CP Dots & Stripes: The Perfect Summer Duo - Corrie Jones

There is something about polka dots and stripes that make them perfect for any type of layout. The patterns are simple and timeless. They do not detract from the photos and the story. They can be subtle or bold. And they work together magically!

I found a great beach picture of my three girls from seven years ago. The colors are gold and pink because of the setting sun. With beach pictures, I do not like to use patterns that will detract from the photos, so polka dots and stripes were a perfect fit! I mixed various products from the many Crate Paper collections available. I opted to use only lightly hued papers in combination with small pops of vibrant blue.

Unassumingly, polka dots and stripes feel like summer to me. I imagine beach towels and picnic baskets and colorful umbrellas.

And these papers and stickers have a great weathered look. Sort of sun faded and vintage. Again, extremely ideal for the beach!

Stripes are a great neutral pattern. I struggle sometimes when creating pages about my husband because so much of the papers and embellishments I buy are 'girlie'. I find that I naturally tend to buy pink, yellow and other pastel colors because of my girls, so I have to 'man them up' when documenting the husband.

To lend a more 'manly' look to the layout, I dedicated the page to neutral stripes using a pastel color palette with a soft edge that doesn't cater to either side of the gender wheel. Stripes, typically, are solid and grounding, so they work well here. Plus, the play off the stripes in the photo!