This winter scrapbook page was inspired by “The Snow Queen” written by Hans Christian Anderson. He wrote many classic stories such as The Little Mermaid and the Ugly Duckling. He is a wonderful writer and we had to use one of his stories as inspiration! We thought The Snow Queen was perfect for the winter weather.
Before you Begin – Research
Before beginning your Mosaic Moments™ Page, dig into the story. The more research you do, the more inspiration you will find for your page!
Here are a few resources to help you do some research:
- Synopsis of the Snow Queen on Wikipedia
- Read the Entire short Story Here: http://www.online-literature.com/hans_christian_andersen/972/
- Be inspired by the scenery, art, and culture by learning more about Denmark
- Google: Denmark folk art images.
Choose a Theme from The Snow Queen
Choose a theme to inspire your photographs and your overall page. Below is a list of things to think about as you decide on a theme for your scrapbook page.
Think about the symbols and relationships in the story – the mirror, the window box, the roses, the beautiful frozen palace, the friendship between Kai and Gerda. Consider the author Hans Christian Andersen and his Danish heritage – are you inspired by Danish folk art? What about the story or the author is most inspiring to you? Let it inspire your page, the colors, the embellishments, and the subject.
Here are some themes you could use for your winter themed page:
- Best Friends and the Challenges they overcome
- The Difficulties of growing up
- If you live in a snowy area, show how it reminds you of the story
- The good things you see in someone close to you
- Unexpected Friendships
- Is there something or someone who melts your heart?
These are just a few ideas so, of course, you can use a completely different theme that stands out for you in the story.
My page is based on the relationship between the two main characters, Kai and Gerda. My best friend and I went through a rough patch around my senior year in high school. After overcoming our Challenges, we eventually became good friends again, and our friendship became better than before.
Creating Your Scrapbook Page
The first thought that came into my mind when brainstorming for my winter scrapbook page was the Snow Queen’s palace. I always imagined her having a beautiful ice crystal palace with glittery snow. I wanted to portray this on my page.
Color
To begin my page I thought of colors that fit with the story. I wanted the main color of my page to be Blue since it is a nice wintery color. I chose to use 12×12 Pewter as my background color. I love it for winter pages and it allows pastels and other lovely colors to stick out.
Patterns
Do you notice the pattern on the paper? I found an old set of stickers purchased over ten years ago that are no longer very sticky when attached to paper. Instead, I decided to use them as a stencil. The patterns reminded me of some of the Nordic artwork I researched, and also were an elegant look to represent the Snow Queen.
I simply created the pattern putting chalk ink over the sticker. Here is a close up:
Texture
If you want to add some lovely texture, consider using some glitter! I love the glitter for this page. It sparkles like the glittery snow and adds beautiful color. Have fun experimenting with different embellishments. I think I will be using this technique on more winter pages!
I also added a little glitter around the edges of my layout. At the beginning of the story a mirror cracked into little pieces and fell from the sky. The glitter reminds me of this scene.
Choose A Layout
When creating many of my literary themed pages, I choose a page pattern that works with my photographs and that works with my theme too. My page was inspired by the Snow Queen’s palace so I added two columns on each side. I stenciled these and wanted them to seem like two big columns you might see in a castle.
Items used for my Winter Scrapbook Page:
- 12×12 Pewter Grid Paper
- Navy, Huckleberry, and Blueberry Pie Paper Tiles
- Metal Corner Accents
- Shaved Ice Glitter
- Navy Card-stock (For the long columns)
- White Chalk Ink