Questions & Answers : Part Three.

My scrapping question for you is: how do you layout your craft space area? I'm moving into a new house and am looking for ways to maximize my space! Thanks for your help! Posted by: Andrea | June 9, 2005 12:18 PM

Thanks for the question Andrea - check the first set of answers for lots of photos. It is definitely a "working" space.

Oh, and a question: what color cardstock works best in every single scrapbooking situation for all time? And, what do people have against Comic Sans anyway? It really is charming. Posted by: cathy | June 9, 2005 12:20 PM

Ah Cathy, you are going to laugh - I have an answer: WHITE. In my humble opinion, white always works LOL. As for Comic Sans, well, there is a time and a place for most fonts LOL. You are too funny.

I'll second a question mentioned above: how you get a layout started? I always feel overwhelmed by the amount of product and choices. Even if I have "a vision" of the story I want to tell like you talk about in your book, conveying that story on paper visually (not necessarily through the words) is the hard part for me. Posted by: Melanie | June 9, 2005 12:24 PM

Oh man, it is so easy to get overwhlemed with all the cool product choices out there. Next time you are thinking about creating a page, why not try limiting the products you are going to "allow" yourself to use. By eliminating some of the choices you can get down to business telling the story. Pick out just a couple things you love: a patterned paper or two and an embellishment and something for your title (rub ons, letter stickers, chipboard letters, etc.) and work only with those.

As for getting started, I really just pull out some cardstock and start playing. Moving things around on the layout (but not for too long), and then sticking it down. I think gaining confidence in your design choices is one of the toughest things for most scrapbookers in creating layouts.

1---do you ever not include all photos you wanted to include on a LO, becuase they didn't look good or ruined the design or ruined what you thought was a good page? Or do you just do the ugly page anyway? 2---have you ever left off some journaling that you wanted to include because you ran out of room? Posted by: MarilynH | June 9, 2005 12:46 PM

Hey Marilyn! I think most of the time I get all the photos I want onto a layout - and sometimes it looks "less great" than it could of with a single photo. I think using my computer photo program (Photoshop) helps with that a lot because I can manipulate them into the size I need them to work within my design.

I am sure that I have left off some journaling - especially on pages where I handwrite because most of the time I don't plan out exactly what I want to say - rather I write more stream-of-consciousness until the journaling space is filled up. This is another place where using the computer comes in handy - typesetting all the journaling makes me think out more completely what I want to say.

I don't find myself stressing about either of these things too much - another part of going with the flow I think (and remembering that there is always another page to do).

Not necessarily scrapbook-related, but how do you get your photos to be large on Typepad? Every time I insert one from my computer it's a thumbnail that you have to click to enlarge........Just curious because yours always look perfect........Is Photoshop the answer? Thanks! Posted by: Noelle Buttry | June 9, 2005 01:04 PM

When you are uploading your photo do have a box that pops up, allowing you to choose custom settings? I choose this and  wrap text if the image is smaller than 525 pixels wide (or don't click if larger). Other than that I usually leave the rest un-clicked and insert my image. I do prep my photos in Photoshop - set the width to 525 pixels wide - seems to be about right.

what do you usually start a layout with? your design idea? journaling? a fun product? photos? i really only scrapbook my favorite photos or ones that help me tell my story (as opposed to every event & holiday) SO...what do you do with all of the photos you don't scrapbook? do you organize them in a certain way on your computer? Posted by: emily ruth | June 9, 2005 01:15 PM

Hey Em :). I scrapbook most of the photos we take around here - partly because I need that many for the projects I am involved with. All my photos since last fall are digital - and burned to disk by month (too many to keep on my computer). This has made it really easy for me to access them when I have an idea for a page - or to look through when I need some sublect inspiration. Most of the time my layouts start with the story I want to tell - but it is not unheard of for me to be inspired to create a page based on a product.

I was wondering if you do a lot of albums in different sizes, or if you usually just stick to the 12 x 12. It is always easy to just do what you are used to, but there are so many cool albums out there I wondered if you have a lot of different sizes. Thanks. Posted by: Kari | June 9, 2005 01:24 PM

All of my "layout" albums are 12x12. I love creating mini-albums based on a certain themes and I have quite a few in a variety of sizes. It is a GREAT break from the larger format. I think keeping it fun and interesting is so important.

What was it like to see yourself in Creating Keepsakes for the first time? Posted by: Lisa | June 9, 2005 02:22 PM

It was awesome. It was a page for a Becky Higgins Sketch - called Read for Joy. I was really excited. My friend Gillian framed the page from the magazine for me. So cool.

ali i have had a lot on my mind concerning scrapbooking...struggling with my style, struggling with coming up with my own ideas, struggling with the desire to be published, struggling to "do" instead of waiting for the perfect picture or paper or embellishment.
Any thoughts?

Is it possible to be too plain too simple? I often wonder if i struggle because i was just not meant for this industry...am i going against me.

BTW how long does it take you to do a LO from start to finish...generally. Posted by: amy | June 9, 2005 02:31 PM

My first thought is, friend, give yourself a break. Bring it back to your core reason for scrapbooking. Everyone has different motivations: some for the memories, some for the creative release, some for the camraderie that develops. One thing I might suggest is to take a break from the magazines and the message boards/galleries and just do some pages for you and your family. Stop worrying about perfection, publishing, etc - and just create because you love it.

I don't believe it is possible to be too plain or too simple. It is all about what you like, what tells your story the best, what makes you feel good and not feel bad when you are done. As an industry, there is room for all kinds of different styles.

Generally I would say a layout takes me from one to three hours.

More to come...