The same thing is true in the studio. I think all of us are perfectly capable of picking patterned and solid papers that go together, same as we can pull together a skirt, blouse and sweater. But why not let someone else do the work now and then! After all, there are some top notch designers out there creating easy to use products. Or more accurately INCREDIBLY easy to use products, like Simply Snapshots™ 9 x 9 Album Pages from Close To My Heart.
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When I discovered Simply Snapshots™ from Close To My Heart, I immediately thought of Square One. As the name says, you simply add snapshots - and a bit of journaling - and the page is done. Sheets are printed on both sides to double the fun. The colors, patterns and proportions are wonderful - no matter how you turn the sheets the layout is balanced. Positioned vertically at either the left or right side, the narrow band is just right for journaling. Turn a sheet so the narrow band is across the top or bottom and you’ve got a spot for a title or row of small photos. Absolutely no embellishment is needed! Of course, saying that no embellishment is needed doesn’t mean that you won’t want to add some.
ON NOTICE:
Take a look at the papers and see what you can learn from them:
I noticed that -
*The designs and color combinations are restrained with plenty of strong contrast.
*There is something for children, adults, men and women - in other words, gender and age are taken into account. For example, the primary color palette in the Rough ‘N Tumble Album Pages make them versatile enough for school days, soldiers or trips to Disneyland.
I recommend -
*Choosing supplies that are versatile, a good way to get the most for your dollar.
It’s your turn -
*Can you design something that works well when it’s turned in different directions?
*What else have you noticed?
*If a space is designed for a 4 x 6 photo, what else could you put in that space?
*How can you use the concepts when you scrap from scratch and are shopping for supplies to combine?
A note for those of you who prefer 12 x 12 albums - Close To My Heart’s Reflections™ Base Pages allow you to make pages in much the same way as Simply Snapshots™. Just add an egg and a cup of water. Whoops, I mean just add photos and some journaling - my mind wandered and I was thinking about cupcakes.
More experienced scrapbookers may sniff at something where the layout is nearly complete, just like chefs who would never consider buying packets of instant cocoa. Others will enjoy the challenge of taking a pre-designed page to a new level, as I hope I’ve done with my card projects. (And as I frequently do by altering a cake mix.)
THE PROJECTS:
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I called Close To My Heart to request samples, and as the conversation evolved I suggested to my friend Kellie that we collaborate: Their design team would provide some of the projects, I would create the others. The only requirement - each project starts with at least one whole sheet of Simply Snapshots paper, and we agreed to keep things easy and fast. A big thank you for sharing their time and talents!
I decided to create a page in memory of my mother’s friend Toba, whose dining room buffet was always graced by a tureen filled with dried hydrangeas. As I was turning the paper to decide how to orient it, I had a light bulb moment: Folded in half, Simply Snapshots would be perfect for making long cards!
To keep my promise that the projects would be simple, I used very few elements - Just the Simply Snapshots paper, Close To My Heart paper flowers, brads, and Page Anchors™; Therm O Web foam squares for dimension, and white chipboard letters from Zsiage straight out of the bag (no sanding, inking, or altering). I used Beacon PaperTac glue to hold the papers together, Beacon Kids Choice quick drying glue (in the yellow tube) and brads to hold the paper flowers and leaves in place.
Rather than giving step by step instructions, refer to the photos and use my projects for inspiration. All of the supplies are readily available should you decide to duplicate them as shown.
DESIGN STRATEGIES AND THINGS TO NOTICE:
1. To add dimension on SUE’S card, I trimmed a second sheet of Simply Snapshots so I could create a raised panel using the long floral band, but not the border of the band. I kept those two long border scraps and used them on JO’S card, adding a floral accent to the striped panel.
2. On JO’s card, the top three leaves are placed with the tips at an angle veering up to the left. The bottom two leaves are at an angle in the opposite direction pointing down to the right. If you look closely you’ll notice that only the center rust color leaf in the top row and bottom two green leaves have large layered flowers. The upper left and right rust color leaves have smaller flowers to trick your eye into thinking that the spacing is perfectly symmetrical. It is not.
3. Page Anchors™ (a Close To My Heart Product) are usually used to hold something down. I used them as decoration, not to connect the elements. This is most obvious on TOBA’s page at the top and bottom of the photo postoids.
4. Mixing upper and lower case chipboard letters adds extra interest and a bit of informality. It can also solve an unintended problem: On SUE’s card, I had to use at least one lower case letter so the name would fit. I made the panel before I picked the alphabet, not a wise move. I would do it the other way around next time.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Take lots of pictures, make lots of pages; hold onto the memories.
I am grateful for the mobility of my hands, my correctible vision, for family and friends; for the chance to be part of Scrapbooking.com!
To find the products mentioned in this article and shown in these layouts, check with your local scrapbook retailer. Browse our Premier Retail Stores for coupons to a store near you.
