When she was in kindergarten, we encouraged my daughter to take part in the STEM fair at her elementary school. She was very excited to choose a project and worked very hard on her “experiments.” I definitely want to document that on a separate layout, but this layout is about her presenting at the STEM fair itself.
It all started with the SCT Spring Issue Cut File challenge to use the March 2021 free cut file on a project. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I wanted to document this event. However, “sunshine” didn’t quite fit; plus, I wanted to make sure that it was quite obvious that she was at the STEM fair. So I modified the cut file! I chopped off the “SUNSHINE” letters using the Silhouette Studio knife tool and shifted the sunshine. I found a similar font and mimicked the open letter style with the offset tool to spell “STEM FAIR.” The letters are a bit more narrow than the original file’s, but I think it’s okay!
I actually mocked up the whole layout in Silhouette Studio, since I knew I had several photos that I wanted to showcase. Doing the mockup really helped me to figure out how large to make the title so that everything would fit, and how I should arrange the photos. In fact, it made the bulk of the layout come together remarkably quickly, since it was virtually complete before I even had cut anything out!
I also knew that I wanted to use the Pinkfresh Studio “My Favorite Story” collection for this layout. My daughter’s outfit and the blue display would coordinate so well with those colors, PLUS there is the gorgeous rainbow-esque stripe that was the only paper I considered for the background!
In fact, I love that background so much that I didn’t want it to be too covered up, so I simply backed the digital-die-cut with vellum. I cut it three times from textured white cardstock and the vellum is the fourth and bottom layer.
I chose coordinating Copic markers to color one layer of rainbow stripes, which are adhered to the vellum layer, so they appear inset in the final product.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice that I cut the large photo so that its edges do not appear behind the lettering, too!
It was really fun to add all the floral die cuts around the photos. I strategically placed some of them to hide bright distracting bits or random people’s backsides in the background! I used so many flowers that I’m also entering this layout in the Pinkfresh Studio March 2021 monthly challenge (flowers!).
The two chipboard circles were exactly the sentiments that I wanted to express– my daughter was so brave to participate. The event was so much more crowded, hot, and noisy than we had imagined, and it was intimidating to *me,* let alone considering she was a little kindergartener!
I wrote all my journaling on strips of smooth cardstock. It took some shimmying to get them all to to fit exactly how I wanted them, but I am glad that I could fit all my thoughts onto the layout.
Supplies:
patterned paper: Pinkfresh Studio “My Favorite Story” – Looking for Sunshine
cardstock: American Crafts white textured cardstock
vellum: The Paper Studio
embellishments: Pinkfresh Studio “My Favorite Story” chipboard flair, floral ephemera, enamel dots
adhesive: Scotch ATG, US ArtQuest PPA Matte liquid glue
Copic markers
cut file: Paige Evans for SCT (free HERE)
Silhouette Cameo 3, Silhouette Studio software
Edited to add: Thank you, SCT, for featuring my layout on the challenge winners blog post!
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