Hello everyone!  Are you ready to dig into some scrapping inspiration with me (Rosy)?

When I design a scrapbook layout, usually my goal is to create something that is pretty, fun to create and yet keeps the focus on the photos and the story that they tell.  Have you ever felt like your photos were getting lost on the page?  There are many ways to ensure that your photos are the focal point and I’m going to point out a few of them today using none other than our very own Shabby Princess’ gallery to do so.  (I know that like most of you, I’m happy that SP is using her precious time to design new products for us, but also miss seeing more of her beautiful scrapping.)

~*~ Framing or Matting ~*~
Giving your photos a frame or mat will help them stand out from the rest of the page and not get lost in all of the embellishments. The wider and more contrasting your frame the more your eyes will be drawn to it.  Contrast brings visual appeal to your layouts.

In this layout the contrast of the red frame against the white paper makes the adorable photo quite eye-catching. 

Sometimes we want a main photo to stand out more than the supporting photos and framing works great for that as well.

~*~ White Space ~*~
Having white space on a page gives your eye a place to rest and also emphasizes the photo or grouping of photos.

Having a unique shape to your white space will create even more interest to your page, and this is one of my favorite SP layouts ever!

~*~ Elements ~*~
Your elements (flowers, butttons, leaves, etc…) should support your story and when layered around your photo, they can help draw your eye to the it.

In this layout, most of the embellishments are placed around the photo, giving it more emphasis, even in the midst of lots of color and patterns.

 Even when there are several photos, clustering the elements around them identifies them as the focal point of the page.

I don’t know about you, but I’m totally inspired just by browsing through these beautiful layouts!

Happy scrapping to all of you!  Have a blessed Easter weekend and we’ll be back on Monday with the LOTW!

RosyInspiration, Uncategorized 5 Comments

Happy Monday everyone!  It’s time for me (Rosy) to reveal the layout of the week!

This week it was a tough job!  Lots of beautiful layouts in the gallery and I had such a hard time deciding!  But my final choice is mommytoella’s march page all about her adorable little boy at 5 months.

 I love mommytoella’s use of brackets around the main photo.  The black & white photos really pop on the yellow and blue color scheme, and I love all the journaling about her “chubby wubby bubby”.  Isn’t he cute?!

Congratulations mommytoella, enjoy your $10 gift card from the Shabby Shoppe! (…and please check your email spam folder, as it may be hiding in there!)

Thanks for joining us today!  We will see you again tomorrow! :)

RosyLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Hello Shabby Shoppe readers! This is Rosy, here to “focus on photos” with you today!
Beckie always does a wonderful job in sharing tips on all kinds of ways to use camera settings and editing to make our photos look their best…today, I’m going to look at photography from a bit of a different perspective.  I’m not much of a “technical” photographer, meaning that learning all of the ins and outs or buttons and settings on my camera are not the part of photography that I love the most.  I am primarily a memory keeper and my interest in photography has come as a result of that!  For me, the most meaningful photos are the ones that show our lives, who we are and what we do, right now.  Yes, I’m talking about the candid photos.

I’m going to talk about a few things that I’ve learned, from others and my own experience, about getting those “natural and unposed” shots.

1. Keep your camera within easy reach.
I usually keep my camera in a central area of the house, close to where most of the “action” happens, but out of little hands’ reach.  If something photoworthy happens, I don’t have far to go for the camera (ok, so we have a small house and I wouldn’t have far to go, anywhere I kept it… but you get the idea).  This also applies to taking your camera along when you go places.  Better to have the camera and not take any photos than to not have a photo because you didn’t have your camera!  I know a lot of you may use your phone for these type of “on the go” photos, but my family has gotten used to me taking my camera almost everywhere I go.

2. Keep your camera ready.
I’ve found this helpful when shooting in manual mode.  If you change a lot of settings because of a extreme lighting situation, before you turn the camera off, changing it back to more normal settings will save you some time the next time you grab the camera for that quick candid shot.  Of course, switching to Auto when there’s no time to mess with settings, works as well.

3. Don’t be obvious.
If you want to capture spontaneous action, don’t call attention to the fact that you’re about to take a photo!  Sometimes I’ll even peek out from behind something so as not to disturd the activity that I want to photograph.  Avoid using a flash if at all possible, and remember that your subjects don’t always have to be facing you.  Photos from behind can tell a story too!

4. Anticipate the action.
Take some time to think about what is happening and where you can position yourself to get the best shot.  Waiting on the right moment is important to getting a good photo whether you’re shooting kids at play, someone eating, a group laughing at a joke, etc…

5. Take more than one.
Even if the first photo looks great in the camera, take several!  You’re much more likely to get one you love if you try a few different angles, and often once I download my photos and see them full size, the photo I thought was great isn’t the best one after all.

I will give a note of caution with this one… remember that sometimes participating in the moment/activity is more important than getting that perfect photo.  If your camera is keeping you from fully enjoying and joining in the fun, you might be going overboard.  Take some photos and then put your camera aside and participate!

6. Be satisfied with less than perfect.
Candid photography is all about capturing the “real”.  In real life we don’t always have the perfect lighting, backdrop, or color coordination.  If you’re like me, often the photo capturing the action or moment best, ends up with some less than perfect feature about it.  I’m here to tell you that it’s ok!  You’ve captured the moment, preserved a memory and that’s why you took the photo in the first place!

Thanks for checking in with the blog today.  Kylie will be with you tomorrow to share the MARCH Project SCRAP templates…be sure to stop by and pick them up!

RosyPhotography, Uncategorized 14 Comments

Hello dear Shabby Shoppe readers and a happy Tuesday to you!  Rosy here to bring you a post spotlighting one of SP’s older kits…six years old in fact!

The Eclectic Collage Coordinated Kit is ON SALE for only $4.25 for a limited time…that’s 35% off the normal Shoppe price!

This is what SP has to say about the kit “This kit is very reminiscent of days gone by. It has soft, peaceful colors and a vintage feel to the elements.  So many photos are possible companions to this eclectic kit.  There is a little bit of everything to keep your scrapping mojo flowing“…and she’s right!  Eclectic Collage has just enough vintage flair that it would be perfect for heritage pages (something I’d like to do more of) and yet the beautiful blue, aqua, green, and brown color scheme works for almost any type of photo!

With plenty of flowers and delicate swirl patterns for a feminine look, the colors also work very well for boyish pages.  Here I’ve added a few elements from the An Affair to Remember kit for a boyish birthday page!

This truly is a beautiful and versatile kit!

…and here are some more inspiring layouts from the rest of the Shabby Artists!

Why not head on over to the gallery for a closer look at all this inspiration, after you’ve picked up the kit in the Shoppe! ;o)

Thanks for stopping by and check back tomorrow for an inspiring post by Beckie!

RosyProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Hello and happy Monday to everyone!  This is Rosy here to reveal the layout of the week winner!

This week I’ve chosen ScrappingMom’s First Birthday layout.

This layout (along with its second page) caught my eye with those happy and messy cake photos and the fun colors that ScrappingMom scrapped them with.  Blossom was one of the first SP kits that I bought and I still love scrapping with it!  I also love the story of an alligator birthday for a little girl named Ali.  Isn’t that cute?!

Congratulations, ScrappingMom and enjoy your $10 gift card (sent via email) from the Shabby Shoppe!

Thanks for checking out the blog today…we’ll be back on Wednesday with some fabulous scrap inspiration!

RosyLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 6 Comments