A scrapbook sketch can give you the starting point for a layout, but what you do with it is completely up to you. Change the number of photos, add your own embellishments, combine it with another sketch or make any other adjustments that fit your story.

For this Birthday Week project, Annalisa started with Sketch #4 from the 110 Scrapbooking Sketches Book and gave it her own back-to-school twist using the School Years collection. She changed the photo placement, paired the design with another layout and even created her own crayon and pencil embellishments to bring the spread to life.

Watch: Annalisa takes sketch #4 and makes it work for her memories

Start With the Sketch

Here’s the original sketch that inspired Annalisa’s layout:

A monochromatic design featuring a title at the top left, abstract floral shapes, and a central rectangular placeholder for content, surrounded by striped and solid background elements.

A young girl focused on painting and drawing, sitting at a table with a blue cup beside her. The background features colorful patterns and art supplies.

Instead of following the sketch exactly, Annalisa adapted it to fit her photos and the story she wanted to tell. She swapped the one-photo design for two photos, then paired it with another layout to create a full back-to-school spread.

She also added handmade crayon and pencil embellishments for a playful finishing touch that makes the layout feel uniquely hers. That’s the fun of working with sketches. You can use the original design as-is or take the parts you like and change the rest to fit your own memories, photos and style.

To create Annalisa’s layout, you will need:

Layout Studio
School Years Paper Pack
Black Solid Cardstock
White Solid Cardstock
13×13 Cutting Mat
Medium CCS Circle Pattern
Small CCS Circle Pattern
Red Custom Cutting System Blade Cartridge
12-Inch Trimmer
Photo Trimmer

Crayon Embellishments:

Solid Cardstock
12-inch Trimmer
12-inch Trimmer Wave Blade
Accent Arrow Punch

Find Your Starting Point

Want to try a sketch of your own? The 110 Scrapbooking Sketches Book includes 110 scrapbook sketches, along with the measurements and layout examples you need to get started. During Birthday Week, you can get it FREE as part of the Birthday Week Bundle!

DON’T MISS OUT

It’s our birthday, and you get the gifts!

For every $120 USD | $145 CAD | $215 AUD you spend,

get the Birthday Week Bundle FREE!

SEE DETAILS

DON’T MISS OUT

It’s our birthday, and you get the gifts!

For every $120 USD | $145 CAD | $215 AUD you spend, get the Birthday Week Bundle FREE!

SEE DETAILS

Want to recreate this layout?

We’ve gathered all the products featured in this project in one place, making it easy to find the papers, embellishments, tools and more.

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