Thursday 21 April 2016

Mouse Boy: Interiors as Inspiration

The year before I made my first scrapbook layout I filled an album with pages torn from interiors magazines. That was my paper fix then, though of course it was also all about the colour combinations and the looks I liked, and which I could replicate myself in the houses we renovate. I don't use it so much now because I'm more sure of what I want, and of the formula we have developed over the years. But I did fetch my album down from the shelf

From High In The Sky for Get It Scrapped


and have a little nostalgic flip through as soon as Get It Scrapped asked for a page inspired by the use of textures in interior design. I had lots of tearsheets about texture in there: if you renovate a house to sell of course it pays to keep the decor neutral so that it appeals to as many potential buyers as you can find; and so the way to avoid bland and suggest comfort, cosiness and luxury is with texture. 

At first I thought my page was going to be white, then, with wood and kraft cardstock, you know? But when I paged through my album I chanced upon a collection of folk art images: all bright and woven together with stitching and ribbons, beautiful cushions and curtains which gave me an idea for a totally eclectic look. There was, without a doubt, only one subject who could help me pull it off and here he is. It's Little E, all dressed for World Book Day, ready to go to school as the boy who turns into a mouse in Roald Dahl's The Witches


Honestly, I think I could make every page I ever scrapbook in this way, with a band of embellishments stretching either across the page or up and down. It creates a shelf to put everything else on AND it's just plain fun to start at one end and work along until I get to the other, simply adding anything with the right look, one embellishment at a time. You can see I added not just the witches, but also a mouse tail or two made with  lengths of grey ribbon, knotted at the ends. I squeezed in as many textures as I could: cork, smooth wood, shiny puffy stickers, 


a tassel, some tied threads. But just look at those ears: don't they make you want to turn mouse for the day too?

You can see how the other Get It Scrapped Creative Team Members introduced texture to their pages right here Mix Textures On Your Scrapbook Page Using Inspiration From Home Interiors

16 comments:

Jane said...

such a fun page, I love all the embellishments running across the page

Ruth said...

There's nothing about this page that isn't pleasing to the eye ... The witches! The wee houses! The glasses! Love, love, love!

Patio Postcards said...

Fun page & I can only describe you as a brave role model of a scrapbooker. Of course the kitty head on the page drew my eye in but only after I had a good look at the photo of Little E as a mouse.

Becky said...

What a wonderful layout!

alexa said...

Your ’bookshelf' works really nicely, with all those lively things to look at - not to mention Mouse Boy himself. I think the title is pretty neat too!

Karen said...

Another incredibly complicated page, that looks so effortless in the end. Only those of us who fail utterly at embellishments can truly appreciate the magic you do! And Little E fits the role perfectly!

Mitralee said...

Oh I would take him home he's darling! That photo is just perfect for this page! I love your strip of coolness and the mouse tails! So awesome!

Barbara Eads said...

Your band of embellishments looks like an interesting gallery shelf. Love it.

Susanne said...

Sweet page - and I need to try that little band of embellishments idea too - been seeing it pop up more and more. And I have often wondered why you never show us a before and after of your renovation projects - we'd love to see.

stephanie said...

I'm going to have to try a shelf next time!

Missus Wookie said...

I do love a good shelf for a page - that is a great collection of embellishments which all help to tell the story.

alexandra s.m. said...

What a great page! I love the accumulation of tiny decorative elements!
I couldn't agree with you more about texture! Texture is KEY ;)
Have a beautiful week-end Sian~

Sandra said...

I adore this layout, as I know I say about all your creative pages, but you just do it oh so right xxx

Melissa said...

What a FUN page to highlight that totally cute photo! I do like all those embellishments together in a line!

Jo said...

Little E looks great as a mouse and your page is just stunning!

Lou said...

I do love a shelf - especially when you do it, as you do it so well x a beautiful page x

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