stash of paper off-cuts lying about. If you are only just starting out, then this is where yours start. I had some fabulous geometric patterned paper in my stash, alongside some brilliantly coordinating plain papers. When you use such bright colours and 'busy' patterns, it is important to create 'silent' spots where your eyes can 'rest'. I achieve these resting points by adding big blocks of plain colour and very muted greys. The frames also provide the eyes with a safe place to stay.

I manage to find enough pieces of the right sizes together without having to cut anything. It is quite possible that you may find that you have to cut your stash to size. Take note, that I allowed my paper to overlap, instead of letting them fit together like a jigsaw.

Once I am satisfied with the layout, I get my double-sided tape and scissors out. I turn the whole design upside down, working carefully, piece by piece, so that I can be sure to stick the pieces down where I planned for them to go. I attach the double-sided tape to the bottom of the pieces, again taping each piece down one by one and then sticking them in place on the white paper background.

Next, I stick down some paper frames with the double-sided tape. I cut these myself using a craft knife. I measure the size I want and cut a piece of cardboard/paper to size. I measure 1 cm in on all sides. I can either use my cutting mat to cut out the centre, or I can draw light pencil lines and cut along the lines.

I stand back and realize that I would like the the design better if it were upside down, so I turn it over.

I find some fish that I had cut out ages ago from old wrapping paper. These will go nicely with what I have in mind, so I add them. I intend to do some journalling on this page, for my newly started art journal. For this I will need some pens. My choice falls on the Pentel Permanent Marker. I also stick down the grey background that fits inside the frames. This will give me a nice complimentary background for my writing.

When I stand back, I realize that there is an empty corner left on my page. I want to fill it with something that would not add clutter to the page. Paint will do quite nicely. I make a big yellow centre for the flower I am going to add, using a flat hog hair brush.

I then spread some green paint on a plastic palette.  I used Sap Green, but you can easily mix your own green using yellow and blue paint. I wanted to spread the paint out a little, because I am going to stamp the petals of the flower with a toilet roll that I had cut up for another project. Once I have finished stamping the petals, I simply scoop the leftover paint back into the bottle with my palette knife, for later use.

I could paint the petal, but I prefer to leave them subtle, since I am still reluctant about overcrowding the busy page. Here is the wording I added in the left-hand frame:

Some of my fondest memories are of seaside holidays. Some were with friends, some with family. I shall never take either for granted. 

Here is the wording I added in the right-hand frame:

Recipe 4 FUN1 x Beach2 x OceanArmful of loved ones
Method:Mix together and enjoy the results.
Caution:Do NOT add Diet :-)