How do your pages start (and where do they end)?

[anxela]

I'm curious about your scrapping process, as I think this is something I will learn from...

Do you have a clear idea of what the layout will look like when you start (design wise)?

Do you know beforehand which elements you want to use, or do you just go with the flow?

Do you start with pictures or words?

I seldom have a clear idea of where to start, I often start with a story in the back of my head, but sometimes I just have I photo I really want to scrap.

I wish I had more of a structured approach to this, especially when it comes to design. Maybe that's why I love lifting so much.

[patriciaz]

I always start with a background paper (it doesn't take long is -almost- always the white one from the Jouets kit )
Then I find the photo. I normally place it in the center and start to add elements, when I have more or less everything I want, I start to play moving things around changing colors sometimes, etc.
The last thing I add is the title.

[Amson]

I always start with a photo. Then the mood or atmosphere I want to create. I have a glimpse in my mind of how the layout will take form. From there it is looking through my extensive stock of digital kits to find what items fit my idea. This takes forever so would love to hear how others approach this.

[akpatterson]

I always start with a picture and an idea of what message or moment I want to convey on my page. (Having a picture and idea in my head is much easier for me than scrapping chronologically when I am forced to use a certain set of photos) Then I sift through my templates to see if I have any that will loosely match the number of photos I want to scrap. After that, I try to choose a background paper to set the "mood" of the page. Then it is pretty random - looking through my supplies to see if anything inspires me.

[maureenreynolds]

I used to start with a template and see what group of photos I could use for it. I never paper scrapped so the whole scrap concept was new to me. I also had/have a backlog of thousands of digital images, and the majority are either trips or things around the house. I had/have a lot to choose from!

Now, I tend to have a group of photos from a trip, I break them down into days or themes, and then decide 'how' I want it to look, and find templates and papers to complete my mental image. If this sounds like the lessons from Anna Aspnes "Album Magic" class, you're right. That really clarified a process for me. It's really making your own kit for a project. Elements are the icing on the cake and often come last for me.

I will rarely scrap a one photo layout unless it is a challenge here or just a fun thing. However, once I start a layout I do let the creative energy continue the process and often change direction as it unfolds. That's the joy of scrapping for me.

[Britgirl]

funnily enough, I usually do the background paper last. which is why so many of my layouts dont actually have a background paper...! I start with the photos then an idea of how its going to look - what kind of style the page will be; victorian vintage/modern/funny/etc. Then a title and then building up of elements/shadows kind of thing. Then that background paper, the date {always} and the name of whomsoever is on the picture
I do dont it anything like that tho for AAM pages LOL!!!

Forgot to add, since having a mac I scrap differently because I use finder to find {!} things in my supplies by colour or the word 'beach' etc. when I'm adding elements. It often comes up with things I hadnt thought of which is cool. I appreciate there are a whole heap of programs that sort things out like that for you, pc or mac-wise, but as I am not the type to sit and label with keywords, this was fairly new to me!!

[JALong]

I usually start with an idea and a title. Then I start to think about the page design and journaling. If I don't plan ahead I spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME working on a layout. If it is a page about one of my kids I usually have a photo in mind--if it is an aam page I usually have to search for a photo or have one of my kids take one of me.

[Elena]

I am all over the board... sometimes I start with a photo that speaks to me, other times it is just about playing with new product, sometimes it is for one of the challenges, which usually involves a template or scraplifting. No rhyme or reason really! But always, always, always, I drag things onto the page, take them off, put them back on, take them off, try something new, move things around... until it feels "complete." My mind is a scary place!

[anke]

I do the exact same thing as Elena. If instart wih photos, illntrybto find things thatbwork with them, other times I work with he gorgeous new stuff that's speaking to me there are times when I want to try a new technique ( like making the avatar), inguess that makes my head a scary place too
like Mel I use finder a lot of times for my supplies. It works really well! Finding stuff I have is always a big challenge for me, because usually I don't even know what I am looking for, I see something and it will be the right thing, or I try another thing and don't like it at all. That's the beauty of digi long speech and basically I am offering no help at all!

[anke]

H heavens, I just noticed your new avatar!!! Super cool, wasn't that fun?

[anxela]

Originally Posted by anke

H heavens, I just noticed your new avatar!!! Super cool, wasn't that fun?

Awesome! I loved it! But I couldn't get it quite as cool as in the magazine though.

[mymalloryboys]

As soon as I finish one page - I start designing the next one in my head. I'll fall asleep thinking about the next page that I want to start. I have so many ideas from the gallery that get in my subconscience - I think that's where I get most of my ideas. I try to be even with my boys and their pages. I have so much to scrap - I don't think I'll ever run out of photos.

I have a basic sketch in mind - then I window shop for elements to go with it! Sometimes the end result looks nothing like my original plan. Great question!

[Aino]

Hi, your new avatar is supercool, but it is a little scary.

I am also a little all over the place... I often have thought out a general idea for a photo or a story I want to tell, and then I let the photo guide me in picking papers.
Once I have the general placement of photo and title, I start the fun part of adding elements and the best part - brushwork to the background.
The little finishing touches.

Sometimes, I have make a sketch if I have tons of ideas and go from there.

Other times, I *feel* like doing something artsy, or other days something simple, or whimsical and cute with tons of elements or going graphic and hard lines.

That's why you will see a variety of pages in my gallery. It's all about what I feel like and how the story/photo speaks to me. A LOT of times, the choice in elements is purely accidental.
I will look through my folders and think.... mmmm, maybe I will try one of those.

[anke]

Originally Posted by anxela

Awesome! I loved it! But I couldn't get it quite as cool as in the magazine though.

Me neither I think it's their model, she had those slanted features to begin with. I couldn't get the brush work to work that well either It was still fun!

[anxela]

Originally Posted by anke

Me neither I think it's their model, she had those slanted features to begin with. I couldn't get the brush work to work that well either It was still fun!

Me too! The dodge and burn brushwork was really difficult...

[anxela]

Originally Posted by aino

hi, your new avatar is supercool, but it is a little scary.

lol! It was a tutorial in Photoshop user magazine, and I just had to try it

[LoriS]

I usually start with a photo, template or a certain kit that I want to use... After that, I try all kinds of elements, stitching, word art or titles, fonts or alphas.. etc. I usually keep in mind if I want to journal on a page and where that will end up...

This is fun! I like to read what everyone else does...

[Jana Morton]

I'm all over the place on this one. I like to think about my layouts when I'm not at the computer to come up with a "game plan". On some layouts, I get a "vision" of what I want it to look like at the end and I just continue to play until I get there. On other layouts, I do a ton of trial and error with everything. I like to put the photos in place first and then work around them. It is fun to see the variety of styles in the gallery and it would be so much fun to see how everybody else creates.

[kikimama]

I usually start with a story, then find a photo to match. Ages ago I read Cathy Zielske's Clean and Simple scrapping book, where it said we didn't always need a photo from the story, and I've used that rule ever since.

I do find that I jot down sketches a lot more with my digi scrapping than I ever did with paper. I have a notebook with me all the time to note down ideas or journalling. That helps me when I'm staring at that blank page.

Mind you, digi's such fun that I do switch around all the time. So while that's my main approach, I do also sometimes find photos I want to use, and work from them. Other times I'm in an arty mood and just play to see what happens, fun to see how other people work.

[arimacias]

I start with a template and that is usually where I end too. LoL

[anxela]

I'm loving to read about all the different approaches to this!

[anxela]

Originally Posted by Britgirl

Forgot to add, since having a mac I scrap differently because I use finder to find {!} things in my supplies by colour or the word 'beach' etc. when I'm adding elements. It often comes up with things I hadnt thought of which is cool. I appreciate there are a whole heap of programs that sort things out like that for you, pc or mac-wise, but as I am not the type to sit and label with keywords, this was fairly new to me!!

Could you share a little more about this process?

[kathleen.summers]

For me, I start with my photos and what my story will be. Once I decide which photos and how many, I decide on design. Then I figure out colors (ie, choosing paper). Journaling and embellishing are physically last.

Great job on your avatar! Though I do like seeing the real you better.

[Tesia]

Wow, this is such a fun thread!
Since I've been going through older (not photographically great) pictures and trying to get inspired by them, it's a slightly more challenging process to get going on pages. But when I have fresh new photos that I can't wait to scrap, I find myself being inspired by Jana's gallery! In general, I can't really pull off a "scraplift" very often, but whenever I'm stuck on what to do, I get such inspiration from browsing my favorites. Sometimes it's just the idea of a technique that I've forgotten about, or a fun frame I've never used...then I can get myself going from there!
I'm so envious of all of you that actually have enough of a LO idea to do a sketch beforehand. I tried that a couple times when I was taking Debbie's class but I couldn't ever get the hang of it. I just have to move stuff around until something clicks for me. On the whole, I usually start with a picture or pictures too. Once I choose my picture, I try to figure out what my general color direction and "feeling" for the page is going to be. I LOVE digi scrapping though because I usually go through SO much trial and error - I'd loose my mind if I had that much paper stuff all over my desk! Sometimes I will start going in one color direction and then once I add frames, embellishment, words, whatever, I look at my background paper and realize that it's all wrong! How fabulous is it to just plug in another layer and "done!"
Sorry for the long version...

[cheska99]

Originally Posted by Elena

I am all over the board... sometimes I start with a photo that speaks to me, other times it is just about playing with new product, sometimes it is for one of the challenges, which usually involves a template or scraplifting. No rhyme or reason really! But always, always, always, I drag things onto the page, take them off, put them back on, take them off, try something new, move things around... until it feels "complete." My mind is a scary place!

I'm with you, girl!