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How do you start? | Pad Patter 11.20

StefanieS

StefanieS

Think it over, think it under
Pollywog
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
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Inquiring minds would like to know where you begin.

Back in my paper scrapping days it would always be the photos and the memory keeping that I wanted to do. I never did pages that were purely playful/artsy. I had no need to re-use photos. Then the kids got older and my endless supply of photos and cute stories that I wanted to tell dried up.

For me now, it depends on my creative team needs. Templates or kit choice? I still pick the photos and place them. Then the background papers, then the dimensional bits and bobs, the flowers and strings, then the stamps paints on the foundational layers. The date, the journaling and then I often add more, because fuller is fun for me. Then save, resize and save for web. It's seldom that a layout takes me longer than an hour.
 
This is a great question. Back in the days of paper scrapping, it was mostly about the pictures, when I first started. Then, the pretty papers and embellishments started happening and I fell in love with them! So, then it was about the pictures + the papers + elements.

Now, that I scrap digitally, I still love the papers and elements. But I digress - I scrap a fair amount of photoless pages now and still look at the paper packs first. I have to be happy with my background and sometimes I completely change it as I go along. The beauty of digital. Haha
 
My process varies from page to page, though I consistently start with choosing a background paper and end with photos and then title work and/or journaling (I very rarely journal). About half the time I have my photo/s in mind when I start my page. I always shadow as I go. Because 95% of my pages are made for CTs, the product choices almost always dictate what photos I'm going to use (vs. finding products to match my photos).

If I'm using a template. I move the layers up and down to my liking (I have a specific sequence I prefer), re-shadow and set a color to the layers so I can differentiate template layers from anything I add on my layers palette.
 
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Almost always I begin with the photos. Unless I'm doing a directed scrap, like a challenge or speed scrap, that tells me to do something else. Occasionally I start with a different idea, like a quote that inspired me, or another idea. Like this weekend I plan to make a page about turning 50 (my birthday is Monday) and the title and journaling feel more important to me than photos, so I'll probably start with those.
 
I start with photos determining the number I'm using. Based on the number I decided whether to do a 1 page or 2 page layout and choose my templates based on that. If it is a 2 page I work on both at the same time. I place my photos then choose a kit if unsure about what kit to use.

Then it is papers including those needed for mats. Then I look at elements. I then shadow from the bottom layer to the top, sometimes rearranging if something doesn't look right when shadowed. I have gotten into the habit of linking layers especially for clusters once I like how they look so if I decided to move it, it all goes together! If I have a big title, I do it right before journaling.

I save it in the pspimage layered format with the text still being a vector layer in case I decided to change it later (it has happened!). After it is saved, I rasterize the text layers then save as a jpg for printing. I resize to 600x600 and save as a small jpg for inclusion in my spreadsheet of layouts done.
 
Most of the time, it's one of two ways: scrolling through my photos to determine which stories need told, or the story idea is first... do i have a good set of photos for this story? do i have a lot of words for this story? do i have a design idea for this story?

I then choose the specific photos that will tell the story - which ones tell it best?
Then I choose a template that fits my ideas and photos. I sort my templates by photo spots, and always start with the "intended" use of the template first, but then branch to different options... example, i have two horizontal photos, so I search my two-horizontal folder. If I don't find something jumping out at me, I'll then go to two-vertical or two-shaped, to see what I can find, or branch out to other numbered folders, etc.

Then a kit - i usually have an idea of a kit based on the photo or design ideas, but theme and colors play a big part of my final kit decisions.
 
  1. Photos and journaling (I pre-write my journaling and store it with the photos)
  2. Template
  3. Place photos in template
  4. Pick kit
  5. Place papers in template
  6. Add embellishments (in no particular order)
  7. Shadow
 
My God ,you are all so organised.
It varies for me. I like to do photo less pages ,or pages with a single photo,and some journaling. So I usually start with a paper and a few elements from the same kit. Then it quickly turns instinctive from there,and I mix kits,often from the same designer,but not always. I write and journal,around the middle of the scrap, the photos go in then to. Then finish with borders and lots of subtle blending ,some elements around the photos. This can easily take an hour. So about 2 hours ,sometimes 3 per page. Hardly ever use templates,though in resent years I use them more,because now they have more layers. When I did my guest spot,it was different. There it was showing the kit that mattered,not my story,so much,- so I started with a kit then found photos that fitted into that.
 
I used to scrap an entire layout without knowing what photos I was going to use. That was back in the day when I was on several creative teams, so the product was my main focus. Even then, the page had to not only work to show off the product, but it also had to fit in my albums as well.

Now, I most always start with photos and then branch out into papers and elements.
 
I usually start with either photos or a story depending on the type of page I'm creating. I then choose template followed by kit. If not using a full kit then I do papers then embellishments. Next I do title work whether that be word art or alphas....it depends. Then its usually shadows but sometimes I shadow as I go. Lastly its journaling unless I've already predone it and its a journal centric page then it goes in much earlier.
 
michelepixels said:
Almost always I begin with the photos. Unless I'm doing a directed scrap, like a challenge or speed scrap, that tells me to do something else. Occasionally I start with a different idea, like a quote that inspired me, or another idea. Like this weekend I plan to make a page about turning 50 (my birthday is Monday) and the title and journaling feel more important to me than photos, so I'll probably start with those.
Click to expand...
Hope you have a fabulous day xx
 
Often I start with wordart or an element that reminds me of a story or photo because choosing a photo & then stash_searching is hard & ends up with me rummaging through too many folders & using up my scrap time just searching for the perfect everything!
 
There is no standard process for me. If CT stuff, then I find photos to go with the kit I need to work with and figure out if I want to apply a filter to the photo, sometimes I'll start designing the page before deciding that. When I work on personal stuff, sometimes its the photos and sometimes it is a product I want to use that come first. I generally pick a background paper before choosing elements to start building a design and then go back and forth with paper and elements. Sometimes I will swap out the background paper 2-3 times before settling on one I am happy with.
 
I'm in a busy season of life so I'm scrapping less and when I do it, it's usually for a CT. That means that I'm beginning with a kit and then looking for photos to coordinate.

The page starts with mixed media on the (not-yet-chosen) background, then some clustering, then the photo(s), and then the journaling. If I'm using a template, I delete all of the element layers to just leave the photos + papers. The background paper is almost always chosen last.
 
Almost all my pages are CT layouts so I will start with either the kit or the template. But as we all know, not all kits and templates can be used together. If you have a cluster heavy template I prefer to use a kit with them that has a variety of florals in them. If I am scrapping for myself, I will mix kits. Regardless of whether it’s a CT page or personal layout, I open all papers that are in the kit, then all elements. I usually create my page and then find a photo that goes with the theme of the kit. Or not because if the kit is very themed I may go off theme.
 
I start with the kit...background idea....elements..and then photos. I cannot go out of order. I tried. Most of the time I have an idea in mind that I'd like to execute with my layout design and it just flows from there. I don't mind using a template, but it is not my preferred way to scrap. If I do use one, I usually remove the shadows and photo spots. Sometimes I use the photo spots for journal cards or clip a paper to them.
 
I still pretty much always start with the memory or photos I want to scrap, unless there's a new kit coming out that I just need to play with and then I'll go find pictures from my "to-scrap" list that will work with that kit.
 
I've had so little time for scrapping the last few months that doing pages for the monthly challenges is all I can do. So, my starting point is the challenge. Then I look for photos that will work, then papers, then elements. I do a lot of kit hopping, mixing and matching. I shadow as I go. Then decide on a title, decide whether I'm using an alpha or a font, and lastly, journal as needed.
 
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