A few weeks back, I wrot
e about how easy it can be to scrapbook boy’s layouts using “girly” kits. I use all types of supplies and sometimes, I do find myself drawn to kits that are definitely themed for boy’s layouts. I have a criteria to help me choose the right kit. After all, I want to get the most for my money and not have a lot of supplies which aren’t being used.Let’s take a look at a recent boy themed kit from Traci Reed Designs. It met all 3 indicators for a great boy themed scrapbook kit.
And She Loved a Little Boy Very, Very Much Even More Than She Loved Herself by Christy Strickler |Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill; Digital Kit: Pocket Life For the Boys Kit by Traci Reed; Other: Glossy Accents
This page was scraplifted from Gemma Crane.
1. The kit will work for multiple age levels.
This is key for me. My son is a teenager now but I have tons of photos from his early years still to be documented. Traci Reed’s Pocket Life for the Boys collection offers a variety of motifs and patterns that could be tailored for a teen or young child.
2. The kits has a mix of hard and soft elements.
Some boys kits have all sharp edges( think stars and triangles) and have distinctly masculine color palettes. However, I often want something subtle to soften the page a bit. Notice how the papers in the Pocket Life: For the Boys collection have a few soft patterned papers. Specifically, the multicolored chevron and the orange prints you see in the page I made above have a slightly blurred edge around the patterns. These make the papers feel warmer and gentler at the same time. I also look for a mix of embellishments that can be used for a variety of story themes. The hearts and journal card I used for my title are great examples. My son has always been an affectionate kid with a beautifully creative mind. I don’t want a kit with only heavy colors,heavy patterns or textures( like metal, for example).
3. The kit is not heavily themed.
This sort of goes hand in hand with the second point. Yes, my son played in the mud, had dinosaurs, robots and toy trucks. No, I really don’t want to use those motifs over and over again. A few specific elements are fine. For example, this kit has a few video game themed embellishments. However, the video game motif doesn’t define the kit. I also like that many of the word art phrases in this kit center around affection and how wonderful the child is. Many of these could be pulled out of the kit and used on pages about my husband or even our pets.
Overall, I need a good boy themed kit to have flexibility. Can it tell my son’s story over a range of years? Does it allow me to tell stories that aren’t about just my son? Knowing how I use motif, pattern and texture in my scrapbooking process can help guide me in my purchases. If I come across a heavily themed collection, I can simply choose not to buy the whole thing. If I am buying paper supplies,I can choose specific embellishment sets and single pieces of paper for a few particular layouts. For hybrid layouts, I can buy the whole digital collection or choose individual parts of the kit( like just the embellishments, for example). Also take in consideration supplies that you already own. Do you have other boy kits with supplies waiting to be used? Can you make your own kit from your supplies while just choosing a few new items to refresh your stash?Omit any embellishments or patterns from your shopping cart that are similar to supplies you already own.
Which do you prefer? Heavily themed kits or ones with less specific motifs?
Scrapbooking with a “Girly” Kit for a Boy’s Layout