Techniques for Adding Texture to Your Designs

by | Jul 15, 2021 | 12x12 Layouts, Hand Stitched, Off the Page, Simple Dori, Subscriber Downloads, Tips and Tricks, Traditional Designs, Travelers Notebook | 0 comments

Hello, friends!

There is something to be said for the satisfaction we feel when a paper crafting project has texture. One of the benefits is the way texture and layers draw you into the design and encourage you to stay for a while. Texture can be accomplished in many ways and today, our Creative Team shares their favorite ways to add a little extra to their designs.

Carol created an eye-catching spread, filled with delicate layers and texture.

“Building layers, adding watercolor splashes and mixing up chipboard and die-cut elements have been my jam lately. Back in April, we were studying various wildflowers for a week. A common theme we noticed with many that grow here is that they are shades of purple. The Wisteria Lane Collection is perfect for this memory!

I used the die-cut sticker alphas from the Wisteria Lane Modern Memory Keeping Kit to really make a bold title. To add a softness to this, I chose to do a bit of hand stitching across the letters with a purple thread. One element I included as a bit of “memorabilia” apart from the kit is the 2 water-colored flowers. My daughter painted those and I really wanted them to be woven into the layout. To spice them up a bit I added glitter dots to the flower centers.

On the left side of the layout, I staggered different arrows to draw attention to my photo, while also filling up some white space. Using a combination of chipboard and die-cut stickers helps beef up the texture element. Below the arrows, I did a bit of stitching for a whimsical touch. Using stickers from the Wisteria Lane Memory Keeping Sticker Kit, I was able to tuck some florals in here and there, as well as use the gray alphas for flower identification, a sort of like a secondary title. I love it!

The silky stitched gray ribbon included in the Wisteria Lane Classified: Memory Keeping Kit, I used as sort of a border for the top and bottom of my photo cluster.

If you look closely, you can see I snuck in a bit of washi from the Wisteria Lane Travelers Notebook Memory Keeping Kit, on the left side of my photo, and I stuck another little swatch on a 3×4 card that was torn for more visual interest and quote placement. What are your favorite ways to add in texture?”

In this Simple Dori spread, Aimee created texture with her photos.
“Let’s talk about layering and texture. Typically when I think of layers I think of a ton of paper layers behind a photo, but what if we layered up photos on top of one another? That’s exactly what I have done here.
I started with a beautiful base for my layout — choosing a painterly, diamond weave page in my Wisteria Lane Simple Dori that is available in the Wisteria Lane Travelers Notebook Memory Keeping Kit. Next, I laid down the “July Stories” tag from the Wisteria Lane Classified: Memory Keeping Kit and layered two Instax mini photos on top of that.
I simply used washi tape on the back of the photos to create a little waterfall effect. If you’re looking for something a little more sturdy you could also make a flip with some of the white cardstock that’s provided in the Wisteria Lane Modern Memory Keeping Kit. After getting my photos situated I decided my photo flip needed a tab of sorts that invites whoever may be looking at the layout to interact with the page. I cut a small strip of ribbon from the Classified: Memory Keeping Kit and stapled it to the first photo. I absolutely love the textural element this brings to the page as well as the interactivity.
For the opposite side, I kept it pretty simple by adding an adhesive die-cut from the Travelers Notebook Memory Keeping Kit for the title that reads, “take me to the beach”. I then included a border of that same ribbon to the edge of the page to make it a little more cohesive — and textural! I love how the ribbon is actually sticking out over the edge of the layout. The Wisteria Lane Collection is packed full of gorgeous goodies perfect for creating texture, layers, and whimsy! It’s truly one of my favorites. Thanks for joining me today and let us know how you like to add texture and layers!”

A little texture can really make a planner page pop, as Belinda shows us here with DIY daily pages.

“This week I have really enjoyed making my daily layouts layering stickers I made from the Wisteria Lane Free Printables.
I started with the multi-colored pocket card which I cut into strips as the base to my daily headers. Time to stamp the days of the week – I used my favorite Cocoa Daisy Alpha Stamp Set.
I had fussy cut all the lovely floral designs from the printables and used them to add a little flourish to the daily headers. Next, I created a To-Do List for each day using the grid paper from the printables and used some coordinating floral deco to separate the bottom half of the page which I will use for notes.
Lastly, I ruled a dashed line around each day. I really love the stitched effect it gives.”

Do you enjoy adding layers and texture to your paper crafting projects? Share with us your textured designs by tagging @cocoa_daisy on social media or posting to the Cocoa Daisy Fan Page. Make sure to visit our Pinterest page for more inspiration.

Best,

Rachel, Creative Team Blog Coordinator

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