Pockets, flaps and pullouts (1)

It all began here, as I remember, with this photo from our French holiday, a decade ago ...

It was the shutters on the windows which made me ponder how this effect could translate onto a simple scrapbook layout - the page acting as a kind of 'window', and flaps attached either side, like shutters. At the time, I was putting together an album for my daughter - a "This is Your Life". At this point, she'd had twenty-one years of it, so there was a lot to fit in. Most of the pages were multi-photo, and it became a challenge to myself to see how many photos I could incorporate in a double-page spread. This one has just twenty-six, but it was the first in which I experimented with pockets and flaps. Here it is with the flaps closed:

You can see that I hadn't quite got the hang of lining things up neatly yet! but the simple blocks of adjoining photos is a technique I came to use regularly. Clipped in position with a little metal what-d'-you-call-it and brad, the left-hand flap unfolds to reveal pockets for ...

• maps showing our journey from home, the position of the place we stayed in France, and a local map of the town
• additional photos mounted on card with a story on the back

You can see that I was heavily into throwing lots of newly-learnt features in, like unnecessary tags for titles! Having them facing opposing ways was a mistake, too. Nowadays, I would simply print a title and be done.

The right-hand similarly contains pockets with more single photos, and a little minibook recounting how we coped with a family bereavement during the holiday. Opened out in full, this is what it looks like ...

Oh, and the font is way too fussy. Yes, it may be one of those fonts typically associated with France (I'm not quite sure why this is so - was it used in Barbar The Elephant?), but a simple sans-serif would be a lot more legible.
I feel a bit wistful turning those pages. Peeping behind things, turning things over, lifting things out - I like this interactivity ... Over the next month, I am going to go back and peruse my albums to see what I can take from them (and what I will leave behind) in my next stage of multi-photo pages, ands look forward to sharing them on here.
What about you, I wonder? Are you a stunning-single-photo scrapper, or a let's-get-lots-in person? Anyone else have a fondness for pockets, flaps and pullouts? I'd love to hear from you, and be pointed in the direction of what you do!

Comments

[Amy]

I like both single and multi-photo layouts, but I've never been able to negotiate flaps and pull-outs successfully! I'm lucky to have all my fingers as it is with the kraft knife and steel ruler!

[Jacky S]

I tend to agree with Amy.....I love looking at albums with flaps,pull out etc. but tend not to be very adept at making them......I like that you can get so much on one page using them.

[giselle]

I love single page LOs but as my DD is a photographer I get an endless supply of must-scrap photos of my Grandson, not that I'm complaining of course! When I can't decide which to leave out, I print lots of smaller pix (around 2" x 2.5") to make multi photo pages.

Not a great one for pull out bits n bobs but I appreciate how they solve the problem of too many pix.

Going back over 'old' LOs can be eye opening, some of mine are dreadful but never mind, it's what I did back then & for that reason I wouldn't change them. I'm with you about doing things differently now but when our grandchildren are all grown up & looking through our albums ALL the pages will seem dated!!

[Sian]

What an amazing record for your girl to have, that's the main thing I think when I look. Never mind about fussy fonts or whatever, it's all there, gathered together for her to enjoy in years to come :) My brother tells me that brad is a Viking word (sorry, but I just found that out and needed to tell someone who might have even a slight interest lol)

[Glen]

Inspiration strikes anywhere and I love your take on the shutters Alexa. I'm usually a one photo type but I have been known to put a couple - or rarely, a few on one layout.

I love the 'bunch of five' carrots! *Ü* I too have an allotment - and separate blog - if you look under my profile, there is a link. I didn't grow much this year as it still needs a lot of digging to be done but I do hope to get more in next year. TFS. ~Glen~

[Debra]

Love the title! This looks great.

[Lizzie]

I love your interactive double page. Amazing how you fitted so much in, but it doesn't look over-the-top crowded. Very clever!

I like to play with little booklets, flaps, doors etc. I've done a few projects that have a mini-book attached, lots of photos, journalling under a flap etc. This one was a challenge for a blog-hop earlier in the year - http://lizziemade.blogspot.com/2010/05/house-party-blog-hop.html

[Karen]

I have lots of multi-photo pages and lots of single photo pages. Vacation layouts tend to be heavier on the photos. When I first started scrapping, I used a system for getting lots of photos on a page. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called, but I had 12 X 12 templates for it. When I purged for my new studio out they went (to a friend of a friend who was happy to get them) so I can't even look up the name. I should haul out that album and take a look! I don't think I've ever tried a flap, and I've only done pull-outs for journaling. I love that you got the idea for this from a photograph.

[Alexa]

Wow, Lizzie! Love your little 'house' - looks wonderful! I see you like shutters too. :)