Looking for a way to combine your busy photos and still use your bold, patterned papers? This layout mixes a clean grid design with layered photo mats to create a balanced, eye-catching page. It’s a great way to highlight your favorite lake day memories while adding texture and dimension.
If you’d like to see how it all came together, you’re invited to craft along with Brenda from the Creative Memories Design Team. She shares the layout step by step and gives a closer look at some of those items in the Buy-It-All Bundle, so you can recreate the design or make it your own.
Layout by Brenda Rose, Creative Memories Design Team Contributor
Step 1: Use a sheet of Bright White Cardstock as the base for this layout.
Step 2: Cut five 2″ x 2″ pieces from the wooden boards designer paper and five 2″ x 2″ pieces from the lake water designer paper. Starting 1/2″ from the bottom and left edge, adhere the first square, then continue alternating patterns, spacing each square 1/4″ apart to create a grid.
Step 3: Cut one 6-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ piece of the yellow texture designer paper and adhere it approximately 1-3/4″ from the top and 2-5/8″ from the right edge.
Step 4: Cut two 4-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ photo mats. Adhere the top mat as shown, then place the bottom left mat 1/4″ below and aligned with the left edge of the top mat. Add photos to your mats.
Step 5: Adhere the right photo mat approximately 2-3/8″ from the bottom and 1/4″ from the right edge, layered on top of the top photo.
Step 6: Trim 2-1/2″ from the bottom of the banner mat card and tuck it under the lower photo mats, positioning it about 1-1/2″ from the right edge.
Step 7: Add stickers and embellishments around the photo cluster as shown.
Step 8: Use Foam Squares to pop up select embellishments for added dimension.
Step 9: Journal as desired.
This layout is perfect for showcasing multiple moments from one special day while still keeping a clean, cohesive design. Swap in your favorite patterns and embellishments to make it uniquely yours!
Crafting along with our Creative Memories Design Team contributors makes it easy to follow each step and enjoy the process as the page comes together. Tell us what you think in the comments!
P.S. Are YOU a member of the Virtual Crop Group? It’s your go-to place for MONTHLY Virtual Crops, MONTHLY Completed Album Challenges, QUARTERLY Secret Box Openings with project tutorials and so much more! We hope you’ll join our community of more than 52,000 fellow memory-keeping enthusiasts — you’ll feel right at home!
March 20, 2026
Put Your Memories in the Spotlight With On the Bright Side
Some memories deserve a little more attention. Ever thought of literally highlighting your layouts with bright colors from the On the Bright Side collection? This layout is perfect for documenting those feel-good moments you want to stand out, using a bold yellow base and simple matting to draw your eye right where it matters most.
Layout by Karyn McDermaid-Rolfe, Creative Memories Design Team Contributor
Step 1: Cut a piece of the yellow cross designer paper to 11-3/4″ x 11-3/4″, and adhere it to the center of a sheet of Black Cardstock.
Step 2: Adhere a 6-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ variety mat to the upper left corner of the layout. Adhere two 4-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ variety mats to the lower right of the layout.
Step 3: Cut a variety mat with a title to 4-1/2″ x 3-1/4″. Cut Black Cardstock to 4-3/4″ x 3-1/2″. Adhere the variety mat to the Black Cardstock mat and adhere it to the upper right of the layout.
Step 4: Cut a 4″ x 4″ and an 8″ x 4″ photo mat from Black Cardstock. Crop three photos to 3-3/4″ x 3-3/4″, and adhere to the mats. Adhere the matted photos to the layout as shown.
Step 5: Add clear stickers as shown.
Step 6: Adhere a monthly title embellishment with Foam Squares as shown for added dimension.
Step 7: Use a Black Dual-Tip Pen to add journaling to the variety mat in the upper left corner.
It doesn’t take much to make your favorite memories stand out. Try using bright fun colors to highlight the moments you love most and create a layout that truly shines!
P.S. Are YOU a member of the Virtual Crop Group? It’s your go-to place for MONTHLY Virtual Crops, MONTHLY Completed Album Challenges, QUARTERLY Secret Box Openings with project tutorials and so much more! We hope you’ll join our community of more than 52,000 fellow memory-keeping enthusiasts — you’ll feel right at home!
March 18, 2026
Stretch Your Travel Stories with Peekaboo Pockets
It’s so easy to come home from a trip with hundreds of photos — but not every moment needs a full two-page spread. This clever solution lets you include more photos and meaningful journaling without adding bulk to your album, and it makes a perfect title page for your travel memories. By using a 6″ x 12″ Peekaboo Pocket™, you can seamlessly expand your page to hold even more content in an interactive way. It’s an excellent way to capture those extra moments and stories that deserve more storytelling than just a short caption. Check out the tutorial video, cutting guide, and sketches that go with the instructions below to create this functional and interactive layout!
Layout by Nicole Norris, Creative Memories Design Team Contributor
Designer Paper #1 – Travel Words Tip: Watch the direction of your paper.
Designer Paper #2 – Travel Words Tip: Watch the direction of your paper.
Designer Paper #3 – Avocado Postcards
Cardstock #1 – Bright White
Cardstock #2 – Hot Fudge
Use the cutting guide to trim your papers, gather your base pieces and follow the instructions to assemble the layout. Add photos, stickers and embellishments as shown in the sample layouts or arrange them as desired. Journal directly on lighter papers or on scraps of Bright White Solid Cardstock. Use varying thicknesses of Foam Squares to add dimension and depth.
12×12 Base Page:
Step 1: Use a sheet of Bright White Solid Cardstock as the base for the layout.
Step 2: Adhere piece A flush along the left edge of the base page.
Step 3: Trim three photos to 2-7/8″ x 2-7/8″ and mat them on pieces J-M. Mat one 3″ x 4″ vertical photo on piece Q.
Step 4: Attach piece I along the right edge of piece A to create the layered border.
Step 5: Arrange the matted photos on the page at a slight angle as shown and adhere them in place.
Step 6: Trim piece F into a banner and adhere it flush with the top of the base page, approximately 1/8″ from the right edge.
6×12 Outside Flap:
Step 7: Use B as the base for the outside flap.
Step 8: Adhere piece H flush along the left edge of the base page.
Step 9: Attach piece D approximately 1″ from the top of the page, angling it slightly so the top right corner sits about 1-1/2″ from the top edge.
Step 10: Adhere piece R on top of piece D, aligning it slightly below the top of piece D and about 1/4″ to the right of piece H.
6×12 Inside Flap:
Step 11: Use piece G as the base of your layout.
Step 12: Adhere piece C flush along the right edge of the base page.
Step 13: Attach the negative Vintage Post BMC punches from piece H flush along the left edge of piece C, positioning the seams between pieces so they will be covered by photos and embellishments.
Step 14: Trim three photos to 2-7/8″ x 3-7/8″ and mat them on pieces N-O. Arrange pieces N-O down the page, angling them in different directions and overlapping as shown, covering the seams along the negative Vintage Post BMC punches.
Step 15: Trim piece E into a banner and adhere it flush with the bottom left of the base page, approximately 1/2″ from the bottom edge.
Step 16: Tuck the dark green journaling embellishment behind pieces N and O.
Outside Flap
Inside Flap
Base Page
Final Touches:
Step 17: Trim the arrow border sticker to create a four-arrow section, five-arrow section, and two three-arrow sections, and add them to the layouts as shown.
Step 18: Add your stickers and embellishments clusters as shown, using Foam Squares for added dimension. Finish the layout by adding punched stars from scrap papers for the final decorative touch.
Step 19: Once your layout is complete, insert the 12″ x 12″ base page into a Top-Loading Pocket Page and add the 6″ x 12″ Peekaboo Pocket along the left edge of the page protector.
Tip: If you’re working with a plain page, position the Peekaboo Pocket directly on the page. With the Peekaboo Pocket folded out, apply your base layout to the page, covering the adhesive strip from the Peekaboo Pocket. Then slip the Page Protector over the page, and fold the Peekaboo Pocket into place.
Step 20: Finally, place your two half-page layouts into the Peekaboo Pocket, with Layout 2 facing outside and Layout 3 facing inside.
Using the Global Getaway Collection, this technique pairs perfectly with your Playbook, blog and album kit layouts — giving your travel memories the space they deserve without overfilling your album.
P.S. Are YOU a member of the Virtual Crop Group? It’s your go-to place for MONTHLY Virtual Crops, MONTHLY Completed Album Challenges, QUARTERLY Secret Box Openings with project tutorials and so much more! We hope you’ll join our community of more than 52,000 fellow memory-keeping enthusiasts — you’ll feel right at home!
March 16, 2026
Spring Equinox Borders in Bloom
The Spring Equinox collection includes a couple of tools that make creating spring-inspired details especially fun. With the Spring Blooms Build-A-Punch and the Dragonfly Border Maker Cartridge, you can add florals, fluttering accents and layered touches that bring movement to the page. These borders show just how easily those tools can add charm and personality to your spring layouts.
Dragonfly BMC Borders:
To create these borders, you will need these general products:
Step 1: Using the wave blade, cut a 12″ x 3-1/2″ strip with the light green F2F-inspired paper for the base. (With the straight blade) cut a 12″ x 1″ strip with blue forest animals F2F-inspired paper and adhere it near the top of the base.
Step 2: Using the Dragonfly BMC, punch borders with each Songbird Blue, Cornflower Blue, Navy, Purple Ice and Canary Solid Cardstock, trimming each border off at 2″. Cut the borders apart into 2″ sections. Layer and adhere the sections as shown on the bottom section of the base, working from left to right. After adhering the final canary piece on the right, trim it off at 1″ and adhere the solid (unpunched) piece underneath the first section on the left side of the border.
Step 3: Adhere a foliage border sticker along the seam. Adhere title and dragonfly stickers using foam squares for added dimension.
Border by Krislyn Mattei — CM Independent Advisor
Step 1: Cut a 3-1/2″ x 12″ strip with ferns designer paper for the base. Cut a 2-3/4″ X 12″ strip with the blue tonal paper and adhere it onto the base.
Step 2: Cut a 3-1/4″ x 12″ strip with Canary Solid Cardstock. Using the Dragonfly BMC, punch both long sides of the strip. Adhere on top of the blue tonal paper.
Step 3: Using the Ripple edge of the CCS Border Cutting Tools and the red blade, cut a 2″ x 12″ strip with the little leaves designer paper; then cut a 1-5/8″ x 12″ strip with forest foliage paper. Layer and adhere both strips onto the border as shown.
Step 4: Adhere the title sticker using foam squares for added dimension.
Border by Krislyn Mattei — CM Independent Advisor
Step 1: Using the scallop blade, cut a 12″ x 2-3/4″ strip with Purple Ice Solid Cardstock for the base. (With the straight blade) cut two 12″ x 5/8″ strips with stripes designer paper and adhere it 1/8″ from the top and bottom of the border.
Step 2: Using the scallop blade, cut a 12″ x 1-1/2″ strip with the Canary Solid Cardstock. Adhere the strip onto the border. (With the straight blade) cut a 12″ x 1-1/4″ strip with the little leaves designer paper and mount it on top.
Step 3: Using the Spring Blooms Build-a-Punch, punch shapes with Songbird Blue, Purple Ice and Canary Solid Cardstock. Cut a 1″ strip with the Dark Green Solid Cardstock. Feed it into the leaves area of the punch and punch just the leaves. Repeat to punch 15 leaves shapes. Adhere eight of the leaves onto the border, adhering small flowers (using foam squares) in between, as shown. Leave a space in the center.
Step 4: Using the inside of the medium CCS circle pattern and the blue blade, cut a circle with Bright White Solid Cardstock. Adhere 7 leaves shapes around the outside of the circle, overlapping slightly, to form a wreath. Adhere it on the center of the border. Adhere the “First Shoots” embellishment using foam squares.
Border by Krislyn Mattei — CM Independent Advisor
Step 1: Using the Ripple edge of the CCS Border Cutting Tools and the red blade, cut a 4-1/4″ x 12″ strip with Purple Ice Solid Cardstock for the base. Using the same edge and blade, but placing the paper slightly lower on the cutting mat, cut a 3-3/4″ x 12″ strip with forest foliage designer paper and adhere it onto the base.
Step 2: Using the twist blade, cut a 2-3/4″ x 12″ strip with Canary Solid Cardstock and adhere it onto the border, 1/2″ from the left edge. (With the straight blade) cut a 2-1/2″ x 12″ strip with the blue tonal paper and adhere on top of the border.
Step 3: Cut three 2-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ pieces with white foliage F2F-inspired paper and two pieces with the little leaves designer paper. Adhere on the blue tonal paper strip as shown.
Step 4: Using the Spring Blooms Build-a-Punch, punch out 8 of the larger flower shapes with Canary, Purple Ice and Eggplant Solid Cardstock. Cut 1″ strips with the Dark Green Solid Cardstock and punch out 16 of the leaves shapes. Adhere the shapes as shown on each of the sections, popping the flowers up with foam squares.
A few blooms and a dragonfly or two can go a long way. Try these borders on your spring pages and watch your layouts take flight!
P.S. Are YOU a member of the Virtual Crop Group? It’s your go-to place for MONTHLY Virtual Crops, MONTHLY Completed Album Challenges, QUARTERLY Secret Box Openings with project tutorials and so much more! We hope you’ll join our community of more than 49,000 fellow memory-keeping enthusiasts — you’ll feel right at home!
March 13, 2026
The March 2026 Virtual Crop is HERE!
It’s officially time for the March Virtual Crop! This is your invitation to a weekend full of inspiration, connection and fun! Let’s get started!
If this is your first time participating in a Virtual Crop and you would like a quick step-by-step guide of what to expect before you jump in, you can get ALL the details about Virtual Crops in this blog post, including how to participate (in our Virtual Crop Group), supplies you’ll need, examples of challenges, types of prizes and more.
Know what you’re looking for? Find it faster here:
In this post, you will find ALL four sketches for this crop (these sketches are for the entire weekend; no additional sketches will be posted), a downloadable PDF with the four sketches for your convenience, hashtags to use when posting your challenge layouts in the Virtual Crop Group, prize information and layout inspiration. This is about to be an amazing weekend and we can’t wait to see what you create!
To make sure we see all your submissions for a chance to win, you’ll want to post each layout you complete as its own new post with the hashtag for that challenge. You have until Tuesday, March 17, at 11:59pm CT (AU: Wednesday, 18 March, 3:59pm AEDT) to submit your layouts for the chance to win a prize (more details on what you can win further down this post!). Again, we’re so excited that you’re here. Happy scrapping!
Kimberly’s Tip:“One helpful trick when working with designer paper is to gut the base page so you can reuse the matching center for photo mats. This keeps everything coordinated without needing additional paper and ensures the mats blend seamlessly with the layout. When adding stenciled elements, take a moment to mask off the surrounding area with Place and Peel Tape so the ink stays crisp and clean. Keeping a microfiber towel, baby wipe or paper towel and a small misting bottle nearby also makes it easy to quickly clean both the front and back of your stencil so it’s ready for the next use.”
Kimberly’s Tip: “Layered borders are an easy way to add depth and interest to a page. Try punching a scalloped or decorative border from two different papers and offsetting them slightly so one-color peeks out behind the other. Even a small offset creates a nice, layered effect. You can also use border punches or decorative trimmer blades to create narrow accent strips around clusters or photo mats. These small details help frame the design and give the layout a more polished, finished look.”
Kimberly’s Tip: “Don’t be afraid to use tools and materials in creative ways. Mat cards can easily become title blocks with a little fussy cutting, and a quick swipe of ink along the edges adds subtle depth so they stand out from the background. Punches can serve multiple purposes as well, such as creating borders, embellishments or even small stencil shapes. Save the punch “fall-out” pieces too; they often make perfect tiny accents such as flower centers or scattered decorative elements.”
Kimberly’s Tip: “Experimenting with inks and stencils to build soft layers of color behind embellishment clusters is a great way to get started. Apply ink lightly at first and then add a bit more toward the center to create natural depth and dimension. Pair these backgrounds with punched shapes, layered embellishments and foam squares to add texture. And if your design calls for more photos than the sketch allows, Peek-a-Boo Pockets are an easy way to expand the layout without changing the overall design.”
NOTE: The Prize Pack will be awarded to one (1) participant in each challenge. Valid only for products currently in stock (excludes products that are out of stock or expected to return).
We will award the prizes randomly, but to win, it must be obvious you used the sketch we provided as inspiration to create a project. You’re highly encouraged to use Creative Memories products, but it’s not a requirement to win. You have until Tuesday, March 17, at 11:59pm CT (AU: Wednesday, 18 March, 3:59pm AEDT) to submit your layout(s). Prize winners will be announced on Thursday, Mar. 19, at noon CT (AU: Friday, 20 Mar.).
Color in or place a sticker on one shutter for each sketch challenge you complete during each monthly Virtual Crop in 2026. Once you’ve completed all 12 months’ sketch challenges (that’s 48 completed pages you’ll be adding to your albums), you can submit your tracker for a chance to be one of three grand prizewinners! More information on how to submit will be shared in the Virtual Crop Group as we near the final sketch challenge.
P.S. Are YOU a member of the Virtual Crop Group? It’s your go-to place for MONTHLY Virtual Crops, MONTHLY Completed Album Challenges, QUARTERLY Secret Box Openings with project tutorials and so much more! We hope you’ll join our community of more than 52,000 fellow memory-keeping enthusiasts — you’ll feel right at home!
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein
