STORY OF THE PAGE: I was feeling incredibly unapologetic for my love of hybrid scrapbooking. I remember thinking at the time, “Yes, I’m going to do a page full of type with a tiny photo and I don’t care what you think!” (Okay, maybe that’s not altogether true because if you look closely, you’ll see some classic Making Memories white rub on letters over that photo.) That was my way of saying, “Don’t think I don’t know how to wield product!” That, and the pop dots beneath the photo of course. But back to the real story… I love the content of this page. Very specific details from his daily life back in the early 2000s. Stuff he did, said, thought. All little bits of 5-1/2-year-old glory. God, I didn’t appreciate it all enough when I was in the thick of it. #truth
DESIGN STUFF: This page is all about two things: drama and rule breaking. The drama is in having one big-assed, super dominant, oversized element. The title. It’s big. It’s bold. It ain’t goin’ nowhere, people. Drama in design is also called contrast. Contrast can really engage the viewer by creating such a striking visual invitation. What can you make stand out over all other elements? How does it serve the design? Here it’s simply a graphic invitation.
Now the rule-breaking part. Never, ever make journal blocks that extend the width of your page unless the following conditions are met.*
1. You include crap tons of leading. Leading is the vertical space between lines of type. The rule of thumb should be this: the wider your block, the more generous your leading. Our eyes do not enjoy tracking text across great spatial expanses. That’s why magazines and newspapers put their words into columns.
2. You keep it relatively short and sweet. Now here’s where I really did thumb my nose this whole line-length rule. I did go over what I like to call the Four Line Deep rule. If you’re going to go wide with your journal blocks, keep it to four lines or less, or you’ll run the risk of losing that reader. Why? Because they got tired of following those long-assed lines.
The other thing I’m doing on this page is using color as a repetitive element to unify the page. Pops of orange connect from the title, the last line of the journaling and the “at five 1/2” text at the bottom. If I’m getting pickier, I repeated little bullets in between every sentence to serve as a visual separator for each detail shared.
The only thing missing from this page? A date. Sure, I know how old he was, but who knows what year that happened, right? Dates are a good thing.
TECHNICAL SHIT: This was back in my pre-Photoshop design days. I used InDesign to create this page and I purposefully bled the text on the bottom off the document. I printed all of it with borderless settings to achieve that bleed look. That’s it. Simple. Ridiculously hybrid.
SENTIMENTAL SHIT: Really feeling the passage of time today, people. More on that coming later this week.
NEW TO HYBRID SCRAPBOOKING? This video walks you through using a digital template to make a hybrid page using Photoshop Elements.
*Rules technically are made to be broken, especially once you know what you’re doing. I only tell you this because me? I know what I’m doing. It’s like saying, “You can trust me. I’m a doctor.” Just insert ‘designer’ and we’ll get along just fine.
heidig says
Great page!
Jen says
I am enjoying this series. Its a nice contrast to the elaborate pages that are popular right now. Thanks for explaining the reason for your choices.
Maureen says
It’s awesome to know I am not the only one who hybrid scraps using InDesign! It’s my go to these days (I am a definite Photoshop and InDesign Junkie in both my professional world and hobby world). Love this layout so much for it’s technical simplicity. This series of Make a Page Monday’s is the perfect way to start the week. Thank you for posting these!
BarbW says
I have a number of pages like this too. Thank you for inspiring me to make them when my kids were little. I will cherish the over-abundance of words, the tiny photos and minimalistically placed product for years to come. #sniffsniff #momofteens
Kris Beauregard says
you are my scrapbooking hero.
Laurel says
The Edmund Fitzgerald –wow! I haven’t heard that song since we moved from WI to WA. Must only be played regionally. Great page.
Michelle t says
I am right with you on the whole passage of time thing. Really, really feeling it. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Please share. Really cute layout, and I love the photo. I didn’t know it broke rules, to me I just enjoyed it. It’s great. And I apologize for the overuse of the word really. Michelle t
Jen says
Love this page Cathy! Thanks for the tips on full-width test and how to rock it and what to avoid!
Also – I now totally want to do a page like this for each of my boys (currently 7 and 4) to capture some of these little details that I know are so fleeting! Good reminder!
Jane says
Totally love this page – it appeals to my clean and simple style which always thinks less is more. Also love that this would work regardless of age, yes it looks cute for Mr 5 1/2 but think it would look equally as great for a Miss 21.
kelly says
yes to all of this cathy. you rock.
Christine (A&M Momma) says
oh how I wish I had a snippet like this of my now 20 year-old daughter’s life from when she was 5! why do they have to grow so darn fast? looking forward to your thoughts on the passage of time – please tell me you figured out how to stop it!?! thanks for sharing – love this page cathy!
Natalie says
love this. I’m in the thick of it now with my kids and scrapbooking is what helps me slow down and enjoy it all more. The “thick” makes it hard sometimes though…especially when you have 4 little ones 🙂
Marilyn says
I’ll admit to being old, but how come I can’t remember what I went downstairs for, yet I remember every detail of this layout???!! Loved it then, love it now. You are an inspiration.
Cathy Zielske says
Oh Marilyn, I love you.
Mollie says
I love this page . . . it inspired me to create a layout using a list of things which our now 10 year old grandson did when he was two. I have done a CASE (copy & scrap exactly) . . . hope that is o.k. with you! So happy to see your Make a Page Monday back again!
Cathy Zielske says
Absolutely! I am flattered!
Kirsten says
Love the classic edition of make a page monday. Keep them coming, please 🙂
scrapper al says
Great design and thanks for all the “why it works.” Love the rule breaking comments. I was training someone and told her, “If you’re going to break the rules, you need to know what they are first, and then why you’re breaking them.”