Football Layout by Tonya Gibbs

From the first of August until sometime mid December my feet are planted in the grass of one football field after antoher 3 - 4 times a week.  I walk the field taking photos of children between the ages of 6 - 18, and I LOVE IT! This year my Nephew, Cooper, played his first down of tackle football the age of six, and you bet, Aunt Tonya was right there walking the field. 

Photos of my Nephew, Cooper, during his first football game.  Photos by Tonya A. Gibbs.

Today,  I want to give you five prompts for creating a layout. Hopefully these prompts will give you a place to start next time Mojo goes on vacation.  For today's layout, I'm going to use the photos from the above mentioned photo shoot.

Prompt 1 - Select papers that do not fit the theme or color pallet of your photos. 

My photos are clearly football themed, and predominately red, white, and blue. Themed papers are obvious selections, and I'm looking for unexpected. I don't need a football sticker to know this is a football layout. Also, if I chose the colors in the photo then my photos would compete with my background. Since I want the photos to pop, I've selected a neutral color palett of black, taupe, and gold. These colors are neutral which means they go with ANYTHING ANYWHERE!

Teresa Collins Memorabilia Line released summer 2013

Teresa Collins' Memorabilia line was perfect. The colors are neutral and the theme is centered around a family story, rather than a specific event.  The black chalkboard papers give great contrast against my bright sunny day photos.  If your photos are dark - you may want to consider lighter colors for your background.

Prompt 2  - Place Embellishment clusters directly on your photos. 

 

 

This technique will help to anchor the photo to the page, and also give it depth and interest.   This is  a great technique for photos that have a lot of negative space or distracting elements in the background.  

Prompt 3 -  Layer Sequins 

Sequins have become a super trendy embellishment.  I'm noticing that some are metallic and some are flat, they come in different shapes, sizes, and colors.  The sequins in this collection are rather large, and I simply added a wood veneer star from Studio Calico to the centers. Love how these made a cute embellishment, without taking away from my photos.

Technique Tip: Hot glue will melt most sequins.  This is how I placed mine...I placed the glue on the layout in a dot formation. Let it cool for a second until it is more than 50% solid, then add gently place the sequin ontop of the glue without pressing it too hard.  This makes the hot glue more like a pop dot and elevates the sequin off the page. 

Prompt 4 - Use Clear Glitter Nail Polish 

My wood veneers needed a little pop, but I wanted them to stay neutral.  So I reached for clear  gold glitter nail polish and painted them.  When selecting my nail polish - I go for the cheapest with the chunky glitter pieces.  This will give you a nice bokeh look when applied.  You may need several coats to achieve the look you're after, but I love the effect! 

Prompt 5 - Use Ribbon in an unusual way

The ribbon on my page is the only thing that has color found in the photos.  I did this so that your eye finds a base, or weight to the bottom of the photos.  I love how it is just waving across the layout.  You expect to see ribbon as banners, or tied neatly across an element, but squishing it up gives it a fresh look and provides movement and depth. 


and ...drum roll please ...  this brings me to my completed layout.

I know masculine layouts can be challenging.  So, I hope you have been inspired next time Mojo goes away on vacation. 


Thanks for stopping in today,

Tonya A. Gibbs
http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com

Resources:

Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - 6x6 Paper Pad
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - 12x12 Double Sided Paper - Chalkboard
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - 12x12 Die Cut Paper
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - 12x12 Cardstock Stickers
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - Border Strips with Glitter Accents
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - Chipboard Buttons
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - Decorative Brads
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - Envelopes
Teresa Collins - Memorabilia Collection - Sequins
Studio Calico - Classic Calico Vol. 2 - Wood Veneer Shapes - Tiny Stars
Studio Calico - Yearbook Collection - Wood Veneer Pieces - Speech Bubbles

Digital Scrapbooking 101 - Electronic Cutting Files

One of the greatest ways digital has impacted the scrapbooking world in the past few years, is through the introduction of electronic cutting systems such as the Silhouette.  

Cutting files are becoming more and more popular with wholesale brands. Many have started adding a digital section to their stores.  Their intent is not to replace their printed market, but to enhance it with add-ons like titles, ephemera, and masks.  These files are typically under $3 and really give you some flexibility with your paper craft projects. 

Today's layout was based on a sketch that I borrowed from my friend and fellow Artsy Addicts Member, Melissa Williams, at  http://www.simplesketches.blogspot.com. 



Derek Cunningham photo by Tonya A. Gibbs

I had one really dramatic action shot that I took last May of my Nephew, Derek,  that I've been dying to use. I wanted it to be the central focal point of the layout. When I reduced the size to 3.5 x 5 I lost the impact of the shot.  I decided modify my layout a bit from the sketch and just go with a 5x7 photo. Which brings me to a side note - make sketches your own. Use them as a starting point, but don't be afraid to add your own details, and preferences. It is your layout after all!  

For our digi lesson today, I wanted to show how you can use your electronic layouts to build embellishments for your projects.  These cutters are not just for titles!  With the exception of the cardstock, paint and star buttons everything was cut from my Silhouette.    



The sketch had a cheveron pattern in the right margin, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to use my Silhouette.   I cut the cheverons from the base cardstock.   I used soccer balls to represent the circles in the sketch.  Instead of paint splatters, I used a Heidi Swapp's star confetti stencil with some metalic silver paint.  I then substituted reflective star buttons for the butterflies in the sketch.  I used the  font JennaSue to cut out my title.  :::Another side note - all the embellishments were cut from scraps - another bonus!:::

To give the layout a "star" shine I decided to go with metalic accents.  I painted the title with silver distress paint to give it a foil texture.  I added silver metal cardstock to the back of the cheveron's negative space, and added the same metalic cardstock to the base of the soccer ball cuts.  The flag on the photo is also from the Silhouette store. I love how it points to the action in the photo, and serves as a tab for what is underneath....



hidden photos and journaling

 

I decided to make the photo lift to include the team photo and individual shot of my nephew.  The dramatic reds took away from my action shot, so hiding them underneath, allowed me to use them without distractions.

This is probably one of the "simpiliest" layouts that I have created. Although it is simple, it has a lot of dramatic elements with the mirrored cardstock. The monochromatic color scheme and simple design really make my photo take center stage.  Sometimes the simpiliest designs are the hardest to walk away from - but the most rewarding in the end.

Thank you Melissa for allowing me to use the sketch. I love how everything in the sketch gives you a feeling of upward movement. Much like the movement of the soccer ball flying into the air.   For additional sketch ideas, be sure to check out Melissa's blog.

Thanks for stopping in today,

Tonya Gibbs
http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com

 

Resources:

Silhouette Cameo
Silhouette Store Cut Files:   Soccer Ball, Chevron, Chevron Flag
Heidi Swapp: 6x6 Confetti Mask
Plaid: Metalic Paint
Ranger:  Mirror Paper, Distress Paint
Star Buttons
GP - White Cardstock
Geli Roll:  White Gel Pen
Font:  JennaSue - DAFont.com