How to "fit" 8x8 pre-designed LO onto an 8.5x11 background?

[Scrapper007]

I just found a bunch of awesome premade LOs from Sweet Shoppe on Smilebox.com, but they are all in the square (8x8) format. I scrap in the 8.5x11 size. Obviously I can fit 8x8 onto a LO, but I am at a loss when it comes to thinking of ways to 'fill in the blanks" (i.e., blank space). I have tried moving the 8x8 around, to the top, middle and bottom and added a neutral kraft background..but what to do with all of the leftover space? I don't want to hunt down embellishments, papers, etc. to "finish" the LO. That kind of defeats the purpose of a "quick page" lol

[MamaBee]

Could you use the outside edge for journaling? or maybe a long title (faded like a watermark) along the side, kind of like an index marker as to subject or year/date?

[*Celeste*]

you could get rid of the background layer and just use the meat of the layout on your 8.5x11. Push it towards the bottom and add an embellisment cluster to the top of the page. or pull the embellishment cluster from the top of the 8x8 if there is one.

[maryinaz]

Make the 8.5x11 paper a patterned paper and then put the 8x8 either in the middle or slide it up or down. The patterned paper would then just look like a border on top and/or bottom. I see you also do horizontal, but the same premise applies - just slide it right or left, or keep in the middle. Keep it simple and easy.

[heathergw]

Originally Posted by maryinaz

Make the 8.5x11 paper a patterned paper and then put the 8x8 either in the middle or slide it up or down. The patterned paper would then just look like a border on top and/or bottom. I see you also do horizontal, but the same premise applies - just slide it right or left, or keep in the middle. Keep it simple and easy.

this was my first thought, that you can center it on the background and then maybe find a coordinating ric rac ribbon to add between the background and the QP at the top and at the bottom... sorta like I did in this layout.

[ChristyHC]

I have done this before and I use the extra space for a title and some journaling.