Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

As part of my National Scrapbooking Day celebration, I wanted to share a before and after of a hiking layout!  Here is the first draft of the layout I made for my April scrapbooking class using the Country Woods and Country Lace DSP featuring a hike my husband and I took on the southernmost terminus of the Appalachian Trail.  I like how I made the AT "marker" using the Classic Alphabet stamp set, but all in all, the layout felt too plain for my taste.  I let it sit for a few days until inspiration struck.

Now here's the updated version.  First, I added the topography map DSP from the Take to the Sky suite over the dotted paper that was there.  It's a subtle change but really adds to the hiking theme.

Then I went through my stash and found what was left of my die cuts from the Changing Leaves bundle.  Even though there wasn't any Crumb Cake in the layout, it's a perfect neutral (and match for the trees in the photos) to enhance the pages.

Be sure to cluster embellishments and place them in a visual triangle to move your eyes across the page.  This really helps accent the page and keep the focus where it should be.

PRO TIP: While you're working with a stamp set/die bundle, make extras to have on hand.  You never know when inspiration will strike!