CRAFT YOU.

Isn’t this nice?  Well, let me just tell you.  It didn’t start out that way.  As matter of fact, just a few hours earlier it looked a little more like this:

So you can see the improvement, right?  But that’s what desperation will get you.  Something superbly un-cute. But it started out simple enough.  You see, there was an upcoming deadline for a contest I wanted to enter and I only had a few hours left.  Like most design contests, you had to use some of the sponsor’s products in your layout.  I am a huge fan of this particular line of products and like you would assume, I own a few things. 

However, after pulling all of my product out and switching between a couple of photos I had on hand, I couldn’t figure out a cohesive plan of attack.  It wasn’t the products, but rather the struggle I had with trying to highlight the products as well as using the photos effectively as well as telling a story…well, you get the idea.  I know that everyone has their own individual style when it comes to designing a layout or card–some people start with the products, others start with the story.  While I may buy a product to help me tell a story, I really begin with the photo(s). I may only use one or use four; I may resize an image to 8×10 or reprint a 2×2 image over and over again.  The key for me really is to not just tell the story, but to relate what the story means to me–for you to see what I know.  Sometimes this is easier said than done. But I digress…back to the layout.

I really didn’t think I had a shot of winning, especially after I had seen some of the other entries.  And quite frankly, I don’t usually enter those type of contests expecting to win.  (If that is your goal, expect to be disappointed.) Like I said, I’m really a fan of this line of products, so I wanted to throw my layout in the ring, so to speak.  Just for the challenge of it all.

So where did I go wrong?  Well, it was a combination of things I think.  I used a ready-to-go photo (one that I really like, by the way) as it was easily accessible on my craft desk as opposed to choosing one or more from a stack of “stories.” And, the products that I had purchased had a lot of red in them so that translated into the title and the handmade embellishment.  I thought that it was too much red at first, which is why I went for the yellow background, to stay a bit vintage-y and less modern.  And then I cut out a circle from another piece of paper to emphasize the number 3.

Let me just say in my defense, there was a lot that I liked about my original layout.  I loved the floral accent in the corner of the background page.  I also loved the tag–I definitely don’t use them enough.  But, I was feeling rushed and stressed about how it all was coming together.  So what did I ultimately do?  Well after walking away from it overnight, I went back and decided to retool it a bit.  I did this by changing the background paper first.  Instead of fighting the red, I fully embraced it.  In order to pull it off successfully, I had to add some neutral white cardstock to create someplace for the eyes to rest.  I also removed the circle die cut piece completely (it was kraft colored and really didn’t gel well with the red) and moved the birds embellishment.  I would have gotten rid of the birds altogether, but I really thought it was sweet (just like the lovely ladies in the picture ), so I just trimmed it a little and switched it to the right side of the layout.

So what did we learn today class?  Let’s review:

1. Start with a story and end with your story.
2. Color is a good thing; it is even better when it is balanced well across the page. 
3. Try, try again, but don’t beat yourself up.
4. When in doubt, walk away for a while.
5. When it is all said and done, it really is just paper.  If you are at your wit’s end, you can start again.  Just remember to reuse or recycle.

It’s not my best work, but it is certainly not my worst.  It’s just me flexing my crafting muscles.  And as everyone knows, the more you use your muscles, the stronger they become.

“Don’t worry about a thing, ‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right..”