Simple Scrapbooking Is Not
An Oxymoron
by Deborah Smith
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!
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.
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. Take the simple path to
scrapbooking and find out how fabulous it can be!
Deborah Smith is the author of "Fabulous Scrapbook Pages in Minutes" and
designer of "Print N' Cuts." Find out how you can create scrapbooks that are
stunningly simple at:
http://www.fabulous-scrapbook-pages.simplescrap.com
or:
http://www.simplescrap.com for "Print
N' Cuts" and more.