Elegance is more of a mindset when it comes to scrapbooking than it is a style. If you look through idea books, there are many layouts that have an elegant air about them, while their particular style can be completely different. Webster's Dictionary defines the word "elegance" as "a refined gracefulness, tasteful." For some scrapbookers, elegance is synonymous with "grown-up" layouts or heritage pages. But we often fail to realize that it's fairly easy to add an elegant touch to even our everyday photos, the posed snapshots and even children's photos.
One of the simplest ways to achieve elegance in your layout is to make your photo the most important element on the page. There are so many wonderful embellishments and techniques out there, it's easy to lose sight of that. We can sometimes get so caught up in the latest and greatest that the whole point of the layout is lost. Embellishments need to be used to help tell the story of photos, by setting the mood or accenting a piece of the story. This is especially important when the photo is just a posed snapshot and the story behind it isn't always evident. The things you use on your layouts should enhance the mood of the photo and give the layout a refined, put-together look.
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For example, in this layout "Sisterness" there is just one photo in the entire two-page layout. Most of the elements are made up of straight lines, so with the photo turned at an angle, against the perpendicular of the rest of the layout, your eye is drawn to it. It's just a simple snapshot, but the layout tells you the rest of the story behind the people in the snapshot. The colors are bold, bright and balanced, giving it a friendly, comfortable feeling. The ribbon and the flower lend a soft touch to the strong straight lines. Even with all the patterns, the layout has a clean, crisp elegance.
The layout "Going Out" has quite a bit more texture than the first and is definitely different when it comes to style, but it is no less elegant. While it is just a posed snapshot, the subjects are dressed for a party and the layout reflects that. The sheer ribbon, sparkly sequins and silver accents all tell a story about what's going on behind the scenes. 
Children's layouts can be just as elegant as those that just feature adults. The layout "New Brother" has a heritage-type feel to it with its use of sepia tones and browns. The original photo had very distracting, clashing colors, so to get rid of that distraction the photo was edited to sepia tones to highlight the start of a new relationship.
Eliminating the color elements on the layout "Beauty Sleeping" also had the same effect. Your eye is drawn to the sleeping girl in the photo and the soothing green tones of the layout help to create that mellow mood.
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It is possible to add elegance to every layout, creating a refined polished look. Even just a simple, everyday snapshot can have a story through the elements you put on your page. Remembering that, you can achieve an elegance touch with every page.
