Layout Balance - Fixing the Mistakes!

When writing articles for this blog, I’ve chosen to research things that I would like to know more about. This is why I have decided to write a series of articles on achieving balance in your layouts. When trying to design new and innovative layouts using eclectic materials, I sometimes struggle to achieve what I consider to be pleasing design elements and balance. I therefore thought it might be an interesting topic for others who may also struggle with the same things.

I will often look at a layout and think – “Ok, I’ve finished!” yet when I go to upload my layout on-line, I look at it onscreen from a different perspective and think “oh no – there is something missing!” You ask your friends “what’s wrong with this?” and they will appreciate it as it is, because it is something you have hand made – and they like it! However, this is not always helpful when trying to gain an honest critique when something niggles – and I usually have to sit there for a while, or maybe come back to the layout after a significant break, and have another fiddle, in order to see just what the layout might have been missing.

I wanted to delve into more of the science and the principles of graphic design, in relation to scrapbooking. However, as this subject is quite in-depth, I have decided to break it down over a number of weeks, and I’ve taken quite a lot of material from John Magnik, a compositor and teacher who teaches principles of graphic design. His site is here, but I am going to adapt the material specifically for scrapbooking.

This week, we will talk about visual weight. I am also going to show you some befores and afters to provide some examples.

Visual Weight:
Graphic designers use the terms “visual weight” and “visual balance” – where things are placed in connection to the layout space. Something that has a lot of visual weight is dark, or large – your eye is drawn to this and rests for a longer period of time than for something which is small, or light.

Look at this layout – this was my first attempt.

Now – I am not asking you to critique my scrapbook page – this is using my oldest wedding stash, and the photos are some candid night time shots at my wedding – so I started off with less than premium materials. The photos are not well composed – there are chairs in the way, and they are full of red eye. I made this page from a class on the recent UK Scrappers cybercrop, but I decided to change the page quite considerably, in order to better suit my own purpose.

Being that I have all this stash in place for my wedding scrapbook, I am determined to use it - even though I may not love it as much as once I did. So, I popped the stickers onto cardstock, cut the letters out, outlined the letters in ink, and raised them onto foam pads to add more depth. I added eyelets into the scallops for more detail.

The ribbon and key detail was recycled from a lovely handmade card sent by a friend.

I added the prima flowers and stickers strategically - to block out bits of the photos I didn't want to see. But when examining or self-critiqueing the page when I thought I had finished, my layout didn't look balanced. The curve on the right hand side of the semi-circle means that there was more space and there were less elements on the right hand side - I felt it needed "more visual weight" to make it look balanced. But how?

I fiddled and faddled for a while - and then came up with the idea of adding more cornflower ribbon, which partially achieved the trick, because it was a darker colour, and thus drew the eye - but it still needed more.

The addition of threaded beads weaving their way on the right hand side really worked for me - and thus gave the layout a finishing touch, and I felt it added the "wow" factor. Here it is in more detail -

And so I was finally happy with the end result, after some considerable time.

I have added more visual weight to the right hand side of the page, in order for it to be balanced with the elements of the left hand side. So, after some considerable faffing - I am pleased with the end result - and happier to know WHY my layout didn't work in the first place!

Next week, we shall talk more about visual balance, and I shall be doing some more research into the science bit - and the design principles of scrapbooking! Until then, happy scrapping.

Ali x

Blooming Transparencies!

Did you treat yourself to these cute sprays of beaded flowers from Jillybeans' site and then wonder how on earth you'd fix them to your project? Here are a few ideas that might help you.

1. Use a liquid adhesive such as Diamond Glaze or Glossy Accents to stick the backs of the flowers and anchor the wire stems behind another embellishment such as a tag, envelope or title.

2. Sew the sprays in place either with a pale thread or contrasting fibre, depending on the look you want. You can stitch around the centre of the large clear flowers but be careful not to pull the thread too tightly as you might pull a hole in your background paper.

3. Tie a ribbon around the stem and secure at the back with a glue dot. Stick the flowers with glue dots too.


4. Make a small hole in your paper, thread the stems through from the front of the paper to the back and secure these on the back of your LO with tape. Your spray will sit more firmly if you bend the wire at the back by about 90 degrees before securing in place. Fix the flowers in place on the front of the LO.

5. Remove the stems from the large clear spray and just use the flowers for embellishments. Cut the wire (this can be done easily with either wire cutters or old scissors) leaving about 1" extending from the flower. Hold the flower with the back facing you and twist the wire round in a tight circle to anchor it before sticking the flower in place with liquid adhesive or glue dots.

It was this last method that I used on the following LO.

One of the members of the U.K.Scrappers forum (UKS) asked for ideas of how to use 12 x 12 printed transparencies. As I love these but have been at a loss for how to use them, I joined the thread for inspiration. Another member then challenged us to use one by the end of the month and this is my attempt.







The transparency is Life's Journey Dream Compass by K & Co which I have had for ages. I've done a search for it and the only place I can see one is an Australian site. Maybe someone knows of a source nearer home, if it's still available? The background paper is Daisy D's but I think it is so old it doesn't have a name!

The LO depicts my mother at different ages through her life. The circle at the bottom right of the transparency had printing on it but I cut this out and the resulting hole is a frame for one of the photos. I rarely give my LOs titles as they don't need to stand on their own - they mainly form part of holiday journal albums or family history albums and each LO is just part of the story in that album. This particular LO will be the start of a series of LOs about my mother's life; not all of them will have pictures. The start of the text on the facing page will have a title - Marjorie . . . a lifetime - heading it and because I wanted to mirror that, I printed the same wording and font on Safmat and laid it over the transparency to give just a hint of colour at the bottom left.

The pointer of the compass is a sunflower brad with a mini framedangoe coloured with silver and metallic blue rub ons. These are not the rub on transfers that are popular just now but pots of creamy colour that you apply with a finger or cotton bud. The ones I used were a freebie from Scrapbook Inspirations magazine but they can usually be bought from shops specialising in rubber stamps. The flowers and leaves, representing fading years, are mainly Prima and those lovely beaded flowers echo the sheerness of the transparency.

They also provide a lovely texture and movement.

I really enjoyed using them and hope you do too.