“What colors or color scheme should I use for my scrapbook page?” Is a question most all of us have asked ourselves at one time or another.

Understanding what color is and can do for you is essential. (See the article on Color Can Enhance Scrapbook Pages) to gain some understanding of the value of color.

The difference between an attractively designed page, and a so-so page, could rest on your proper use of color. The use of harmonious colors, those that work well together will help in selecting the color scheme you want to use on your page. A color wheel can make this design step much easier to accomplish. You can purchase color wheels to have easily at your disposal as you work on your page projects.

Sir Isaac Newton created the first color wheel which allows us to visualize color harmony–what you think looks good.

Read More »

Color

“Use Color to Enhance“

The use of color will evoke emotion and mood as much as anything other than the focal point item. Color has a language all its’ own. When used effectively and appropriately color will help you convey the message of your page.

Start with the primary colors: red, yellow and blue. Then use coordinating colors–those that are made by mixing two primary colors: red + yellow = orange. Adding tertiary colors–mixing primary color with its two closest secondary colors. Other elements of color are tint and shade. Tint = color plus white; Shade = color plus black.

Read More »

“Select a Focal Point”

The focal point of your page should be the central theme you are trying to convey. Everything else should help support or enhance this prime image or thought. Sometimes the photo image is not the focal point . . . it could be the title, a thought or poem, etc. What ever the focal point is it should standout with accents, color or size.

Just like when you shoot an arrow at a target you may be satisfied in just hitting it. Our goal, however, is to try and hit the “bulls eye.” That is what you are trying to do with your focal point.

Read More »

TYPE

(Fonts)

The "Patchwork Letter" fonts are from Renaesroom.com

“The written message has its place.”

While written messages (journaling) and titles are helpful, they are not necessarily essential to your scrapbook page. Like all other elements of scrapbook design, your message should enhance your focus–”less is best.” There are a myriad of font types. This is another one of those areas where you can go overboard if you’re not careful. The fonts should be simple and easy to read.

When selecting a particular font be sure to consider who the reader or audience who will be reading or viewing the print. Here is where pleasing you may not be as important as pleasing them.

Read More »

INSIGHTS INTO SCRAPBOOKING DESIGN

Each of the pages below have basic insight and tips on how to layout and design a scrapbook page. This isn’t a detailed course, but suggestions you should find to be very helpful as you go about designing each of your scrapbook pages. You will find as you create your pages your understanding and proficiency will increase. Having a basis to start from is always helpful. You can building on these basics and perfect your craft over time . . . be patient, it will come.

Be sure to seek help too. There are plenty of other resources around to help teach and guide you as you engross yourself in making your “masterpieces.”

• Plan Your Page
• Select a Focal Point
• Use Color to Enhance
• Shape Helps Define Your Page
• We All Need Balance
• Embellishments & Accents Make the Difference
• Type or Fonts Help Say What You Want to Say
• Remember It’s All About the Photo
• You Are Your Own Best Judge

For additional information see “The Golden Ratio” and “The Rule of Thirds.”

SCRAPBOOK LAYOUT:

“The Golden Ratio”

When sitting down to plan your scrapbook page’s layout design several important elements must be considered. Two of those elements are: “The Golden Ratio” and “Rule of Thirds.” They are similar yet different as you will see.

We have tried to simplify some of the mathematical perspective and elements to provide a workable solution for you to consider and use. You already use these rules, you just may not know it.

“The Golden Ratio”

Let’s get through the boring technical stuff first. This rule is a mathematical concept. This concept is an expression of the relationship of two pieces of a whole with other and the whole (thus we get a ratio). This number is represented by the Greek letter Phi (?), and is calculated (this is the mathematical part) as 1 plust the square root of 5, divided by 2. Each succeeding number after 1 is equal to the sum of the two preceding numbers, i.e., 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, etc. Thus the golden spiral is created. (More than you wanted to know, but this fact resonates in nature every where.) You can find more technical information on The Golden Rule at Wikipedia.org.

With all of this techno-mumbo-jumbo taken care of we’ll deal in how it affects you and your scrapbook pages. As noted above you can see it constantly in nature. Another example is in the construct or arrangement of flower seeds and petal on some flowers.

The Golden Ratio has been used by artists and architects since the Renaissance.

This rule has morphed into the “Rule of Thirds,” but as you can see by the chart, they are not the same–but similar. You can use both. This Golden Ratio rule simply lets our eyes see objects placed in the ratio to appear perfectly balanced in the photo, or on our scrapbook page.  Symmetry is an important part of our design process, and this rule helps us create it on our pages.

Feel free to use either chart as you layout our scrapbook pages, or when you are looking at cropping some of your photographs–the rules still apply.

What you will find is that you use these rules already. . . because they are so natural.

SCRAPBOOK CROPPING

TOOLS

This is a companion article to two other articles on “cropping photos” and “matting photos.” These articles will provide you with instructive information on how to crop and mat your photographs.

We have listed a few of the tools that can help you in your effort to crop and mat your photos.

These tools are equally useful in creating other elements and embellishments for your scrapbook pages. There are many tools you can use to assist you in the creation of your pages. We are providing those that at a minimum will be of greatest value to you as you get started.

Photo Cropping Tools

• Straight Edge Personal Trimmer
• Scissors
• Shape Cutters

• Circle
• Oval
• Curvy
• Templates

• Rectangle & Squares
• Diamond
• Hearts & Stars
• Coluzzle with Templates

Additional Helpful Tools:

• Self Healing Mat
• X-Acto Knife

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHS

“I’m not a professional photographer”

My first taste of birthday cake!

Too often we feel we have to be professional photographers, and get that pose just right, with perfect light and appropriate background, etc. As a scrapper you don’t have to be a perfectionist or a professional. We tend to pull out our camera to memorialize some special occasion or event–like weddings, birthdays, etc. For most of us we use a “point and shoot” type camera–which we pull out for these special events–and “shoot away!”

Read More »

TIPS FOR FOCUSING ON

and

CROPPING PHOTOGRAPHS FOR SCRAPBOOK PAGES AND ALBUMS

RULE:

The purpose of cropping is to create or enhance the theme or focus of your page–to direct the eye to the focal point, and to help save precious space on your page.

You have a bundle of photographs you want to use in your scrapbook/album page(s). Many of these pictures have unwanted elements in them.  Not all of them are perfect. You can use them if you crop–cut out–the unwanted parts. You may, however, have been handed down to you from family members “heritage” snapshots. Because these pictures are usually old, and have many historical elements to them, you may prefer not to crop them.

Read More »

MATTING SCRAPBOOK PHOTOS

One of the primary purposes of scrapbooking is to display the treasure trove of photographs you have taken or acquired.

A simple solution, you say! Just paste them on some patterned scrapbook paper, add a few embellishments, and a journal note or two and your done.

Wrong!

Pasting photographs (which tend to be cluttered with individuals, backgrounds, etc.) on patterned paper makes for a very busy page. Placing photos on solid color pages may solve this busy problem, but not always . . . besides, themed or patterned paper may be appropriate for your project.

Read More »