May 1-2-3+ Sketch and Layout

May's 1-2-3+ Sketch and Layout is bright, colorful and full of spring inspiration! This month's layout gave me lots of room for photos while also leaving plenty of space to have some fun with patterned papers and embellishments.

If you're new to my 1-2-3+ layouts, each one uses just one piece of double-sided designer paper, two base pages of your choice and three cuts to create a quick two-page scrapbook layout. If you want to level it up, the + Cutting Guide gives you the option of adding an additional piece of paper or cardstock to create photo mats, decorative borders and other details.

Both versions are easy and versatile, so you can decide how simple—or how embellished—you want your layout to be depending on your time, energy and the supplies you're working with.

For my May 1-2-3+ layout, I started with light blue cardstock base pages and then used a piece of CM's Your Own Way patterned paper that had a paint speckle design on one side and an overall orange texture on the other. Because I pulled some floral borders and embellishments leftover from a previous National Scrapbook Day collection, I was able to use Kelly Green cardstock for the photo mats to tie it all together. I love the way those colors balanced each other throughout the layout and gave me plenty of room for photos without making the finished pages feel crowded.

And there is lots of room for photos on this one! The sketch includes a mixture of smaller vertical and horizontal photo spaces along the outer edges plus room for three larger 6" × 4" photos through the center. As always, those sizes are simply a starting point—you can change the photo sizes and orientation, move things around, or adapt the sketch to suit the photos and supplies you have.

Grab a beverage and join me as I choose my products, make those three simple cuts and put the May layout together in the video tutorial below!

Want to create this layout?

Download the free May 1-2-3+ Sketch and Handout here!

You'll get the May sketch along with the cutting guide so you can create your own version using papers and embellishments from your stash.

And once you've created your own May 1-2-3+ layout, I would love to see what you make! Share your finished layout in our private 1-2-3 Scrapbook with Noreen Layout Sharing Facebook Group. It's always amazing to see how many completely different layouts can come from the very same sketch and cutting guide!

If you enjoyed this one and would like even more free scrapbooking inspiration, you'll find more than 50 free resources in my Free Resource Library, including 1-2-3 scrapbook layouts, handouts, sketches, planning tools, printables and guides.

If you enjoy the 1-2-3+ sketches, check back on or after the second Wednesday of each month for a new 1-2-3+ Sketch and Layout.

Want to save this idea for later? Pin it!

Happy Scrapbooking!
❤️ Noreen