Simple Tutorial Conclusion

If you're just tuning in for this week, you'll want to scroll down and read the Monday and Wednesday entries. They look long, but they make for really fast reading, including illustrations for each. We're continuing on with the third and last guideline for simple, memorable page layouts, using the two sample layouts from Monday's post.

3. Embrace negative space.

"Negative space" refers to the undecorated, or "background" portion of any piece of artwork or graphic material.

Now that you've visualized a grid for your scrapbook page (Monday's tutorial), and you've laid out the elements so that their hierarchy tells the right story (yesterday's tutorial), you might be tempted to fill in all the little empty spaces that are left. Resist the temptation! That negative space is doing as much to help your layout tell its story as the grid and the page hierarchy. The eye takes more in when it has wide open space around what's really important. Think of it like trying to have a meaningful conversation with a friend in a busy subway station, versus chatting with that friend on a nice, quiet bench in the park.

Below, Layout 1 obviously fills up every little space with paper, ink, brads, stickers, and so on. You might say it looks like all of the components for that layout were mixed up really well in a blender and just poured out on the page. In addition to how busy all of those embellishments make the layout feel, there's another simple reason to leave that negative space empty: moolah. That's right. Money. When you add up the cost for all of the embellishments and papers we used on Layout 1, you're looking at a whopping $27.44! Granted, you will still have embellishments leftover for other projects. But let's face it - how many of us have drawers of leftover embellishments that we mean to use again, but never do?


Now, Layout 2 fills in a lot of the negative space around the photo and caption with squares of textured and patterned papers and linen. But those squares contain negative spaces that give the whole page a light, breathable freshness to complement the sunny Easter morning shown in the photo. Also, the negative space in between the squares hints at the "invisible" grid structure, and emphasizes the hierarchy of the page elements. And last, but not least, the paper and embellishments for Layout 2 end up costing $14.98. That's just over half the cost of Layout 1, and again you've got leftovers, if you think you'll use them.


Well, that concludes our tutorials on using simple composition to make the pages of your scrapbook meaningful. Like we mentioned in November's type tutorial, guidelines of this sort are based on principles of good design, but they're still flexible. Start each layout following the basic principles, and then trust your design instincts to tell you where and how to bend the rules. Each page you create will tell the story it's meant to tell.

Again, let us know what you think of these design tutorials. Feel free to comment whether you like them or not, and why, what you would change, and what you might be interested in covering in future posts. We love your feedback!

More projects, tips and tricks, and give-aways on the way!

Simple Tutorial Continued

If you're just tuning in for this week, you'll want to scroll down and read the Monday entry. It looks long, but it's a fast read. We're continuing on with another guideline for simple, memorable page layouts, using the two sample layouts from the last post.

2. It's all about the page hierarchy.

"Page hierarchy" refers to the organization of the elements in any piece of artwork or graphic material, so that the artwork delivers its message in the right order.

Think of each page in your scrapbook like it has a story to tell. The grid is one of many tools to help you put the story in order on each page. Good page hierarchy simply means that the eye is properly led from the first element of the story to the last. Other things that help you emphasize different elements on a page in their right order are size (bigger items demand more attention first), and color (brighter, warmer hues obviously steal the show), among others.

Below, there are numbers in front of the different page elements for both Layouts 1 and 2, with the size of the number showing what order your eye is most likely to move through them. Lots of patterns, overpowering embellishments, and the haphazardly placed photo and text all make Layout 1 a jumbled blur. There isn't a coherent story for your eye to focus on, and Layout 1 will most likely be forgotten as soon as the page is turned.

Layout 2 is more memorable because your eye can focus on the image first and foremost, fixing it in your mind. The caption comes next, so that the image is mentally tied with its story. And lastly, the eye is then free to wander from one little square tile to the next, subtly associating the memory of the image and its story with textures and impressions of, in this case, a bright, sunny Easter day.

Did you notice that there isn't a title on Layout 2? Not every layout needs one. Including titles on layouts is very much a matter of personal preference. Where the caption explains the picture fairly well, and it complements the simplicity of the page, I decided not to add one.


Come back and visit us tomorrow for the final installment for this tutorial. And thank you for all of your responses to our plea for help! We heard you loud and clear and we're cooking up some good stuff for the weeks to come.

Simplicity

Sorry this week's post is a day late. We spent all of yesterday trying to fit a tutorial about simplicity and layout composition into one blog post, and it simply won't work! So, this morning we'll set the stage for a discussion about assembling meaningful and attractive scrapbook pages, and then we'll keep the conversation going with two or three more posts over the next couple of days.

Let's talk about simplicity. The famous English poet, William Wordsworth, said, "How many (people) undervalue the power of simplicity! It is the real key to the heart."

We live in a crazy, busy world, and it's easy for all the noise and distractions to crowd out what really matters in life. Usually, the things that do matter - like family and friends, favorite places, and beloved memories - end up on the pages of our scrapbooks! So, when scrapbooking any of life's simple pleasures, the last thing we want is for the busy-ness of the scrapbook page to crowd out the simple beauty of the subject.

These days, gorgeous paper is an important part of just about every scrapbook layout. Also, embellishments provide a fun and sometimes funky way to attach images to a page, spell out our thoughts, and add a creative touch to memory keepsakes. The trick to using these resources in scrapbooking is finding the right balance between enhancing your layouts, and overwhelming them. Albert Einstein said it best, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

The pictures below present two example layouts showcasing the same photo. Layout 1 has a lot of potential, but it's what we're going to use as our example of a cluttered, overwhelmed layout. Most of the techniques used on Layout 1 look great on their own, or in combination with one or two other techniques. Together, though, the techniques are so busy it's easy to miss the picture right in the center of it all.

Layout 1

Layout 2 is our example of a simpler, more memorable layout.

Layout 2

Here, then, is the first of three guidelines we'll be sharing over the next few days, for using simple composition to complement the content of your scrapbook projects.

1. The grid is your friend.

The "grid" simply refers to an underlying structure of any piece of artwork or graphic material.

The grid, in scrapbooking terms, is the set of implied horizontal, vertical, and circular lines that guide where page elements are laid out. You cannot see it directly. But you can tell where the lines are by how photos, labels, and pieces of paper line up across the page. In layouts where you want to convey faithfulness, honesty, warmth, comfort, strength, and happiness, a page divided into four sections (vertically, horizontally, or both) is the way to go. We used a four by four grid for Layout 2. For layouts that feature adventure, spontaneity, fun times, play time, love, variety, and family, dividing the page into thirds works really well.

Below, you'll see both Layouts 1 and 2 with an overlay of the grid lines on each. Is the grid for Layout 2 more pleasing to your eye? Why? Because the human eye loves pattern and repetition. It's perfectly fine to alter that pattern, and breaking out of the grid with one or two page elements usually creates visual interest. But the mish-mashed grid in Layout 1 leaves your eye confused on where to focus, on what's important (click the image below to enlarge for detail).


Basically, think of an attractive grid like it's the Yellow Brick Road of your layout. Your layout can have a straight forward grid that leads you right where you want to go, or the grid can wind it's way through the layout, with visual adventures along the way, inviting you to turn the next page. The main goal in setting up a simple grid is to lead your eyes to a brilliant memory at the end of the road.

More to come! Check back tomorrow for the second guideline to simple, beautiful composition!

Hello...?

Readers, readers! We need your help. We have loved posting on our blog up until this point and we are glad that we receive so many comments! It makes us think you like us! But now we want to address YOUR needs. So here are 2 questions, if you could help us answer them we'll love you even more:

1. Other than the giveaway's (hehe), what have been your favorite posts?
2. What subjects have we not addressed or what is a post you would love to see on the blog?

Thank you for taking the time to give us your thoughts and feedback. This will help us to make our posts as helpful as possible!

Iron-on Beauties

Want an easy way to customize your apparel? Our iron-ons might be the simplest solution you'll ever find. They work great on any type of fabric, are super easy to use, and they STAY ON. We've had so much fun trying them on all kinds of things. Once you get started, you'll find the ideas keep coming. We brought a lot of our ideas to the CHA show, and we like them so much we want to share them with you too. The pictures that are shown above are a simple scarf and solid handbag. The iron-ons that we used were our cherry blossom and open daisies. Aren't they so cute? We would all honestly use these items in our everyday apparel. If you want to see some more of our designs click here. Have you ever used our iron-on products? If so, do you love them as much as we do? Give us your feedback. We'd love to see what you have made.

Club SEI February Video Instructions

For those of you that are Club SEI members, you should be receiving your February Kit very soon, if you haven't already. The kit has tons of embellishments and 24 sheets of various Lovebirds papers (including die-cut lace!), and instructions to make several layouts.

There are also a couple of die-cut projects this month that are fresh and exciting departures from run-of-the-mill scrapbooking, including an origami mini album! These projects might seem difficult at first, but they're super easy if you have someone to show you how they're put together.

So, we made some instructional videos and uploaded them on YouTube. There are four of them - from one to six minutes long - that cover making the die-cut origami mini album (in two parts), the die-cut favor box, and the picture frame stand.

Here are parts one and two of the mini-album instructions:

Here are instructions for the die-cut gift box:

And lastly, the instructions for the picture frame stand:

Combining Patterns

Whenever we create a new paper collection we try to make the papers very user-friendly. Here are some things we take into consideration that may help you when you are combining papers. I used Lovebirds for my example, but these principles apply to any collection or mix of collections. You can even apply these when you are combining patterns in your home decorating.

Principle 1: Size
You want to have a variety of pattern sizes. If all the patterns are the same scale, they will fight for attention and don’t layer well together.

Principle 2: Type/Complexity
Some patterns are very bold and others are calm. Many times this is because a pattern has many elements that repeat randomly, while other patterns have only one element that repeats very predictably. There are also geometric patterns and organic patterns. If you combine too many bold or complex patterns, it will get too busy. It is nice to have some calm patterns or solids mixed in.

Principle 3: Style
We generally keep each paper collection the same style throughout. For example is the style whimsical, sophisticated, etc... This helps make the patterns easier to combine.

Principle 4: Color
When choosing the colors you want to use, it is best to have one dominant color, some less dominant colors and one or two accent colors. Your dominant color is the color you use most. The accent color is used to make things “pop” or to add contrast so everything doesn’t get too “muddy”.

Another thing to consider with color is warm colors (red, orange & yellow), cool colors (green, blue & usually purple), and neutrals. If you use a lot of colors from the same group, it will create a calm and unified look.

These are just a few things to keep in mind as you are combining patterns. The basic principle is unity with variety. Make sure to keep your patterns unified (color and style are great ways to do this) and mix in some variety (size and type/complexity are great for variety). It can be tricky but usually a lot of fun too. Once you understand why some things work better than others, you will learn when to take a risk and break the rules and when to stick to what works.

Now do you know which pattern combination works better in the image at the top and why? Do you have any tips or questions on combining patterns that you can share? We love your comments!

Cupid's Arrow

Here's a sweet little way to show your friends and family you love them.

Cut out some hearts and arrow "feathers" (you can use our pattern; below). We used lovebirds for them.

String on your marshmallow peeps or whatever treat you want!

Fold your hearts and feathers on the dotted line, attach using some double sided tape, and voila! An adorable, easy project.