I carved out a little chunk of time to scrapbook over the weekend, which means I'm ready for another installment of Make a Page Mondays. This week's page? A wee reminder of my motivations for moving more and eating less.
(Click on the image to see larger in a new window)
SIZE/MODE: 8.5 x 11 digital scrapbook page.
THE STORY: Somewhere between a new found love of baking muffins and cookies, I have been fighting those urges to overindulge and throw caution to the wind. The sugary post-holiday carnage of Halloween will not be the start of my downfall for yet another holiday season. I made this page to remind myself that self-care is the ultimate goal, and that to continue feeling good (and looking good) I need to keep taking care of myself. Period. Non-negotiable. I wrote it in second person, so I would remember: this is a message to you! (Have you ever journaled in the second person? If not, try it. You might just like it!)
THE JOURNALING: The holidays are barreling in and you’re feeling the need to feed. A little baking here and there won’t kill you. Just don’t get carried away and don’t think you’re invincible where sugar is concerned. It’s been almost a full year that you’ve made these significant changes. Almost 12 months of moving more and eating less. Remember how good you feel now. Remember how it affects everything—your mood, your energy, your outlook. Taking care of yourself is a good thing. Sweating is a good thing. You can continue to do this. No baby with the bathwater this time.
Let's break down this simple design.
1. Asymmetrical Balance: If you divide this page down the center, what you have on the left is different than what you have on the right. The journaling and the title lend more weight to the right side of this design, throwing the balance into the asymmetrical realm. Any time you have a shift off center, you tend towards asymmetry.
2. Framing White Space—Part of why the asymmetrical balance feels so solid in this design is the framing white space. Notice the equal margins of white cardstock on the top, bottom and sides. This creates a visual cushion for the page content, that although is not symmetrically balanced still communicates a stable overall feeling.
3. Unity—The direct edge-touching relationshiop of the photos, combined with the title nestled in at the top and the subtitle and journaling tacked on at the bottom creates a very unified block of visual content. Unity in design is all about creating the feeling that everything goes together. Here, the elements fit together like a nicely finished puzzle. Remove any of the pieces, and the overall integrity of the design suffers.
Here is a basic sketch you can download to keep in your scrapbooking files. The sketches are on 8.5 x 11 paper for easy printing. I've included a very simple idea to adapt this design to a 12 x 12 that includes lots of yummy framing white space.
digital template—Layered Template No. 9 (Cathy Zielske)
digital brush set—Resolutions (Cathy Zielske)
digital cardstock—Just Linens No. 1 (Michelle Martin)
digital patterned paper—Girl About Town Solids Paper Pack (Mindy Terasawa)
font—Avenir
software—Photoshop Elements 8.0
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To see more of the Make a Page Monday series, click HERE.
Questions? Comments? Leave them for me here and I'll do my best to answer. Happy design to you on this fine Monday. What will you create this week?
