Welcome to another installment of Make a Page Monday. This week’s page focuses on something that is fading with alarming speed here in the southern part of Minnesota: warm Fall weather. Let’s jump in and talk weather and design.
SIZE/MODE: 8.5 x 11 two-page digital layout.
THE STORY: A few weeks ago we headed up north to our family’s cabin on Gull Lake to take the dock out for the winter. It was unseasonably warm and gorgeous, so we took the pontoon out for a final spin before packing it all in. I figured it would be nice to document the weekend and the weather, as anyone who lives here knows, it doesn’t last long.
THE JOURNALING: The weekend wherein you go up to the cabin to take the dock out of the water is usually two things: cold and cold. This year, with a forecast in the 70s, we joined up with the McElroys and made a weekend out of it. Before Dan and David packed up the boat for the season, we took a nice little fall pontoon ride across Gull to have lunch at Ernie’s. With barely a chill in the air, it was really lovely to be out on the lake this time of year. We were probably a few weeks past prime color, but fall in the northland is a pretty time and place to be any way you slice it. Combine that with some good cousin bonding time, a round or two of Balderdash, and lots of football, and you have a short, sweet cabin weekend.
1. Unity: If you look at this two-page spread, notice how all of the visual content “hangs” together as one big chunk. Everything has a direct relationship. Photo edges touch. The journaling block lines up in the grouping. It’s almost like a big puzzle that’s been assembled so that it feels finished. This is unity in action, when photos and words all have a purposeful and connected relationship to one another.
2. Symmetry: If you slice this two-page spread down the center, what you have on the right, in terms of occupied space, you also have on the left. Even steven, as far as space goes. Solid, predictable and symmetrical, even with different photo sizes filling in the opposing space.
3. Repetition: Square photo shapes dominate this design. Even something as subtle as this serves to unify and connect the design. The golden mustard color is repeated from the journaling cardstock and seen in the title. Finally, I chose to do part of the title in grey to tie in with the grey background cardstock.
4. White Space: One oversized inch of space frames the entire core design. I call this ‘framing white space’ and it injects a bit of breathing room as well as a framing effect that holds all of the visual content together. An inch on the edges of any layout will add a nice cushion of air to the overall design.
Here is a basic sketch you can download to keep in your scrapbooking files. The sketches are on 8.5 x 11 paper for easy printing.
digital template—Layered Template No. 72 by Cathy Zielske
digital papers—Just Ribbed Paper Pack No. 02 • Aki Solids Paper Pack (orange and white papers) all by Michelle Martin
date stamp—Digital Date Stamps Vol. 12 by Katie Pertiet
font—Avenir and Amelie (script font)
software—Photoshop Elements 8.0
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This template is also available from Designer Digitals in a 12 x 12 size. Both are on sale until 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Questions? Comments? You know the drill, design lovin’ peeps.
dawn says
love the layout especially the gray and mustard yellow colors together. I’m loving our fall right now too, was in the 70’s yesterday and gorgeous.
My walk/jog yesterday at the track was beautiful the trees are really beautiful and colorful now. It was so neat to see the sun shining on all these colors and made for a beautful time at the track. I even lost 2 pounds this month. Thanks for inspiring me!!
Barb says
Aaaaaah, what a wonderful bit of eye candy for this design junkie first thing in the morning… thank you, CZ! 🙂
ale says
thanks again, cathy!!! i love “make a page monday”(s)!
judy in huntsville [al] says
love it [as always!]
Janet S says
great design Cathy! Love fall photos too!
Vi says
I love “Make a page Mondays”!!!
Linda says
Love reading your thinking on design:)
Amber says
I’m loving it, thanks Cathy!!!
Tammy Wolfe says
Wow, what a beautiful page! I can’t wait to try something with this one myself!
C. Rayevich says
Awesome layout!
xo
cathy says
go dawn!
: )
Mollie aka readstoomuch says
I am loving these Make a Page Monday’s Cathy! I’ve done weeks one and two . . . now to finish week three and then I can think of the perfect photos for week four! LOVE the sketches and especially love that you offer them as templates. You make scrapping so easy for us. 🙂
Mary Mitchell says
Cathy,
You show a 12 x 12 option sketch…..do you have picture dimensions to go along with it? I struggle so
much trying to figure out how to adapt 8 1/2 x 11 for
my 12 x 12 layouts. Often I get so frustrated I contemplate giving up and then nothing gets scrapbooked.
If you have the pic dimensions available that would be really great.
Jessica says
I love the simplicity of this page. It works really well!
If you haven’t already check out my blog for a chance to win my “My Mind’s Eye” candy.
http://pretty-ladies-scrapbooking.blogspot.com/2010/09/october-my-minds-eye-giveaway.html
cathy says
I dont. I tried to measure them out, but the ended up being all crazy, however… i DO know the measurement for the big photo on the left facing page: 9.013 x 9.32, according to the template. What you can do, is just start with a 9 x 9 as your big photo, divide in half and build from there. Hope that helps!
: )
Mary Mitchell says
Thanks Cathy…….that does give me something to work with. I just want to say how much I appreciate seeing
double page layouts….of any page size. It frustrates
me to no end to see magazines and books filled with
single page layouts. Can’t we be a little more balanced? Both styles of scrapbooking are equally important. Love your work…..thanks for sharing
Christina says
Thanks so much for this lovely layout. PLEASE don’t give up on this fantastic idea of creating great simple layouts for us on Mondays. I love it and it gives me a push to do something creative in a time that is filled with sadness. My mum is not well and in hospital so I think I will do this layout about her. Thanks again.
cathy says
Hey Christina, Im sorry to hear about your mum. Positive thoughts are coming her way. : ) Ill have another page next monday. No worries. : )
Christina says
thanks for the kind words. Look forward to it.
Brenda says
Thanks for sharing. I can’t believe it’s already time for another Make a Page Monday; I’m so enjoying this series – thanks for keeping it up. I’d already bought the 12×12 template on the weekend – love seeing how it looks with your fall photos (I have some very similar ones that I think I’ll use it for). Thanks too for making the 12×12 size available right away with the 8.5×11 templates. And the fact that they are double-page spreads. A thought for the future: there may be some interest in a Make a Page Monday Flickr group?
cathy says
Hmmm. Thats not a bad idea! Let me see if i can keep this up! : )
Dana N says
Great photos and a wonderful layout. Thanks for another helpful Make a Page Monday. What a great way to start the week. 🙂
Margy Eastman says
Cool layout, Cathy! I’m doing Lain Ehman’s LOAD and I’m a little fried…but all the good help you gave back in DYL is being put to good use. I love common margins, I only leave one space after a period, I watch my leading, and I NEVER type journaling using a display font. I have some awesome T-ball pics to commit to page, so I’m off to purchase this template. Oh, and don’t worry about the muffins. Skinny girls like you can indulge now and then:)
cathy says
Margy, im so proud of you… common margins, leading… sigh. It warms my designer heart! So, youre saying I should make more muffins tonight?
Margy Eastman says
Follow your bliss, Cathy…just follow your bliss.
K says
thanks Cathy, love your designs! And your home “Z” is cool too.
JoLynn says
I heart these Make a Page Monday Layouts.