Today's Tip - The Visual Triangle

Like all visual arts, scrapbooking is based on some basic design principles such as:

• The Visual Triangle;
• Repetition;
• The Rule of Thirds; and,
• The Rule of Odds.

Our brains perceive images in familiar shapes. By placing items on our scrapbook pages in a triangle, it allows our eyes to see the page as a whole rather than being distracted by one or two pieces on the page. You can create a visual triangle on your scrapbook layout with photos, embellishments, or event text such as your title, date, and journaling.

When placing embellishments on your next scrapbook page, think of the visual triangle principle and see if you can make it work with your style.

Today's Tip - The Rule of Odds

Like all visual arts, scrapbooking is based on some basic design principles such as:

• The Visual Triangle;
• Repetition;
• The Rule of Thirds; and,
• The Rule of Odds.

The Rule of Odds is based on the idea that our eye finds things arranged in odd numbers more natural and pleasing to the eye.  This principle is used in all aspects of art such as floral design, graphic design, painting, photography.

In scrapbooking, you can put The Rule of Odds into practice with the number of photos on a page, the number of embellishments you use, or even the background paper design.  When choosing your embellishments select them in 3’s, 5’s, 7’s, etc. When placing your photos, you have a two options that will follow The Rule of Odds, you can either have one focal point photo and an odd number of supporting photos elsewhere on the page, or you can accent the focal point photo with an even number of photos near or surrounding it (thus creating an odd number of photos).

Today's Tip - Die Cuts

A staple of any scrapbooker is die cuts. There are a plethora of different die cuts available and with new technology in scrapbooking, you can cut out a die cut to match any project.  And there are so many ways to use them!  Alphabets, licensed characters, or just about anything, die cuts have come a long way from just plain old shapes!  But don’t think that die cuts are just for paper or cardstock!

Think about adding some dimension and texture by using materials such as acetate, craft foam, felt, sand paper and more.  Whatever you choose to cut, be sure that the thickness of your material will fit in your die cut machine; otherwise, the sky really is the limit!

Today's Tip - Chalking

The use of acid-free chalk is a great way to add color to your pages.

You can easily add chalk on die-cuts, torn edges of paper, or even to stencil a design onto your background paper using a foam applicator (like for applying eyeshadow), or you can use a cotton swab (I find the Dollar Store ones best as they do not have too much cotton at the end).

Make sure that the chalk you buy is acid-fee.

Today's Tip - Scrapbooking Terms (Z)

Zig - A brand of water-based marker.

Today's Tip - Scrapbooking Terms (X)

X-acto Knife - A super sharp hobby tool with a #11 blade used to cut intricate details.
Xyron - A machine that creates stickers by applying an adhesive to cut outs. Also makes magnets, or laminations without the hazards of lamination

Today's Tip - Scrapbooking Terms (W)

Walnut Ink - A photo safe ink that gives an aged effect to your embellishments.
Wax (or grease) Pencils - Soft pencils designed for use on photographs.
Wide-Edge Scissors - Decorative-edge scissors that make a cut that is five times deeper than normal scissors.
Workshop - A class usually held at a scrapbooking store and taught by an expert. Participants bring photos and pages to work on and get advice from an instructor.

My weekend......

Yesterday was GORGEOUS weather so I spent a good part of it out in the yard.... got a little sunburned, but not too bad.

Today was HORRIBLE weather, so I went shopping.  Got some new clothes and some time out by myself!!!  Felt good.

Might have company tonight, but if not, back down to my studio to finish a layout of my niece.


What did you do?

Today's Tip - Scrapbooking Terms (V)

Vellum - A lightweight, translucent paper.
Velveteen - An archival paper with fabric-like, velvety texture.
Vivelle - An archival paper with fabric-like texture similar to a terry-cloth towel.

Today's Tip - Scrapbooking Terms (T)

Tape Roller - Device that distributes tape on the back of photographs and scrapbooking pages. (Hermafix is a brand of tape roller.)
Template - A stencil used to trace shapes onto scrapbook pages or photos.
Top Loading - An album or sheet protector in which your scrapbook page slides into your book from the top.
Tote - A bag or hard case you carry or pull on wheels used to carry your scrapbooking supplies.
Theme - The overall idea or emphasis of a page/scrapbook.