Simple Scrapbooking - Is There Such a Thing?
Simple Scrapbooking may seem like a oxymoron like "almost
exactly" or "old news." Pick up almost any scrapbook
magazine and you will find page layouts that you know took
hours to create. Simple? How?
I've come a long way since my earlier days of scrapbooking.
Having taught scrapbooking classes for four years I learned
a lot of short cuts, tips and techniques along the way.
Listening to my students, I realized most of them felt
overwhelmed by their backlog of photos. I knew there had to
be a better and faster way to design page layouts. But they
still had to look fabulous!
Won't My Pages Be Boring?
Simple Scrapbooks don't have to be boring or uninspiring.
Some of the most stunning pages I have ever seen are very
fast and easy to create.
Scrapbook design isn't about using as many techniques and
scrapbook products on your page as possible. Good design
focuses on enhancing your precious photos. The pictures and
the story are what it's all about right? That doesn't mean
you have to settle for boring pages.
Let the pictures talk. Let them tell the story. They will
also tell you what colors to use and what theme (if any) for
your page. Don't get caught up in always having to use a
"theme" for every page. Often the best pages simply pull in
colors that are in the photos using two or three papers.
The simplest page of all is a monochromatic one. If your
pictures scream blue, choose two or three shades of solid or
subtle printed blue paper.
Button, Button Who's Got the Button (or brad, or eyelet, or diecut...)
Embellishments are all those wonderful eyelets, brads,
fibers,and doodads on the market. Of all the embellishments
available (and I love them all!), the most effective and
versatile scrapbook product is paper. Scrapbook paper can
take your page from ho-hum to fabulous in an instant. There
is an almost limitless variety of paper available today. If
I had to throw away all of my scrapbook embellishments
except one - you guessed it - I would keep my scrapbook
paper.
That isn't to downgrade the importance (or fun!) of other
scrapbook embellishments. I love using buttons, fibers,
tags,brads, and all the rest. The key is to use restraint.
Stick to one or two scrapbook embellishments and don't
plaster your page with them.
Don't be afraid of some empty space (negative space) on your
pages. Often the temptation is to fill all the little empty
areas of the page with stickers or some other embellishment.
The negative space serves to focus your eye on the photos.
In my earliest attempts at scrapbooking I made many
mistakes. Among several other mistakes, like using too many
pictures and chopped-up pictures, I tried to fill up all the
negative space with stickers. I didn't even leave room to
journal.
Scrapbooking is so much fun and so rewarding. But if your
time is limited, keep your scrapbooks simple and get your
pictures in them for you and your family to enjoy!
Happy Scrappin!
