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Hi friends, Kimberly here, and I am so excited to share this gorgeous double page layout that Jana Eubank created using our April 2026 Hip Kits. Jana pulled out the most precious photos of her son visiting New York City with his aunt, and the city vibe and vacation feel of this month’s collection turned out to be the absolute perfect match. She started with the waterfall cardstock as her base and layered in the black and white polka dot paper from Smile and Repeat in the April 2026 Paper Kit, then built up the most beautiful layers of colorful pattern strips to tie in every color from those photos.
What I love most about Jana’s process is how she balanced both pages with little scene-building moments using the diecuts, sprinkled in those puffy alphabet stickers from the April 2026 Embellishment Kit to spell out New York, and added so much texture with our April 2026 Cross Hatch Texture Background Metal Die. She also incorporated the Chicken Wire Texture Metal Die, fussy cut tags, foam title pieces, and even some Pocket Life Stamp Set stamps to underline her title. It’s a masterclass in layering, balance, and storytelling, and I cannot wait to walk you through how she pulled it all together. Grab your kits and let’s get scrapping those city vibes.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Build the Base with Waterfall Cardstock and Polka Dot Paper
Start with the waterfall cardstock from the April 2026 Cardstock Kit as your base. Cut two sheets of the black and white polka dot paper called Smile and Repeat from the April 2026 Paper Kit into roughly 9 and 1/2 inch high sections. Trim the right side of the polka dot paper a little shorter so the waterfall cardstock peeks out as a border underneath.
Step 2: Layer Colorful Pattern Paper Strips
Add strips of colorful pattern paper to tie in all the colors from your photos and bring personality to the layout. Place a vertical strip of the colorful stripe pattern on the left side, then layer an orange map pattern horizontally across both pages. Continue with the dark blue diamond pattern and a yellow paper that picks up the color of her son’s yellow coat in the photos.
Step 3: Add Branding Strip Borders
Grab the pink polka dot branding strip from the pink cardstock and trim off both branding strips from the orange cardstock. Layer these smaller border pieces along the bottom of your horizontal layers to add definition and a finished edge. This is a great way to use every bit of the Cardstock Kit and add subtle pops of color.
Step 4: Ink the Edges with Light Gray Ink
Before you adhere everything down, ink up all the edges of your layered pieces with light gray ink. This little step defines each layer and gives the layout that polished, finished look. It is totally a personal preference, but it makes a huge visual difference.
Step 5: Mat the Photos with Blue Cardstock
Pull the blue color from the sky in one of the photos and use blue cardstock to mat the main photo and the four small 3×3 square photos. The blue mats balance the colors beautifully and make those photos pop right off the page. Adhere the photos onto the layered background once everything feels right.
Step 6: Build Cityscape Scenes with Diecuts
Create little scenes using the diecuts to play up the New York City theme. Layer the city buildings diecut with a map diecut and two cream clouds at the top of the page, then build another scene in the bottom left corner with two trees, a bicycle, and a traffic light. Tuck in the phrase explore and dream around the bicycle wheel to bring it all together.
Step 7: Add Texture with the Cross Hatch Die
Diecut the April 2026 Cross Hatch Texture Background Metal Die from dark cardstock to add behind your photos and tuck between layers. The Chicken Wire Texture Metal Die works the same way and both are perfect for that city vibe feel. You can even cut these in multiple colors to create an entire background layer.
Step 8: Spell Out New York with Puffy Alphabet Stickers
Use the slanted puffy alphabet stickers from the April 2026 Embellishment Kit to spell out the word New York in that gorgeous bright blue. Pair this with the foam and cardstock city vibes title piece, matting the word vibes with the same dark cardstock you used for the cross hatch die. Mat the word city with white cardstock so the black letters stand out against the dark blue pattern paper.
Step 9: Build a Second Cityscape with Puffy Stickers
Cross-pollinate the elements to the right page by building another cityscape using the Embellishment Kit puffy sticker city buildings. Add tiny icons like a traffic light, yellow bus, cell phone, camera, and a little arrow tucked next to the title. Sprinkle in trees, cars, and a fire hydrant on the left side to keep the city theme flowing across both pages.
Step 10: Tie Black Twine Bows on the Tags
Add black twine to the tops of the fussy cut tags for a handmade touch. Tie a little loop and knot on the orange tag and a sweet bow on the red tag. If your first loop ends up too short, just cut a longer length and use a mini stapler to secure the tail in place.
Step 11: Stamp Epic Experience to Finish the Title
Use the April 2026 Pocket Life Stamp Set stamps to stamp the phrase epic experience across the bottom of the word New York to underline your title. This little detail nestles in perfectly and adds that final storytelling touch. Finish off with journaling and mini staples off camera and your city vibes layout is complete.
Products Used in This Tutorial
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