Last week's conversation on digital/hybrid/traditional pages made me want to make a good old fashioned hybrid layout. I've been putting so much of my memory keeping energy into Project Life and the class that I am teaching that I haven't really made pages that I love for the sake of scrapbooking.
So on Friday, I made not one, but two layouts. I know. I'm outta control people. Seriously.
The layouts are both called "When I Think of You" and they list 10 things I think of when I think of a) Aidan and b) Cole. I'm so happy with the results.
Aren't the wee icons cute? And they printed so nicely on my HP Photosmart 8750.
I started out designing these layouts as digital files. Then right as I was about to say, "Okay, we're good!" I thought, why not just turn off the photo layers, print the rest of the content onto my favorite Bazzill cardstock, and then print the photos separately, trim and adhere? And that's what I did.
Even when I make digital pages, I like keep to keep them very simple. I created my own digital papers so I could scrapbook with the types of simple geometrics that I love. I printed the pages using my best photo settings onto white cardstock, and voila, rich lovely colors and crisp type. Here's a look at each page in digital form.
I may still send these out for prints, just to see them side-by-side with their hybrid counterparts. Then again, I may not.
It's so easy to take a digital template, make the page, then simply turn off your photo layers and print the rest of the page out.
Here's a little tip on printing the photos: You drag both the photo and its layer mask to a new 6 x 4 document (I did this because I have a huge stack of 6 x 4 photo paper). Then you click on the mask layer and add a 1 px outline to the outside. This gives you a perfect trim line around your photo, which is really nice if any of the areas of your photo are light. Send your file to print as a 4 x 6. Do not use borderless options. Same goes for your full page layout file. No borderless options. Then everything prints copacetic.
Simply trim and adhere your photos. The benefit of this hybrid approach? You get a bit more real life texture than a straight digital print, and you get to cut and paste just enough to satisfy your crafting needs, but not enough to pull your hair out.
Ahhhh. Good scrapbooking days, indeed.
Technical note: I used Totally Rad's Rad Lab plug in on all of the photos so they'd have a slightly similar tone. If you are on the fence about Totally Rad, they've got great videos on their site that walk you through how it all works. My favorite photo tool ever.
This template is available in both 8.5 x 11 and 12 x 12 formats and is part of my Story Guide template series, layouts designed to get you thinking and writing through easy-to-follow prompt-based journaling.
New to working with layered templates? I have a step-by-step video tutorial + a free template to practice on. Click here for more information?
Note: The templates use a free font, PT Sans, for the journaling. I changed mine to Interstate Light and Bold.
SUPPLIES:
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dawn says
I LOVE LOVE THESE CATHY!!! WOW, how gorgeous these came out, love the style of them. What a fun way to capture these amazing kids right now. Great pictures for them both too!! Thanks for always inspiring me, love your style!
Cara S says
Oh Cathy, I’m going to have to head straight over to DD and get this. As ever love your clean and simple hybrid style. Thanks for yet more inspiration.
Pedroza says
Wow, beautiful! I need to purchase these.
cathy says
Thanks, Dawn. : )
I kind of like em too.
cathy says
Enjoy, Cara! : )
mary e. says
Just when I thought I’d decided to go all digital. Am re-thinking that now!
I love to have scrapbooks on hand, but don’t like to do a lot of ‘phutzing’ (is that a word?!). I love the digi books, but find the lack of texture to be boring at times…. I just know that I want to be able to enjoy the photos more readily. It’s kind of like wanting to hold an actual book when I read as opposed to the Kindle. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE technology, but there’s just something about tangibly turning the pages, feeling the paper, seeing the photo crisply. You know what I mean, don’t you?
I work at a college, and have a ten month contract, which means I have most of June and July off. This summer’s goal is to get all my photos sorted (both in the multiple huge bins) and on my 2 massive hard drives. And did I mention that I am a decade behind?! I’ve been researching whether I want to go all digi or hybrid, mostly to help with the sorting / ideation / planning process for when I sort. This last layout has thrown a wrench into that thinking – albeit a great wrench…
I have to say, I’d love it if there were a class designed to help those of us with boxes (and hard drives / online photo storage sites) to successfully start the process. I can’t imagine that I’m the only one out there who feels paralyzed by the thought of starting. And yet, everyday when I visit your blog, I am so inspired to make memorable pages that capture my family’s lives…
All that to say, much like the MANY blog followers you have, I am certain of one thing: I am a simple scrapbooker. I love the journaling as much (if not more, sometimes) as the photo, and I believe that great scrapbooks show restraint and keep things simple.
Now if I could just get a ‘simple’ system in place. Hmmm…. sounds like a great idea for an online class, don’t you think?!
Sharon Holesh says
Love your hybrids best of all!
cathy says
Mary, have you ever taken Stacy Julians Library of Memories class? Or read her book, Photo Freedom? The whole idea is to get you starting from where you are. Read the description. This is now available in an ebook:http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/ebooks/photo-freedom.php. So helpful (plus I designed the book!)
JoLynn says
Ah, CZ. Yeah for hybrid! Hooray for these layouts! Lovely way to start my day.
Meghan says
Cathy, these pages are beautiful, I’m heading over to buy them ASAP. I love your clean and Simple Style and how you share about your process. Any chance you’ll be teaching classes similar to your Clean and Simple class any time soon? I’m hungry for more and the class isn’t even over yet…but I will probably go into mourning/withdrawal when it does 😉
cathy says
Hey Meghan, well… right now Im trying to plan out classes for next year, so who knows! Glad you are liking clean and simple. I should find a way to create a series that is shorter and one that I can offer more often. : )
mary e. says
Thanks, Cathy. Have heard of it, but haven’t delved into it deeper. Guess what I’m gonna be reading at my daughter’s ortho appointment today?
Thanks, again, for the quick reply!
kybarb says
Love this template and idea and thought it would be perfect to make a page each for my mom and dad since I’ve been looking through old photos recently. I am working in a Snap 6×8 album this year (my version of project life) and I am thinking I should use the 8.5×11″ template and then reduce the size to 6×8 for my album??? Do you have any idea if that will still be readable to reduce to that size? There aren’t many templates for 6×8.
H2 says
Cathy-
I am an avid reader of your blog! There are times when reading about the cool things you have done is the inspiration to do one more thing at the office.
Thanks for the idea–as I start to dive in digital scrapbook, I stay encouraged with your ideas and how awesome your work turns out. Thank you for keeping us all inspired!
Teresa M says
Cathy-
I love your pages. Can you explain why not to print borderless? If I don’t use the borderless option then what do I do if I want a picture to take the full page? You may have spoke about this before but I can’t find the post.
Thanks!
cathy says
Thanks! : )
cathy says
Barb, if you resized it, you would then need to go back in and change the size of each journal block because they will get too small. Change them back to about 9 or 10 point. Plus, the proportion is not exact. 8.5 x 11 will not size down proportionately to 6 x 8. You would need to do some finagling to get it to fit. Just so you know going in!
cathy says
Because you want your photos to print in the exact size they appear on the template. In this case, the photos are small (2 x 2 ish). But if I were to send those small prints to print as borderless, my printer would enlarge them automatically as it tries to create a bleed. In this case, when your photos are smaller than a 4 x 6, you do not want to go borderless. But of course, if you want a photo to go full page, then you would go borderless. : )
cathy says
In short: when you print items with a borderless setting that do not need to go edge to edge, everything prints slightly larger than intended. : )
Donna M says
Thanks so much for these tips. I’m just dipping my toes into digi/hybrid like this after being a paper scrapper, and now mainly only simple PL. Bookmarking this so I can have a play:)
Aliza Deutsch says
Thanks for the 1 px tip. I like it; it’s simple; and now that you mention it, I can’t believe I never thought of it before.
Oh, and both your pages made me teary. A sign of success, indeed.
Jennie says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these layouts, Cathy! You’re such a talented writer; when I read the text, I felt like you were sitting right next to me telling me all about your kids.
Abby P. says
These layouts are just another reason why I always love your work – they’re streamlined, balanced, and just plain beautiful! Question re Rad Lab: I have lots of their actions – to which one are you referring when you mention it above? I want to try to keep the tone consistent too.
Abby P. says
Ah! Figured it out – I have Totally Rad Actions 1, and Rad Lab is an entirely different set. I wouldn’t have the action you used, as it most likely isn’t included in both sets.
cathy says
Yep. I use a combination of all sorts of the actions within rad lab, and then tweak them as well (you can adjust every one of the actions with sliders.) : )
Gypsy Chaos says
I got the book when it was first published. Talk about ending the paralyzed feeling! I won’t say I’ve caught up but I am happier than before the book. You will love it!
Gypsy Chaos says
Aidan looks sooooo very much like you, Cathy, in these photos. wow.
I’m happy that your children like you. It is a nicer way to live.
Jeanne says
Cathy,
I am an administrator in a middle school and would love to do a series in my teachers that could be viewed on a large screen TV in the office. Something that would let people know the teachers as humans. Do you have an ideas that could help me? Not too good with photoshop, it is one of my goals for the summer. A template that I could drop things in would be great. Maybe with school related paper? I want it to be eye catching and cute but not silly. Thank you for ny input!
Jeanne says
And apparently I need to shut of the auto correct. Series on my teachers and any input would be great!
Allie.Duckienz says
Oh Cathy, where’s Dan’s LO like this? Oh shoot, unless something has happened that I didn’t know about? I am a bit behind in my blog reading and in that case HUGS 🙂
Sev says
Thanks for sharing CAthy, i don’t scrap a lot anymore and your topic is really great.
cathy says
Thanks so much! : )