Hello Pretty Little Studio friends! I’m so happy to be back sharing another layout using the bright and cheerful You Are My Sunshine collection! This page features three photos of my daughter, Hailey, coming down the waterslide at camp. I love using a series of photos for moments like this because they capture the action from beginning to end—and judging by Hailey’s expressions, this was definitely an adventure!

I started with the Under the Sun patterned paper from the You Are My Sunshine 12x12 Mixed Paper Pack for my background. I absolutely love papers like this because they make it look like I spent tons of time adding different layers, patterns, stitching and mixed media when it’s actually all part of the pre-printed design. It almost feels like cheating because so much of the work is already done for you!

I matted each of my three photos with a different patterned paper from the 6x9 Mixed Paper Pack, choosing colors that coordinate with the sections of the background where each photo sits. I arranged the photos vertically down the page to capture the progression of Hailey’s trip down the waterslide, from coming out of the slide to making a big splash at the bottom.

One of my favorite ways to work with a colorful background like this is to color block my embellishments. I matched the embellishments to the different colored areas already printed on the paper, moving from the pinks and oranges at the top through the yellows and greens and finally into the aquas and navy at the bottom. It lets me add lots of little details while still keeping everything cohesive.

I used pieces from the 100% Sunshine Word Shape Die Cuts, Very Sweet Color Word Stickers, tabs from the Lemonade Mix Die Cuts and stickers from the Chasing Summer Award Sticker Pack throughout those color sections. I also added coordinating stars from the Under the Stars Die Cuts and several Sunny Stitches Clear Stickers to fill in some of the smaller spaces and continue the tone-on-tone effect.

For my title, I chose “Sink or Swim” from the Just Peachy Word Titles Die Cuts. It couldn’t have been more perfect for these photos! I placed it right in the middle of the design where the colors transition, along with a few additional summer words and phrases that help tell the story.

I love how this page came together! The background gave me an amazing head start, and adding all of those color-coordinated embellishments made it even more fun without covering up the details that were already there. Most importantly, I love that the three photos capture Hailey’s waterslide adventure from start to finish.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope this layout inspires you to let a great patterned paper do some of the work for you and try a little color blocking with your embellishments. Sometimes “cheating” with an amazing pre-printed background is half the fun!

Happy scrapping!