STORY OF THE PAGE: Just over a week ago, we dropped our girl off for her sophomore year of college. (Read more about that here.) I was inspired to design a 12 x 12 template, then convert it to 8.5 x 11 for inclusion in Aidan’s album. I feel like this is definitely a scrapworthy occasion, the whole moving into your dorm and starting your new college experience. I try to think back to my first dorm move-in and I remember practically nothing. Now this is not an indictment of my mother for not documenting me within an inch of my life, but I have so few photos from that time and I wish that I did have more to look at. I wish I had a few stories from my mom about how she felt. It’s thoughts like these that keep me scrapbooking, even though there are days when I look at my dining room scrapbook table and wonder, “Why am I still doing this?” It doesn’t matter how prolific I am with my stories. It just matters that I save some of them.
DESIGN STUFF: This is a fully digital page. Sometimes, when I make digital layouts, I don’t like to add any digital elements whatsoever beyond the images and words. For some reason, I decided to drop one very neutral white digital paper into the background. I may leave it. I may take it out. I’ll send this to print and see how it looks. I love the symmetry of this page. Six same-sized images add up to a solid balance. I’ve got a bit of repetition with those two flags and the color orange. For my journaling, I included lots of leading (the space between the lines) to help with the readability of those long line lengths. Typically, I keep my line lengths to about four inches or less because the longer those lines get the harder they are for the eye to follow. Ergo, we introduce more leading which in turn adds more white space thereby making the longer lines a bit easier to read. Plus, if you’re going to do long lines of journaling, don’t do too many. I may have gone two lines too deep here, but I can live with it. But can you guess what my favorite part of the page is? It’s the ‘g’ dipping into the layer mask on the lower right. The mask itself is shaped to match the ‘g’. Here’s the deal: it’s the little details that add something special to any page. This lets the beautiful type of the title really shine. And yes, I rock the type. It’s kind of my jam.
TECHNCIAL SHIT: It’s a digital page and I did nothing other than take a 12 x 12 design and size all of the content down at one time to fit an 8.5 x 11 space. All of our family albums are 8.5 x 11. The logic, you see, follows.
SENTIMENTAL SHIT: While I realize her college experience isn’t about me, on some level, it is because I too am experiencing this transition. And so far? It’s going so well. Aidan, I am so FREAKING proud of you. Always.
AND SPEAKING OF TYPE… Yes, I’m going to cross promote here, but I’m kind of geeked to share that my newest class (which is a refreshed, retooled version of an older class) is almost ready to launch! Ten Tips for Better Type is coming soon. My goal is to open registration to this self-paced e-course by week’s end. Here’s a peek at my short promo clip. A full class description is coming soon and all students who took this workshop before will have free access to the new, updated version!
lori says
Yippie! I took your earlier version and loved it. Can’t wait to see the updated version.
CarlajinAR says
yea can’t wait to see the new version of this class.
Donna says
Can’t wait to see how you make the ‘Best Class Ever’ better 😉
Robin says
Would love a tutorial on how to size a 12×12 to a 8.5×11 (and the other way around – 8.5×11 to 12×12)!
Cathy Zielske says
Hey Robin, I can add that to my list!
I do have that type of instruction (8.5 x 11 to 12 x 12) in my Digi Basics class, but not the other way around. It would be a great all purpose video for me to do!
Linda says
I would love to see photos of my move-in days back in the late 60s and early 70s. It would be fun to see some of the things I packed (as in the things I felt I couldn’t live without). My memories are vague, too, but I love the photos I do have! Aidan will be so happy to have all of your documentation. (Cole will too, it will just take him longer to appreciate all of it!) Looking forward to taking your new type class. I thoroughly enjoyed the old one.
Gemma says
St Olaf rocks! Go Aiden!! I have a freshman in high school this year and I’ve been reading your family college experience with high interest. Thanks for sharing, although I know it can probably be a bit of a bummer sometimes for Aiden. Tell her Thank You for me, too. You are awesome in so many glorious ways, Cathy Z. *Big Smooch*
Michelle t says
I love your page. And your photos are awesome. But I can really see how much you love your work, especially when you’re dealing with typography. Your enthusiasm is contagious. Love that. Michelle t
Cathy Zielske says
Thank you. Good typesetting is my passion.
Jenny B. says
Yay that she’s having a great start! I loved my college experience so much. I hope she finds everything she’s looking for. And yay that boy Aidan is there too! 🙂
Love the page. The g dipping into the mask is very cool. Would it be cool if the little arrow tabs dipped in too, or would that be overkill?
Cathy Zielske says
Well they do kind of dip in, as they both overlap the photos. 🙂 But no, I would not dip them into the title.
Simplicity!
Maria says
Hi Cathy! I’ve been a fan of yours since your first book came out. Bought book number one and then bought book number two. I Read your blog and follow you on Instagram. Sounds creepy, but I’m really not 🙂 As I was shopping on Designer Digitals, I realized that on my cart were $121 worth of your products. Gasp! So worth it though! Thanks so much for all the inspiration!
Cathy Zielske says
wow. Thank YOU!
RitaQ says
Bought the template to add the collection of CZ wonderfulness. Pretty sure I could make it from your many classes, although I don’t remember how to do the ‘g’ mask dip. Also converted it to the 8.5 x 11 size because that seems to be my go-to layout dimension. Wondering if you’ve ever considered offering both sizes when you design your templates? I realize that not all will convert easily. I would be willing to pay more for two options. Thanks. 🙂
Cathy Zielske says
Hey Rita,
You know, I have done this with some of my templates. Maybe I should do two in every package and offer the choice that way? They don’t all translate, but it’s do-able.
Cathy Zielske says
I think I will release this as an 8.5 x 11 for the coming weekend, fyi!
RitaQ says
Too late for me…. Already bought the 12×12 version & sort of converted it but I’m sure not as precise as your conversion. 🙂
BTW… I also fiddled around with it & tried a ‘goodbye college’ title. Unfortunately I don’t know how to do the cut away mask for the ‘g & y’ so it’s not as wonderful as the original.
Tink says
Awesome! Looks so clean and interesting, just enough to wet the appetite. Wish I knew nothing about typography so I could take your class and experience that feeling again that a whole new world is opening up to you. But with a major in typography I don’t think I can pull that off.
When is the 30 day gratitude class starts Cathy?
Cathy Zielske says
I’m hoping to launch it on Sept. 30! I have much to do in the next two weeks. I want to launch it early for my readers in Canada, who celebrate their Thanksgiving in October. But… I also want to share it because it’s not just Thanksgiving specific. I made my album in July and it was a really great exercise for me personally, to do a gratitude project mid summer. Details are coming! I plan to do a Periscope of the album soon!
Holly Corbett says
I’ve taken the first version, but will be taking this one too! Looking forward to it! Thank you!
Christina says
Hi Cathy, I did the last one which I loved but was wondering if there is any new stuff and if I should also sign up for this one. I also loved your Clean & Simple class.
Cathy Zielske says
Hey Christina! The next class coming is called Ten Tips for Better Type. It may be a bit elementary for you if you took Clean & Simple. 🙂 After that, my brand new 30 Days of Thankful album class is coming! Hopefully will launch on Sept. 30. It’s a class about making a gratitude album and it will include tons of printable cards and the layered PSD card packages for people who want to customize their colors, etc. Working on that class now!
Leora says
Just got the 8.5×11 version! Thanks you Cathy!!!!!
Judy Bishop says
So excited about your new class!!!! I haven’t scrapbooked in about a year and I can’t wait to jump back in when my granddaughter is born in a few weeks. Preserving our stories is a passion of mine and going digital works for me. I can even scrapbook late at night at the hotel on business trips if I need a little creative time. Thanks for inspiring me.