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Review by Laurel Lakey
Embellishments are one of my favorite digital supplies
to use in my layouts. I love the way they accent my photos and really
add something special to my pages.
When I decide that I want to do a layout with a lot
of embellishments, I like to keep the background paper fairly simple.
This helps to make sure that the overall layout is not too busy. So
for this layout, I created a new 12x12 document, and chose a paper
from the Pretty Primavera Collection to add as the
background. Then I added my photo, and two coordinating elements:
a Ribbon from the Pretty Primavera Collection and
a Lace Border from the A Waltz to Remember Collection.
I made sure to add a realistic drop shadow to each element, changing
the shadow to match the color of its embellishment. I placed the embellishments
on the layout so that they were setting the stage to accent the bottom
left portion of the page.
Then I started to add more embellishments, building
a grouping of them in the bottom left corner. First was a Journaling
Paper from the Journey Collection, which I added
underneath the Ribbon. Next was a Photo Strip of pink flowers from
the Pretty Primavera Collection, which I put on top
of the Journaling Paper. Then I added the two Hearts from the Affection
Collection, placing them close together on top of the Photo
Strip, but still underneath the pink Ribbon.
Once I was satisfied with the placement of these elements,
I felt like there was something missing. So, I added a Flower from
the Affection Collection, this time putting it above
the pink Ribbon, and then added the "Two of Us" title
from the same collection, recoloring it to fit the look of my layout.
I then brought in a blue Paperclip (recolored) from the Charisma
Collection, erasing the middle part where it overlapped the
Journal Paper, to make it look like it was clipped to the paper.
I wanted to add a spot to put the couple's names on
the layout, so I placed a Tag from the Gypsy Boots Collection
and covered it with a Paper from the Journey Collection.
This I placed in the top left of the page, erasing parts of the string
to make it look like it was attached to the pink Ribbon. I then typed
the couple's names, rotated the text box, and placed the text onto
the tag.
At this point, I decided that the layout was pretty
heavy on the left side. It was okay, though, since the photo was pushed
over to the right side of the page, giving the layout visual balance.
But I still felt that I needed to add something small to the right
side, because it did seem a little empty to me. So I placed a Ribbon
(recolored yellow) from the Charisma Collection and
added a Flower and Jewel from the Pretty Primavera Collection.
Finally, I wanted to add just a little more interest to the layout,
so I brought in a strip of coordinating Paper from the Pretty
Primavera Collection and placed it behind the Lace element.
Then I was finished.
And just so you know, none of the embellishments that
I used ended up in the same place where they started out. I knew when
I started the layout that I wanted to keep everything focused on the
bottom left side, but I didn't have an idea about where I wanted each
specific element to go. So I moved them, rotated them, moved them
some more, and kept at it until I felt they were pleasing to my eye.
You'll want to make sure that your layout is visually
balanced. This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have embellishments
and photos and alphas spread out into every single corner of the layout.
It simply means that if you have a large photo, you most likely will
want a grouping of embellishments that has the same amount of visual
weight to off-set the photo. You can also use large amounts of white
space to balance a large photo or grouping of embellishments.
Really though, the point is to have fun, play, and move
things around until they look good to you. Don't be afraid to use
a lot of elements from different collections, to add more embellishments
or take some out. That's the great thing about digital - no glue!
Nothing is permanent when you have the Undo button, so you can change
things around until you're happy with the result.
Layout by Laurel
Lakey
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Laurel Lakey lives in southern California
with her husband of almost three years, Nathan, and their one-year-old
son Eli. They are the two loves of her life. She is the Layout Design
Team Coordinator for ScrapGirls and also designs custom wedding albums
for Busath Photographers in Salt Lake City. She loves photography,
singing, reading, and of course, digi-scrapping!
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