It’s Q&A month and I’m answering your biggest questions about life, business, and simple scrapbooking.
What is your process, from idea to completion, when you create 12×12 pages? What do you include in a page kit?
My layout process is fairly simple and generally follows this pattern:
1. Story selection
Unless I’m responding to a challenge or a specific design inspiration, my pages always start with the story. For me this is a pairing of photos with a general story concept. I may not know all the words I want to use, but I know the purpose of my layout. Often one photo will prompt a bubbling up of that story and from there, I select other images.
2. Product selection
Once I have a story concept in mind and photos printed, I will gather a page kit of supplies for the layout. This includes:
- 1 sheet of card stock
- 2-3 sheets of patterned paper
- 1 journal card
- 1 doily
- 2 types of embellishments
- 1 set of alphabet stickers
This page kit is a base for getting started and many layouts will use just these items. As I create the page, sometimes specific needs will bubble up and I may draw on other items from my stash. Having products pre-selected makes it easier to get started, even if I don’t stick to the original plan.
3. Design concept
Often the number/size of my photos or one unique product will then influence my design direction. I use that inspiration point to begin a design concept. Sometimes it will get sketched out, but more often I’ll mentally arrange items in my head.
4. Page creation
I begin the tactile act of creating by roughly arranging items as I had envisioned. Sometimes the concept works and other times it does not, but having a clear place to begin makes it easier to continue. I will arrange and re-arrange until I’m satisfied, then begin to adhere everything to the page.
5. Journaling
Even though I begin with story, most often I will write my journaling last. I include space for writing in my design, but I enjoy the discovery process of creating the layout. The act of visually telling the story helps me find the right words for the story and even sometimes guide the direction of the story.
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Love that and the advice you gave me another day to look through my older pages to find out what I need for my own pages that I love and write this down. Thanks for that reminder. Sometimes I need it to go back to the basics in between.
Great example to examine and write down one’s own process…truly brings clarity, direction & inspiration.
Thx.
Cheers~
Your way to do it is pretty much what I do also.