Hi everyone! Ginger here today to talk about what you can do to get more out of the 144 square inches you have with every scrapbook page!
I love to include a lot of things on every page -- from photos to journaling to lots of decorating. If you have seen my work then you know when I do page I tend to have lots going on. That just my personal style--and even if that isn't your own personal style I think you may enjoy a few of these tips for telling more of your story per page.
I know I personally love to finish a page and when I look at the finished project, I like to really feel like the story of that moment has been told well. I love when the finished product reflects the feelings, the story, and the favorite photos of my memories. Why? Because then, for me, that memory is truly captured in a way that helps me remember every part of it--not just the way things or people looked, but my thoughts and my emotions that are tied up with that memory. Even better, I now have the perfect way to share all of that with those I love. That's why I love scrapbooking, and that's why I try to get as much as possible out of every page.
So my tips for today are all going to be about ways to do that. To get more storytelling out of your pages.
My first way to do this comes all from your photos. Now, there are plenty of times when I just have 1 photo that captures a memory well. Sometimes a great or special photo really does need very little else to truly capture the moment. But more often than not I have several photos from every moment that I want to remember (thank goodness for digital cameras). Now if you completely cover every page you do with 4x6 photos the absolute most photos you can get on one page is 6 photos--and that is without leaving any room for journaling, a title, or any decorating. 6 photos isn't really very much. There are plenty of times when I have 6 or more photos that I want to scrapbook on one page. Now I could do a two page spread--and sometimes I do, but more often than not I will simply print my photos smaller or crop them smaller. Here is an example.
See, six photos. And yet they only take up a little over half the space on my page. One was still printed up as a 4x6 because it was my favorite and I wanted it to the focal point of my page, but even it got a little bit of a trim so that it would be 5 1/4" x 3 1/2". The other 5 photos were all printed to be 3" x 2" and then they also got a tiny bit of a trim so they would fit in the space I designed for them. Why 3" x 2"? Well, because at that size 4 of them will fit on a simple 4x6" sheet. Now I not only saved space but money too. I got 4 photos printed for the price of one. There are lots of ways you can do this. Photoshop or Storybook Creator 4.0 is one good way. You can create a 4x6 canvas and then drag and arrange 4 photos onto the canvas, or you can use one of many simple and sometimes free photo utility programs out there. Many cameras come with software that will do this, or you can try my personal favorite and free program, Photosheet.
So now that we have used smaller sized photos on our page and we have a lot more room left, what do we do will all of it? Well the first thing I typically do is select papers and embellishments that help me convey my emotions about the memory I'm trying to capture. If the page is about my three young boys there is probably going to be busy patterns and lots of color, that's just what reminds me of them and their rather playful, loud, and sometimes messy stage of life. For this particular layout I did pick lots of colors, but used the Gratitude Series as this memory was of my oldest playing with toys and games from the 1800's.
Next I start arranging everything on my page. I want everything to have some sort of order so as to not confuse the eye, but I also don't want it to look too static, so I add some curves with circle and a scalloped border. I tend to take a lot of time at this stage--moving things around, changing my mind about certain papers, and trying to find a pleasing arrangement that still saves room for lots of journaling and a title. In my book the journaling is the second most important thing on a page--just after the photos. The title is a close third as it does a lot to inform the viewer about what memory is being preserved. I always save and/or make room for these items to be a part of my page.
Here is a look at this page when it is still in the placement stage.
I have figured out where I want everything to go, but nothing is glued down yet. I rather envy people who can glue things down as they go, but I change my mind too much, so I just can't create that way! You can see the empty space I'm saving for my journaling in the upper left of the page. It isn't huge, but I know it doesn't need to be for this layout. I have just one paragraph of journaling for these photos and I know that since I'm planning on printing them on the computer that I can get away with a smaller space.
Now, if you like to layer things like I do, and if you don't glue as you go, how do you remember just where everything goes once it is time to glue? Well, my system is not perfect (and if you have any tips--please share them), but this is how I currently do it.
Once everything is laid out and I'm done changing my mind, I use a pencil to mark a corner of each item that needs to be placed back in the right spot. I mark very lightly and prefer to use a mechanical pencil as it makes a very thin line and erases easily.
Next I lift up each item and number the back of them with a matching number on the item beneath it to show where it should go. Then I stack everything in the order I removed them to the side of my page.
Here you can see the back of my large photo mat. It has a matching #2 written on the paper behind it to show me that item #2 goes in that spot once I'm ready to glue it down.
Once I adhere everything back down in it's original spot I go back and erase any pencil lines still showing.
Last, but certainly not least, it's time to add the journaling. I don't really care much for my hand writing, so even though I do use it from time to time (I do want my kids to have some samples of my chicken scratch--but I also want then to be able to actually read what I wrote), I prefer to use my computer. I find the computer really helps me save space. I typically can fit more journaling on a page if I type it and print it from the computer then if I hand write it. Maybe that is just me and my particular hand writing, but it works for me.
You may notice that I tend to cut my journaling into strips. Why? Because I really like to have the design under the journaling show through and be seen. Again, just part of my own personal style choice. If you do decide to give it a try some day, keep in mind that the Creative Memories Precision Point Adhesive makes easy work of this.
You can see here that I used my Cricut and the Reminisce Accents Cartridge to create my title. I love that the Cricut and the wonderful Creative Memories Cartridges make it easy to create a title that says just what I want it to, in the color and size I need. I like titles that stand out and clearly express what the page is about.
So here again is the finished result. A one-page layout with six photos, a good paragraph of journaling, papers and embellishments that help me convey the playful yet heritage feel of the memory, and a title that tells the viewer quickly what my page is about. I love how it turned out! I love the things, moments, and emotions I remember when I look at it, and to me, that is a sign of a memory well preserved!
Supplies:
Gratitude Paper and Photo Mat Stack
Gratitude Embellishment Pack
White Cardstock
Reminisce Accents Cricut Cartridge
Scalloped Stitch Border Maker Cartridge
Precision Point Adhesive
Custom Cutting System
Circle Maker
Font: Pea Bandit
Steps:
Cut a piece of blue patterned paper to be 10" x 9" and add to the center of a cream colored piece of patterned paper.
Cut a piece of orange patterned paper to be 11 1/2" x 4" and add across the bottom of the paper.
Use the Scalloped Stitch Border Maker to add a decorative edge to the bottom of a piece of brown paper. Cut the brown paper to be 11 3/4" x 1 1/2" and add along the bottom of the page.
Cut two green circle with the red and blue blades on the outside of the smallest circle in the custom cutting system. Ad them to the lower right and upper left of he page.
Punch an orange and blue circle with the circle maker and add them to the larger green circles. Add five 1 3/4" x 2 1/2" photos to the bottom of the page.
Add a photo mat to the upper right side of the layout. Cut a piece of brown paper to be 5 1/2" x 3 1/2" and add on top of the photo mat. Add a 5 1/4" x 3 1/4" photo to the mats.
Add a piece of paper ribbon across the center of the layout.
Punch a green circle with the circle maker and add it to the bottom left of the page.
Add three epoxy stickers to the page as shown. Add a title sticker to the bottom right of the page.
Cut the title with the Reminisce Accents Cricut Cartridge. Cut "Timeless" out at 3/4" and cut the letters for fun out also at 3/4". I wielded my letters for "fun" together in Cricut Craft Room.
Print journaling and date out onto white cardstock. Cut into strips and add to layout as shown.
Punch a blue, orange and green circle out with the Circle Maker and cut each in half. Add three half circles to the upper right side of the layout as shown.
Cut the decorative ends off of a tag and tuck the ends slightly under the paper on the upper left and middle right side of the layout.
