Is It Just Me?

[Sharonv]

I have a collection of beads. Never really used them either. They do look pretty all mixed up in a jar though.. LOL

[jfugina]

I used beads as per ALSB instructions, and now I have about 5 albums that won't close as a result! LOL. But I do agree about how pretty they are in a jar.

Embellishments was something I never quite got the knack of either. But the first time I saw journaling boxes in a CS kit, I actually squealed. Sadly, with the digi scrapping, I've found the embellishments to be much easier and haven't left myself as much room for journaling. I really need to correct that.

[bethrich]

I gave away most of the CS beads. They were so pretty, but I just didn't get into lumpy. With digi, I actually use beads more because they don't add that lumpiness. The embellie collecting is a sickness for sure. I'll never use all I have!

[Yoli]

I don't know why others follow this same trend. I can only tell you some of the maddening reasons why I do some of these things.

1. One photo LO. I think it was on this board that someone loving called me the 'queen of the one photo on the page LO' (lol). Until then I did not realize how often I used this technique. I do it for impact. Sometimes the picture is just too darn cute to be relegated to a 3.5x5 size photo which is the common size I use in my albums. I do it for balance. I also like to create a one photo LO to offset the busy look of multiple photo LO on the 2nd page. I love creating multiple photo LOs (5+ photos on one page). The challenge is how do I tell the story without allowing the pictures to be visually overwhelming. For me, having a single photo on the other side helps brings balance back to the LO. I also do it to change the story. I'm a shutter bug so family events end up taking several pages in my sb room. I use one photo LO to sort of 'announce' the beginning of another event.

2. Scrapbooks vs albums. Scrapbooking is obviously about telling a story. However I personally cannot separate my need for artistic expression from telling the story. Otherwise I would just put photos in a photo album & add a little journaling to tell the same story. Instead I like use the paper & embellishments to aid my story telling . . . it sets the mood I am trying to convey . . . it has impact . . . and I like the artistic element it brings to the story. I do admit that, for me, scrapbooking has a therapeutic element to it. I don't think however that the story is lost or compromised because of my need for artistic expression.

3. Lots of blank space. I like also like creating these kinds of LOs. It has great visual impact and your eyes are immediately drawn to the picture. Sometimes I want the pic to tell the story all on its own . . . especially landscape or botanical photos.

So you see . . . I'm guilty of all of the above.

[djenns]

And you do a wonderful job of what you do .......

[ChristyB]

And you do a wonderful job of what you do .......

what she said

[LadyJaine]

3. Lots of blank space. I like also like creating these kinds of LOs. It has great visual impact and your eyes are immediately drawn to the picture. Sometimes I want the pic to tell the story all on its own . . . especially landscape or botanical photos.

(emphasis mine)

But there are a lot of pages where your eye is immediately drawn to the embellishments, not to the photo. I did NOT think of your layouts when I thought of a white space layout style. When I think of white space layouts, I think of at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the area blank, with a lot of clustered, overlapped embellishments and a teeny, tiny photo that you don't see at first. Your eye is wandering around the white space seeking a focal point. In a thumbnail view, you can't even really tell what the embellishments are made of. Are they flowers, leaves, and vines? or gears, duct tape, and wire? And does it really matter? The concept of 'going with the photo' becomes meaningless when the photo is only .5% of the entire layout.

Yoli, your layouts have visual impact because you are not the typical white space user. You go, girl!

[Yoli]

3. Lots of blank space. I like also like creating these kinds of LOs. It has great visual impact and your eyes are immediately drawn to the picture. Sometimes I want the pic to tell the story all on its own . . . especially landscape or botanical photos.

(emphasis mine)


Yoli, your layouts have visual impact because you are not the typical white space user. You go, girl!

Thank you ladies you are very kind. Glad to hear you enjoy my work.

[pbp908]

Yoli - I have to admit that you didn't stand out to me as the Queen of One Photo Pages, so I just spent some time looking at your LOs on your blog. I was absolutely blown away by the way you do handle the one photo LOs - the picture is center stage, and you take the time to journal, something I admit that I spend too little time doing. I think that your LOs are prime examples of that style of scrapbooking at it's best.

[Yoli]

Yoli - I have to admit that you didn't stand out to me as the Queen of One Photo Pages, so I just spent some time looking at your LOs on your blog. I was absolutely blown away by the way you do handle the one photo LOs - the picture is center stage, and you take the time to journal, something I admit that I spend too little time doing. I think that your LOs are prime examples of that style of scrapbooking at it's best.

Blushing but thank you for the kind comments.

[jfugina]

Yoli- I totally agree with all of the praise for your layouts. I've always loved what I've seen from you! And of course, you're quite right about having lots of cute photos - your son is a doll. I think cutie pie kids are the most fun scrap subjects.