Rachel's Review	Catherine's Review	Chris' Review	Mandi's Review	Lynnise's Review

Review by Rachel

I was thrilled when I found out that I would be working with Layout Blueprints by BlueMedia. I love sketches. They are the first thing I look for when I get that scrapper’s block that we all get from time to time. Once I started looking through it, I became slightly intimidated and inspired all at the same time.

Layout Blueprints is a spiral bound idea book that measures 8 ½ by 11 inches. It boasts 55 new Blueprint designs by Amy Elkins and over 200 new layout ideas. It has 4 chapters where Blueprints range from 2 to 4 photos to 10 or more photos. Across the top of each page is a banner that states how many photos are included in each Blueprint. The book also contains a “Blueprint Index” that contains only the Blueprints and on what page number those Blueprints can be found. There are Blueprints for 8 ½" x 11" scrappers as well as 12" x 12". Chapter 1 contains about 9 Blueprints. Chapter 2 contains about 20 Blueprints. Chapter 3 contains about 19 Blueprints. Chapter 4 contains about 11 Blueprints. In each of these chapters, there are all kinds of wonderful inspiration. This book retails for $17.95.

On my first flip through Layout Blueprints, I was discouraged by how many enlargements I had seen while flipping through fast. I am not a person who prints their pictures at home so making enlargements for me is costly. Well, on closer inspection, I realized that there weren’t as many enlargements as I first thought. There are quite a few Blueprints that do use enlargements but there are also Blueprints that use 4 x 6 inch photos and even 3 x 5 inch photos. There are also incredible layouts that show you different ideas for using regular photos in an 8 x 10 inch space. So after I sat down and went through Layout Blueprints slowly and let it all sink in, the inspiration hit quite suddenly.

There are a couple things that I really love about Layout Blueprints, I love that the book is spiral bound. This makes it so easy to flip to a page and have it right by my scrapping table so that I can refer to it when it is needed. The second thing that I love is the Blueprint Index. I can’t tell you how many times I flipped back there to look for a Blueprint that would work with my pictures. This index makes it so easy to flip to the exact page you want to look at and see the layouts that are included with this Blueprint. I had so much fun using this idea book.

I had a hard time deciding what photos to use with what Blueprint. It finally hit me that I had wedding photos that I was stuck on and could use these Blueprints to bring myself out of that! Well, it worked. I love this page. I used a Blueprint designed for 3 to 4 photos and the layout just fell together.

Title: The License
Products used: Cardstock, Black, Classic Red, Prism
Patterned Paper, Candlelight Ribbon Stripe, Flair Designs, Inc
Patterned Paper, Red Poinsetta, Diecuts with a View
Blueprint, Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia
Stickers, Sonnets Script, Creative Imaginations
Ink, Cranberry, Close to my Heart
Ink, Black, StazOn
Ink, Clear Embossing Ink, Stampabilities
Embossing Powder, Platinum, Suze Weinberg
Stamps, Aged & Elegant, Sugarloaf
Brads, Pearl, Wilton’s
Adhesive, Permanent Glue Runner, Ad Tech
Hot Glue, ColdHeat Glue Gun

For my second project, I decided to delve into the digital world. It had been a while since I had done a digital page. I had so much fun using a Blueprint for 7 to 9 photos and within about an hour I had a finished layout.

Title: The Hunt for the Perfect Pumpkin
Products used: Fall Digital Kit from Shabby Princess
Blueprint, Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia

Once I got over my own handicap regarding the enlargements, I found so much inspiration in Layout Blueprints. My hardest decisions were picking just one Blueprint that I wanted to use. The cost of the book is quite economical as well. The cost breaks down to .32 cents per Blueprint. That is incredible. Thirty two cents for one Blueprint and two to four inspirational layouts is money definitely worth spending. You will want to have Layout Blueprints in your arsenal of idea books. Your hardest decision will be deciding which Blueprint to begin with.

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Review by Catherine

Layout Blueprints is a new book produced by BlueMedia. The cover of the book claims that Layout Blueprints is “A Guide to Great Scrapbook Page Construction”, and has “Creative Concepts for Scrapbook Page Design”. After opening this book over and over again, I would have to agree with both of those statements.

The first thing that I noticed when I opened my review package containing the Layout Blueprints book, is that the book is spiral bound. What genius! I have often wished that many of my scrapbooking books, especially those with sketches or that I will refer to repeatedly, were spiral bound. After a lot of bending bindings back to make books lay flat, a few of my books have fallen apart and I’ve had to take them and pay for them to be bound. With this book, all of that frustration has been taken away. I really appreciate that fact!

Inside the book, I found fifty-five different sketches or Blueprints to follow for different numbers of pictures. Knowing that the Blueprints in this book are set up for double page layouts, I was a little intimidated before I began leafing through it. I always find doing double-paged layouts difficult. I found however, that the Blueprints in this book are not intimidating at all, and very well designed. Additionally, the layouts chosen to represent the different Blueprints in the book are wonderfully constructed layouts. They range from very simple to more complex styles, so there is sure to be layouts in the book which will appeal to any type of scrapper; including digital scrappers.

As I mentioned previously, I often shy away from doing double-page layouts because I find them very difficult. I chose the first Blueprint in the book to base my first layout on. There are examples of the use of this layout to be found on page 3 and page 6. I love the fact that one of the layouts doesn’t follow the Blueprint exactly, but adds additional photos in place of the large photo in the Blueprint. I decided to do something similar with my layout.

Title: Open Season
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Exclusives)
Patterned Paper (Wube Papers)
Blueprint (Layout Blueprints book – BlueMedia)
Chipboard Letters (Heidi Swapp)
Chipboard Shapes (KI Memories)
Brads (Bazzill Basics)
Buttons (MagicScraps)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I love the way the first layout turned out from following a Blueprint in the book. Additionally, following the Blueprint was so easy. I felt that creating another layout would be just as simple. I chose the Blueprint on page 7 to follow for my next layout.

Title: Pizza Chefs
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Exclusives)
Patterned Paper (Scenic Route; KI Memories)
Blueprint (Layout Blueprints book – BlueMedia)
Specialty Papers (MagicScraps)
Alphabet Stickers (Heidi Swapp)
Alphabet “Thickers (American Crafts)
Brads (Making Memories)
Labels (7gypsies)
Fabric Tag (Creative Imaginations)
Stamps (PSX; Catslife Press)
Ink (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink – Clearsnap)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

In summary, I have to say that the Layout Blueprints book is one of my new favorite idea books! I have several pages marked, awaiting the time for me to follow more of the layouts. My double-page spread block may have been conquered through the use of Layout Blueprints! I recommend this book to every scrapbooker, beginner or advanced.

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Review by Chris

Layout Blueprints is a 108 page, spiral bound idea book of layout sketches and sample completed layouts. I love the use of the term “blueprint” since I think it is more descriptive of its function – an architectural plan for a scrapbook page. There are a total of 55 two-page Blueprints: ten of them are designed for 8.5x11 size pages and forty-five of them for 12x12 pages. Most of the Blueprints can easily be separated for single page layouts and taking into consideration that they also can be rotated and flipped, the possibilities for using these Blueprints to inspire one’s layouts are almost limitless. The book is divided into chapters which correspond to the number of photos used in the Blueprint. There are Blueprints for as few as three and as many as ten or more photos.

I really like that this idea book is spiral bound. It lays nice and flat and does not take up too much room on the design table. I also like that every Blueprint includes measurements for the photo sizes. Figuring out photo size is something that can be frustrating when using a sketch to develop a layout. Measurements also come in very handy if you are creating a digital page. The paper on which the book is printed is glossy which I do not like. I found it difficult to hold the book in such a way that the reflected light did not interfere with my looking at the page.

There is a 3-page quick reference index at the back of the book with images of all the Blueprints and the corresponding pages in the book where you can find associated sample layouts. The Blueprints are not numbered individually. Having individual numbers would make referencing them a little easier when listing supplies and sources for layouts.

I don’t have a lot of events with more than 2 or 3 photos to scrap and I was frustrated at first that many of the Blueprints for the smaller number of photos all include at least one large and often odd-sized photo. I think this may be a stumbling block to someone who does not print their own photos. However, I realized I could go further into the book, select only one half of a Blueprint originally designed for 6 or 8 photos and find inspiration for my layout. There are a few Blueprints that include photos that are spread across two pages. Although this does not appeal to me, it is a trend in layout design and these are a useful addition for those interested in that style.

I really liked the very first layout in the book, on page 3, thinking that I had some perfect photos from this year’s vacation in Florida. Its Blueprint on page 6 provided the photo measurements I needed to create this digital layout.

Title: Key West
Products used: Digital kit (Fearless, Christine Borgfeld)
Alphabet (South Hampton, Peppermint Creative)
Blueprint (Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia)

For my second project, I wanted to scrap just one larger photo. Searching through the book, I found the perfect Blueprint on page 99. I used just the left side and rotated the Blueprint clockwise to create this thoughtful layout about my son.

Title: Be Yourself
Products used: Cardstock (Prism, Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (BasicGrey, Black Tie and Vagabond)
Blueprint (Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia)
Ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon and others)
Rub-ons (Basic Grey, American Traditional Designs, Making Memories)
Chipboard (Basic Grey, Undressed Chipboard Elements)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner)

Layout Blueprints is a most welcome addition to my scrapbooking library of resources. The Blueprints contained within are unique, creative and versatile. The format of the book makes it easy to use. The addition of specific measurements of the page elements is a real bonus. If you use sketches as inspiration for your layouts, I certainly recommend Layout Blueprints.

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Review by Mandi

For this review I received a resource that I love – a sketchbook. Nothing beats a sketchbook when you’re under a time constraint, need a little bit of a boost, or are just plain out of ideas. BlueMedia’s Layout Blueprints fits in my resource library quite nicely for those exact reasons.

One of the first observations that I made was the quality of the book itself. I began finding myself thinking I had a hold of two pages to turn when in reality I had one thick, sturdy, colorful page in my hand. This nicely put together spiral bound book has 108 pages, 55 new Blueprints by designer Amy Elkins, and over 200 layout ideas to coincide with the blueprints.

On page 2, Amy Elkins writes, “I hope to breathe life into the two-page layout again, because that is how most scrappers scrap, as far as I’ve witnessed.” With that thought in mind, the book is laid out in four chapters: Chapter 1: Blueprints for layouts with 3 to 4 photos, Chapter 2: Blueprints for layouts for 5 to 6 photos, Chapter 3: Blueprints for layouts with 7 to 9 photos, and Chapter 4: Blueprints for layouts with 10 or more photos. Each chapter had numerous blueprints in it to fit its description. For each blueprint the sketch was there along with at least 2 completed layouts as examples. Some blueprints were made for both 12" x 12" and 8 1/2" x 11". Accompanied with some of the examples are special notes to show how the designer might have added a different embellishment or turned the sketch in a different angle to create a new fresh look. However, nothing says you have to stick with doing a two-page layout. You may enjoy the first or second page of a blueprint but not have enough photos to do a two-page layout. This was the case for Chelsea Giles and her layout “Cute Girl” on page 18 of the book. She took one page of the Blueprint to create a gorgeous layout.

The layouts were easy to follow. They even had an extra step that a lot of sketches I use do not have - dimensions. Each blueprint listed the size for the pictures you were to use to make them match the layout perfectly. For example, 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 5" x 3", 2" x 4", etc. I found that helpful to get my cutter out and make each cut precisely what it said without all the guesswork. Now, the embellishing – decorative accents were still a little guesswork but I feel like I need more help with the photos than I do the embellishing. Besides, getting the photos on the page is most important for telling our stories on our pages, right?

For my projects, I chose to stick with the two-page layout theme within the Blueprints book. There were so many good blueprints that I had to have my husband pick out which two I should use. He chose a blueprint on page 23 that was to use 5 to 6 photos, 2 curved lines, 6 circles, a title, and some journaling. With that I took some recent photos of the twins and my husband to create “We Are Family”.

Title: We Are Family
Products used: Blueprint: Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia
Patterned Paper: Prima
Rub-ons: Scenic Route
Ink: Ranger
Adhesive: Ad Tech Glue Runner

For my second layout my husband chose another 5 to 6 photos blueprint on page 38 that used unconventional shapes for accents. Say good-bye to square, rectangle, circle, and oval. Now, say hello to a fun trapezoid. I took a little liberty on this and took out the journaling to continue my title in the space given for journaling. I also put a few buttons on to add some cute accents. Here’s another layout of the twins called “Enjoying God’s Creation”.

Title: Enjoying God’s Creation
Products used: Blueprint: Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia
Patterned Paper: Sweetwater
Rub-ons: Making Memories, Be Blessed
Chipboard: Making Memories, Scenic Route
Ink: Stampabilities
Ribbon: American Crafts
Buttons: Misc. collection from Hobby Lobby

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I feel the sturdiness of the book will make it stand the test of time and the blueprints will be useful for any scrapping situation. Thank you BlueMedia and Amy Elkins for a great book.

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Review by Lynnise

Ask me what I find the most challenging part of scrapbooking and you’ll get the resounding answer, time. With the hustle and bustle of daily life, I find myself daydreaming throughout the day of that blissful time when the kids go to bed and I can get out my scrapping supplies. Unfortunately, more often than not, I sit down, look at my piles of photos and feel overwhelmed with how far behind I am. I can’t seem to get started. The creative juices won’t flow, and the more photos I have of an event to scrap the more overwhelmed I become. However, there’s good news on the horizon for myself and other scrapbookers that find themselves suffering from scrappers block, the wonderful book, Layout Blueprints.

BlueMedia’s Layout Blueprints book, written by Amy Elkins, is a straightforward, well-organized tool for today’s scrapbooker. The 108-page spiral bound book offers innovative sketches with beautiful examples of how to use each sketch. The book is divided into 4 chapters based on the number of photos in each layout blueprint. Each page has an easily identifiable header with the number of photos represented on that page as well as the blueprint sketch. I was impressed with how quickly I was able to find a layout with the number of photos I needed to scrap without even having to refer to the table of contents. In addition, the author included a three page “Blue Print Index” at the end of the book, with thumbnails of each sketch in the book; perfect for quick reference at a crop.

Each of Amy’s blueprints is a wonderful sketch for a two-page layout. As stated in her short biography on the first page, she “draws on her advertising background to find inspiration”, and it shows. Each blueprint makes good use of leading as well as balance and interesting design. The photo areas are each marked with the photo size, an invaluable feature that I quickly came to appreciate when creating the layouts for this review. She alternates from 8 1/2" x 11" sketches to 12" x 12" sketches throughout the book. Some may consider it a drawback that each size is not presented for each sketch; however, most of the layout examples do show the sketch used for both sizes. In instances where only one sample was provided, it was generally the opposite size of the blueprint, making it easier to visualize the sketch in either size. The samples in the book cover a wide variety of subjects. I enjoyed the day-to-day layouts, as well as the landscape, pet, and many other topics included in the book. It was refreshing to thumb through an idea book that is filled will real photos from real peoples lives, and not just photos that look like they should be hanging in a gallery somewhere. I was also excited to see work included from many artists whose work I’ve never seen before.

Layout Blueprints has many samples of digital layouts. This first layout, “Beautiful Girl- NOT!” is a digital layout using the blueprint on page 19.

Title: A Beautiful Girl- NOT!
Products used: Patterned Paper (Shabby Princess “Spring Breeze” Paper Circles, Purple Swirls)
Ribbon (Scrap gal “Refresh” dotted ribbon)
Brads (Scrap gal “Refresh” brads)
Punched border(Scrap gal “Refresh” punched border)
Journaling tags (Anne Langpap 2peas Nov. Freebee tags)
Blueprint (Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia)

Because I was able to save so much time using the sketches in Layout Blueprints as a starting point, I went ahead and did this ultra quick digital layout, “An Unforgettable 4th of July”. Using the blueprint on page 11, I was able to finish this layout in a mere 15 minutes, a record for me.

Title: An Unforgettable 4th of July
Products used: Patterned Paper (Shabby Princess Celebrate kit)
Title (Shabby Princess Celebrate kit)
Blueprint (Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia)

This last sample is a paper layout. I began this layout at 11:16 p.m. Utilizing Amy’s blueprint on page 45, I was able to clean up and be in bed by 12:30 p.m.

Title: Questionable Bragging Rights
Products used: Patterned Paper (BasicGrey)
Blueprint (Layout Blueprints, BlueMedia)
Stickers (K&Company)
Brads (Making Memories)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, The Glue Tube)

BlueMedia has constructed a winner with Layout Blueprints. This book is my new favorite scrap booking reference. I am thrilled with the time it has already saved me. It is sure to be a staple in my stash, and a product I reach for time and again for super quick, well-balanced layouts. It is a definite must have!

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