Although there really aren’t any rules when it comes to creativity, it is helpful to have some guidelines to follow when approaching scrapbooking for the first time. Consider these tips as you think about how you are going to lay out your page and use all of your photos, embellishments and other elements to create a cohesive design.
Choose the Best Photos:
It’s been said that it only takes 2 - 3 images to trigger a solid memory. As you go through the selection process for your photos, consider that an event can be represented by showing just a few visuals. Most people these days have digital cameras, and therefore have oodles of photos from every angel - a play by play that’s almost minute to minute! When it comes to scrapbooking, less is more. Pick the best of the best, the cream of the crop! Then, if you don’t wish to rid of the others, have a separate photo album or box to store the ‘extras’.
Find a Focal Point:
When deciding on the size of your photos, consider whether you want one larger than the others - almost like the primary focal point of your page. Other photos can act as a complement. Or, if you like to keep it simple, having just one primary image can make a very nice presentation - especially when partnered up with a page title and or journaling entry.
Including a Journal Entry:
There are times in our lives that warrant the need for documenting - whether it’s the funny conversation you had with your child, or the way you felt when you experienced love and friendship that day. Including a journal entry with your primary photo is a wonderful way to preserve the memory of that person or event being featured on your page. Journaling can be done in a handwritten form, or can also be done on the computer, allowing you to select the font most appropriate for the page.
An Eye for Symmetry:
Depending on your taste, there are many methods of achieving symmetry. Some people prefer to have things visually centered. Others, off-center. Depending on the size of your images and embellishments, you can play around to see what works best. The only rule of thumb in this area is to remember that the eye is naturally trained to view things from left to right, and then down. Keep this in mind when considering the placement of your key elements.
Use of Embellishments:
There is no magical formula here - just like dressing up for the cocktail party, consider your primary image your ‘little black dress’, and the embellishments are simply your accessories! Try not to overpower your image(s), and remember that there is nothing wrong with a little empty space.
Using Page Titles and Lettering:
When not using a journal entry, it makes sense to add a title to your page. Whether you use pre-cut lettering, rubber stamps, or even your own handwriting, the key to keeping your layout looking good is to watch the proportion of your Title to the rest of your page’s elements. Don’t overpower your page and take away from your images by using letters that are too large in proportion to your images.
Paper Choices:
This all depends on the theme of your scrapbook. If the entire scrapbook is centered around one main event (such as a wedding), then it makes sense for the entire book to have a themed set of papers that all complement one another. If the scrapbook is a collage of main events in someone’s life, then it doesn’t need the overall design consistency, and it’s okay to simply marry each page of spread to one another. Then again, there are many who prefer to approach their scrapbook as simply a collection of individual pages, and in that case, it’s not in any way important to connect the pages to each other visually.
Prior to beginning any project it is essential to have the right scrapbooking materials on hand to help you complete your project in a timely manner. Of course there are occasions when buying scrapbooking kits that are already made is a better option then creating your own layouts from scratch. http://www.basicsofscrapbooking.com/
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