If you are anything like me, then you may go through phases when you feel that you need to take more photographs for the soul purpose of having something to scrap. I admit I do this from time to time, but when I do, I sometimes have to suppress a tiny kernel of guilt as a little voice in my head questions the authenticity of the moments that I am trying to capture. I guess there are some people out there that who may argue that I am forcing a fake moment to take place in order to take the photo. Of course, I usually don’t let this bother me, as scrapbooking is fun all the same. Nevertheless there is no doubt about the fact that I get the best feeling whenever a photograph jumps right out at me, and I automatically think ‘ wow, this is screaming out to be scrapbooked!‘. For me, these rare and special photographs always are the easiest to scrap as inspiration just flows into my head from all directions.
This is exactly what happened with this photo. This perfect shot is of my friend’s husband Jeremy and their adorable son Randolph, and as soon as I spied it on her facebook account I knew that it needed to be scrapped, and what is more, I knew exactly which papers I would use for the layout. So I started digging through my patterned paper to find what was left of my Basic Grey Archaic stash.
I first saw the Basic Grey Archaic range on a video podcast from nth degree creative, where the Creativexpress team visited the CHA Expo last February. At that stage I knew two things: [1] I wanted to buy every single item from the Archaic range, and [2] I really really need to go to America and visit CHA.
If you struggle with scrapbook layouts or with making cards for boys or men, then the Basic Grey Archaic range is a must for your supply stash. With a mixture of greys, green, oranges and browns; the rustic palate suits boys of all ages. Many of the papers have a distressed feel, which is perfect for all those messy boys out there and the Dinosaur print paper is extremely popular for layouts about your little monsters. Visit the Basic Grey website to see the whole range.
As soon as I found the papers I had in mind, I was disappointed that I had already cut most of them in half with the notion of making a 6×6 mini book, but this didn’t stop me. It just meant that I had more of a challenge in front of me as I had to come up with a design to make it all fit.
The design
Because the photograph was so perfect, I wanted it to be the main focal point, and therefore I kept it as big as I could. I then cut some patterned paper to the exact same size to mirror and complement the photo, and placed these side by side in the middle of the page. Next I cut along the zig-zag pattern of the blue paper to make a border strip to edge the bottom of the photo and rock paper. I was pleased with the way this looked, however I felt that the design needed balancing along the upper edge. This I achieved by placing a thin ribbon parallel to the top edge of the layout. Because the ribbon was not connected to the other features on the page, it seemed to me that it was floating on the layout. This can sometimes cause a distraction away from the focal point, so to anchor the ribbon to the page, I bridged this gap with a fancy chipboard frame from Bisous, with monogram cut out letters mounted on top. My intention was for these letters to represent the initials of father and son: J for Jeremy and R for Randolph. It wasn’t until I had these cut out and placed on the page that I realised that it looked like Jr for Junior -What a perfect and happy accident as my layout focused on how alike this pair are!
I hope you like this example of a father and son layout, and perhaps you may be able to adapt it so as to make your own scrapbook layout for the men in your life. Thanks for looking and don’t forget to Leave a comment.
Other products used on this layout include: Hambly Studio rub ons, Anna Griffin rubber stamp, Basic Grey fabric tag, Laura Ashley fabric brad from Trimcraft, Brenda Walton Chipboard to go from K & Co, Making Memories Alphabet stickers, Glossy Accents from Ranger.
Fabulous layout, great choice of papers and gorgeous photograph.
Thanks for joining in at BG.
hugs Heather xx
A stunning photograph and a wonderful layout. I agree about the Archaic papers being perfect for masculine themes. Love how you explained your thought process in creating the piece and also your thoughts on staged photographs, great to read your perspective on it. So glad you joined the BG challenge this week. Chris 🙂
Beautiful layout. The designs and embellishments were really awesome it really matched at each design.