Making a Page With Kit Leftovers

How about a page that came together because of an embellishment? 

The little acetate pieces were the impetus for the entire page!  Their shape mimicked the windmill blades in my mind.  The colors of those little acetate pieces dictated the colors to be used for the page.  Pastel, soft and quiet. 

The little pink tabs came in the kit, each printed with a word or two...but none really fit with my travel photos, however I did like the pale pink color. So they just got tucked in such that the words didn't show. 

In this case I used one of the papers in the kit for the background since it was mostly white, with a bit of printing at the left edge.  The branding strips were trimmed into long skinny banners and the one or two larger chunks of printed paper that were left got layered under the photo.  There is nothing hugely striking about the page---it is calming and still, allowing the photo to be center stage. 

The only add from outside the kit was a scrap of green (cut into two short banners) and the chipboard heart. 

Next up is a page using strips of paper at the edge of the page. 

Another page showing the use of watercolor on the white background to help unify the page and tie the colors and photo together rather than the use of printed papers. 

Looking through these page samples, the one common denominator leaving a good amount of white space.  (White space = open space, it could have been a colored background---I just happened to use white.)

This open space could be less, if you were working with more than one photo--but it would be more difficult to have enough papers left for layering.  In that case your leftovers could be used in small strips under your photos or along one edge of your page, depending upon the size and shape of your leftover pieces. 

The point is, a technique for getting the most from my kit(s), before relegating things to my stash, is to gather those little pieces and parts together and see if there is enough to either surround a photo, layer underneath a photo, or line up along the edge of a page.  Now I am not always successful at this.  In fact I have a layout that I am going to take apart, cuz it's    just.  not.  happening.  When I get that one put together again in a happier arrangement, well that can/will be a whole other conversation.   And I'll have that conversation, it's ok to me to shows one of my "yuck" pages ... and compare it to one that I find more pleasing to look at. 

But for today, try and use all those little "schnibblets" left lying about your workspace to make just one more page before you call a kit done.  It can't hurt, you can always take it apart, but if you are successful, you'll have one more page done AND finish off a kit feeling that you have spent your money on that kit wisely! 

best to all,
Cheryl