On a recent episode of the Paperclipping Roundtable, I mentioned that I sometimes create a layout with little to no embellishments. Anyone who knows me was shocked at such a statement… for good reason. I would not by any stretch of the imagination call my self a minimalist scrapbooker. I actually prefer embellishment overload! But even I have my relatively minimal days…
My tips for going spare?
- Gorgeous photos need little embellishment. That is always true. (I am not a very good photographer.)
- Strong papers stand well on their own. The science fair layout was created on a single piece of patterned paper.
- Texture – The first beach page has a some homemade sand paper. (using sand from the beach the pictures were shot at) When choosing cardstock, choosing one with subtle texture makes a huge difference.
- Die-cut paper – Another fun element that serves as an embellishment on its own.
- Check out simple scrappers like Cathy Z, Stacy Julian, and Ali Edwards (sometimes minimalist) for some stunning examples and inspiration! I am the first to admit, minimalist is not exactly my specialty.
Next up… embellishment OVERLOAD!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
LOVE the layouts! The simple look really appeals to me- so clean, with the focus on the photos. It’s great that you have such a broad scrapping style- from minimalist to overload, as you say! I can’t do embellishment overload AT ALL. Looking forward to the next post!
Great layouts! True about using wonderful photos, the ones with Papa are so precious. And how awesome is it that you made “Sand” paper. Can’t wait to see embellishment overload though.
My thoughts on minimalist scrapbooking are that an overloaded paged can still be minimalist if it involves you actually using your stash instead of buying more and more stuff. I’ve been writing a series each Friday about minimalist scrapbooking on my blog. I’ve challenged myself to use what I’ve got and really limit my scrapbooking purchases. Sometimes my pages are overloaded and sometimes they’re not.
Not sure about the minimalism. I need to think about this some more.
great layouts , can’t wait to see overload!!