Pretty as a Picture

I found my inspiration for this layout from our Christmas cards.  I took these pictures of my family back in December, and loved the way the card came out.  I really wanted to capture the essence of the card in my layout.

For the layout of the pictures I used a sketch created by Donna Jannuzzi from her 6 weeks of sketches: week 4 challenge.  Check it out at www.ellapublishing.com  

When I saw the sketch I just knew that it was perfect for these photos.  Using my Cricut and the Sure Cuts A Lot program I created a pattern of branch cutouts.  I cut the red cardstock and then layered it on top of white paper to mimic the look of the card.  I then cut a strip of white cardstock and placed it across the edges of the red and brown papers to finish it off.   I must say I'm pleased with how it turned out.