How do you use multiple backgrounds?

[Margie]

GREAT forum! it'll be a great resource to pick the brains of the DET! thanks for letting us!
if anyone knows me, i'll all about using ploppers. besides lazy (i mean busy) i just love not having to think about page design. but if i do open a kit, i have a hard time thinking of what to do with the backgrounds. there are usually more than one and they're pretty, so i want to use them. but if an idea doesn't come to me quick, i close it and open a plopper! :o i've seen many great samples in the gallery, but when it's time to do it myself, not so easy. :think:

so, how do you use multiple backgrounds on one page? i'd love to see samples if you could share links! any suggestions?

[GailS]

so, how do you use multiple backgrounds on one page? i'd love to see samples if you could share links! any suggestions?

I always love to try to use all the backgrounds in some way...mattes and shapes of course come to mind. One of the best ways to use them all is to do a block or quilt style layout, like this one here:

http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/data/994/thumbs/ducksinarow.jpg (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=181150&cat=500&ppuser=47914)
Ducks in a Row (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=181150&cat=500&ppuser=47914)

This kit was ONLY backgrounds, so I was left with my imagination to dress up the layout. The background is three of the papers, red being the base with two papers used for the corner patterned blocks. I kept it simple, but you can use many more blocks to use even more of the paper if it suits you!

The other papers were used for photo mattes, the crossed purple strips cut from one of them too.

Thanks for the great question, Margie! :)

[paulaoneil]

OMG, what a question! I always have a problem when you have gorgeous papers and you can't choose just one, so I usually go for it and get 'em all on the page LOL! I either make blocks to fill the whole page in a regular style or I layer them, putting smaller papers over larger ones. You can also put them side by side by side, either horizontal or vertically. This ends up making a whole new background paper. Then use a solid or smaller patterned paper for a mat and plop the photo on top - simple and very effective.

Another great way to use multiple papers, especially patterned ones, is to block them on negative space. I love this effect with a crisp, matted edge in a regular pattern, rectangle, square, etc. Or you can just cut strips and place them irregularly under the photo/s. Use as few or as many as you like. The negative space keeps the layout from getting too overwhelming and you get to use all the papers!

Looking through the DET gallery as well as the various member galleries always inspires me and I'm always amazed at the creative ways people use multiple papers.

[lbfpebbles]

Wow, this is a great question and a very difficult one to answer. I had to look through my own gallery to see what I have done. I tend to take one paper to use in the background and use others papers for accents. I like to use additional papers as horizontal or verticle strips to tie in a LO. I also enjoy blending papers with my photo.

Here is a sample LO I did which uses papers in a horizontal and verticle way as well as blending a paper into my photo

Wanted
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=175537&cat=500&ppuser=38811

[Sharon1313]

I think Paula mentioned blocking or "paper piecing," which is one of my favorite techniques, just resizing the papers and using them as smaller elements. I used that method here in "Vern and Gin," a heritage layout...
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/data/1380/thumbs/gin-_-vern-WEB.jpg (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=90364&cat=500&ppuser=39013)

and here in "Our Day"...
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/data/3150/thumbs/1954-our-day-WEB.jpg (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=171800&cat=500&ppuser=39013)

Another thought would be to layer and rotate them behind the photo like this in "Whee!"...
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/data/2255/thumbs/Whee_.jpg (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=130220&cat=500&ppuser=39013)

Looking through my gallery I noticed that in most layouts I only use one or two backgrounds though... not sure why!

[Penny M]

I have a hard time using all the backgrounds that come with a kit even though I usually try when I start the layout. Most of my layouts start with one paper (mostly solid color) for the background and then use the other papers as accents by layering under the photos. I really love layering of papers under photos. I tend to use that technique a lot.

This is an example of layering using three backgrounds. Since most of the backgrounds were flowery, I cut them into strips to minimize the flower aspect since I have only boy pictures to scrap.
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=181140&cat=500&ppuser=32292