featuring the Circling Around 3×3 Die
Remembering our Veterans
Our die this week is the Circling Around 3×3 Die and our job is to find a pattern pair that will show that die off and accommodate my photos. I’ve chosen “Pines” from the Renaissance Collection of Grid papers to build my layout on.
It’s November and our thoughts begin to turn towards the holidays. This month we have two we observe in the States, Veteran’s Day and the Pilgrim’s Feast of thanks that we call Thanksgiving.
In recent years people have tried to recognize the contributions of those who have served their country in military service in various ways, but until this fall I did not realize that there’s a Veteran’s Memorial Park, a few minutes from where I live, that does a really nice job of recognizing Ohio Veterans from all the wars we’ve been engaged in. Today’s photos will try to highlight some of the various areas and memorials in the park.
There were many patterns in the Pattern Gallery that had 3×3 squares where I could use this die. I selected the ones that generally only had one 3×3 square because I wanted to use it as a design element not with a photo. I also had a lot of photos that would not suit a square format. These are the sets I narrowed my choices to:
This is the combination I chose to work with:
What made this pattern right for this layout? I had several spots for vertical and horizontal photos. There were 1” squares on both patterns to accommodate some patterned paper or photos. The 1×3 spots worked well for another die I wanted to incorporate, the triple star. I’d also throw in the 1” star circle die cut on top of the 1×2 die section of Pattern #125.
For using the die on the page I used corrugated cardboard for the background and a monochrome color scheme. I added strips of ivory cardstock for my titles/journaling and used Tim Holtz antique linen Distress Ink to age them. The narrow strips allow the design of the Circling Around die to show through.
You may notice the 1”circle stars that I’ve mounted on top of the 1×2 red block, I did this to keep with the pattern, and I think the added circle image works nicely with the featured die. Repeating an image, a shape or pattern adds interest to your layouts.
On page two, my photo in the upper right corner is slightly smaller than what is needed for an even border so I added a 1/8” strip of stars patterned paper along the edge to fill it out. The paper is actually larger so I could attach it to the backside of the photo. The stars then filled several 1” squares across both pages.
Are there hidden gems in your community, county or state that you’ve never visited? How many would make great day trips while enjoying the seasons and providing photo opportunities for you to scrap? You need not travel far to find an enjoyable way to spend a few hours or a few days off. So the next time you need a break get out on the backroads and explore!
Andrea Fisher