Happy 8th Birthday Layout

Today starts a new challenge at Let's Scrap!!  Let's Scrap is an online community with scrappers from all over the world!!!  We have weekly sketch challenges on Wednesdays, as well as Challenges and Layout A Day (or Year) groups.  I have been able to catch up on my scrapping in this group!!!!

For today, I scrapped some pictures from Tanner's birthday party last November.

Here is the sketch.  I wanted bright and fun papers.  Originally I was going to use more of the circle 8's but really liked the stars better. 

I found the images at the Silhouette Online Store and added the banner below Birthday. 

I pop dotted the stars and circle for dimension. 

I sometimes struggle with sketches as I try too hard to make my layout look exactly like the sketch.  I am getting a little better at letting my layout take on a life of its own.  How about you?  Are you a sketch follower - or do you use the sketch only as a starting point??