Corner Scraps (Scrapbooking)

Building a Page from a Sketch

Ok - you're stuck.  You have a great picture, lots of vague ideas of what to do with it, but nothing concrete, and you want this page DONE! Welcome to the scrapbooker's dilemna! 

Ok, let's get that creative energy in gear!  Let's start by finding a template to give you a layout idea.  You can get templates by browsing magazines (I always have the latest copies of lots of papercrafting/scrapbooking magazines available at my crops and clubs for you to find ideas in!), looking through publications (not just scrapbooking!), and copying ad layouts, etc., and even by picking elements from the image out, and reflecting it on your page.  Let's start this time with an image from a scrapbooking catalog, and I'll walk you through a layout!

Here's how I did this one:

First, I went browsing through magazines for ideas.  This one came from the January/February Edition of Simple Scrapbooks.  Here's the original design:

Now, if when you are stuck for creativity, don't worry about casing!  It's a great way to learn, and the more you copy from others, the more you will develop a style, and suddenly, you will start crafting your own designs!

I started casing this design by making a sketch of the basic design.  Here's what I came up with:

I know, you're probably thinking - why didn't you stop there? It's fantastic!  I know - my drawing skills are amazing. :) 

Ok, seriously - the elements that I am picking out are the layering, where text will belong, and where the picture will live, plus a few other things I want to capture.  You don't have to case everything - take out the things that aren't your favourite, and make it your own.

Moving along, I now found the image, and the statement I wanted to make with it, and put it all together!

However, I don't have any 8.5"x11" scrapbooks - I want this to be a 12" page.  Uh oh - reinvent the wheel/design?  NOPE!  You can do a mini 'progressive scrapbook' page, and basically mount it onto another 12" sheet of cardstock.  Voila!  That's how I got the top image.   

Single Photo Scrap-Pages

Sometimes it is easy to get into the habit of slapping a few pictures of an event onto a scrap-page, add some embellishments and journaling, and voila, instant scrap-page. But sometimes one of those quickly adhered photos is a really amazing photo that is worth more attention!

This month, find one of those really special pictures..  you know, the ones you can't seem to hide away in the scrapbook yet?  The ones that you scan in and send to friends and family?  Take the challenge to design a page around that one picture, and make it into something really special.  Design a theme around the event, or the colours, or even the season.  By the time you are done, you may find that you've created a work of art to hang on your wall!

Reverse Scrapbooking

Ok, so we talked a bit about how to scrapbook, using a set of pictures and designing pages based on theme of the pictures, now let's talk about jumpstarting your scrapbooking by building the PAGES first, and then finding the pictures to suit!

Pull out the papers, embellishments, and ribbons you want for that theme (i.e. water stuff for a waterpark theme).  Then, build your pages, making sure that you leave room for photos and your journaling.  Then, find your pictures, and mount them on your pages!