Re-Examining Your Creative Process: Making the Most of Your Patterned Paper

My crew, today and everyday.  According to a study done by the Harvard Health Watch, an average American spends 101 minutes per day driving. Not sure what it is for us.  But, being that this is my view of these guys for some portion of everyday, I wanted to document it.

I went back to our paper pattern series to help me with these photos.  Notice the direction that my boys are looking....fairly similar to Brenda's page.  It, generally, looks best when eyes in photographs are looking into the page rather than off page.  One exception may be a contemplative page where thoughts wander.  In that case taking the eyes off page sort of fits.  But, I digress.  Onto Brenda's notes:

(Week Two from her series) 1. Use Patterned Paper as the Page Base. When using a large pattern that covers the entire sheet of paper, one method is to use it as the base for your layout. Because the pattern on the green polka dot is so small, it reads as a solid color on the layout and the photos stand out.  The blue cardstock border adds a pop of color that helps break up the design and put the focus on the photos.  Adding solid cardstock photo corners provides impact to the layout, drawing your eyes to the photos and away from the "busy" background paper.

"My Crew": (12 x 12 inch layout) - using notes from Brenda's class adapted for my Pink 

Paislee Memorandum layout.  One more note regarding my adaptation. Although my triangle base sheet does not necessarily fit the description of a "large pattern" in the way that the initial Fancy Pants sheet does with its' pattern of circles and stars cascading diagonally down, I would consider it busy and bold.  I believe Brenda's rules do apply just as well to such a pattern as this.

• Photo sizes used -- (measured with white matte from photo paper, starting top left and moving clockwise) 4.25" x 5.75", 4.1" x 5.75" and 4.25" x 5.5"  (Brenda's added circles are 2 inch diameter).
• Start with triangle paper from patterned paper kit as base.  You will be covering up most of this paper, so make sure you cut out the inside to use on other designs. (I, actually use my cut out piece on my next project for this patterned paper series which will be shown on the blog next Tuesday, October 20th.  It measures 9.5" x 7".)
• Trim red polka dot paper to 10 x 10.75". (It is the back of the clipboard sheet from the October Flavor of the Month Kit called Cubicle.)
• Trim blue cardstock to 10.25 x 11 inches and adhere flush with the right edge of the page,
• Punch or cut photo corners and star out of yellow cardstock.
• Assemble page as shown.
• Add title and embellish.

One last tip from Brenda C.: Also note the "rule of thirds" in use on this layout - the two yellw photo corners are balance by the yellow star, and the two circular photos, (note Brenda's example), are balanced by the circular journaling block.  Using embellishments or accents in groups of three really helps balance the design.  The visual triangle is something that "I", (again this is coming from Brenda but I do this often as well), use in practically every layout that I create.