Behind the Layout(s)

Have you ever looked at a layout and wondered how did the creator think to pair this photo with these words and these papers and these embellishments? I know I certainly do. It also makes me think about how I go about putting together layouts. After paying attention to the process, I've found that I don't have one specific way of going about things but some things remain constant across all situations.

I'm going to share two layouts today and I'll discuss my thought process, a behind-the-layout, if you will.

Here's some backstory:
During the Christmas season at ScrapGirls, Valerie Randall creates a 12 day series of freebies. Last year, it was this: 12 Days of Christmas Angels Special Set . This year, it's a lovely set of Christmas flowers. I had the pleasure of working with the magenta rose in this series. I had to create a Christmas themed layout and a non-holiday themed layout with this rose.

So let's talk about the Christmas layout first.

Christ, Our Savior is Born|Supply List + Links below

For me, this was a challenge because the rose is a bright magenta which isn't really a traditional Christmas color to me. I was excited though because it's always fun to shake things up. I opened up PS and placed the rose onto a blank canvas. Then I started pulling papers that I wanted to use. Then, I got stuck. I didn't know where the layout was going. I realized that I didn't really know why the rose was even symbolic of Christmas so I did a little research. (Thanks Google!) It turns out that the King's Wise Men were not the only ones who wanted to bring gifts to the infant Christ. A little child wanted to bring something but despaired because the child was poor. The child began to cry and an angel turned those tears into roses--truly a gift from the heart. With this information in mind, I decided I wanted my layout to feature the newborn Jesus. I searched online for a free stock photo of a nativity scene and happened upon this lovely photo taken by Pam Roth that you see here. Once I found the "meaning" of the layout, things really moved quickly. It made it easier to choose embellishments, i.e. the "holy" button and the "crown" brad and the angel with the purple dress. Also, the rose now had a special meaning besides being a pretty design element on my page. It is laid at his feet just as I imagined the poor child would do.

Let's move on to the non-Christmas layout.

"True Love"|Supply List + Links below

Once I finished the Christmas layout with the rose, I found it a little difficult to switch gears. So, I once again placed the rose on a blank canvas. Ideas flitted through my mind but they were all somehow Christmas related. Finally, I started thinking about roses and what are some common places or times that you see roses. I thought of how one year Akeem gave me a lovely bouquet of roses for Valentine's day and voila! a concept was born! I knew then that I wanted to do a layout featuring Akeem and I as a couple. The problem is that we don't have a lot of photos of us together. Mainly because I'm usually taking the photos or he's taking the photos at my request. So, I decided to use two different photos of us. They were actually taken on the same day and actually, I'm in the picture of Akeem but I cropped myself out because I didn't quite like that picture of myself. *hee hee*
Once again, once I had a concept, the layout came together quickly. I played up the magenta of the rose by pairing it with lighter pinks, splashes of magenta and green. Being in love makes me radiate happiness so I used ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Op Art Rays for the burst effect. I placed the photos and the rose at the center of the rays because our love is the source of the burst of happiness. *sappy me LOL* I added the "True Love" word art and added our names and when we officially became a couple and called it done.

So, I've discovered that more often than not, my layouts are concept/story driven. Once I know what story I'm trying to tell, it's so much easier for me to decide what photos to use, what colors, what papers, what embellishments, etc. that I want to use. So I challenge you to think about your own creative process. Do you notice any patterns?

Oh, and the magenta rose I've used here? It's available at ScrapGirls as a freebie. However, it is only available for a limited time. Get it while you can by clicking here.

Thanks for bearing with me. This was a looooong post.

Until next time!!


"Christ, Our Savior is Born" Supply List
12 Days of Christmas Flora & Fauna Special 3 - Magenta Rose
12 Days of Christmas Angels Special Set by Valerie Randall
Assemble Your Own Zoom Pages: Inner View by Valerie Randall
Avalon Collection Biggie by Valerie Randall
Brush Set: Misty by Melissa Renfro
Dresden Blue Collection Biggie by Valerie Randall
Inner View Word Art by Valerie Randall
Lettering Delights Long Hand Font by Lettering Delights
Mon Ami Collection Mini by Valerie Randall
ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Clarify 11301 Mini by Heidi Dillon
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Aged Photos 6301 by Syndee Nuckles
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Precious Metal 11201 by Ang Campbell
Available Commercial Use products:
Brush Set: Misty by Melissa Renfro
Lettering Delights Long Hand Font by Lettering Delights
ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Clarify 11301 Mini by Heidi Dillon
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Aged Photos 6301 by Syndee Nuckles
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Precious Metal 11201 by Ang Campbell

"True Love" Supply List
12 Days of Christmas Flora & Fauna Special 3 - Magenta Rose
Assemble Your Own Zoom Pages: Inner View by Valerie Randall
Avalon Collection Biggie by Valerie Randall
Digital Stickers: Perennials Word Art by Valerie Randall
Lettering Delights Scrap Casual Font by Lettering Delights
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgy, THIN by Dinny Miller
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Op Art Rays by Valerie Randall
ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Clarify 11301 Mini by Heidi Dillon
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Blended 8201 Super Biggie by Ariadna Wiczling
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Freehand Coloring 8201 Super Biggie by Ariadna Wiczling
Tulips, Too Paper Super Mini by Valerie Randall
Available Commercial Use products:
Lettering Delights Scrap Casual Font by Lettering Delights
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgy, THIN by Dinny Miller
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Op Art Rays by Valerie Randall
ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Clarify 11301 Mini by Heidi Dillon
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Blended 8201 Super Biggie by Ariadna Wiczling
ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Freehand Coloring 8201 Super Biggie by Ariadna Wiczling