Artistic advice

JayandJillsmom · 06-25-2012, 03:20 PM

Hi All,

I'm an intermittent visitor. I like digital scrapbooking a lot but I have a lot of trouble getting off the ground. I have been working on my son's baby album off and on for years and now I'm almost finished. The trouble is that it's very documentary-like, similar to a real baby album and not all cool and artsy like the pages you guys create. I start out wanting to do a cool page then I find myself adding more pictures to the page and that's how it turns out documentary-like. I have a couple of the pages of the album in my gallery if you care to take a look. I'm hoping that someone might be able to point me in a better direction. I know, that's a tall order, but it was worth writing and asking.

thanks, Jackie

PQ · 06-25-2012, 03:49 PM

Have you tried looking in the gallery and finding a page that you like, and then copying that style?

I am off to look at your layouts right now!

PQ · 06-25-2012, 03:49 PM

Jackie....what editing program do you use?

~*Kiana*~ · 06-25-2012, 03:57 PM

As a recent beginner. I'd say SCRAPLIFT!!!! Find some nice pages that aren't too hard that you think you can copy and copy them. I use lifting as inspiration and for when I'm in a rut!!

*Raphne* · 06-25-2012, 05:33 PM

Oh oh oh!!!!
QUICK CLICKS!!!!

I LOVE Quick Clicks! I find figuring out where to put my photos the hardest part of a page-- the Quick Click does that for me, and then I get to dress it up with fun elements! You might find that by finding a couple quick clicks you really like, you can free up your creativity to focus on being more artistic.

*SilverHealer* · 06-27-2012, 12:39 AM

I definitely suggest quick clicks and scraplifting layouts you really like. That could get you off the ground and inspire you

*TalyQ* · 06-27-2012, 01:18 AM

Welcome Jackie. Your pages are beautiful. If that's what you like, I wouldn't worry about it. But if you like them to be a bit more artsy, I agree with other - try some scraplifting, quick clicks or just join some challenges and be inspired. If you have technical questions, just ask away - we will help. Glad to have you here.

**Elisabeth** · 06-28-2012, 03:24 AM

What you are calling documentaries we might call special journaling! The important thing for you and your children is that you get the story down and the love across in each page and you are doing that. I wouldn't change that a bit - but if you want to try your hand at some artsy styles, the thing to do is take a lone photo you love or one you hadn't planned to add to another page, and as the others said, scraplift or style-lift someone else's layout. If you end up changing your own style after a few of those, then so be it - all our styles change from time to time - but I highly recommend you keep your lovely journaling on the pages too!

**Elisabeth** · 06-28-2012, 03:32 AM

Incidentally - you can just add an extra embellishment or two to make a highly journaled page more decorative:

Or find little nooks on a page around a lot of photos to make sure you have both your photos and story intact:

Both of those last are templates, too - so you could always try that kind of thing.

**Lauren** · 06-28-2012, 03:44 AM

There is nothing wrong with less embellished pages .. I often like grid style layouts with lots of photos . Then again sometimes I have a special photo that lends itself to a single photo page that I can embellish more. There's a place for both .

hlmbugle · 06-28-2012, 07:18 AM

I agree with everyone here. Your style is your style. You may not be a fluffy, frilly, embellished kind of person at this stage of your life. The awesome thing is: That could change at any time! Or maybe it won't, but it never hurts to try new things. Like Lauren, I love to see grid-style pages, and some of my favorite layouts are the ones that tell the whole story--literally. I would try baby steps. Do what Elisabeth says and take your normal style of page and just add a flower and a sprig of leaves to the corner of a photo. See how you like it. If you do, then one of these days you'll be like, HEY, I'd really like to put a ribbon on here too. And that's how it all starts... Participate in one of the challenges and see how you like it. It seems hard at first, but then, doesn't everything? It's good to see you around! I hope you can join us for some chats and challenges!

**Tina** · 06-28-2012, 02:48 PM

I agree with scrap lifting or quick clicks. No matter what tho, as long as the memories are preserved, you are doing it 'right'!

**shazzt** · 06-29-2012, 02:58 AM

I personally think a documentary style is perfect for your son's baby album! I use a similar style when I do my year in review albums each year. For me, the most important reason for these albums are the photos and the memories.
BUT, I also pages for fun and to play with the wonderful elements that the designers make for us. I put these is a separate book (I got over my non- matching pages issues

) . Sometimes I have even used the same photos in different layouts! There is no right way - only the way that makes you happy.

JayandJillsmom · 07-02-2012, 02:46 PM

Oh my gosh, Thanks to everybody who took some time to encourage me. That's why I like coming here so much!! (Being a single mom just doesn't give me as much hanging out at DSP time as I would like.) This exercise has been hugely useful since I totally get it from what you're all saying. I will "accept" my documentary style for my son's first year album and then will go on and try to do some more fun pages with cool embellishments from the page kits and quick clicks I have bought and do some scraplifing.

I want to get over my nonmatching page issues like Sharon--is there a support group for that? So funny how we all tend to have similar hangups...

Thanks again guys!!