August 12th, 2010
Let me start with this: WOW! What an amazing group of layouts and stories that are on display at the July Monthly Challenge. There are a lot of great pages to inspire you. Check them out!
Congratulations to Jamie Leija, who submitted the page we chose to highlight this month! She submitted a response to challenge topic #1: Altered Backgrounds
Jamie’s Explanation:
I was very inspired by the colors of the photo, the yellow in my sweater, the blue in my mama’s shirt and that so bright green in the plant behind us. I have these favorite masks that I use over and over again, but the thing is, they aren’t actually masks. Prima makes these great felt stems, that are beautiful in their own right, but just screamed mask to me the moment I saw them. I arranged them on my background paper and hit them with green, yellow and blue Maya Mist and outlined a few of the edges to give them dimension. The title of this layout is actually from a song lyric of Taylor Swift’s. I’d already decided to use that photo of me and Mama when I realized that this song would be a great way to journal about us, this day and our propensity for giggling.
Journaling reads: “We were in Rome, touring the Papal Residence, soaking up the gorgeous Italian sun, and were just taking a break from all the walking we’d been doing. I have no idea why we were laughing. Who knows with the two of us! We’re always giggling about something or other, which is why this is my favorite photo of the two of us. What a wonderful day to remember and what equally wonderful memories of so many seemingly small moments with my Mama.”
“I love you for giving me your [Asian] eyes. For staying back and watching me shine. I didn’t know if you knew. So I’m taking this chance to say…that I had the best day, with you, today.“
What the judges had to say:
It was the colors that first grabbed our attention — bright and bold, more heavily sprayed toward the bottom of the page, emphasizing the colors Jamie loves in her picture. On a closer look, here is what we found…
- Repetition, Continuity, Contrast
The grid design is unexpected on such a playfully themed layout, but it works well and is balanced by the plants and mists used for the altered background. We like that there is continuity in the repeating grid pattern, from the two different pieces of patterned paper, to the grid of patterned papers plus the photo itself. While it seems scary to cut that picture like that, the faces fit nicely into their own squares and she actually highlighted them this way.
She chose a good mix of patterns to group together: organics, geometrics, solids (or almost solid), loose patterns and tight patterns.
- Sections, Lines, Titles
A great element on the page is the zig-zag strip of paper that not only anchors the grid but also creates a line at the third mark and a separate space for the title. And the title — the title work is fabulous with its mix of size and colors.
- Balance
Jamie has balance around the entire page: a visual triangle of black text (three spots) and a visual triangle of butterflies that add dimension. She also balanced an artsy organic look (splashes of color mist with plant-like masks) with a bit of linear design (the grids and title-work).
- VIsual Mood-Expression
Overall it creates a happy, carefree feel balanced with stability. We think that’s pretty great visual story-telling, considering the story she revealed through her journaling.
Find Jamie Leiha
You can find her in our community, The Crop Circle. She also has a blog.
August Monthly Challenge
Want to join in on a challenge? Every month we issue a challenge based on recent tutorials and discussions. Anyone can participate. We choose one layout from the submissions to highlight here! Give it a try!
Tags: challenge, Design, jamie leiha, scrapbook
Posted in Monthly Challenge
August 11th, 2010
What tips do we have for scrappers that want to go digital? What tools do we suggest? What are our go-to products? What can’t we scrap without? What do we wish we knew when we first started digi scrapping?
That’s the subject of this week’s Paperclipping Digi Show!
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The Panel
Picks of the Week
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We have a Sponsor: Vinnie Pearce
Vinnie Pearce has launched her new digital kit, and it’s on sale for only a few days. Check out the latest collection here:
Journey Back: http://vinniepearce.com/latest_collection/
How to subscribe…
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Your thoughts?
What did you think of the show? What questions or feedback do you have? Please let us know in the comments!
Posted in Digi Show
August 10th, 2010
How do you approach scrapbooking family stories that are long, and that might require input from other people?
All this and more on this installment of the Paperclipping Roundtable!
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The Panel
WE HAVE A SPONSOR!
This show is sponsored by Big Picture Scrapbooking. Click here for the promo code to save 10% on any class at BPS!
Picks of the Week
How to subscribe…
Did you know that when you subscribe in iTunes (which is free), you’re helping support Paperclipping Roundtable? It’s true. iTunes measures every subscription, so it’s like casting a “vote” for the show. It helps us move up the ranks and helps us grow the audience.
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Posted in Roundtable
August 9th, 2010
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What a relief to actually be able to finish mini-books more easily! In this week’s episode, the Paperclipping Members will find out what my new Task Batch method is, and they’ll see it in action for two different mini-books: a traditional one, and a mostly digital one.
If you’re not yet a member, please enjoy the trailer video by pressing play or downloading it here. If you decide you’re ready to watch the entire tutorial, plus get access to our 150 other episodes, please visit the Membership Information Page.
Below are photos of most of the pages in the two mini-books from today’s episode. . .
Queen Of Organized
5×7 mini pages
Supplies: Tim Holtz Metal Clock Faces with Adirondack Juniper Paint Dabber rubbed on, then partially rubbed off.
The orange patterned paper is from Basic Grey’s Ambrosia Collection. You can get the collection as a 12×12 pack or a 6×6 pad.
The pink polka dot paper is from Basic Grey’s June Bug Collection. The orange flower is one of six in the Prima Peach Harmony Collection.
This is another orange flower from the Prima Peach Harmony collection. The metal piece on the page below is a Tim Holtz Muse Token.
To see more pictures of this book, see my set on Flickr and click on the individual thumbnails to see them all.
Everyday Summer
6×6 mini pages
The metal piece is a Tim Holtz Philosophy Tag. While the yellow Today papers were from an Ali Edwards kit that is no longer available, the journal/photo overlay for my journaling is for sale at Designer Digitals.
This overlay is from a different Ali Edwards pack. Ali also designed the Alpha Tab on the left page below.
I used these Tim Holtz Muse Tokens quite a bit in these two mini-books, adding my own colored brads.
These Metal Numbers are really great, too.
Ali Edwards Word Frames were perfect for this photo.
More great Word Art from Ali Edwards grounds the flowers in the photo above.
There are a few more pictures to this mini-album. You can see them all here.
Ready to learn about a Paperclipping Membership so you can see the video tutorials, too? Click here!
Tags: Digital, mini album, mini-books, minibook, scrapbook
Posted in Podcast
August 4th, 2010
Taking a wide-angle photo is a great way to establish the setting of the story you are trying to capture through photos. Emphasize the mountains towering over your subject, make the sky and clouds appear more ominous, or give your neighborhood street the nostalgic vastness that resembles the way our minds remember them from our childhoods — larger than they actually are.
It’s easy to do. But before I tell you how, let’s look at the difference it makes in terms of telling the story…
Not A Wide-Angle Shot
This photo of my kids is not a wide-angle shot, though it’s still beautiful. Both of the above pictures show the natural surroundings, but the emphasis of each picture is different.
- First Photo – the mountain and the clouds tower in the distance. It isn’t just a picture of my husband and me with our hands in each others’ pockets. It’s a story about the height of the mountains in the distance, and the possibilities ahead.
- Second Photo – this shows all the lush Missouri green around the pond at my parents’ farm. But this photo is not as much about the pond as it is about my two kids pausing to look at it.
So how easy is it to get these mood-establishing shots that emphasize setting? It takes one step . . .
1) Zoom out.
That’s it! When you zoom way out, you will start to get this slight distortion, because in order to get wider coverage, your camera will curve the view.
Of course, it requires the ability to zoom out in the first place. Distances will stretch and the proportions of items will increase as you shorten the focal length — for example from 35 mm, to 28 mm, to 24 mm, etc. The wider you go, the more distortion you get.
Here are a few more examples of how I established mood, or emphasized larger-than-life surroundings with slight wide-angle shots . . .
Tubing At Canyon Lake
Hello, Tuscon!
Our Park: The Morning After Rain
Next time you’re photographing something significant outside, try zooming all the way out to get a nostalgic setting shot.
Weekly Roundup
Heads Up!
- Paperclipping Video Tutorial – Watch for it on Monday! (This is the one I previously mentioned about a method to help you finish your minibooks.) It’ll be a Member’s Only episode. If you want to read about our membership before it releases, please go here.
- Paperclipping Live! – This live scrapbooking show is every Tuesday at 6:30pm PST. Are you free?
- The Paperclipping August Challenge
Summer is almost over! You’ve probably taken vacation and holiday photos. Have you documented the every day of summer time? I have, and I’m excited to share it with you as part of Monday’s video tutorial.
Best Regards,
Noell
Host, Paperclipping
Tags: Photography, Scrapbooking, wide-angle
Posted in Articles, Newsletters
August 4th, 2010
Today’s discussion topic is about crediting designers.
How do you properly credit designers that have moved or don’t design any longer? How do you keep track of all of the different products used in a layout when you aren’t a kit scrapper? Is it absolutely necessary to credit all the materials if you aren’t creating a tutorial or such?
That’s the subject of this week’s Paperclipping Digi Show!
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If you want, you can also right click this link to save the show to your computer manually.
The Panel
Picks of the Week
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More Links
How to subscribe…
We’re in the iTunes directory so you can just click on this link to go there and subscribe,… or if you want to do it the hard way, you can subscribe to the show’s RSS feed.
Your thoughts?
What did you think of the show? What questions or feedback do you have? Please let us know in the comments!
Posted in Digi Show
August 3rd, 2010
Why do some people dabble in a variety of paper crafts (and other types of arts and crafts) while others stick to a very specific craft? What is it that attracts you to some crafts but not to others? Which did you start with and why did you branch out?
All this and more on this installment of the Paperclipping Roundtable!
You can use this audio player to listen to the show:
You need Adobe Flash Player to view this video.
If you want, you can also right click this link to save the show to your computer manually.
The Panel
WE HAVE A SPONSOR!
This show is sponsored by Big Picture Scrapbooking. Click here for the promo code to save 10% on any class at BPS!
Picks of the Week
How to subscribe…
Did you know that when you subscribe in iTunes (which is free), you’re helping support Paperclipping Roundtable? It’s true. iTunes measures every subscription, so it’s like casting a “vote” for the show. It helps us move up the ranks and helps us grow the audience.
iTunes is free. Subscribing is free, so why not use it to download the show? Subscribe in iTunes (iTunes link) right now so your computer will automatically download each new episode as they become available.
Posted in Roundtable
July 30th, 2010
What’s going on at CHA Summer 2010? What products are new and exciting?
All this and more on this installment of the Paperclipping Roundtable!
You can use this audio player to listen to the show:
You need Adobe Flash Player to view this video.
If you want, you can also right click this link to save the show to your computer manually.
The Panel
WE HAVE A SPONSOR!
This show is sponsored by Big Picture Scrapbooking. Click here for the promo code to save 10% on any class at BPS!
How to subscribe…
Did you know that when you subscribe in iTunes (which is free), you’re helping support Paperclipping Roundtable? It’s true. iTunes measures every subscription, so it’s like casting a “vote” for the show. It helps us move up the ranks and helps us grow the audience.
iTunes is free. Subscribing is free, so why not use it to download the show? Subscribe in iTunes (iTunes link) right now so your computer will automatically download each new episode as they become available.
Posted in Roundtable
July 29th, 2010
Hi, again!
I love really detailed three-dimensional mini-albums. I have a few that are long-term projects that I complete just one page at a time when I get the urge. I’ve also done a few very simple mini-books that I whipped through in one or two sit-downs.
I tend to feel less satisfaction with those faster ones, though. So mostly I make (or start!) a lot of mini-books that are somewhere in-between. In other words, I expect to complete them in a reasonable amount of time, but I also begin by loading them with lots of details. They end up taking me longer than I expect, and before I’m done I find another album or project I want to begin. Does this sound like you?
A Faster Approach
Well, I’ve come up with a new approach for these mini-books — the books for which I have high-expectations of stellar awesomeness, but that also need to get done within a reasonable amount of time. My new method has been great so far, for both a digi-heavy mini (sneak-peek above), and for my traditional tactile books (sneak-peek below). The method helps with mini-book completion in two ways:
- It makes the process faster.
- It allows you to simplify your final design — midway through the process — if your dreams of the “best mini ever” begin to feel overboard. But you’ll be able to switch gears without ending up with an intricate first half and a “clean and simple” second half.
The other cool thing is that this method came as a result of good design technique, so you won’t be compromising on design. In fact, it will help give you a great foundation in design for each mini-book page.
Interested? It’s the topic for the next Paperclipping Video Tutorial. I’ll show you how this method helped me with a digi-heavy book, as well as a purely paper one. You’ll need a membership to watch the episode and learn the method. So if this is an area you struggle with, but don’t have a membership yet, you can see how to get one by clicking here.
I had hoped to release this on Monday as the first of our August tutorials. It’s much heavier in content than usual, though, and it won’t be ready in time for Monday. We will release it as soon as we can. For now, I’ll share 5 steps for prepping a mini-book that uses multiple items of memorabilia…
5-Step Mini-Book Prep
- Memorabilia – Fish through your memorabilia to find two or more pieces that are related. For example, in the book above, I found four different pieces that demonstrate how organized my daughter likes to be. Some other ideas: concert tickets, items from favorite places around town, school work, etc.
- Photos – Find two or more photos that will help tell the story of your memorabilia.
- Colors – Lay the photos and memorabilia on your table. Do they contain a hodge-podge of different colors? Congratulations! You now have your color palette! This is how I chose the color scheme for my paper album above: I had an orange piece of memorabilia, a pink piece, and two photos with green.
- Patterned Paper – Find patterned paper to go with the color palette of your photos and memorabilia.
- Book – Choose a mini-book size that will accommodate your memorabilia. Digi scrapbookers: When adding one piece of tactile memorabilia (un-scanned) to a small-sized digi-page, I have had the best visual results if the piece stretches from edge to edge, whether up-and-down or side-to-side.
If you start on these steps now, you’ll be ready to assemble your book when the new tutorial releases!
Weekly Roundup
Heads Up!
- The Paperclipping Roundtable – We won’t be releasing this episode until Friday so that Nancy Nally can give us a full CHA trade show report!
- Paperclipping Live! – This live scrapbooking show is every Tuesday at 6:30pm PST. Are you free?
- The Paperclipping July Challenge – You have about two days to enter this! Come on, you know you want to…
That’s it for this week’s newsletter. I’m excited to share my two mini-books with you in the next week or so!
Best Regards,
Noell
Host, Paperclipping
Tags: Digital, hybrid, memorabilia, mini-book, papercraft, Scrapbooking
Posted in Articles, Newsletters
July 28th, 2010
How have paper scrapping and digi scrapping influenced each other?
That’s the subject of this week’s Paperclipping Digi Show!
You can use this audio player to listen to the show:
You need Adobe Flash Player to view this video.
If you want, you can also right click this link to save the show to your computer manually.
The Panel
Picks of the Week
(Affiliate links wherever possible.)
How to subscribe…
We’re in the iTunes directory so you can just click on this link to go there and subscribe,… or if you want to do it the hard way, you can subscribe to the show’s RSS feed.
Your thoughts?
What did you think of the show? What questions or feedback do you have? Please let us know in the comments!
Posted in Digi Show
