Polly Picks: Scrap like Vrielinkie Challenge

Welcome to the next edition of our newly revamped Polly Picks series, where each month we will chat with one of our Pollys about their scrapbooking style and fave things and give you the chance to win a $5 code for the store just by scrapping like them.

Before we jump into the November Challenge, let me announce the random winner from our previous challenge – big congrats to Dady! (You’re prize will be sent shortly through conversations so watch out for that this week!)

This month we are featuring Hanna that you would know around digiland as Vrielinkie. If you have ever spontaneously booked a getaway, it’s probably because of her amazing travel photography pages and you may have met her friends and extended family through her gallery too. Her pages are always vibrant and creative and often feature amazing techniques or ideas from the paper world! Her full gallery is here but I’ll link some specific pages below when we get to the challenge part.

Let’s find out more about Hanna’s scrapping from her with an interview. Here’s my Scrap Like A Polly Q&A with Vrielinkie.

Your digiscrapping history and style:
1. How long have you been digiscrapping and has your style changed since then?

I started to discover digital scrapbooking around 2012, I think. My focus was on travel albums, and I looked up tutorials to start scrapping in Photoshop. In the beginning I only scrapped in a magazine and a very simple graphic style. I gradually moved on to scrapping all types of photos and memories. For my travel albums I do tend to stick to the magazine (flat) style. But for other projects or layouts I use lots of different styles, and I keep on watching tutorials to pick up tips and tricks.

Your page focus and process:
2.What do your layouts usually focus on and how do you usually start a page?

I scrap mainly for the Creative Teams I’m on and I also looooove challenges. So, most of the time the product or the challenge dictates the focus, and I try to find matching photos and memories. I have a slight case of ODC (or CDO, in alphabetical order, as it should be), so I love it when it all comes together: the theme of the kit, the photos and the story. I try to pick a few main colors and use them in visual triangles (so 3 of the same elements and or colors in a triangle shape on the page). I do sometimes work the other way around and start with a specific (set of) photo(s) and find a template or kit that matches it. One thing I always save for last if it is even needed, is journaling. Not a big fan of it, so I mostly try to use the title or word art to get the message across. I am a big fan of making my own titles, mostly with fonts. I have around 5000 fonts on my laptop, yikes!

Your must-have products:
3. Is there a specific type or category of element you must have on a layout?

I’m big on realistic shadowing so I always use layer styles that I tweak. I also really love flowers but charms or objects such as cameras or shells as well.

4. Are you most drawn to patterned papers or solids for backgrounds?

I use solids for almost 90% of the time, it feels like. I do try to pick ones with texture. Patterned backgrounds are hard for me, as it seems busy. I admire people who can do this well. When I do it, I still mostly mix patterned paper with a solid one for the background. This way you also have space for journaling on the background somewhere.

Examples of your gallery faves:
5. Can you share 3 fave pages with us and tell us a bit about why you love them?

Almost impossible to choose but I gave myself the limitation of it having to be a travel themed layout to make it easier. Here are 4 of my favorites (okay I didn’t really keep myself to the set limit, haha)

(1) I made this page for a “paper to digi” challenge during the Month of Challenges of 2024. I thought it would be impossible to do but wanted to challenge myself. I only used my go to shadowing styles and then the rolled effect was done with the dodge and burn tool. I was surprised it was that easy actually and I still am really proud of the end result.

(2) This one is special as the place we visited was on my travel bucket list for a while and I love the pictures I took here. And again, I tried to use a specific technique or style which was a photo mosaic. I blended a wavy texture paper onto it. One more photo, a DIY title with a font, and just a little journaling and some mini clusters to finish and that is it. Love how it turned out.

(3) For this one I wanted to creatively scrap our road trip and cruise combo. I love that it’s in a circle so that it resembles a wheel. (There’s my OCD again). Adding some 3D titles and some journaling and info and I kept the tones very neutral so the photos really pop.

(4) So, do you feel a theme brewing? Shapes! This layout is in dedication to how I started scrapping. A “flat” or 2D-style travel page featuring triangle shapes. Sometimes I like to blend the photos into a background with texture to give it a real paper feel. Like a magazine. But I did add some 3D elements too, for a bit of dimension.

Thanks Hanna!

Now it’s your turn to Scrap Like A Polly!

Just scrap a new page using the ingredients listed below that channel the featured Polly’s style and upload your page to the TLP gallery, (remember to use the PollyPicks tag in the tag field) and come back here and post the link to your page in the comments please.

These pages helped me come up with the ingredient list below and my own Vrielinkie style layout. Hanna has a clean crisp graphic style, dominated by shape use and repetition that creates a seamlessly creates internal cohesion, that is, everything on the page feels like it relates to each other and feels like it belongs there. Florals and linear patterns are used really well because she can break the lines and repetition up in a way that naturally makes the photos or the title the star. Sometimes I disagree with our Pollys, I think Hanna works really well with patterns but maybe that’s because she showcases them in a way that emphasises shape and repetition. Either way, we are going to feature both in this ingredient list.

Ingredient list:

  • Maximalist style: Start with a solid then start filling the page!
  • Photos: Use multiple photos, OR cut-up or highlight sections of a single photo with coloured overlays or blend modes for a cool graphic aesthetic
  • Repetition: Repeat a shape, or type of element, at least 5 times.
    • They don’t have to be identical. You can vary the colour, size, style etc.
  • Dimension: Keep the page fairly flat by choosing elements like paper products including ephemera like tickets, stickers, stamps, fonts and choose flat styles of frames or ribbons rather than bulky or curly ones, for example.
  • Element use: Include a camera or flower of some kind (or both!)

Let me show you some currently available goodies that suit scrapping in Hanna’s style

This is the page I created in Hanna’s style. I’ve used Lynne-Marie’s Press Play 4 templates with coloured overlay sections to do most of the heavy lifting for my photos and leaned in to the circle shape of one of the photo crops, adding other flatter, circle/semi-circle elements from Project Mouse: At Sea & Just Jaimee’s Nov 2025 BYOC element, Words & Stamps, and Stamped Alpha packs

Now it’s your turn!

You have from now until the the 2nd week of December to scrap like Vrielinkie using the ingredient list above. Feel free to use products from any designer currently selling in the TLP store and add anything extra to the ingredients to make your layout. Don’t forget to link me to your page in the comments or in the November Scrap Like a Polly forum thread for your chance to go in the random draw to win.

The deadline is 22 December so a bit earlier but I know you won’t leave it to the last minute! Can’t wait to see what you create.

….

I live just south of Sydney, Australia, with my husband, our two teenagers, and three birds. I’ve been digitally scrapbooking for nearly 20 years, and a regular at The Lilypad since 2010. Creativity has been a constant companion—but not always a tidy one.

My style? Anything and everything. I don’t really box myself in. Inspiration tends to show up everywhere—except maybe under the lounge when I’m vacuuming, or under the kitchen sink. But I can almost always count on finding it in my photo folders, my favorites list, the shop, or the Challenge Pad. Honestly, time is more of an issue than inspiration!

Photoshop has long been my go-to digital tool, though we have a bit of a love/hate relationship. After many years with CS6, I’ve started trialing other programs too. My ergonomic mouse is a game changer (trackpads and I don’t get along), and in terms of digi products, I’m all about templates, mixed media, patterned papers, and word art—though I never would have guessed I’d love mixed media this much five years ago!

If you’re new to scrapbooking (or any creative hobby), the best advice I can give is: jump in and have a go. Most of us learn by doing, and yes—that means some frustration, a few mistakes, and definitely a learning curve. But if you push through the messy parts, there’s so much joy waiting on the other side. And if it ever feels like the frustration is winning, vent in the forum—we’ve all been there, and someone will always show up to help, or at least sympathize and cheer you on.

Similar Posts

One Comment

Leave a Reply