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8 Steps to Unforgettable Scrapbooking Layouts

By Laurie Marbas

You know you have seen them because you haven't forgotten them - those unforgettable scrapbooking page layouts! Following are eight simple steps to get you on the path towards beautiful memories.

1) Organization

The first step to remember in any project is organization. Organize your materials in a format that you won't forget what you have and that is easily accessible when you are sitting down to create your masterpiece. It is easy to get side tracked when you have to get up and down looking for a particular paper or scissors.

2) Decide if this is a new project or an addition to an
    already existing project

Don't make more than two pages at a time; otherwise you will likely feel anxious to get them done and won't enjoy the process. This should be a time of relaxation and fun, which also helps the creative juices to flow.

3) Decide what photos that you would like on the
    same page

The photos should complement one another. Do you want to place a larger one in the middle as the centerpiece? Do you want to create a sequence of events? Or do you want a collage effect?

4) Choose your color scheme

Once you have decided on the photos, for example, your daughter's swim meet, the next step is to choose the colors. Ask yourself some questions. What do you want to project to your audience? What mood do you want to convey? What colors would go well or enhance the pictures that you are going to use? What materials do you have readily available? Once you have made this decision, set all your materials in front of you.

5) Layout the papers, borders, stamps, letters, accessories,
    or whatever you want to use with a particular page and
    color scheme.

Start from the center outward or top to bottom depending on your goal. Suppose your daughter won first place in her event and you have five photos: one of her with her ribbon and four others of her in action (getting psyched up, diving in, swimming, and then the finish). If you have a close-up shot of her with the ribbon, you may want to make that the centerpiece; then place the remaining photos around in a sequence. For your color scheme, you may want to use the team colors (gold and yellow) and blue (water).

6) Decide on the balance between photos and framing.

Do you have an excellent photo of others diving in, with your daughter in the lead? Or do you have a lot extra space that you could crop? At this point it is a good idea to have some plastic templates to frame your photos before you cut them; this way you will have an idea of how much, if any, of the photo you need to trim. If you end up with a bunch of smaller photos after cropping, this is where accessories, stickers, narrative, and hand drawings will come in handy. These items can help gel a page together that seems just thrown together. Just remember to place the photos in the sequence that you want them and stand back to picture the final product in your mind.

7) Crop the photos first and then cut the paper, border, and
    so forth afterwards.

You may want to place the photos on overlapping pages or create a nice border for each with a little swimmer swimming to the next photo in your sequence. You are the creator and you decide how you would like your audience's eyes to flow. You could even take the photo of your daughter diving in and create a splash with droplets taking the viewer to the next photo. You can even use two pages to manage a lot of photos that you don't want to break up. Always place the border on the photos first and then secure them to the page it makes mistakes less likely to happen.

8) Choose your narrative, stickers, or accessories.

It is important to use a light pencil line if you are concerned that your lettering may be uneven. You may even want to write with a pencil first and then go over it with the permanent pen or marker. When you are deciding on the narrative, ensure it flows with the remainder of the album. Are you going to write it in first person or third? Is your daughter going to be telling the story, you as the proud parent, or a third party relaying the exciting event information? There is no right or wrong way but it is important to be consistent. You can get some ideas about narratives from the subjects themselves, quote books, the Internet, or many other places. Just use your imagination.

Well, you did it! Step back and enjoy your creation. You fashioned the unforgettable scrapbooking page layout! Now your page will dwell in the hearts and memories of your audience and will be enjoyed for many years to come.

Laurie Marbas is a family medicine physician with many interests including chronicling her children's beautiful life memories. www.justaskdoc.com

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