I am new here and new to scrapbooking. I am a photographer (well working on that part). And I also make collages, which in part are kind of like a scrapbook page.

But the one thing I don't get.. what do you all only put one maybe 2 pictures on a layout. Isn't that a waste of space? I would think you would want to show as much as the actual person (or thing) as possible. Am I wrong to think this way? Sure it is pretty, but I just look and say... "I would have to print a million pages just to get my life story across if I did one picture at a time". I know you also put journal on the pages but aren't pictures worth a hundred words?

So tell me why you do this... give me a reason to only put one picture on a 12x12 page.

One more question.. how do you all get the really fun art work (do you mostly scan things? hand draw them in the program you work with?)

Thanks in advance
Marcia

I usually do just one photo per page.

I do it for a couple of reasons. One- I really love the look of big photos. I like how the picture dominates the layout instead of the elements or papers.

Second- I like having lots of room for journaling. The saying may be that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I don't neccessarily believe it. If something happens to me tomorrow my kids will be able to look at a picture of them sitting on a hillside, but they won't know the story behind it. The picture can't tell them the whole story. I want them to know that the hill was steep and that I walked up it with them. I want to know that DD got scared and started crying and that as a family we climbed that hill. I want them to know that they stood at the top of the hill and were so excited over how beautiful it was.

I have to have that journaling. I have to have the pictures. For me that usually means 1-2 photos per layout. I may end up with a bunch of albums and a bunch of layouts. I don't really mind. Its the story of my life. Hopefully it'll be a nice long one.

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Mirranda
Creating, Designing, Scrappin', Lovin' It!
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Thanks.. while I do agree some journaling is needed... maybe this is where the photographer in me comes out. I would probably have had the picture of the steep hill, and the one crying... I guess not all of it.

I also have to agree that the picture needs to be the focus, so do you add what embellishments are needed? I just find a few that look more like art work and I lose the picture (I guess that is where I really came from with this question).

Thanks again Mirranda, I love hearing why others do what they do!

I add embellishments, but its not usually for telling the story. Its because I like how it looks.

For me each part of the layout tells part of the story. The photos show what happened, the journaling tells what happened and how I felt about it. The elements are the bits and pieces that show how I wanted to share the story, how it inspired me to create.

I hope that my children will appreciate how each of the pieces combine to show not only our lives but my feelings.

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Mirranda
Creating, Designing, Scrappin', Lovin' It!
Visit my Store here at SBB

I don't fill up my pages with photos for some of the same reasons as Mirranda. Also, I'm not that great of a photographer, and many times I have only one or two acceptable photos (ones with everyone's eyes open, looking at the camera, in focus lol!). I like to the scrap the best photos, the ones that really tell the story, and have the ones that are not so good printed as snapshots and put into my albums that way. I have all my snapshots (good and bad) sorted by date and event and available for my family to view. When I scrapbook, my goal is to tell the story in an attention-getting way and sometimes that means not crowding too many photos on my page. I enjoy making my pages artistic. This is just the way I scrap. I have friends who like to put lots of photos on their pages, and I think they do a beautiful job. It's just not me.

I get a lot of my fun artwork, papers, elements, alphas, etc from the store here at SBB. There are lots of freebies here, too. You can also create your own, by scanning (being aware of copyrights, of course) or creating them digitally.

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Neisha

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Thanks again Mirranda and Neisha!!

I think depending on the event, sometimes 1 picture would be enough too. My brain is now moving in the way I needed it to.. I was just not getting it and finally asked.

Thanks again!!!

I do different layoust for different reasons - some are to capture the memory but some are purely for the design satisfaction - an outlet I guess
I choose the photos based on what I am doing - wether it is one or lots

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very true

I also just went to both of your galleries... I do love both of your styles. I just need to get more design crazy and I am sure I will do more. right now photos are my thing.

(I am afraid I am already addicted and I haven't really even started... crazy).

Also since you are so good at replying, do you personally make your own kits? or buy most of the stuff you use? I really want to get myself into making some stuff