Layout – You can use a cluster to draw attention to a certain part of your layout. For example, if you have a layout of four photos, but one is more sentimental or has more meaning than the others, use the cluster around that photo to draw your eye there first. Just be careful to not cover up your special photo. A scrapbook is in essence all about the photos (the actual memory) and the rest, although very important, is not the main reason why we look at a scrapbook! It’s OK for embellishments to be under the photo, half hidden. Plus, embellishments don’t always have to be used the way they were intended to be used! Here, I clustered stars, a ribbon mat, bracket, and stitching to create this page. My attempt was to draw attention to the bottom left picture first as I love how my daughters expression shows complete and utter satisfaction.

Shadows - Not all your embellishments are going to have the same kind of shadow! One tip I read said to use “real life” shadows. Embellishments on top will have more of a shadow than those on the bottom. Play around with the shadows and use what looks most natural. Most find it best to add shadows after the cluster is assembled. I used My Memories Suite version 2 to do these pages. One really neat feature in My Memories Suite V2 is that you can move your shadow around on the x & y axis. This way you can create a shadow as if the light was coming from any direction! It’s hard to tell with shadows, and I’m still practicing using them, but below I added shadows to my cluster.

Angles – Again go with what looks best. Some people like to use different angles for their embellishment cluster to add character. You can create white space, which is pleasing to the eye, by spreading the cluster out. I have a harder time doing this as I seem to like things in a conformity. It’s something I’m trying to overcome! Photos - You can create a cluster out of your photos as well. You’re not limited to just embellishments for this technique! Choose a photo that will be your focal point for the page. Then add the other photos under and around yet keeping the one photo the focal point. I think we do this more often than we think about it. The above page is a good example of a cluster without realizing you are doing it. My intent was to make the bottom left picture the focal point of my cluster. My husband commented that the first picture he saw was the top left, mostly because it was a close up of our daughters eyes. To fix this, I added a shadow to the bottom left photo, decreased the size in the picture that drew my husbands eyes, and make all but my focal point picture black & white.

Kits- It’s easier to use embellishments that you find all in a kit, and this is a great way to practice the technique. This way you have a great idea on what is available and you don’t spend hours just picking out embellishments you might use. Then once you feel you have a feel for what “clustering” does for your page, use several kits to draw from.

Let’s practice!!

Start small. Just choose a few embellishments that you want to use. Put them all on your page. It’s easier to imagine the end product when it’s all sitting right in front of you. Look at what you have on your page and decide what looks bulky and what looks flat. Put flat embellishments on the bottom and bulkier on the top. Play around. The nice thing about digital scrapbooking is that if you don’t like it, delete it! If you decide you did like it, add it back!!

Here are the steps I used to create my first ever attempt to cluster thanks to Scrapping Sarah’s Scribblings.

1. Pick your photos. Sarah suggests getting your background first, but I have a hard time seeing a background without the pictures on the page first.
2. Add/move your picture to the bottom right.
3. Add a frame on top of the picture
4. On the bottom of the frame add a ribbon. A curly of wavy ribbon works well.
5. Next add an swirly embellishment on the lower right hand corner of the frame – This could be a stamp or a glittery swirl. Make sure it will overlay the frame corner on bottom and the right hand side.
6. Add greenery on top of the swirl. This will be the base for a flower or flowers.
7. Select a flower or flowers and layer it on top of the greenery.
8. Add a title, journaling and a date.

I didn’t follow these instructions exactly, but it gave my a guideline to follow.

Have you checked out the great paper packs in the MMS Design Shop? Some of our designers feature beautiful paper packs that don’t have any embellishments. Let this be an opportunity for your creativity to shine by mixing and matching embellishments from other kits There are so many great designers of scrapbooking kits that it is often hard to pick your favorite. Don’t feel obligated to feature just one designer for your layouts – Mix and match embellishments and papers from your favorite designers to make the perfect page. Also consider embellishing a template page with embellishments in your stash to make it uniquely yours. Below is a Template page from the Family Defined Template pack by StoryRock. I swapped the background for one from Dana Zarling’s Champagne Wishes Paper Pack. Then I added a few embellishments from Barbara Ryan’s Sweet Girl kit. I think the final product is adorable. Switch up some of your kits, templates and embellishments today. You might be able to make some “suite” pages with them.

Happy Scrappin’!

Sarah ~

… and don’t forget to check out my blog for more great ideas!

ScrapHappySarah

Maybe you are new to the world of Digital Scrapbooking…  maybe you are wondering,  “What do I do first?”  “What does it take to create a really GREAT photo album?”  “How do I get my albums to look like those in the pictures?” “What if I get stuck”!!!???  First of all, remember that even the best designers and scrapbook artists ALL started at square one.  They all had to learn.  They all made mistakes!  So, don’t give up before you get going!  YOU CAN DO THIS!  There are some great tools in My Memories Suite to make sure that your photos are preserved and your family’s story is told and that you create something very special that YOU can be very proud of!

First, realize that the PERFECT album will look different for everyone.  Even with the same photos, and the same page kits and embellishments, each person will see the story a little differently and build their       pages in a little different way.  The wonderful thing about My Memories Suite (whether you have version 1 or 2) is that this program puts YOU in complete control!  You have the ability to decide what goes where, your page order, your background paper, and your embellishments – EVEN on the Designer Template pages.  It is easy to make sure your story comes together in just the right way!  So, decide what story or event your album will include.  This can be anything from a general collection of photos by theme, or a group of photos that commemorate a particular event or holiday, and some will just be for fun.  A great way to give your album a coherent feel is to select a theme or kit to serve as the backdrop or foundation to build a great showcase for all your photos.  This is SO easy in the My Memories Suite Design Shop because there are TONS of great collections to choose from that will instantly give your album that “put together” feel that we all want.  So, gather your photos, pick your theme and you are READY to get started!

Make sure to stop by and check out the My Memories Suite Design Shop and take a peek at all the wonderful Designer Template pages and paper packs and embellishments sets.  Start with one that really strikes your fancy or suits the “feel” of the album you are trying to create.  Even if you build your own album from scratch, choosing a coordinated set of papers instantly unifies your pages.  Pair the set of background papers with a few of the photo only templates already built into your My Memories Suite software and you are well on your way to your own wonderful work of art.  I have included a few pages here from the “Drama Queen” paper pack from Dana Zarling to show you how the background papers pull the pages together.  See how the coordinated background papers and mat pull the pages together?

Your friends and family will be amazed at the impressive, professional results you will achieve, from your very first project.  How easy it was… well, that can be our little secret!  And remember, if you get stuck, or ever need help, we are only an email away.  Remember, you can also check out the Facebook fan page or Flickr gallery for some great inspiration, too!!  We have some very talented friends and fans who have posted wonderful pages that they have created quickly and easily in their MMS program.

So, what are you waiting for???  Your photos are waiting to tell your story!  Let them OUT of your computer, and off your memory card and into the hands of those you want to share that story with!

Have a happy scrappy day!

… and don’t forget to make a memory today!

Lisa J.

lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com

I am thrilled to be writing a monthly article, Capture the Moment…, for My Memories Suite.  The article will focus on one photography tip each month and will be posted on the My Memories Suite Blog on the 1^st of each month. Without photos, scrapbooking would be nonexistent.  As the core element of our layouts, photographs inspire us and influence our design choices.  Great photos will make even greater scrapbook pages.  So, let’s dig in…

Do you consistently try to center your subject when taking photographs?  This topic has been coming up a lot lately.  It’s also my pet peeve! WHY does everyone think the subject needs to be centered?  I often have to shake my head (and not scream!) when friends/family look at images and say “I would like it better if he/she/it was in the middle” or “why isn’t he/she/it centered”.  C’mon, seriously? NOT centering images is done for a REASON!  Here’s a little “design” lesson.  Let’s see if it will change your mind about always centering your images.

The “Rule of Thirds” is a basic design principle that is the basis for well-balanced and interesting shots. The basic principle behind this rule is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have a 9 part grid as follows:

With this grid in mind, the Rule of Thirds now identifies four important parts of the image that you should consider placing points of interest in as you frame your image. The four points where these lines intersect are strongest focal points. The lines themselves are the second strongest focal points.  In theory, if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines, then your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images, people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points more naturally than to the center of the shot. Using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.

In learning how to use the rule of thirds the most important questions to be asking of yourself are:

What are the points of interest in this shot?

Where am I intentionally placing them?

The auto-focus mode on your camera may cause problems when shooting in Rule of Thirds style because it assumes the subject is in the center of the frame.  That’s when auto-focus lock comes in handy.  Simply aim your camera so that the auto-focus frame is positioned over your subject and push the shutter release button halfway.  By keeping your finger in place on the button, you lock in focus.  You can then re-compose your shot and shoot the image.

Don’t forget to keep the Rule of Thirds in mind as you edit your photos – cropping and reframing images so that they fit within the rules.  Experiment with some of your old shots to see what impact it might have.  You may be surprised.

(by using the rule-of-thirds principle, I was able to crop out the distracting girl in the background which brings the focus on the boy trying to hide his smile from me)

Rules, as we all know, are meant to be broken. Ignoring the Rule of Thirds doesn’t mean your images are unbalanced or uninteresting.  In certain situations, breaking the rule can actually result in some striking shots.  A very talented commercial photographer recently told me that if you intend to break a rule you should always learn it first to make sure your breaking of it is all the more effective.

(filling your frame with an image is the ideal time to break the rule)

So go ahead… I DARE you.  Do NOT center your images!  Apply the rule-of-thirds design principle and you may surprise yourself.  In the end, we love our favorite shots not for technical qualities (ok, maybe just a little), but because they’re meaningful and spark within us a certain feeling or memory.  Capture those moments… centered or NOT!

~ Mary M.

Hi all!  If you Twitter make sure you follow us!  We are giving away a FREE copy of MMS V2 this weekend!  We are very excited about some of the new updates and upgrades to MMS and want to share them with you!

So… here’ the deal!  It’s MY birthday, but YOU get the gifts! I am giving away a copy of the top rated MY MEMORIES SUITE digital scrapbooking software! In the recently released Version 2 upgrade, many cool new features were added and upgraded from V1! There are over 1500 new papers, 1300 new embellishments and 20 new template sets all INCLUDED with your software. MMS is one of the most user friendly, fun scrapbooking software programs available today. It is easy to learn and master, but robust enough to really take you to the next level in digital scrapbooking too! MMS has tons of other Designer Templates available for purchase, and you can use digital scrapbooking papers and embellishments from other sites as well – so ALL those goodies you already own are completely usable too!

But, don’t take my word for it, check out our Facebook page and Flickr page and SEE all the amazing pages that our friends have created with their software. You WON’T be disappointed with My Memories Suite Version 2 – and especially if it’s FREE!

So, leave a comment here on the blog page – just to say hello, and I will draw one winner (maybe two) on Monday and post it. Winner will be drawn at random – but showing a little love in your comment might not hurt!

Happy posting and we hope to see you around again soon!

…and don’t forget to make a memory today!

Lisa J.

Make sure you take advantage of some of the GREAT new deals and goodies in the Design Shop! They are guaranteed to make your Valentine’s Day pages extra SUITE! Get them before they are gone! Make sure you savor every little bite!

…and remember to make a memory today!

Lisa J.

Stop 1: Sarah’s blog

Stop 2: Mary & Jackie’s blog

Stop 3: Beth’s Blog

Stop 4: Brooke’s Blog

Last Stop: Lisa’s Blog!

Then email the 5 word key phrase in order to me! lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com

Good luck everyone…and don’t forget to make a memory today!

Lisa J.

Thanks for sharing Sarah! Check out Sarah’s blog for more great ideas! Scrapping Sarah’s Scribblings!

I love scrap booking, but when I see challenges to do 365 day projects, my blood pressure rises and the anxiety starts to build. I can’t take medication 365 days a year like I am supposed to, so I seriously doubt that doing a 365 day project will work for me. The 52 weeks projects look a little more inviting, but then I saw a blog that recommended a top ten memories project and knew I had found the perfect one for me.

I CAN make a top ten list for every month of memories for that month. Couple that with my goal to write more stories down and do a monthly round-up and I think that’s all I can handle. This should help make scrapping all the important events a little easier to scrap because it gives me a plan and it limits my entries. Here are the first pages of the year…

Have you started something new for the year? Share your great ideas.
Happy Scrapping,
Sarah

I created a folder just for my digiscrap supplies. I now keep this folder on my external hard drive because it is pretty big – I am a Scrapbook Lady you know! This is what it looks like inside my digi scrap folder:

Here’s a list of all the subfolders – the numbers in front of them are to keep them in a certain order since windows likes to organize the folders in numerical and alphabetical order automatically. I wanted the first folders to be related to the months of the year (holidays) so I numbered them that way. I decided to put Birthdays at the beginning of the year.

1 Birthday

1 Winter

2 Valentines and Hearts

3 St. Pats

4 Easter (even though sometimes Easter is in the 3rd month)

6 Summer and Beach (June is the first month of summer)

6 Travel and Camping (This just seemed to fit next to the summer and beach file)

7 Independence Day

8 School/Art/Music (August is back to school month around here)

9 Fall

10 Halloween

11 Thanksgiving

12 Xmas

Does that make sense so far? It’s pretty straightforward – these are the folders for holiday or theme specific stuff. If I have a full kit that is a Back to School kit, it goes in the file marked “8 School”. If I have a cute little heart doodle it goes in file “2 Valentines and Hearts”. I like to select “Large Icon” view in my window so I can see the folders. I also select an image to represent the folder by going to the folder properties and changing the image if needed.

Next I have files of individual elements. I put a 13 in front of all of these so they stay in alphabetical order based on subject; alphas, buttons, frames, etc. So continuing on with my list of files:

13 alphabets/numbers/dates

13 animals

13 buttons and brads

13 flowers

13 frames

13 journaling/quotes/tags

13 misc. elements (the ones that just don’t fit anywhere else)

13 overlays and masks

13 ribbons/trims and bows

13 shapes and borders

13 staples and fasteners

13 stitches

Next up are papers and kits. Let me emphasize here that I always keep a kit together when I first buy it and file it under “full kits” unless it is a theme kit that fits in one of my earlier categories. Kits are designed to have the pieces go together. Yes, that file is really big! But because I have “thumbnail view” selected for every folder in it, I can browse through my kits in a flash. I do keep subfolders within that file that I will show you in a minute.

My paper and kit files all have a 14 in front of them to keep them nicely in place behind the element files.

14 full kits

14 paper prints and packs

14 paper solids

and here’s a peek into my rather large full kits file:

There are several ways you could organize this folder. I have folders sorted by designer. Each designer gets a folder if I have more than one of their kits, otherwise the single kit will go into the misc. sub-folder. I was surprised that some of my favorite designers didn’t show up here, then I realized that I only bought embellishment packs or theme kits from them. This is an easy way to evaluate what kind of purchases you make.

I do have an Asian sub-folder because I’m collecting Asian style kits to use on pages for my husband’s Japan layouts. Perhaps you might want to set up some folders for boy kits and/or girl kits? It can be difficult to categorize some kits. Most of the kits I buy have flowers in them – does that mean they should all be filed under flowers? You can definitely overthink this step. I suggest just finding a method that makes sense to you and won’t take you to long to browse through. I used to keep this file full of individual kit folders and I did like that approach as it was easy to browse through them. It just got too unwieldy though so I needed to create a sub-folder system.

I strongly suggest that you keep kits together though. I read an article by a very popular digi scrapper who said she breaks up all her kits and puts the flowers in the flower file, the ribbons in the ribbon file, etc. I tried this and not only did it take me an eternity to do, but then it was nearly impossible to scrap. It took me months to undo this mistake!

The next category for me is templates. This is probably the area that took me the longest to organize but it is the one that has had the biggest payoff for me! If you read my Power Scrapping Secrets article at The Daily Digi you will see how having templates sorted by number of pictures they hold can save you oodles of time. I will give you a peek into my template folder so you can see what I’m talking about.

I have filed all of my templates by the amount of photos they are designed for. I realize that some templates might fit in more than one file depending on how you use them but I just tried to stay basic with my filing system. I can’t tell you how useful this system has been. Even if you think the rest of my digi organization is bunk, I bet you will find this part useful.

When I go to create a page that needs to have 4 photos on it, I just open up that folder and start browsing. Even if I don’t use a template, it at least gets my creativity working!

I don’t use subfolders here and all I keep is the preview of the template and the actual template file right next to. Sometimes I have to rename them to get them to stay next to each other in the file. Every once in a while I have to make a jpeg image so I have a preview of the template so if you are a template designer – PLEASE include a preview of each template! My very favorite templates are in TIFF format because you only need that one file to serve as a preview and the actual template. This really isn’t as complicated as it sounds – basically, I just like to see what each template looks like at one glance through the folder it relates to.

Now we are getting into sort of the misc. area of my organization. I have a 16 in front of the next few folders which are for downloadable magazines and tutorials

16 albums and quick pages

16 magazines/newsletters and tutorials

17 actions (even after you load them, it’s helpful to have a place for the instructions)

18 memorabilia (scanned items)

19 AMM (my amazing month of memories files)

19 CU (commercial use stuff from my designing days)

20 photos * will deal with this in a future post

21 layouts * will deal with this in a future post

Organization will pay off in many ways. If anything, it helps you avoid duplicate purchases. The best part for me is that it makes me a more efficient scrapbooker which means I get more done in the time I have and I enjoy it more! The only downside is that it is truly a boring task. I mean all you are doing is moving files around – so my solution is to take my laptop out to the couch for this one and watch tv with my family while I’m digi organizing. It’s nice to have something else to think about while you are staring at the screen. And you don’t have to feel guilty about watching tv because you are cleaning while you are doing it!

… and don’t forget to make a memory today!

Lisa J.