Fussy Cutting

It's actually a sewing term, or so I have been told. It's something I like to do when I have a very intricate patterned paper. Sometimes the design works better for me if I isolate parts of it rather than use the whole sheet of patterned paper. Using a craft knife also helps my budget out. I can create my own custom embellishments for a fraction of the cost. This was the case with the next layout.

We had visited Aspen on a Business trip with my husband. I wanted something that represented the city. I had a sheet from Little Yellow Bicycle with leaves all over it. The leaves reminded me of Aspen and the colors were perfect. I chose to use my craft knife to cut out several of the leaves which I then layered to create a border.

A Little Town Called Aspen By  Christy Strickler
Supplies: Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle and
Artsylicious; Alphas: Making Memories and October Afternoon; Brad: K and Co,
Flower: Prima;  Mist: Tattered Angels; Paperclip: Basic Grey
Other: DMC floss, cardstock; Sketch Inspiration # 237

When documenting cities you have visited, choose symbols and color palettes that remind you of your trip.

For more ideas for Scrapbooking about cities:

12 Ideas for Scrapbooking Travel To Cities

For more ideas for using your craft knife:

Inside MacGyver’s Tool Box: Using Your Craft Knife on Your Scrapbook Pages