Hello Simple Stories Friends, Gloria Parra here! Today I’m super excited to share not one, but two layouts I created using the absolutely fabulous Book Fair Collection! As soon as I saw this collection, I knew it was perfect for so many of the stories I had been waiting to document. I had so many ideas and photos in mind that I just had to create an extra layout as bonus inspiration for you all! Let’s start with the first layout, inspired by a magical bookstore we recently visited during a family trip to Brazil. This store had floor-to-ceiling books and the most amazing vibe—a total dream for any book lover!
To begin, I chose the yellow grid patterned paper as my base. The bookshelf patterned paper instantly caught my eye, so I trimmed out three bookshelves, fussy cutting along the top to preserve the charming book shapes peeking out. Next, I trimmed the shelves to three different sizes for a layered look: one at 12 inches, the second one at 11¼ inches, and the last at 10½ inches.
I then adhered the 12-inch bookshelf along the bottom of my background, the medium strip about 4¼ inches from the top, and the shortest one 2½ inches from the top. This created the illusion of a full wall of books, just like the real-life store!
For my photos, I selected three 3x4 prints and backed each with thin borders from the 6x8 paper pad to make them pop. I centered the main photo using foam adhesive to give it dimension and tucked the other two photos on either side. Below the center photo, I added my journaling spot, then placed a foam sticker that reads “Books” as my title. From there, it was time to embellish!
I created three clusters to guide the eye and form a visual triangle. The top cluster includes pieces from the Bits & Pieces pack, the red “It’s Time to Learn” foam sticker, and my favorite little owl chipboard sticker.
The bottom left cluster features more ephemera and a cute chipboard apple perched on the shelf.
And the bottom right cluster brings it all together with a typewriter, a notebook, chipboard scissors, and a sweet little paper clip detail.
This layout takes me right back to that bookstore adventure, and I love how this collection helped me tell the story in such a fun and colorful way! I also filmed a process video for this layout, so head over to my YouTube channel Gloria Scraps if you’d love to scrap along with me!
Bonus Layout: School Book Fair Excitement
As a bonus, I also created a second layout using this same collection to document my daughter’s love for the Scholastic Book Fair at school this year. I used one of the ruler patterned papers to build a fun banner detail hanging from the top left corner. I then fussy cut a little bit of the printed floral cluster on the lower right of the paper and tucked in my photos behind them.
This layout perfectly captures the joy she felt choosing her favorite books and fun little activity set—it’s always such a highlight of the school year! You can find the process video for this layout on my YouTube channel as well!
Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends! I hope these layouts inspire you to dive into your own book-loving stories with the Book Fair collection. Whether it’s a school fair, library trip, or cozy reading time at home, this collection is packed with pieces that bring those moments to life.
Big crafty hugs,
Gloria 💛
Supplies Used:
Simple Stories Book Fair Collection Kit
Simple Stories Book Fair 6x8 paper pad
Simple Stories Book Fair Bits and Pieces
Simple Stories Book Fair Journal Bits
Simple Stories Book Fair Foam Stickers
Simple Stories Book Fair Chipboard Stickers
Simple Stories Book Fair Sticker Sheet
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