Hello friends. Iris here with a back-to-school layout that goes back to some basics: the SN@P! Basics Maple/Cream Notebook paper, an easy cut file, a few embellishment clusters, a little stitching, some ink splatters, and the fabulous School Rocks! collection.

Using a modified cut file from the Silhouette store, I cut four rows of chevrons from the Notebook paper.  Notebook paper always makes a great neutral to pair with colorful papers, and it's especially awesome with a school collection. 

To capture the mixed feelings my daughter had on her first day of 2nd Grade, which is what the journaling is about, I printed a 4x6 photo of my daughter smiling as she waited outside, and also a 3x4 photo showing her sitting at her desk with an uncertain look.  I placed them a little off-center opposite the journaling, and united them with a cluster of circles.  The "FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL" circle - how awesome is the letterboard look! - is meant to be the title, so I popped it up on foam to make it stand out. I also added a staple to the cork circle for interest.

The chevrons give motion to the page and I accented that motion by stitching down the center of each row where the points are.  I wasn't concerned about making the stitching perfectly straight. It adds to the fun if it's a little crooked. ;)  

The bottom right had a natural spot to build up a cluster of icons.  To add depth, I popped up the globe on foam. I also added a stapled the star.

In each row, I placed word strips in random places.  So that they don't look like they are floating, each is anchored by another sticker element. Since the bottom star has a staple, I added staples to the other stars, which also help anchor those strips. The apple and paper airplane are up on foam so that they continue to grab the eye up the page. 

I added my date at the top right of the page, just like they teach us in school. The pencil journaling stickers in the collection fit the roller date stamp perfectly.  For the finishing touch, I picked a yellow mist (SC Mister Huey's in Custard) because it helps fill in the blanks around the three main areas but doesn't compete with the rest of the background.

Back-to-school time for kids means more scrap time for moms, am I right?! What better way to start than with some back-to-school scrapping with the School Rocks! collection. :)