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Everything In Its Place
Not looking for a boxed-in area or a sequence of lines? Try journaling strips on your next layout! Simply decide where you would like to place these strips and go! How do you accomplish this? Try the vellum trick to see what fits, write your words on different paper, and then cut your text into strips. If you are typing, measure the space that is available and then create a text box within a Word document. When you have finished your writing, expand the bottom of your text box, add spaces between sentences, print and cut. Journaling strips can vary in size, can be broken up by sentences, phrases or words, and can be a variety of shapes and colors.
Wendy used journaling strips effectively to express her feelings about her son, frame her photo and add visual interest to her layout!
I Wonder Sometimes by Wendy McKee. Supplies:
Paper, Felt Border, Flowers: Prima, Chipboard letters: American Crafts.
Journaling:
Sometimes you sit and stare out into space and I wonder what is on your
mind. I wonder if you are wondering what to play
with next. Are you wondering if you can go outside
and play. Or are you wondering if I will let you
have ice cream for tea!!! Some days I wish I could
hear what is going round in your head!!!
Editor’s note:
By placing her journaling strips where she did,
Wendy framed the photo and drew attention to the
title. She added extra details and dimension by
cutting the edges of her strips on an angle, placing
pop-dots underneath and by doodling around the
edges. She varied the length of each strip and
staggered their placement, creating movement on the
page.
At times, adding a journaling box or some of the other techniques mentioned above would conflict with the design of a given page. It is a situation many of us have found ourselves in! We complete the layout, add the last of our embellishments and don’t know where to journal without it looking messy or disconnected. A strategy you can try is to write around the edges of a given shape on your page. Go all around your photo mat or create a border of words along all four sides of your layout.
Not wanting to take away from the graphic feel of this layout, I was able to share my feelings about my daughter by writing alongside the edges of the chipboard swirl.
My Sunshine by Stacey Michaud. Supplies:
Paper: Deja Views, Me & My Big Ideas, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Chipboard: Fancy Pants, Flowers, Tag: K & Company, Photo Corners: Heidi Swapp, Bling: K & Company, Letters: Doodlebug, Brads: Making Memories.
Journaling:
Ella, you can always make me smile. Just being you is enough. It's just that
simple.
Design note:
I wanted the large chipboard swirl to resemble the
stem of a flower and add a burst of color. The
design did not lend itself to traditional placement
options for the journaling. I decided to incorporate
sentences along the chipboard swirls. Because of the
shape of the swirls, the eye keeps moving all around
the page.
Feeling adventurous! Bring your journaling to life in a whole new way by using a more free-style approach. Mix different sized fonts and incorporate several lettering options such as stickers, stamps, journaling strips, and your writing all within the same text! Write or type on a curved path or in a circular pattern. You can add paint to a section of your layout and journal right on top of that area! Highlight your journaling by giving it special treatment!
Mollie used paint and markers to describe what her niece really means to her, causing the journaling to pop!
Morgan by Mollie Neff. Supplies:
Paper: Luxe, Scrappy Cake, Pens: Sharpie, Other: cardstock, white acrylic paint.
Journaling:
I know you aren't mine... but I still love you to death! I really can't believe how big you are either! You're cheering, singing your alphabet, counting, and of course... still being too darn cute. You're the best little bud ever! Love ya Little Mo!
Design note:
I love journaling as if I'm talking to the person
that is on the layout! It's so much more fun that
way. For this layout, I scrapped the picture how I
wanted it and then made the journaling spot take up
the remainder of the page. I took a paintbrush and
just made a long, column-like shape on a black piece
of cardstock, let it dry, and then cut out the
cardstock around the paint strokes. Then I took a
black sharpie and drew some journaling lines to make
it look a little cleaner. I added doodles to my
guidelines, but you could leave them plain if you
were trying this technique!
Including journaling on your next layout or project doesn’t need to cause anxiety. Set a goal this month to tell the story on at least two of your layouts. Don’t be overwhelmed by all your options. Remember, variety is the slice of life.
I would love to see what you are creating! Send pages or projects with journaling to
stacey@scrapstreet.com with any tips or fun ideas to share! See you next month!
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