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
