On not being intimidated (mostly) ...

First, the design ...

"Those 12x12 pieces of paper can be so Intimidating", commented Amy , on Monday's post. Yep, and how. Well, those smaller pieces of digital paper which I printed off (see Monday's post this week below) weren't quite so fearsome, but I can't say I managed to use a lot of them:

 

By the time I got the white space in, there wasn't really much room left for patterned paper. Still, I did manage to stamp a tag and add two lots of ribbon/fibres, and that was as far from very simple as I could get myself to stray today. I am trying to push the boat out here beyond my comfort zone - truly!

Next, the journalling ...

You might remember my posting a little about wabi-sabi (17th June)?. It encourages a focus on the simple, the ordinary, the unpretentious. Experimenting quickly with a sepia tint to these photos (emailed by my lovely DS), catapulted me back to snapshots we have in old family albums. Have you any like this? Often sepia or black and white, square in shape, with a white border, they frequently show small children in chunky hand-knitted cardigans, pleated skirts or trousers just below the knee, sturdy footwear, playing on a windswept beach or clutching an ice-cream ... Simple, ordinary, unpretentious moments. No posing, zooming, agonising about depth of field, white balance or ISOs - just a quick click. Ordinary life.

Then came the realisation that there could actually be two stories here: the one illustrated in the photo and another, on a related topic, hidden in the journalling. I'm going to keep an eye out for these - this economy appeals! Here's how it turned out. (Journalling at the end of the post, in case it's not clear enough to read):

Oh, and just before you go ...

I came across this video-ette today. It's one minute and twenty-four seconds. And yes, it's very simple. But a great message for a scrapbook page, too. See you on Friday?

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Layout journalling: On your first cycling holiday, you discovered cats. Real, live, furry ones that would only just allow a brief stroke before moving off into the safety of the shadows. You pointed them out, calling ‘Meeow!’ excitedly at every sighting. And your Mummy and Daddy smiled.

When you returned to the city, Daddy bought himself a new toy iphone and lots of apps. (When he was little, your Dad just loved anything techie, and he hasn’t changed a bit.) Skyping with you all one day soon after, there you were, playing with the iphone. Your favourite app? The cat. Every time you said a word, the cartoon moggy would repeat it back to you, whether in German or English. How clever was that, both of you! You giggled with such pleasure. And this time, your Grandma and Granddad smiled.

Comments

[Jacky S]

I love the simplicity of the page,Alexa.....and I have loads of those old 'snapshots'....though sadly some of them have a tint that is more 'orange' than sepia!
For me it's the white space that's intimidating....I love 12 x 12 patterned papers.....but I'm trying to come out of my comfort zone and use it more.

[lin]

Oh my goodness Alexa I must have been getting in on your wavelength this morning, I've just finished a layout for PDF Friday with a vertical and horizontal line of dots just like you have in your layout, how weird is that?

Again I strugled with the white space, whilst I love your style and others who have the white space down to a T, I'm never very comfortable doing it myself and usually end up just putting something in to fill up the space( but then again I am a bit of a hoarder and like to fill up gaps)!

[Sian]

Very, very lovely Alexa. How I wish I could do simple (in the very best sense of the word) the way you do.

[Amy]

I'm very impressed with the patterned paper usage!
I love it when scrap pages lead to more pages and new/different stories. I scrap the same photo quite often if it leads to a new angle of the original story.
I think you have combined the ribbon very well today :-)

[Lesley]

I love it!!! I hope you don't mind if I scrap lift this.

[Alexa]

Hello Lesley! I'd be honoured if you wanted to scraplift - please feel free ...

[Youngandcrafty.blogspot.com]

Lovely page Alexa, simple yet effective :)

[Julie Dandy]

Wow!!!! thats stunning!!!
Thats the kind of layout I would love tomake but they always end up ripped and covered in ink!!! LOL :D
J xx

[Helen]

Love the colours of the papers and how you've cut the circles and used them around the photo. He's really growing up!